| January 30, 2008 | Wednesday | Muharram 20, 1429 |
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Change of academic year
Free judiciary and impartial polls
Fear factor
Larkana public park
Untenable arguments
Salute the pilot
Moral rearmament?
An accountant’s dilemma
SECP: panel of auditors
Banana republic
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
PRESIDENT Musharraf’s statement that Benazir Bhutto is ‘unpopular’ with the army is unfortunate, not only because it is insensitive but also because a deeper analysis would reveal that this premise is incorrect.
The key question to ask is whether army recruits are reflective of societal preferences as a whole? Despite all sorts of state interference, the PPP has consistently done well in successive elections and is the country’s largest political force; it got almost 30 per cent of the vote in the highly flawed 2002 election.
Ms Bhutto’s populist politics meant that she was highly popular among the deprived segments of society, with the poor representing the largest voting bloc of the PPP. This is the same segment of society that forms the backbone of the Pakistan Army.
In fact, the PPP has consistently done well in the Potohar region of Punjab which is the heartland of the army’s recruiting base. In the light of this, one can safely deduce that across the rank and file of the army, in the eyes of the average soldier, Ms Bhutto was and remains a respected figure.
She was only ‘unpopular’ with certain sections of the officer cadre as her mass appeal directly threatened their economic and political interests.
There are historical reasons for this hostility. For 11 years during Gen Zia’s regime, Ms Bhutto and the PPP were the prime targets of the army high command; a whole generation of army officers was inculcated with the baseless notion that Ms Bhutto was a ‘security threat’ and must not be allowed to come to power.
Now, after eight years of Mr Musharraf, another generation of officers has been promoted based not on merit, but political leanings and expediency. Secondly, since when is being ‘popular’ with the military a benchmark for forming civilian governments anywhere in the world? Does being ‘popular’ with a small coterie of generals take precedence over the mandate of 160 million people?
Ms Bhutto, by virtue of strong grassroots level support in all four provinces, Azad Kashmir, the Northern and tribal areas, was and remains a symbol of the federation, her support transcending ethnic, linguistic and religious lines. Mr Musharraf, on the other hand, has support limited only to some parts of Karachi.
In fact, I believe Mr Musharraf would top the list of most unpopular personalities within the military if such a poll were to be conducted today.
TAIMUR MASUD KHAN
Lahore
THIS is apropos of Sami Mustafa’s letter, ‘Change of academic year’ (Jan 27). It is shameful that the powerful steering committee of the directorate of education, not only falsely claimed the decision to commence the new academic term from April to be unanimous, but the meeting was also clandestinely organised without inviting some of the leading trust and private schools of repute.
Thirteen representatives of leading trust schools, including The Citizens Foundation having schools even in remote areas of Sindh and Punjab and imparting quality education from whom the education ministry must learn, later met the minister and voiced their dismay and serious concerns of conveying such important issues/decisions through the press, without any consideration of ground realities.
If the current academic term was to conclude as scheduled on May 31, the total numbers of academic teaching days would still only be 143 days, far short of the 180 days required under the rules of the education department itself.
The question of even considering the term to conclude by March 31, reducing the academic year to 103 days of teaching, is not only ridiculous, but confirms that all those involved in the exercise are totally ignorant of the basic requirements of education, leave alone entrusting them to monitor and advise ways and means to salvage the pathetic standards being imparted in government schools to the children of our nation. On the contrary, it should seriously deliberate upon how to enhance the academic school term to at least 200 days.
Surprisingly, even a lot of subject textbooks of this term have also still not been made available and we are sadly declaring unanimous decisions of concluding the term.
In the meeting the minister showed his keen desire to develop at least one English medium government school in each town. We all offered our help to train and interact with the government teachers, share good teaching practices and collect funds to help this good initiative become a reality.
But, to avail this you need the vision, the commitment and the support of the private sector as being practised by Sami Mustafa and many others for the CDGK schools under the progressive and enlightened city nazim.
The education ministry must use its time and energy towards enhancing the quality of education, through such public-private partnership initiatives from this most philanthropic city of Pakistan , ensure cleanliness and provision of facilities both academic and recreational in government schools, improve the standard of examination and timely preparation of results, organise literary competitions through community support, rather than indulging in non-issues and breaking away Sindh from an agreed national consensus having uniformity of academic year.
The powerful steering committee should be renamed as the ‘Derailment Education Committee’, involved with a non-credible private school association just to mislead the education minister away from more important core issues, including corruption, that need to be thoroughly investigated and put right.
JAMEEL YUSUF
Karachi
PRESIDENT Musharraf, on his recent tour to the West, has been asserting that the coming election is going to be held as scheduled and the possibility of rigging has been minimised.
