|
"When I saw Babar Awan emerge out of the SC wearing sleek goggles usually worn by youngsters on motorbikes, you know who came dancing to my mind? My hero of the yore: Al Capone" The Friday Times, 45-The Mall, Lahore-Pakistan, Fax:92-42-7355197,
eMail: tft@lhr.comsats.net.pk |
|
Letters
|
Advertise Here | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PIA travellers
Sir, Had someone behaved in this manner on a European, American or Gulf airline, he would have been arrested and eventually sent to jail. It is the lack of enforcement of rules and discipline that encourages people to commit such crimes in Pakistan. In fact, even the airline crew consider it their right to smoke in the attendants’ service area or the cockpit. Recently, a PIA executive director accompanied by two other senior executives got drunk and created a scene on an Islamabad-Karachi flight when he was told not to drink. It is common knowledge that consumption of alcohol within Pakistan and on a PIA domestic flight is prohibited. If the PIA staff will show such indiscipline, then the passengers will also be unruly. Rashid Orakzai, Quetta.
Islamophobia
Sir, “She was dressed in Muslim garb and just before we were about to take off, she started mumbling something in an Arabian or Talibani-sounding language. There was something sinister about her.” The flight attendant asked Sister Cora-Ann for her name, boarding pass and a photo ID. Blanche Dubois, another passenger sitting close to her, said: “Once I heard that her name sounded like Quran, I got worried. I just did not want to die. I was so scared, that I just yelled out her name to all passengers.” “Once we all heard that the passenger’s name was Quran, things started falling apart,” another passenger said. She was then asked to eat beef just to prove that she is not Muslim. Frodo Baggins, a frequent traveller, said he had heard that Muslims do not eat beef. But Sister Cora-Ann politely refused the beef jerky and reminded the passengers that it was the time of Lent, during which Catholics often abstain from eating meat. The unrest in the plane kept growing, because most passengers were now convinced that Sister Cora-Ann was indeed Muslim and they demanded that she leave the plane, which is what she was eventually made to do. The story is satire on the paranoia and fear of Islam in the US because of which some people have have started acting illogically. Alya Alvi, Rawalpindi.
Men of honour
Sir, Tariq Ali, Lahore.
Blackwater cars
Sir, But I still see eight or ten vehicles almost everyday that carry fake registration numbers. These cars are 2005 or later models but carry registrations numbers from the old Karachi system, or the previous Peshawar system. The most prominent ones are the fake registrations used by people working for Blackwater. They generally have a registration number IDL followed by random 4 digits (that keep on changing). Shahryar Baseer, Peshawar.
South Punjab
Sir, According to a recent report, the Rajanpur district of south Punjab is the most deprived in the province. A report in 1998 had ranked the district the poorest in Punjab, and the provincial government’s Multiple Deprivation Index of 2007-08 (released last week) its deprivation level is still 63.32, the worst. The situation has worsened for the district since 2003-04 when the MDI was 59.02. The four most deprived districts that follow are also in southern Punjab: Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Lodhran. The five least deprived districts: Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sheikhupura, are all in central Punjab. Nothing further needs to be said about the plight of the people of southern Punjab. Raza Asif, DG Khan.
Jinns of society
Sir, A mother of two was raped last week in Bhakkar by a man who claimed to have come to rid their house of evil jinns. He made the woman and her daughters drink water for the process to begin, after which they fainted. But what is even more sad is that this tale of ignorance does not end here. The next morning, doctors declined to treat the woman who had been raped several times the previous night for the fear that the jinns might possess them too. Only recently, there were reports of the arrest of two men and a woman who ate dead people – a practice prescribed by a self-claimed sorcerer. Ignorance has fogged our brains to a very dangerous extent. Kashif Malik, Lahore.
PIA’s losses
Sir, This is with reference to 2010 financial report on the Pakistan International Airlines, available on its website, which states that this poorly managed airline (with an assured average passenger load of 70% – enough to make it profitable or at least break even) has incurred huge losses. PIA has lost Rs 62 billion in just three years, which is criminal. The tragedy is that when the current chairman assumed charge, there was so much hype that raised everybody’s expectations. It looks like the sole aim of the restructuring plan and the business plan that were presented was to ensure fleet induction. This meant a dip in the debt to equity ratio to an extent from where recovery is impossible. PIA’s existing fleet of Boeing 777 were already under-utilised. It was because of this poor decision that allegations of kickbacks were made. The previous business plan had failed to achieve the revenues targets and the planned lowering of operational costs. This was the collective failure of the whole team, whose credentials were then questioned in the light of past charges of indiscipline. Auditors have cast “doubts about the corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern”, ie if no remedial measures are taken and nobody held responsible for causing the immense losses. Another restructuring plan might be made but it looks like its fate will be the same – more losses for Pakistan’s taxpayers when the country already has little funds for health and education. Abrar H, Faisalabad.
Police corruption
Sir, A major reason why the police has never enjoyed the support of the public is the perception that the force is extremely corrupt. Corruption is a serious problem that exists in almost every public and private department in the country. It is not fair only to label the police force as being the only corrupt department. The action of a few individuals should not mar the image of the whole police force. But measures should also be taken to stop any corruption that exists in police, because the force is responsible for dealing with crime and maintaining law and order. There is a need for reforms in the police to change the colonial structure of the force to one that is more appropriate for our society. Zulfiqar Haider, Islamabad.
Time will tell
Sir, American newspapers Washington Post has claimed that the CIA has established its own spy network in Pakistan, including in Waziristan. How is that possible when they cannot even move freely outside of their compounds in Kabul? The newspaper says CIA chief considers it important for the security of America. But is it justified to violate the sovereignty of other countries to establish one’s own? When such is the perception of the US in Pakistan and Afghanistan, is it possible for the US to win this war which involves winning hearts and minds? Ameen Tariq, Peshawer.
