|
"Immediate and strong measures must be taken to ensure that Lahore does not see gang wars as has been seen in Karachi" The Friday Times, 45-The Mall, Lahore-Pakistan, Fax:92-42-7355197,
eMail: tft@lhr.comsats.net.pk |
|
Letters
|
Advertise Here | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cessna in a truck
Sir, Yasir Hameed, Islamabad.
Mangal Bagh woes
Sir, A few days ago, Mangal Bagh’s group Lashkar-e-Islam had abducted and beheaded Maulana Muhammad Hashim, a respected cleric from the Zakakhel clan. Following the incident, the Afghan Taliban had threatened to join the Zakakhels against Mangal Bagh. This shows the various dimensions of this war – apart from the army fighting against terrorists, there is a parallel war going on between rival groups and tribes in FATA. Irrespective of their nature, these conflicts are dangerous and have already cost many lives. The civil society must also play a role in putting an end to such conflicts. Zulfiqar Haider, Islamabad.
Time to reap
Sir, Hassan Bashir, Islamabad.
Royal CM
Sir, The Punjab government claims it does not have funds to give to doctors, but decided to pay half a million rupees to each member of the national cricket team despite the controversies surrounding their loss in the World Cup semi-final. Can the CM justify this support to the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman who belongs to his Kashmiri clan? The people of Punjab appreciate the work the CM has done, but these recent events have hurt them. Shahzad Khalil, Sialkot.
Taliban’s objective
Sir, The Taliban are targeting Pakistan’s infrastructure with the objective of pushing Pakistanis further deep into poverty and backwardness. They recently blew up two schools and a hospital in Mohmand Agency. Destroying public service infrastructure in an area that has already been hit hard by conflict and lacks basic facilities will add to the misery of the people who live there, and cannot be justified. It is also important for the state to give more attention to the security of such facilities and carry out more development work in these conflict-hit areas. Suhail Khan, Islamabad.
Repatriation
Sir, The government announced a voluntary repatriation of internally displaced people (IDPs) living in the Jalozai camp in Nowshera starting from April 11, but the IDPs seem reluctant to go back. Most of them say they have nothing left back there. Their homes, schools and the infrastructure have been destroyed. Their fields have not been tilled for months. Some have asked the government to give them money to rehabilitate. The FATA Disaster Management Authority has announced that they would help the IDPs in reconstruction. It is important for the IDPs to return to their homes and start their lives again, and the government must also provide them with necessary help. Sher Zaman, Islamabad.
Police’s image
Sir, Pakistan and its citizens are in continuous war with an invisible enemy. This enemy aims to destabilise our major cities especially by attacking our law-enforcement agencies. While the citizens look up to the police for their security, they must also support the police fully in all circumstances to keep their morale high. But that is only possible if the citizens are aware of what the police does for them. According to Transparency International’s 2010 Global Corruption Barometer, police is among the top three most corrupt institutions of Pakistan. As a concerned citizen, I urge the authorities to take concrete measures to rid the police of corruption so that the citizens and police can fight terrorism together. Amna Zaman, Lahore.
Quetta attack
Sir, The suicide attack on the house of DIG (Investigations) Nasir Wazir Khan in Quetta is a stark reminder of the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan and the presence of terrorist outfits in the province. It is a matter of concern that the attack took place inside a high security zone and targeted the entire family of DIG. It is evident that these terrorists have no regard for human life and are ready to take the lives of innocent women and children for their nefarious goals. Yahya Ahmad, Islamabad.