He has been convincing the West that he is committed to holding a free and fair election. Let me ask these western states and all those who patronise Mr Musharraf that aren’t the judiciary and the election commissions in those free countries independent?
Do they not know that only independent election commissions and an impartial judiciary can guarantee a free and fair election? If yes, why don’t they question Mr Musharraf on giving Pakistan back its impartial judiciary and an independent election commission? Perhaps they also don’t want a free and fair election in Pakistan.
Mr Musharraf’s commitment to hold a free and fair election would only be serious if the coming election is held by an impartial election commission, which is accountable to an independent judiciary.
He will only pass his test of character if the election is held under an impartial election commission and an independent judiciary.
Can he do this for his beloved country? A person who has twice breached the oaths he has taken under the Constitution of Pakistan, who has abrogated the Constitution twice, who has deposed and seized the judges of our apex court for not validating an invalid election and who has installed marionettes in the election commission, claiming the above sounds like a joke of the highest order.
The president’s actions have been inconsistent with his claims since he has been in power.
ASIM H. AKHUND
Karachi
THE youth today are opting for other countries as permanent abodes, in search of some peace and stability in their lives. Nothing seems to be working in favour of Pakistan. Our image abroad, the situation of peace in the cities, rampant corruption, shady accountability, proliferating street crimes, uncontrollable inflation etc are but a few dilemmas faced by us.
The sole responsibility of this unrest lies on our politicians, including President Musharraf.
It is so unfortunate that people are scared inside their homes. Fear has penetrated so deeply in their hearts that they have lost all hope of respite. The purpose of this letter is not to paint a bleak picture but an attempt to make our leaders come to their senses about ground realities. Nothing that they mention in the idealistic manifestos is going to get them any votes or win their hearts unless the demoralised Pakistanis see something concrete and practical on the ground.
We do not want anything but peace. We were never so vulnerable to suicide blasts before joining the West’s infamous ‘war on terror’ which has cannibalised our very own innocent people and leaders.
Still we are threatened day in and day out by the US for failing to rein in the militants in the tribal areas when the US itself with all its military might and modern weaponry has failed to control them across the border.
We are paying a very heavy price for the West’s obsession with war whereas they are giving us sermons while they live safely in their respective countries thousands of miles away. They have been mourning the attack seven years ago on the World Trade Centre while we have reason to mourn each day.
I request President Musharraf to do something very fast to retain the young blood this nation so badly needs for its survival.
They are leaving for foreign lands with their valuable skills and intellect with no ambition to return as they see no future here.
FAHD ABBASY
Karachi
THE taluka municipal administration is the custodian of the public park known as ‘Bagh-i-Zulfiqar’ , Larkana, and thousands of rupees have been spent on renovation and beatification of the park from the funds provided by the government from the public exchequer for the development of Larkana.
The land mafia group has trespassed over the major portion of the park and built up the building there in the park due to lack of interest of the taluka municipal administration, Larkana.
It is unfortunate that the taluka municipal administration has not taken any step so far to bring the culprit to book.
The provincial mohtasib and other high-ups of the province should take note of the situation.
M. ANWAR CHANNA
Karachi
DURING an interview by the BBC Television, President Musharraf said that the day he felt he had become so unpopular that the Pakistanis no longer wanted him in power, he would quit (Jan 24).
However, when asked how it would be determined that he was no longer required, he could not give any clear-cut reply and conveniently proposed that there was no other way except for him to conclude this himself. But the president tried to justify this by saying that he got his input from six sources, which would presumably be the various intelligence agencies.
It may be pointed out that the US president gets his input not just from six but 16 agencies, yet the world has seen how much he keeps bungling up.
Apart from that, when his attention was drawn to the recent call by many former services chiefs and generals for him to step down, he said that these were the people who write newspaper articles — as if that is an unwise act. He must know that people like Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger and other senior diplomats and officials have also done that when they found it necessary, many of which have even appeared in Dawn, Mr Musharraf, too, had once or twice tried his hand at writing articles. So, what’s wrong with that?
He then went on to say that these critics consist of two types of people: those whom he had removed and those who couldn’t get anything from him (meaning any posts or favours). He is reminded that the list includes names like Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan, who had opposed Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Gen Yahya Khan, but supported Bhutto as well as Mujeeb in the late 60s to early 70s. He and Air Marshal (r) Nur Khan were neither fired by Musharraf nor apparently denied favours, because they wouldn’t have been desirous of any.
Both the air chiefs had done a remarkable job in making the newly created Pakistan’s PAF into a force that became the envy of the world by its wonderful performance in the 1965 war. What has Mr Musharraf to his credit: the Kargil debacle, an indiscreet phone call from a hotel in Beijing to his VCOAS that got recorded by the Indians and the 250 officers and jawans who surrendered to the Taliban? When the two gentlemen were service chiefs, Mr Musharraf would have been a teenager or a 20-year-old lieutenant and must show them much respect.
