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Pakistan vs West Indies

Sir: Today (March 23) is an important day for Pakistani cricket fans. Cricket World Cup 2011’s first quarterfinal match is going to take place between Pakistan and the West Indies. Whichever side wins the game will face the winner of the India vs Australia quarterfinal. I wish Pakistan cricket team the best for today’s match. Pakistan cricket team has a good bowling attack but when it comes to batting, we have no discipline whatsoever. As soon as we lose a couple of wickets, more often than not our middle-order batting collapses. Our cricketers should not let that happen at this crucial stage of the World Cup. I hope that our boys in green will not take the West Indies team lightly because they too are as good a team as any other. May the best team win!
BUSHRA JAVED
Lahore

Water scarcity and India

Sir: This is with reference to your editorial, ‘Water scarcity: cause for concern’ (Daily Times, March 22, 2011). The editorial makes a completely false assertion that India is manipulating the flow of the three western rivers by building dams and other storages to such an extent that by the time the rivers enter Pakistan, there is hardly any water left.

In the above context, we draw your attention to the following reply of the then Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan in the National Assembly on September 30, 2010 in response to a question regarding “the total quantum of Million Acre Feet (MAF) of run-of-river water of Pakistani rivers stopped by India”. He said, “During the period from August 18 to August 25, 2008, less inflows were observed at the Marala Headworks on Chenab River in Pakistan. According to an estimate about 0.2 MAF of water was stored during these eight days for the initial filling of dead storage of Baglihar plant. No other violation of stopping of waters was observed at present.” As is clear from the above reply, the difference between the two sides related to only a small quantity of water at the time of initial filling of Baglihar plant by India in August 2008. This matter was discussed and resolved during the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission in June 2010.

The fact is that we have never hindered water flows to which Pakistan is entitled under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), not even during the wars of 1965 and 1971 as well as other periods of tense relations and we have no intention of doing so. The Treaty clearly lays down the technical parameters of the run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects to be constructed by India, so as to protect the interests of Pakistan.

As for your suggestion that the World Bank be approached for third-party arbitration, we believe that the Permanent Indus Commission is the best forum to resolve questions and issues regarding implementation of the IWT. However, for any issues that cannot be resolved in the Commission, Article IX of the IWT provides a mechanism for settlement of differences and disputes. Pakistan chose to take the Baglihar issue to a neutral expert and India fully complied with the neutral expert’s decision. Pakistan has now taken the Kishenganga issue to arbitration and India is participating in the arbitration proceedings.
SIDHARTH ZUTSHI
First Secretary, High Commission of India
Islamabad

Load shedding on March 23

Sir: Pakistan will be playing its quarterfinal against the West Indies on March 23, which falls on the same day the government has announced a public holiday (Pakistan Resolution Day).

I appeal to the KESC, WAPDA and all other concerned authorities to exempt the said day from load shedding so that people can watch the important game.
MUBASHIR MAHMOOD
Karachi

No need to celebrate

Sir: This March 23, what exactly are we celebrating? In the 63 odd years since our independence, where exactly is Pakistan headed? To the gallows it seems. We have been plagued by mercilessly cruel rulers and autocratic military dictatorships, one of which steered the country towards an irreversibly violent Islamofascist circumstance where bigotry, intolerance and inequality reign supreme. We have become a client state of the US existing on dole outs and alms given to us by our supreme master, the US. We have morphed into a society of gender abuse, illiteracy, poor healthcare and appalling governance. I suggest that the people who inhabit this land do something a little different on Pakistan Day this year. Instead of celebrations, let us all observe a moment of silence and a day of mourning for all the opportunities lost and all the flawed choices we have made.
SOHAIL HAIDER
Lahore

A call to each Pakistani

Sir: In the history of Pakistan, March 23 holds a significant place because on this day a unanimous resolution was passed by the Muslims of India to demand a separate homeland, not as a favour but as a right. The session took place at Minto Park (later on renamed as Iqbal Park), Lahore. It was called the Lahore Resolution but later on it became famous as the ‘Pakistan Resolution’. The situation of the Muslims in India was very critical at that time. Therefore, the All India Muslim League called a three-day session (March 22-24) for passing a resolution. The agenda was to analyse the prevailing situation of Muslims of India and the problems faced by them. It was concluded in the meeting that the only solution to their issues was the creation of a separate state, so that they could live without any threat and practice their own norms, values, traditions, religion and so forth. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said in his address: “Muslims are a nation according to any definition of nation. We wish our people to develop to the fullest spiritual, cultural, economic, social and political life in a way that we think best and in consonance with our own ideals and according to the genius of our people.” Our great leader believed in the talent and abilities of the Muslims. Now this March 23 needs our attention to calculate and analyse our contemporary situation, whether we have made the dream of our Quaid come true, whether we are working on the line of thinking given by our leaders or have we left the path of development. We still fall in the category of less developed countries. We are divided into different identities. Therefore, it is time to recall and revisit the words of our leaders who gave us this lovely homeland. We should identify our all problems and provide solutions to them. Only we the people can change our country.
INAYAT ALI GOPANG
Islamabad

History repeats itself

Sir: 2011 — Ousting Gaddafi not immediate goal: the US.

1991 — Ousting Saddam not immediate goal: the US.

2003 — “We should have taken out Saddam when we invaded Iraq in 1991,” announced George Bush.

Let us wait for another 12 years for a future president of the US to say about Gaddafi what Bush said about Saddam.

History repeats itself in an ugly way when it comes to the Muslim world and its tyrant dictators. Would we, the Muslims, ever learn from history?
DR GHAYUR AYUB
London, UK

Liars and cheats

Sir: If reports are to believed, those perched comfortably in our assemblies do not, in any way, represent the will and vote of the people. NADRA has recently disclosed that out of the 80 million plus votes cast in the general elections in 2008, some 36 million were fake. Therefore, there are quite a few assembly members who are sitting in the House without any moral and legal right to occupy the position they were ‘elected’ to. This is a disgrace! When one considers the perks and privileges these political leeches are enjoying at the expense of the national exchequer, one is reminded of how vile and unethical our representatives are. To add insult to injury, our very own prime minister has approved the construction of luxury parliamentary lodges for these fakes at the cost of some Rs 3 billion. How much longer will these fraudsters continue to loot and plunder this country?
AHMAD ALI
Lahore

Misuse of money

Sir: Public money seems to be a laughing matter in this country. The auditor general’s report on the federal government’s civil accounts has shown glaring discrepancies. Apparently, money was taken by the Frontier Corps (FC) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the purchase of arms and ammunition but the transaction never took place; instead, the money was kept in a private account. The report has also found that six of the 33 bulletproof vehicles purchased by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat have been in the use of non-government individuals. Such cars are extremely pricey and cost the public more money than they can afford. To see them being used and abused by some relative or friend of a government functionary just so they can have some luxurious fun while the rest of the country is being crippled under the weight of hyperinflation is a sadistic joke. If the government is unwilling to take action, I suggest the Supreme Court must take action on the findings of this report and bring to book all those who are trampling on the already fragile finances of this country.
SANA SHAH
Islamabad

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