India’s posture
Madam,
India is the only secular democratic country in Asia and hence faces a permanent existential threat from its neighbours and which can be handled effectively only when NATO provides requisite military support to India. The National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) is an overdue and welcome development. India is now at par with America’s NATO allies Japan, Australia and South Korea following passage of a bill by the US Senate in a key move to increase defence partnership, including advanced technology transfer. The House is expected to take up its version of the NDAA before July 29 and then it will become a law.
Currently, the NDAA is coming in a particular context of the US-Iran conflict. India must be careful, instead of allowing USA to make the region a theatre of war.
This development of NDAA comes after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Osaka. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are displaying the mind set of a colony, not an independent nation.
The USA, presently in election mode, will not put its boots on ground. Hence it is trying to make India the theatre of a US-Iran conflict. But If India plays this game, it could prove very costly for her.
India, without wasting further time, should try to resolve the conflict. The solution to US–Iran problem in Syria and Yemen is not rocket science and it can easily be solved by carrying out elections first in Syria under supervision of UN and a secular constitution. India should offer personnel (military and civil) for UN peacekeeping force and to ensure free and fair elections in Syria.
The US-Iran conflict can be resolved by India by offering up its nukes for complete denuclearization. India should demand that weapons of mass destruction of all nuclear powers should be handed over to UN authorities for destruction and UN should ensure that no country is able to develop new nuclear weapons. India should demand that the chronic and gory Israel-Palestine problem be resolved by a one-state solution for both Jews and Palestinians, and not through unjust and mischievous two-state solutions as being proposed.
Instead of adopting an ostrich approach, India should take active interest in resolving the US-Iran conflict otherwise it will be too late and too difficult for the republic to hold together. But for these solutions, first Indians will have to develop confidence that they are prepared to solve global problems which are not exclusively white-man’s burden.
Hem Raj Jain,
Karnataka, India.
Water supply
Madam,
Tax and services bill are two different heads that are to be paid by citizens. Tax levied by the government is binding and has to be paid. However, bills have to be paid on the provision of services. If some utility service provider, without provision of service, arbitrarily imposes bills on citizens to get payment under duress, it is neither justified nor tenable in the eyes of law.
Such forced bills are being imposed upon citizens for decades by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, while there is no water supply. Why should a citizen pay the bill when there is no water?
Despite the payment of bills, citizens have to buy water from the tanker mafia, which is provided water by the KWSB. In fact, water is being diverted to the tanker mafia by the KWSB, depriving citizens of water despite bills payment.
Overseas Pakistanis are being invited by Prime Minister Imran Khan to invest and increase foreign remittance. When these expatriates visit Pakistan once or twice a year, they see their families deprived of water despite sending foreign remittances and regularly paying water bills-cum-tax forced by the KWSB.
The government should decide whether or not the KWSB is a utility service. If water bills are considered taxes, the KWSB should be ordered to ensure water supply.
When overseas Pakistanis remit foreign exchange, they expect the government to take care of their families in Pakistan.
Hasan Fiaz,
London.
Humanitarian aid
Madam,
Even though some people are unhappy about the news, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed the federal cabinet’s decision to extend proof of registration (PoR) cards to 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan till June 30, 2020.
Pakistan has been a generous host to more than 2.4 million Afghan refugees for the last 40 years and it is heartening that the government will continue to aid humanitarian causes through such gestures.
The extension of Afghan refugees’ stay for another year is an exceptional gesture by the government in the wake of visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan. Some people in Pakistan have not welcomed this development. In a global perspective, no developed country has taken responsibility for these refugees, although the most civilised countries of the world are responsible for the displacement of Afghans for the last 40 years.
Now these developed countries and UNHCR should play an active role for safe return of Afghan refugees to their country.
Sara Amajd,
Lahore.
Blood transfusions
Madam,
Blood donations save lives but there are severe reservations about transfusions because of the callous attitude of doctors as they often don’t bother to test donors for various diseases. This casual attitude can destroy lives through HIV/AIDs infections, hepatitis B and C and syphilis, malaria and cancer.
People specially go for the injections of white blood cells. Who will tell them that these are infection and will be unable to produce red blood cells? I urge doctors to change their attitude towards cleanliness and hygiene and ensure that patients are given safe blood for their needs.
Rabia Malik,
Islamabad.