Category: Letters to Editor

According to the allocated budget for the office of the President for the year 2016-17, the annual expenditures of the President House were to the tune of Rs801 m.

Under the head of emp­l­oyees-related expenses, a sum of Rs567m has been earmarked. Of it, Rs105m has been earmarked for salary of staff, Rs82 million for salary of officers, Rs378m for allowances, Rs142m for operating expenses, Rs88m for grants, subsidies and written-off loans, and Rs20m for maintenance.

This is something need to take care because It is costing the tax payers millions of rupees for no reason except to watch the President not more than twice or thrice every year with nothing substantial to contribute.

Abolishing this post as soon as possible, Will be a great service for the people of Pakistan.

Shah Usama

Karachi

 

 

In Pakistan, there are many regions that are backward and deprived. Among those areas, FATA is the most deprived territory. Since 1901, the draconian British law, Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) is imposed on FATA. In every tribal agency, Political agent being the representative of the President of Pakistan, is the executive of the agency. Political agent is neither auditable nor accountable. Collective responsibility persists in FCR under which a house or whole village can be destroyed as a result of single individual’s guilt.
The most serious and burning flaw in FCR was basic human rights violations. Under FCR, tribals have not right of Pakistan judiciary access. They had no right to challenge or appeal in the courts. There were no jurisdictions of courts to FATA. All the disputes are settled by the decisions of a few local elders who are the beneficiaries of FCR.
As compared to other regions of the country, education is appalling. As a result of talibanization and military operations, some schools are completely or partially destroyed. The government did not pay any attention to allocate proper share for repairing and rebuilding of the schools. The class rooms in schools and colleges are overcrowded and there is paucity of teaching staff. Unlike other parts of the country, there is only one university in FATA which has been established recently.
As the incumbent government on its last leg, as a result of unstopped struggle FATA’s MNAs and FATA youth Jirga, headed by anchor-person Saleem Safi, the fata reforms bill after passing from national assembly and senate, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain signed it.
Now the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and high court will extend to tribal areas.
Extension of Courts to FATA is a historical movement. The people of FATA will have the right now to approach Pakistan Judiciary.
This historical reforms will pave way to its merger in KP. After this, the tribal people are able to challenge the rest of the FCR’s faults and flaws including collective responsibility in courts.
We hope that the extension of courts’ jurisdiction to FATA is in best interest of Pakistan and is an initiative of FCR abolishment.
Hanif Ullah
Bajaur Agency

Harassment

To the concerned authorities I am writing to bring In notice the issue of Board Of Intermediate Education Karachi being under total control of political party goons.

Few days ago I went to Board of Intermediate Education Karachi.

At the entrance few goons stopped me and asked me for the purpose of visit and when I told them they asked me for money to help in this work. I refused them and started walking inside.

They stopped me again near the bank and abused me.

Then they physically abused a young boy in front of the crowd and his mother keeps crying for help but no one there listened to her cry.

When I tweeted the incidence to number of higher authorities only one the mayor of central district answered that he is helpless in this persistent and chronic issue.

I have few suggestions to handle this issue as our law enforcement agencies have failed to handle it.

• Built a four side wall with only one entrance main gate.
• Have a body scanning system like one which is installed in State bank which is on the just few minute walk.
• As Karachi is a very big city so there should be a branch or collection centers of Board of Intermediate Education Karachi. In all six districts.

Finally, I request to higher authorities and agencies to visit in plain clothes to check the behavior of these 20/30 goons.

Muhammad Qasim

Karachi

qasimzafar1998@gmail.com

 

 

