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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

The racism race

Sir: To say that the past few years have been a trial for British Prime Minister Tony Blair is an understatement. The most recent example is the media frenzy regarding Indian Actress Shilpa Shetty’s ‘race against racism’. Having been insulted by one of the contestants on the British television show “Big Brother”, the actress has sparked controversy and re-opened the ‘racism debate’ in the UK, after it momentarily died down following the Straw ‘burka’ fiasco. Prime Minister Blair has already made a statement against racism, reiterating the UK’s support for ethnic minorities and the like. A vast majority of the British public support the actress over the British contestant and almost all condemn the racial slurs uttered in the show.

It seems that things just never let up for Blair. One thing is for sure: the racism debate may well be the table talk to put terrorism on the back seat.
MARIA KHALID
Lahore

TV glut

Sir: The increasing number of private television channels only helps the media if these channels meet some minimum quality standards. I recently had the misfortune to view an interview of Justice Nasira Javed Iqbal on a local channel, talking about the Women’s Protection Act (WPA). The host cut her off in mid sentence on several occasions to switch to commercials or pitch in with his own views. The camera movement for the show was visibly shaky and at one point the people on screen were even inverted! However, the real nail in the coffin was the incorrectly spelt title of the show: it read “Jostic Nasira Javed Iqbal”.

These are only the technical flaws. I caught the tail end of the conversation, as the host was saying that “WPA was un-Islamic because it contradicted the view that women were supposed to cater to men’s needs regardless of choice”. He also mentioned that the bill introduced a debate regarding ‘marital rape’ that was un-Islamic.

The host’s personal shortcomings apart, PEMRA should definitely take into account the production quality and basic presentation of our television channels. Having an unlimited number of channels doesn’t mean anything if they are lousy.
NADIA WAQAR
Karachi

What you do afterwards

Sir: President Musharraf has earned many victories during his seven years of governance as the leader of Pakistan. He has completed several large infrastructure projects and helped to empower women through increased female presence in the federal and provincial legislatures, local councils and other government agencies. The president has supported increasing freedom in the press, allowing some strong criticism of government policies and actions.

Musharraf’s government is the first to focus on provinces other than Punjab. Balochistan and Sindh have witnessed significant development. The economy in Pakistan is also showing signs of significant growth. The GDP and per capita income are on the rise, along with record increases of revenue nation-wide. Foreign investment has begun to pour into the economy as certain sectors, namely telecommunications, banking, manufacturing, private health and education services have visibly improved.

There is no denying that Musharraf is an authoritarian leader; however, he has still managed to bring about some decentralisation. Perhaps the more important thing for us to remember as the election approaches is what our leaders do once they come into power rather then how they got there.
HAYAT MALICK
Lahore

Pakistan and AIDS

Sir: HIV and AIDS pose the biggest and most complex threats to human health the world has ever seen. The great stigma of the disease compounds its physical symptoms. In the developing world, the pandemic is devastating the physical, social and economic health of entire communities and regions.

Pakistan has been identified as a low prevalence but high-risk country for these infections. It is highly vulnerable to an epidemic due to a number of factors, including exposure to infected blood or blood products, homosexuality and intravenous drug use. The total number of reported cases in all parts of the country till June 2006 stood at 3,087, with 2,755 HIV positive and 332 AIDS cases.

The government’s National AIDS Control Programme is a welcome development and one hopes that it will continue its efforts to prevent AIDS from spreading in Pakistan.
KHURRAM SHAHZAD
Gujar Khan

Two teams

Sir: The senior Mr Gibbs or Herschelle Gibbs’ father has surely added a new shade to the increasingly colourful and oft-sordid cricket media spectrum. Now that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is tightening the noose on players speaking out on real or imagined unfairness, in steps Mr Gibbs Senior, who of course is completely out of the ICC’s disciplinary clutches. The son’s racial slurs are explained away by the father, who also lambastes all Pakistani supporters and wishes he won’t see a single Pakistani face at the upcoming test match in Cape Town. What remains to be seen is if Gibbs Senior’s outburst will send Messrs Speed and Sohn and the ICC scurrying to devise new rules for family and acquaintances, or can Pakistan now expect more of their ilk jumping in to defend their golden boys?

Perhaps every cricket team on tour should comprise of two teams, one to play the match and the other to defend the players from racism?
WASIF M KHAN
Lahore

Big brother, big deal!

Sir: It seems that everyone in India and UK is shouting from the rooftops about the racist treatment meted out to the Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on “Big Brother”, a UK reality TV show. But, with all due respect to their sentiments, how can Indians overlook the caste system in their own country? Racism, caste system... is it very different?
AYESHA KHAN
USA

Balochistan job quota

Sir: The federal cabinet’s significant move to enhance the civil services quota for Balochistan to 6 per cent from the present 3.5 per cent has been long overdue. It is regrettable that the federal cabinet has confirmed this decision nearly ten years after the 1998 census. According to the 1981 census Balochistan’s share in federal jobs was 3.5 percent, and after the 1998 census Balochistan’s 6.5 million population was fairly eligible for a 6 percent increase. Therefore the cabinet and federal information minister should not portray this decision as a favour to the people of the province. The only favour that Islamabad can do the long-suffering population of Balochistan is to treat them with respect and equality, and halt aggressive military offensives.
HAROON BARAKZAI
Quetta

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