PIA must serve passengers
Sir,
PIA needs to be restored as a commercial organisation dedicated to serve ‘revenue passengers’, instead of being reduced to a welfare job provider to political cronies or unqualified offspring of ruling elite and certain employees with clout. It cannot continue to be a white elephant and a burden on taxpayers. Employees irregularly employed in violation of merit or those who submitted fake degrees and are ghost employees involved in corruption, smuggling and pilferage should be sacked as per rules. Even when PIA’s serviceable fleet was reduced to fewer than 18 aircrafts in 2013, recruitment continued and salaries increased, while losses peaked to an all-time high.
The vested interests of those in power and the men of their choice in positions of authority from 2005 onward have served to give a lion’s share to Gulf-based airlines and in 2016, PIA carried only 24% of international passenger traffic originating from Pakistan.
The manner in which cartels were allowed to be formed, comprising a few travel agents, created artificial shortages leading to such irregularities as fleecing pilgrims. Procurement contracts for supply of technical spare parts and flight kitchen ended being given to vendors of ill repute or companies owned by family members of powerful employees and executives. Few employees with a criminal record and history of financial indiscipline were promoted.
Political interference and cronyism seem to be a compulsion of every government that considers state-owned corporations as spoils of war, not national assets. Why should every government insist on posting their cronies to the USA, UK, Paris, Jeddah, UAE etc., and blame others when revenues decline.
Not content with the damage done to PIA, the PML-N management gave more traffic rights to Gulf-based airlines, which created more over capacity. As if this was not enough, more aircrafts were leased without any business plans and training for pilots and engineers, which further escalated total operating cost, pushing the airline towards bankruptcy.
Aneela Chandio,
Sukkur.
Where Nawabzada lived
Sir,
This refers to the news “The building where Nawabzada lived” in Dawn on January 22. The said news left me in a state of shock, taking me to the years when the late Nawabzada was fighting democracy with all his sincerity, facing the brutality of dictators. According to the news item “the residence of eminent politician, the late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan on Nicholson Road, was demolished to built stairs for the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project”.
Democracy-loving citizens of the country are fully aware of the sacrifices rendered by the late Nawabzada for the establishment of democratic institutions in the country, and how he presided over the crucial meetings of political parties at his residence at Nicholson Road, a house, which was visited by all political figures in a span of more than three decades. I remember taking my kids to Nicholson Road to show them a very simple double storied house, from where many political movements against dictatorships emerged, led by the late Nasrullah Khan, and remember how after visiting that, place my kids went through the history books to read up on the political struggle in the country. The place that was in itself a symbol of democracy and rule of law was demolished in just one stroke without realising the historical importance of it all. All over the world, such historical places are always preserved and are kept open for the general public and researchers to get firsthand knowledge of past events of their history and to show solidarity and respect to those towering personalities who had contributed to the development of the country in one way or the other, be it in the field of art, literature, politics or any other field. It an irony that we as a nation don’t acknowledge the supreme sacrifices of true, patriotic and people of integrity of the highest order by preserving their birthplaces, their residences, their collection of books and photographs. In our country, even the house of singing giant, melody queen Noor Jahan, was not spared and the land mafia grabbed the land in question to construct an ugly looking commercial plaza on a place where a museum and an arts academy should have been established.
Is this not another case of murdering and destroying the country’s history, a place where the history of our political struggle is buried; the souls of all those who attended political meetings in the house of the late Nawabzada must be restless to see the fate of that historical house. I request the authorities concerned to spare that house and turn it into a museum depicting the country’s political struggle.
Aamir Aqil,
Lahore.
With or without
Sir,
There has of late been media speculation that Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s tenure of service will be extended, but recently he rubbished all such reports by stating that he was not interested in getting an extension. He however reiterated his resolve that he would go to any extent in his relentless effort to eliminate terrorism from the country.