Bhutto reference
Sir, The government’s decision to file a reference against what has been perceived by a majority of Pakistanis as the judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is correct, irrespective of the political motives behind it. One of the judges, Nasim Hassan Shah, confessed in his book that injustice was done under pressure. These former judges who succumbed to pressures and failed to deliver justice had no moral authority to serve as judges. Pakistan has suffered a lot because of wrongs done by a few men who took over by force and went on to pursue their own agendas not thinking about the consequences. We owe it to history to rectify mistakes of the past. The prestige of a few former heads of certain institutions is not more sacrosanct than our national honour, justice, rule of law and collective national interest. We have allowed minions to distort Quaid-e-Azam’s vision for a democratic welfare state that he very clearly spelled out on 11th August 1947. Men like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, the bureaucracy and political opportunists were responsible for the division of Pakistan. It was Ayub Khan who imposed the one-unit law to ensure the former East Pakistan did not have a majority. Ziaul Haq and Musharraf are responsible for religious intolerance, extremism, ethnicity and violence. We must not allow self-proclaimed defenders of Pakistan’s ideology to distort history, and we must not allow merchants of justice to tarnish our courts. Justice must be done and those who have wronged this country in the past be made to pay for their sins. It is only if justice prevails that we will be able to stop the flight of capital and human resources out of Pakistan and curtail rampant corruption that has become a threat to our survival. Malik Tariq Ali, Lahore.
Economic Ills
Sir, Pakistan’s acute economic ills cannot be remedied unless those within the policy-making corridors are competent, qualified men of integrity, who have stakes in this country with no split loyalties. Those who have sought foreign nationalities by choice cannot be expected to deliver solutions for our economy and rescue it from the acute crises that it faces today. No country in the world can survive if there are such extensive leakages in revenue and tax collection as in Pakistan for the past few decades. Every year, the situation is becoming more grave. Unchecked flight of capital has become the sole privilege of politicians and the and civil and uniformed bureaucracy. The Federal Board of Revenue is dominated by men with histories of financial indiscipline, and cannot be expected to meet targets. As long as tax evasion is not considered a conspiracy against the state and the guilty given severe exemplary punishments and their assets seized, this crime against the state will continue unhindered and so will target killings and kidnapping for ransom. As long as those who matter lack the political will and compulsion to abide by rules, things will never improve. The panacea to all our problems is rule of law, where every citizen pays taxes for any income earned, with no exceptions or self-created immunities. Abid Ali, Lahore.
Mohmand operation
Sir, It is encouraging to see that the security forces have been fighting vehemently to flush out the militants infesting Mohmand Agency. It has been reported that the tribesmen have cooperated with the security forces during the operation. Local support is key for curtaining terrorism in the long term and it can be attained by winning the tribesmen’s trust. If the locals and the military cooperate, the terrorists will have no option but to accept defeat. Kashif Khan, Islamabad.
Save young people
Sir, About 65 percent of Pakistan’s population consists of young people. They are full of energy and have enormous potential but seem to lack direction. I believe that to protect Pakistan’s future from extremism, it is vital to save the youth from falling prey to the dangerous ideology of the Taliban. They mainly target young people who are easier to brainwash. Young people should be given the opportunity to participate in constructive debate, recreational activities, and sports and should be made aware of the true teachings of Islam. Amna Cheema, Lahore.
Karachi’s traders
Sir, Karachi is has seen a lot of abductions for ransom and extortion. Traders in Karachi, who are usually the targets, have recently been protesting against these incidents. The police and the administration have failed to provide security to traders. In fact these crimes take place right under the police’s nose. Naseer Memon, Karachi
Policemen’s families
Sir, There have been several incidents recently in which the families of police officials investigating various crimes have been targeted or harassed. The purpose of this new tactic is to coerce the policemen into abandoning the investigations. The recent killing of the brother of a police officer who was investigating a journalist’s murder in Karachi is being seen as linked to the investigations. A mechanism should be developed to keep the identities of the investigating officers in high profile cases hidden and their families should be provided with necessary security. Hamid Latif, Lahore.
How to take criticism
Sir, A recent report released by the US has criticised Pakistan’s policy, saying the country had no clear plan to tackle militancy. While many have linked this criticism to strained ties between Pakistan and the US, we should also look at the report with a constructive perspective. Instead of outrightly rejecting it, our policy makers can look at the weaknesses that have been highlighted in the report, evaluate their policy in a neutral way, and improve it if it is lacking. This way, we will be able to rectify any drawbacks in our plans and prevent the spread of terrorism in the country. Hassan Ali, Islamabad.
