Democracy versus monarchy
Sir,
Monarchy refers to a traditional system of hereditary rule, in which power is either held by an individual or a small number of individuals. On the contrary is democracy which is a system of government in which people elect representatives from among themselves to form a parliament. Constitutionally, Pakistan is a democratic parliamentary country but there have been deviations from democracy in the form of military coups and political uncertainty. All of its political forces have remained weak and fragmented and have never adopted democratic ways to come to power. Veteran politician Javed Hashmi, on a recent TV show, remarked that during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf sit-in in 2014: “Disgruntled elements in the army wanted to make Raheel Sharif unsuccessful at any cost and through Imran Khan, they wanted to destroy parliament.” This is a great pity for democracy. How can democracy strengthen in a country where political leaders become puppets in the hands of non-democratic forces? The political musical chairs show has been playing for two prominent families: the Bhutto and Nawaz families have been repeatedly ruling in cycles.
It is beyond imagination for the poor or middle class to produce a leader in the current scenario. There is a lack of intra-party elections inside parties. The internal structure of all political and religious parties except the Jamaat-e-Islami is based on a monarchic system. The active participation of the people in politics and a political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections are key elements of democracy. In Pakistan, most of the parties conduct intra-party elections in a fraudulent way just as a show for the Election commission of Pakistan. Until 2013, Pakistan did not experience even one democratic transfer of power from one democratically elected government that had completed its tenure to another. There is a dire need for continuity and stability of a democratic system in Pakistan. For this purpose, people should begin to struggle to bring change inside their parties so they adopt democratic values and culture.
Mansoor Ahmed,
Faisalabad.
Sir,
Karachi is still suffering from dengue and people admitted to hospitals lack facilities. It was recently reported that as many as 950 had been admitted. And all we have to prevent this is a set of instructions to using mosqutio nets and prevent water from accumulating, according to doctors.
Basham Khan,
Turbat, Kech.
Sir,
Pakistan is among those countries where men, women and children are falling prey to trafficking. The largest example of this is bonded labor which is common in Punjab and Sindh. It is estimated that more than one million people are enslaved. Beside this, boys and girls are also being bought, sold, rented and kidnapped to work in illegal organizations, begging rings, in domestic servitude and prostitution. These children are being brainwashed and used for sex. This has motivated thousands of people to seek a livelihood in Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Uganda, Greece and European countries. Every year, nearly 500 traffickers are being caught.
Sana Khan,
Kech.
Sir,
Poor sanitation has left Pakistan in a quagmire as about four million Pakistanis don’t have access to a toilet. Not only does this pollute the environment from open defecation but it also exposes girls and women who use the outdoors to the risk of sexual assault. Poor sanitation also means that we have an unacceptably high child mortality rate. According to the UN, it is estimated that a child dies every 20 seconds due to poor sanitation. According to UNICEF figures, one in 14 children die before they reach the age of one, and one in 11 youngsters don’t last till their fifth birthday. The reason for this is a lack of clean water and poor sanitation. Moreover, this increases the burden on healthcare services and finances as children are dying from preventable illnesses and infections.
Fatima,
Absor.
Sir,
Turbat is the second largest city in Balochistan after Quetta, where at least nine banks have a presence but the public continues to suffer when it comes to banking services. The ATM system is flawed. Banks can’t be open 24 hours so people have to turn to ATMs but the ATM system simply refuses to work in Turbat. They sometimes stop working for 24 hours at a time, and account holders, employees and BISP card holders suffer.
Some BISP card holders who come from the rural areas are forced to wait for long hours till the ATMs start functioning again and many just return home empty handed. So it is my humble request that the banking authority take some steps to solve the problem and tightens its rules and regulations when it comes to ATM access.
Bakhtiyar Phullan,
Kech Turbat.
Sir,
The by now famous CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is gradually opening up for the general public. The Pakistani government is very happy with the Chinese government for undertaking such a huge development initiative and CPEC is now a household name in Pakistan. Every provincial government, politicians, the bureaucracy and even the technocrats are talking about the benefits of CPEC. Recently, the Sindh Social Scientists Forum, a social think tank based in Sindh, called a conference on the socio-economic impact of CPEC. Speakers included academicians, retired bureaucrats, writers, philosophers. They all talked about the merits and demerits of CPEC for Pakistan. They referred to the One-Belt, One-Road initiative and the Chinese dream of forging a trade link with around 65 countries, including the Arab World.