Intellectual growth is something else. One cannot relate it with having a good English. English is not our national or mother language. It is a language of the people who are living far away from us. Yes, it is an international language and it is also our co-official language. We, therefore, try to learn it and it should be because of its importance in national and international level. But this doesn’t mean that we should judge the ability one while knowing his English language. Intellectual highness is something else. A man may be intellectual one without well conversant with English language. Many people have done great job in this world without having a command over English. French philosophers didn’t know English but they have earned names in the world of knowledge and so many others.
I write frequently posts on social media. Yes, off course there may be some mistakes in my English while writing something on Facebook. But this doesn’t mean that I am losing my own philosophy. This also doesn’t shatter the meaning what I intend to communicate to others just merely on the ground of grammatically wrong English, if there is any.
One day, I met one of my friend who was recently became my Facebook’s friend. Prior to this friendship on social media, he was also my friend as he came to university regularly when I was studying at university. Since that days, I always find him in frank condition. But when he became a friend of mine on social media, he might have studied my posts in different angle. And he might have got indifferently from it or might I have written wrongly. So when I met him recently, his first reply to me while hugging him about my posts. He said in a satirical way and also said about the grammar what I had used in posts. He was not an ordinary man. He belonged to a respectable family and in a high position in government. After a while from this meeting, I just thought how could we get progress? How could we learn? Yes, still I am a student and, Inisha Allah will always be student because I always try to learn and in a stage of learning, one cannot claim about a teacher or having a full-fledged knowledgeable person.
A man cannot get something without passing through errors and trials. If we remain sit idle and feel shy, we will not be position to learn. Society will never let you to learn. In a society where people use to make fun of mistakes especially in academic circle will always face with unfortunate events. Such a society will never meet with a fateful life. It will always be in a static position. There is no chance of success in such society. The reason is that its members will feel shy and they will not try to use their minds. Because they will fear from mistakes and they will think that as a result of mistakes, they will get daunt and bad impression in the eyes of society’s members. Result of this anathema will be a stagnancy.
The more you learn the more you will get a chance to learn either by committing mistakes or otherwise. But unfortunately here the scenario is change. The more you keep silent, the more you will not expose. And the result again is stagnancy. This practice is very dangerous for intellectual growth. It becomes hurdles in the way of vision and farsightedness. This creates impediments in the way of light.
Therefore, we should encourage one another. We must appreciate the writing of someone disregarding of the expression and grammatical errors. There may be a dissenting views but not such a criticism that one may get discouragement. We should teach them where there is a mistakes done on his side. But this has its own method. Secretly and in this modern world one may be easily told/corrected through text or through messenger. So that he could learn without hitting his feelings. We may make ways for improvements. This is a high time for us to learn. Myopic views is not the solution. We should broadened the ways for getting knowledge. We should create such an atmosphere where we could learn and prosper.
We must own our life. We must do hard word. We must look at the efforts of others and it must be appreciated rather criticise in such a way where no remedy would available to him for guidance or without having a solid grounds. So we must elevate us intellectually and must join hands for promoting the cause of humanity. This is one of the most effective way for getting rid of the social evils.
Asmat Ullah Wazir
Peshawar

Social media has taken over the habit of book reading. Hence it is courageous writing a book that attracts social media’s attention too. Hafsa Rehan, a medical doctor, proves it as true. She tells our land is not as barren as others badmouth. We are able to produce a good writing that fascinates viewers.

Daam-e-Lahoo is a worth reading novel by the young and talented writer, Dr Hafsa Rehan. She takes the challenge of extremist views head on and fights it by using her pen. Based on a fiction story leading to the APS Peshawar tragedy, she highlights the issue as to how and why a commoner becomes terrorist, how it impacts social life of a citizen and what are the solutions of this menace. Her novel tries to differentiate between terrorism and religion and conveys that terrorism is something opposite of the concept of Islamism.

Hafsa describes the brain washing of a person by terrorist elements in a way that readers understand their modus operandi. She makes aware the society to recognize those elements hiding within and take preventive measures.

In a novel everything must not be real; but her pen makes the fiction as if it is real. So the reader enjoys the novel while going through suspense and thrill, romance and agony. The topic of the novel seems to be dry though, yet it maintains its attraction. It looks as if the reader watches being part of a character.

Hafsa’s are real life common characters; the reader smiles with the innocence of character and brings tears in the eyes while painting a tragic situation. Novel ends in a very tragic way that makes the reader sad, but it speaks all about reality. She combines different characters while gathering them at one place.

In the Preface of the novel she says, “it’s the toughest moment on earth when a father takes his 25-year long hard work, his son, to the graveyard; the son falls prey to terror”.