Hate literature
Sir, It is a sad reality that distribution of hate literature outside mosques has become a norm in Pakistan. These pamphlets are designed to urge young people to take up arms and wage what they call a Jihad against the state. The government and the law-enforcement agencies must deal with this issue on priority and stop the dissemination of hate literature. Zulfiqar Ahmed, Islamabad.
Policing the streets
Sir, It remains to be seen if this interesting effort will succeed and be replicated in the rest of the city. Zainab Ali, Islamabad.
Media’s role
Sir, An independent media always serves to strengthen democracy by bringing facts before the people. After a long time we finally have a vibrant media, with journalists who have the moral courage to criticise and expose those in power. It is unfortunate that a part of the media has played a role in distorting Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Pakistan as a democratic welfare state. They have downplayed the importance of his 11th August 1947 address and betrayed their obligation to present facts instead of creating fiction. The role of state-controlled media during Ayub Khan era, when a character assassination campaign was launched to belittle Pakistan’s politicians, was key in the breaking up of Pakistan in 1971. Similarly, their failure to expose Ziaul Haq’s tyrannical rule has done irreparable damage to Pakistan. The independent media, with a few exceptions, have been following their commercial interests and have distorted the role played by real pioneers of our freedom struggle, instead making heroes out of mediocres who were not even at an age where they could possibly have played any important role in the freedom movement. Rahat Siddiqi, Karachi.
Lahore gang wars
Sir, After Karachi, gang wars are now a growing trend in Lahore. The most recent case in point being when two people were killed by stray bullets during a gunbattle between two rival gangs. It is the duty of the police to prevent these gangs from becoming strong. Immediate and strong measures must be taken to ensure that Lahore does not see such gang-related violence as has been seen in Karachi. The authorities should provide proper support to the police to ensure law and order in the city and there should be no political interference. Political interference is a primary reason why police are not able to deal with such gangs. Ahsan Chaudhry, Lahore.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
April 22-28, 2011 - Vol. XXIII, No. 10 |
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Police in Swabi have seized an abandoned container with a dismantled Cessna plane in it. According to a news report, robbers beat up the driver and fled with the vehicle driving it through through Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan before abandoning it for unknown reasons. It is obvious that police did not check the container at any checkpoint as the bandits drove it around in a province hit hard with terrorism and insurgency. The Khyber Pakhtunwa police needs to rethink its strategy.
Mangal Bagh Afridi has sought help from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as his erstwhile supporters after the Zakakhel clan of Afridi tribe turned against him.
Rival extremist groups have been fighting with each other over differences that have grown over the years. It has been reported that the Tehrik-e-Taliban commander in Parachinar, Muhammad Khuwaidadkhel, was shot and killed by a rival group. These groups are finally getting a taste of their own medicine, being pulled into a trap they had set for us. As you sow, so shall you reap, they say. It is harvest time for the Taliban.
I have always been a great admirer of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif but the recent events in Punjab are very disturbing. Can the CM explain his royal arrogance on the issue of underpaid doctors? Is it a policy decision to discourage and humiliate educated young people? How can he justify paying a doctor the same salary as a foot constable? What is the point then in the CM’s excessive reverence of the top position holders in matric, intermediate and O’ level? There is no other country in the world where doctors are underpaid and allowed to be humiliated by bureaucrats. 
Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz has filed an application in the Islamabad High Court demanding a withdrawal of a case registered against him in 2007. He was accused of distributing pamphlets outside the mosque that contained hate material. It was a violation of Section 144 imposed in the city at that time. 
The Islamabad IG has announced a pilot security project initially limited to the Shalimar police station precincts. A constable or head constable will be assigned three streets to collect information on the people living there. The constables will be supervised by assistant sub-inspectors, who will report to additional stationhouse officers. The constable will also be responsible for police complaints from the streets assigned to him. 