As China expands its trade, CPEC’s benefits outnumber the concerns for human rights issues inside China. Human rights groups are very much concerned about their negligence on this front. As a result, with CPEC work starting in Pakistan, people have started worrying about how it will affect local communities. CPEC is not just a road network, industries and ports. Local people must get a share of all activities in the shape of employment, health, education and recreational activities.
CPEC was actually started in the 1970s when Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto visited China and signed an agreement on the China Pakistan Silk Road, which the Nawaz government is now reaping in the shape of CPEC. President Asif Zardari also visited China around 11 times during his five-year tenure and signed many agreements on ports, industries and road networks.
The Chinese dream is not just CPEC because China wants to invest more on trade links between all Asian and European countries. OBOR is part of this dream and Pakistan can benefit because it provides the shortest route to countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and central Asian countries. This route will take China to Europe and save Chinese companies time and money.
Chinese companies have recently taken on the K-Electric and the Sindh government has signed a deal for wind energy projects, coal energy projects, Keti Bunder and the Karachi Circular Railway. Now the issue is how much Chinese human resource will be employed by their own companies in Pakistan and how many Pakistanis will get jobs. Will Pakistanis get the lion’s share in terms of employment? It’s good that Pakistan’s road, rail network and new industrial zones will be set up but at what price? China is giving all this money on a loan to Pakistan, is using its own banking network and curently their human resource is controlling every activity.
According to economist Kaiser Bengali, who spoke at the SSSF conference, the locals will get peanuts and the Chinese will control all CPEC activities. He said that there is no need to include the Karachi Circular Railway project in CPEC because it only needs repairs and maintenance. He asked if there had been any feasibility reports for projects included in CPEC? Speaker Fazullah Qureshi also asked if environmental assessment studies had been done before the start of activities. Keti Bunder in Sindh is also not feasible due to sea intrusion.
I hope the Government of Pakistan will keep the country’s interests supreme and also keep an eye on human rights issues related to CPEC. The government can ask all Chinese companies to keep at least 2.5% of spending as Corporate Social Responsibility and support the Government of Pakistan when it comes to building hospitals, schools, skill training centers all along the CPEC route. At least 80% of Pakistanis from where areas by the route or where factories and ports will be establish should get jobs.
Aijaz Ali Khuwaja,
Karachi.
Sir,
The chief minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, has done many things for the province. But perhaps his attention can be drawn to the area where he is living where there are 30 ghost schools that have been closed for the last two years. Thieves have even taken off and stolen their doors and windows.
Zakira Ali Jan,
Kech.
Sir,
Balgatar is a great town in Balochistan but it has been facing a problem with electricity. It particularly affects water supplies. The rich light their houses with generators. I appeal to the government to bring electricity to Balgatar.
Mahlika Peerjan,
Balgatar.
Sir,
Drought is become a major issue in Awaran. There has been no rain for three years, compelling more than 80% of people to migrate. Therefore, I would request the government of Balochistan and authorities to look into this issue and provide water to them as soon as possible.
Sanaullah Pendag,
Awaran.
Sir,
The Punjab government has launched a “Women Safety Smart Phone Application”. It is a landmark initiative to prevent and combat harassment. I congratulate the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, the Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit and the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women for their work together.
There has been widespread violence against women in Pakistan. Social values, a lack of adequate laws, and a lack of enforcement of existing laws are the main problem. Violence includes honour killings, acid throwing, forced marriages, rape, sexual harassment, and dowry-related violence.
An estimated 5,000 women are killed every year in domestic violence. The majority of victims of violence has no legal recourse. Law-enforcement authorties do not view domestic violence as a crime and refuse to register cases. The Punjab Assembly has already passed a historic bill for the protection of the rights of women. The app is another exemplary step.
Mansoor Ahmed,
Faisalabad.
Sir,
I refer to the new presidential ordinance revoking the discretionary powers of NAB’s chairman to give plea bargains and pardon criminals involved in robbing the state of billions of rupees. In developed democracies where the state is required to cater to the welfare of the most deprived sections of society, investing in the development of human resources etc, such financial crimes that deprive the national exchequer are considered more heinous than murder. Those caught are given long sentences in the US and Europe, so that they serve as deterrence for the powerful and influential. These white collar criminals with their billions hire the best lawyers, chartered accountants, tax advisors and bribe a corrupt bureaucracy and politicians to evade prosecution. Financial crimes, if not curtailed, and eliminated through severe punishment would lead to self destruction.