Raheel Sharif is an army chief who stands tall and is being lauded by all, across-the-board, for his principle stand, as well as his leadership role towards stemming out terrorism. The launching of an all-encompassing operation and gains achieved thereof have brought highly positive and productive results. The achievements have not only helped garner support from the international community, but it also resulted in forging unity and bringing consensus at home, though there is a lot more to be do done yet.
Zarb-e-Azb was launched in June 2014, which has succeeded in eliminating around 3,500 terrorists. Over 1,000 terrorist hideouts have been destroyed while huge piles of arms and ammunition have been busted, reportedly. According to the latest figures released to the press, 2,763 terrorists have been killed and 1,000 arrested in the last one-year. Overall, 90 percent of North Waziristan has been cleared, while the remaining 10 percent is supposedly going to come into mainstream administration very soon. Amongst the 30,000 personnel taking part in this large-scale operation, 347 have embraced martyrdom, while 947 got wounded.
Under the leadership of Raheel Sharif, the armed forces have set an unprecedented record of professionalism, sacrifices and bravery. His announcement of not taking an extension in his service tenure represents the strength of not only his mother institution, but also the democratic institutions of the country. One cannot undermine the significance of accomplishments as well as the successes and achievements of the general made during his tenure. Being the army chief, he has earned laurels for turning the tide of terrorism back when it was threatening to engulf the whole country from Karachi to Khyber. Pakistan has shown that the war on terror is not just an abstract ideal and it is in fact a living and vibrant reality. Calls for extending the COAS’ tenure are a common theme in the public.
We should learn from the past regarding civil-military relations and try to be careful for whatever action we take. I feel we should be concerned with how to deal with terrorism as a whole and give courage and support to the armed forces, and it’s not only the duty of our armed forces to fight for this cause, but it is important for us all to as a nation come forward and play our part for whatever little we can do.
We should not forget that the institution is bigger than any personality; no one is indispensible, not even RS, NS, AAZ or IK. It is the institution that matters, whether it’s civil or military. Gen Raheel is determined to totally wipe out terrorists by the end of his term. The nation is wondering whether once he goes, and his heir comes, will the operation go on at full pace? We must unite, as the saying goes, united we stand, divided we fall.
Mehr Ispahani,
Peshawar.
Debt gone bad
Sir,
Two and a half years have passed since the government of the PML-N took over the reins of the country after winning the 2013 election, mainly on the basis of a promise made to the people of Pakistan that if elected, the party’s government would solve the problem of energy shortage and end load shedding from the county. That has not happened yet and is not likely to happen until and unless the issue of circular debt is resolved permanently. I believe circular debt is a serious bottleneck in the operation cycle of energy production and distribution. The government has not shared with the public any information regarding the latest stock and status of circular debt. Electricity producers cannot produce electricity regularly and efficiently, unless their debts are cleared by purchasers, which in this case are the country’s power distribution companies. The power distribution companies can’t pay to electricity producers because the former’s customers don’t pay regularly in time for the electricity consumed. Thus, it has become a vicious circle. It is the responsibility of the government to fix the problem by removing the bottleneck, wherever it exists in this business operation cycle. In any business operation, generally speaking, the terms of trade debts range from 30 days to a maximum 120 days. It is extremely surprising that two-and-a-half years have passed (about 900 days) since the present government, soon after coming into power in June 2013, paid off circular debt amounting to Rs 482 billion, and to this date, the people of Pakistan do not know what happened to the recovery of that circular debt. I have high respect and regards for the country’s finance minister, Ishaq Dar, for his positive contribution so far to the country’s economy, but as the custodian of the country’s finances, it is his duty to inform the recovery status of that circular debt, which was paid from the national wealth about 900 days ago. If no recovery has been made so far from that circular debt, despite the passage of over 900 days, then it should not be called circular debt. It is actually a bad debt.
Ejaz Ahmad Magoon,
Lahore.