It is the toughest of moments in someone’s life; the writer herself belongs to the area that has been affected the most by such incidents, she pens it down like an eye witness account.

Good thing is the young novelist doesn’t criticize anyone or any class of society as she believes there are good and bad people everywhere. One may find technical wrongs in the novel but this is her solo and such mistakes are very few. However, it proves that she has all the ingredients of becoming a novelist of fame. Writing on the subject of terrorism is a daring step, and certainly a first of its kind, which others need to follow.

She deserves to be appreciated, encouraged and protected. Let us follow her to write and help de-radicalize the society so, as broader part of Radd-ul-Fasaad, the menace of terrorism can be eliminated.

Fawad Khan

Islamabad

 

According to a statement issued by Child Rights Movement (CRM) national secretariat, over 12.5 million children in Pakistan are involved in child labor. The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.

The main reason that has made child labor so common in Pakistan is the lack of education. Though it is state’s responsibility to provide with its citizens primary education but with so much focus on roads and transportation sector, the government has paid very less heed to education and health that are the supporting pillars of any nation.

The government of Pakistan has ratified ILO core conventions related to child labor that are: the minimum age convention, 1973 (no. 138) which states that no child below 15 should be involved in any work, and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) by which a country commits itself to taking immediate and strict actions to prohibit and eradicate the worst forms of child labor. NGOs are also working in Pakistan against child labor. With so many laws and Ngos why are we still unable to free our nation from this curse?

The spread of education and awareness is the only key to the door which can bring prosperity in the country.

Aqsa Tahir

Islamabad

aqsa190@gmail.com

 

Since the creation of Pakistan, USA remained on of the closest allies of Pakistan. Being a new born state, America had supported Pakistan since 1947. Pakistan had signed dozens of agreements with USA. America had given military and financial aid to Pakistan over the time, but in return, America had demanded. In past, America had sought Pakis-tan’s help to defeat Russia in Afghanistan. After 9/11, USA want to cooperate in Afghanistan against terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda and taliban etc. Due to the military intervention of NATO troops to Afghanistan, led by America, Pakistan had paid heavy price in terms of material, infrastructure and human lives. Pakistan had lost more than 70,000 precious lives and more than 120 million dollars to economy.

In past, during 1965 and 1971 wars, history shows that USA had supported and backed India with arms. Am-erica had supplied ammunition to India and helped them during both Pak-Indo wars.

America, in return of assistance to Pakistan, intervenes in the internal affairs of Paki-stan. USA had tried to direct Pakistan in formulating policies pertaining to gulf countries i-e Yemen and Syria.

It is always the supreme priority of USA to pressurize Pakistan over Pak-Iran relations. America had always showed her displeasure and reservations over Pak-Iran agreements. The suspension and incompletion of Iran-Pakistan pipeline project is also due to America’s displeasure.

Kashmir is the bone of contention between Pakistan and India. USA did not try with open mind to solve the most burning issue of Kash-mir. America had to play a constructive role of mediation but for India’s pleasure USA could not do so.

Despite UN resolution, America does not support Pakistan’s stance of Pale-stine’s self-freedom. Contrary to Palestine and Pakistan’s sentiments, USA favors Isra-el’s line and defend the atrocities of Israel directly and indirectly.

In short, America is not sincere with Pakistan and always tried to use Pakistan for their own interests and benefits. Along with extending assistance to Pakistan, USA demanded of “Do More” and always castigate Pakistan. Irresponsible statements of American’s officia-ls especially newly elected trump have defamed Pakis-tan. These statements had created a vacuum between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Being an atomic power, Pakistan should not rely only on single country which also blame, defame and warn Pakistan. Pakistan ought to get rid of America and join Russia and China camp for defense and military partnership. China already have friendly and cordial relations with Pakistan and Russia is ready to extend her military support to Pakistan.

Besides these, Pakistan ought to build friendly relation with Iran and Turkey. Addition to this, Pakistan should play its crucial and constructive role to settle the sectarianism-oriented issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia and win their hearts.

Hanif Ullah

Bajaur