And, what about the other services chiefs of the navy and the air force, the many judges (why were all 60 of them removed?), including former chief justices, the 23 senior ex- diplomats and prominent members of civil society, who want him to go, most of whom do not fit his description?
Also, the numerous American and British legislators and even the prime minister of Canada, who wanted him to resign?
The noted American expert on South Asia, Stephen Cohen, had written some weeks back that Mr Musharraf is either suicidal or out of touch with the situation. The US think tank, ‘Cato Institute,’ has compared him to the former Shah of Iran and advised Washington to stop supporting this ‘Shah of Pakistan’ otherwise the consequences will be as disastrous for the US and Pakistan as they were in the case of Iran. (BBC, Jan 24).
INAYAT
Karachi
THIS is apropos of the letter, ‘Gikians salute the pilot’(Jan 25), appreciating the timely decision of the trainee pilot to manoeuvre his malfunctioning plane, which saved more than 300 lives and the Institutes’ infrastructure. In doing so, the young trainee cadet lost his life.
Being a former PAF pilot and having flown extensively at the PAF Academy, I can appreciate the situation and the reason for the young pilot to have acted in the way he did.
The PAF Academy is a great institution and is regarded as such internationally and within Pakistan. I, like all PAF pilots, got my training from this prestigious institution. As a cadet pilot and an instructor subsequently, I have not an iota of doubt in my mind that from the first air experience plight, professionalism is ingrained in the trainees and so is the concept about flight safety.
These attributes are inculcated through extensive and exhaustive training, which the PAF has inherited over the years. The country has never ever been let down by this national asset, which is part of our armed forces.
One of the paramount reasons is that the PAF focuses its entire energies and potentials on professional aspects and has no involvement and/or diversions in civilian/state matters. Whenever required in national calamities like earthquake and floods, the PAF has responded professionally, achieved the given aim and gone back to its prime duty of war preparedness.
The young pilot who lost his life in saving so many valuable lives of other young men of GIK Institute did make a great personal sacrifice. To honour his act of professionalism and bravery the GIK Institute should name the same road, on which the T-37 crashed, after the pilot as a remembrance of his sacrifice.
WG CDR (r) ARIF MAJEED
Karachi
“The British army is targeting children as young as seven with glamorous portraying of warfare”, reports Reuters without mentioning the country (Jan 8).
The silence of the UN Children Emergency over the matter and towards its own values is akin to shaking hands with the indifference of the international community.
AN IRAQI WATCHER
Karachi
“AIRFIELD in Wana, Miramshah, upgraded under US-funded multi-million-dollar programme. A C-130 aircraft made a successful test landing at Wana Airport” (Jan 17).
So, then, it is the accountant’s dilemma to account for the development expenditure either for the welfare or warfare.
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
THE statement of the chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), that he intends to form a panel of 20 to 25 CA firms to conduct the audit of NBFIs, insurance companies, listed companies and private companies a having capital of more than Rs7.5 million is unjustifiable and tantamount to closing of more than 400 audit which have been licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan to act as statutory auditors.
The chartered accountants have developed their professional practices as auditors as well as their cliental base by their sheer hard work stretched over a long period. The cartelisation tendency will ruin their professional practices altogether.
On the one hand, the government has constituted a competition commission of Pakistan to protect competition and facilitate business growth in the country and, on the other hand, the SECP wants to create the audit cartels to promote the vested interests.
Nowhere in the developed world or in the neighbouring countries, the regulators have built such types of audit cartels to hamper the growth of any profession.
This move will not only block the young and energetic professionals of accountancy from starting the professional practices independently but will also result in snatching the business of the present audit firms, thereby enriching the already rich audit cartels.
The role of the SECP as a regulator will also infringe upon the rights of the shareholders who under the various statutes are provided to choose the auditors of their own choice.
If the SECP is interested in improving the quality of standards, it should, instead of creating audit cartels, enforce the mechanism to check whether the financial statements prepared by the management of companies and audited by the statutory auditors are in accordance with the disclosure requirements of ISAs/IFRS notified as regulator.
The ICAP must not coalesce with the SECP in this scheme of closing the business of small and medium-sized audit firms.
ZAFAR IQBAL
Lahore
PRESIDENT Musharraf remarked in his address to the press in Paris that Pakistan was not a ‘banana republic’. He is in a dire need of reality check. Look around. In Pakistan you see a breakdown of law and order, general insecurity, basic food items like flour in short supply, insurgency on the rise, people declaring their own writ against that of the government. Are not these signs of a ‘banana republic”?
Pakistan may be heading for worse. One of the African rogue countries, God forbid.
MIRZA AHMED
Dallas, USA
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