Cricket should come home
Sir,
For the average Pakistani, the Pakistan Super League has been a welcome break from the nonstop battering of bad news that viewers glued to their TV sets are subjected to on a daily basis. Not only has it lit up the imagination of a younger generation that was deprived of Pakistani cricket but it also seems to be on the verge of generating significant revenues for the Pakistan Cricket Board. One hopes that this will benefit the younger talent in our country that previously had no platform to hone their skills or showcase their talents. Some innings by our youngsters are already proving to be very exciting. Hopefully these youngsters will continue on the right path and becoming great players of the future. Another key thing to note is the number of great international players playing the tournament. Surely their presence around our youngsters in the locker room will be something that greatly benefits the ranks of the younger cricket players that Pakistan is now producing. This may result in avoiding an episode where a youngster is lured into doing the wrong things like was the case with Muhammad Amir.
Last but perhaps most importantly. If by the next edition of the tournament we could perhaps manage to host a few matches on Pakistani soil, it may help break the impression that international players have that Pakistan is an unsafe place for cricket. This may help the PCB over time bring the whole tournament to Pakistan, as should be the case from the get go. This I think is perhaps the best potential benefit that can be derived from the Pakistan Super League.
The PCB needs to be commended for its boldness in initially coming up with the idea and despite some hiccups here and there, the board has done a very good job of executing the tournament. Here’s to more such tournaments that us Pakistanis get to enjoy and feel proud of, and here’s to the tournament coming home to Pakistan at the earliest, followed by international matches that can restore the greatness of Pakistani cricket, in Pakistan.
Bilal Anwar,
Lahore.
Dug up
Sir,
It is said that if we witness the chronicles of Pakistan, whenever the PML-N has come into power after getting the required mandate, all the architects, construction companies and construction goods manufacturers feel eager to instigate their earning season. Previously, Lahore was symbolised as the city of gardens, but now we all can easily come to the point that this city is actually the city of flyovers. Roughly calculating, there are almost twenty plus flyovers all over Lahore and the longest flyover of Pakistan, the Bus Rapid Transit System Track, is under construction.
Moreover, for these all projects nowadays, almost the whole city is dug up. If we look at the rapid construction of the city, our ocular perceivers usually fill with hope of a bright future look for our city. Our city will have its own rapid transport system, theme park, eye catching beauty etc., but when we focus on our desires, then we also want and desperately need a bright forthcoming for our kids, not in the form of a glamorous city or smart systems, but a place where they can have financial satisfaction and can also educate their children.
Shaheer S Malik,
Lahore.
Do right by Bahawalpur
Sir,
The state of Bahawalpur was established by Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi. After partition, the state of Bahawalpur signed an agreement with the government of Pakistan on 14 October 1955, according to which the state of Bahawalpur joined Pakistan.
At the time of independence, the state of Bahawalpur was the richest state of the subcontinent. Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V gifted one Rolls Royce to the king of Saudi Arabia when he visited Pakistan. That was the first Rolls Royce in the history of Saudi Arabia. Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V also gifted one Rolls Royce to Quaid-i-Azam. In that car, Jinnah went to take the oath as the first governor general of Pakistan, and the army of Bahawalpur gave a guard of honor to the Quaid-i-Azam.
After the establishment of Pakistan, the country faced many difficulties and troubles, through all of which Bahawalpur supported Islamabad. Bahawalpur also supported Pakistan the moment the country was going to making its currency notes. Bahawalpur is also known as the city of palaces. Bahawalpur is the 13th most populous city of Pakistan; the current population of Bahawalpur is 6,500,000. Bahawalpur has rendered many sacrifices for Pakistan, but nowadays Bahawalpur is known as a backward area of the country, and the government is not interested in promoting the beloved city. The Quaid-i-Azam solar park is in Bahawalpur, but its citizens continue facing the worst load shading. Bahawalpur has only one university, which is not enough for such a populated city. The government should make another university or increase the number of seats in each department; there are also no job opportunities, so educated youngsters are increasingly leaving Bahawalpur, seeking jobs in other cities. Add to that the aewerage system of the circular road, which is as bad as can be. In Cholistan, citizens and animals drink water from the same pond. The government should take a keen interest for the development of Bahawalpur, and the government should remember the sacrifices rendered by the city.
M Asadullah,
Bahawalpur.
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