Robbing the state prevents it from providing basic health facilities, education, clean drinking water, effective law-enforcement and equitable justice for the masses. A lack of funds leads to thousands of deaths, starvation and an environment where crime flourishes and the lives of citizens are endangered. Those involved in white collar financial crimes are the biggest threat to national security, exposing the vulnerable poor to exploitation and recruitment by extremists.
The biggest challenge to national security is the difficulty faced by a few honest law-enforcement agencies to detect this crime and file charges. In the rare circumstances when such crooks, who have become billionaires, are caught, they are let off with mild fines. They are let off the hook after they surrender the plundered loot. But this makes a mockery of justice. Unless the state imposes long prison sentences and confiscates all their moveable and immoveable assets, those held by them or their family members, which cannot be justified in their tax returns, these crimes will continue to occur. Punishments such as plea bargain schemes or that imposed by this presidential ordinance will only encourage these criminals to continue robbing the state and causing untold hardships for the millions who could have benefitted, had the national exchequer not been deprived of its funds.
Malik Tariq Ali,
Lahore.
Sir,
Gwadar is a beautiful city but unluckily its residents have been living with a water crisis. The population is forced to drink and use salty water. Therefore, I am humbly requesting the government and the authorities to build dams in order to store rainwater for the use for its residents.
Naila Haider Ali,
Kech.
Sir,
It has been over 26 days since the PIA ATR crashed, killing 47 human beings, who paid to travel safely from Chitral to Islamabad. One only hopes that their next of kin will gain closure, be paid insurance and be given an explanation for this crash. One hopes that there will be remedial action by the CAA and airline, ensuring this never happens again.
The record of investigations conducted on the Bhoja Air or AirBlue crash are deplorable to say the least. There is an eight-minute audio recording circulating on social media which contains contents of conversations in the cockpit and seem to be from the Cockpit Voice Recorder. This was supposed to be a three-pilot operation with an instructor captain, a rated co-pilot and a trainee pilot sitting in the right seat. A woman’s voice is heard before the first mayday call, informing of engine failure. This woman is talking about a recording and continues to be heard well after engine failure and the mayday call. What is shocking is the voice continues to be heard even after the second mayday call made after over three minutes of the initial call.
Several private TV channels have also reported that three months before this accident Flight Operations had taken the ATR out of the career plan and hired on contract pilots directly from outside the airline and from within for command and co-pilot duties. Why was this done? Where was the rated co-pilot and why did he not take over when the engine failed? Why was the crew involved in a recording during the course of operating a flight? What is the training record of all three pilots and who cleared them and allowed the training of non-rated pilots on northern domestic routes?
PIA needs to overhaul its top management and so must the CAA, which is one of the most profitable state-owned organizations. Billions of rupees from tax-payer funds have been given to keep the national airline afloat even though it faces losses of over Rs250 billion. The purpose of a state-owned airline is to provide safe and convenient air travel to clients, not for the airline to be held hostage to its employees, with top executives holding office during LPR, obsessed with seeking contracts post-retirement and becoming the victim of a conflict of interest.
Gull Zaman,
Peshawar.
Sir,
Monarchy refers to a traditional system of hereditary rule, in which power is either held by an individual or a small number of individuals. On the contrary is democracy which is a system of government in which people elect representatives from among themselves to form a parliament. Constitutionally, Pakistan is a democratic parliamentary country but there have been deviations from democracy in the form of military coups and political uncertainty. All of its political forces have remained weak and fragmented and have never adopted democratic ways to come to power. Veteran politician Javed Hashmi, on a recent TV show, remarked that during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf sit-in in 2014: “Disgruntled elements in the army wanted to make Raheel Sharif unsuccessful at any cost and through Imran Khan, they wanted to destroy parliament.” This is a great pity for democracy. How can democracy strengthen in a country where political leaders become puppets in the hands of non-democratic forces? The political musical chairs show has been playing for two prominent families: the Bhutto and Nawaz families have been repeatedly ruling in cycles.
It is beyond imagination for the poor or middle class to produce a leader in the current scenario. There is a lack of intra-party elections inside parties. The internal structure of all political and religious parties except the Jamaat-e-Islami is based on a monarchic system. The active participation of the people in politics and a political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections are key elements of democracy. In Pakistan, most of the parties conduct intra-party elections in a fraudulent way just as a show for the Election commission of Pakistan. Until 2013, Pakistan did not experience even one democratic transfer of power from one democratically elected government that had completed its tenure to another. There is a dire need for continuity and stability of a democratic system in Pakistan. For this purpose, people should begin to struggle to bring change inside their parties so they adopt democratic values and culture.
Mansoor Ahmed,
Faisalabad.