PIA woes
Sir, Irregularities in recruitment, promotions, foreign postings, GSA awards and technical stores procurements have become a norm in the Pakistan International Airlines nobody is ever held accountable for the losses of billions of rupees that they incur. Nepotism and crony-ism have deprived the PIA of revenues, which were pilfered through institutionalised corruption. It was always the strong nexus between the marketing executives and some travel agents that deprived this airline of revenues. Mir Tassadaq, Lahore.
Shoaib Akhtar
Sir, Although Pakistan’s premier pacer Shoaib Akhtar could not play key matches in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, we must not forget his contribution to cricket in Pakistan. The fast bowler was a role model for many, not only as a cricketer, but also because of his ability to persevere and not give up when the odds were against him. Despite the controversies surrounding his career, it is not possible to deny the fact that he was a great sportsman. I want to express my gratitude to him for the wonders he has done for Pakistan. Pakistanis will never forget his achievements and will always miss him in the cricket ground. Hisham Ahmed, Lahore.
Police and people
Sir, So far there is no department within the police that gauges public opinion about the police in a certain area. People often have complaints about the police but do not know how and where to file them. A department should be set up for public outreach that finds out people’s opinion about the performance of the police and help them register any complaints. Yahya Ahmad, Islamabad.
Women and justice
Sir, Women’s access to justice is very difficult because of problems with the police. There are often no separate lock-ups for women and there are very few women’s police stations in the country. The representation of women in police is less than five percent of the entire force. The law that requires a magistrate’s permission for arresting women between sunset and sunrise is ignored. On the contrary, police are in many cases guilty of gross violations of their rights. Yasir Hameed, Islamabad.
Awed by Awan
Sir, When Al Capone showed up at a casino, people were dumbstruck. He never talked much, only pointed his finger for his lieutenants to turn things upside down. Awan’s radiating confidence, a streak of white in his otherwise black beard, and his rather audacious demeanour awed all those who watched him. But while Babar Awan is appearing in court for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Aitzaz Ahsan should appear for Benazir Bhutto. Ahsan is more suave, circumspect and has even more class. We should witness an entertaining legal battle in the days to come. Dr AP Sangdil, Norway.
Bhutto’s spirit
Sir, Anwar Khalil Sheikh, Lahore.
Japanese strength
Sir, Following are the excerpts from a letter written by a Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh – now a policeman in Fukushima – to a friend in Vietnam, posted on New America Media on March 19: “Brother, I am currently in Fukushima, about 25km away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you. People here remain calm – their sense of dignity and proper behaviour are at height. But they are humans after all. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it’s like dropping a little salt into the ocean. Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organisation distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around nine years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn’t be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school at the time of the earthquake. He was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father’s car away. His house was right by the beach and he said his mother and little sister probably didn’t make it. Then he turned his head and wiped his tears. The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That’s when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn’t. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed. I was shocked. I asked him why he didn’t eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: “Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn’t see me cry. A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people. Marya Mufti, Lahore.
Jurisdiction
Sir, Addressing army officers at a recent event, the chief justice said all institutions must remain within their jurisdiction. Judiciary under him has emerged as a sober, patient, elderly figure. It has even rejected the law of necessity unlike many judges in the past. Several judges took oath under Pervez Musharraf’s PCO but realised their mistake later and refused to be another oath under another PCO by Musharraf. Politicians should also realise now that democracy is not just about them working in their own domain but working effectively to resolve the problems people are facing. SK Aurakzai, Peshawar.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
April 29 - May 05, 2011 - Vol. XXIII, No. 11 |
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All airline passengers know smoking is prohibited on every commercial flight – domestic or international. Recently, a British national of Pakistani origin insisted on smoking while on board a domestic PIA flight. When he was stopped by a stewardess, the passenger started abusing her, and then went on to physically assault her. 
According to a story published on Huffington Post Comedy, an American Christian Catholic nun, Sister Cora-Ann was asked to leave a flight that she had just boarded at the Omaha airport in Ohio because a passenger who saw her wearing a nuns’ headdress and reciting a prayer in Latin complained to the flight attended that she looked suspicious. 
For more than 30 years, Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt with an iron hand. He made immense wealth through sheer abuse of power, but he also earned hatred of his people. Today his assets stand frozen, and the only thing that survives is the memory of his tyrannical rule. He could not stand up like a man to face trial because his heart failed to take the pressure, although he did not feel the same way when thousands of people starved and thousands others were deprived of their basic rights. History always reverse men of honour, who refuse to sell their conscience for power and wealth. And history tells us that tyrants and dictators never learn from history. 
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has computerised the vehicle registration system in the province. Under new law, it is illegal to drive cars that have an old registration number. This task was completed at a very high cost and took a very long time, and it was done to stop the use of vehicles for which custom duty had not been paid, or those that had been stolen. 
When I saw Babar Awan emerge out of the Supreme Court wearing sleek goggles usually worn by youngsters on motorbikes, flanked by his friends of all hues in black suits, you know who came dancing to my mind? My hero of the yore: Al Capone. 
Just before Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was to be hanged, Maulana Mufti Mehmood, the leader of Pakistan National Alliance, was asked to comment. He had said, “Bhutto sahib key baad hamain Bhutto sahib ki rooh ziada pareshan kare gi” (After Mr Bhutto, his spirit will haunt us more). How true the words turned out to be. After 32 years of his hanging, we have still not been able to take him out of our system.