Dengue trouble
Sir,
Karachi is still suffering from dengue and people admitted to hospitals lack facilities. It was recently reported that as many as 950 had been admitted. And all we have to prevent this is a set of instructions to using mosqutio nets and prevent water from accumulating, according to doctors.
Basham Khan,
Turbat, Kech.
Human trafficking
Sir,
Pakistan is among those countries where men, women and children are falling prey to trafficking. The largest example of this is bonded labor which is common in Punjab and Sindh. It is estimated that more than one million people are enslaved. Beside this, boys and girls are also being bought, sold, rented and kidnapped to work in illegal organizations, begging rings, in domestic servitude and prostitution. These children are being brainwashed and used for sex. This has motivated thousands of people to seek a livelihood in Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Uganda, Greece and European countries. Every year, nearly 500 traffickers are being caught.
Sana Khan,
Kech.
Child health
Sir,
Poor sanitation has left Pakistan in a quagmire as about four million Pakistanis don’t have access to a toilet. Not only does this pollute the environment from open defecation but it also exposes girls and women who use the outdoors to the risk of sexual assault. Poor sanitation also means that we have an unacceptably high child mortality rate. According to the UN, it is estimated that a child dies every 20 seconds due to poor sanitation. According to UNICEF figures, one in 14 children die before they reach the age of one, and one in 11 youngsters don’t last till their fifth birthday. The reason for this is a lack of clean water and poor sanitation. Moreover, this increases the burden on healthcare services and finances as children are dying from preventable illnesses and infections.
Fatima,
Absor.
ATM problem in Turbat
Sir,
Turbat is the second largest city in Balochistan after Quetta, where at least nine banks have a presence but the public continues to suffer when it comes to banking services. The ATM system is flawed. Banks can’t be open 24 hours so people have to turn to ATMs but the ATM system simply refuses to work in Turbat. They sometimes stop working for 24 hours at a time, and account holders, employees and BISP card holders suffer.
Some BISP card holders who come from the rural areas are forced to wait for long hours till the ATMs start functioning again and many just return home empty handed. So it is my humble request that the banking authority take some steps to solve the problem and tightens its rules and regulations when it comes to ATM access.
Bakhtiyar Phullan,
Kech Turbat.
CPEC
Sir,
The by now famous CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is gradually opening up for the general public. The Pakistani government is very happy with the Chinese government for undertaking such a huge development initiative and CPEC is now a household name in Pakistan. Every provincial government, politicians, the bureaucracy and even the technocrats are talking about the benefits of CPEC. Recently, the Sindh Social Scientists Forum, a social think tank based in Sindh, called a conference on the socio-economic impact of CPEC. Speakers included academicians, retired bureaucrats, writers, philosophers. They all talked about the merits and demerits of CPEC for Pakistan. They referred to the One-Belt, One-Road initiative and the Chinese dream of forging a trade link with around 65 countries, including the Arab World.
As China expands its trade, CPEC’s benefits outnumber the concerns for human rights issues inside China. Human rights groups are very much concerned about their negligence on this front. As a result, with CPEC work starting in Pakistan, people have started worrying about how it will affect local communities. CPEC is not just a road network, industries and ports. Local people must get a share of all activities in the shape of employment, health, education and recreational activities.
CPEC was actually started in the 1970s when Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto visited China and signed an agreement on the China Pakistan Silk Road, which the Nawaz government is now reaping in the shape of CPEC. President Asif Zardari also visited China around 11 times during his five-year tenure and signed many agreements on ports, industries and road networks.
The Chinese dream is not just CPEC because China wants to invest more on trade links between all Asian and European countries. OBOR is part of this dream and Pakistan can benefit because it provides the shortest route to countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and central Asian countries. This route will take China to Europe and save Chinese companies time and money.
Chinese companies have recently taken on the K-Electric and the Sindh government has signed a deal for wind energy projects, coal energy projects, Keti Bunder and the Karachi Circular Railway. Now the issue is how much Chinese human resource will be employed by their own companies in Pakistan and how many Pakistanis will get jobs. Will Pakistanis get the lion’s share in terms of employment? It’s good that Pakistan’s road, rail network and new industrial zones will be set up but at what price? China is giving all this money on a loan to Pakistan, is using its own banking network and curently their human resource is controlling every activity.
According to economist Kaiser Bengali, who spoke at the SSSF conference, the locals will get peanuts and the Chinese will control all CPEC activities. He said that there is no need to include the Karachi Circular Railway project in CPEC because it only needs repairs and maintenance. He asked if there had been any feasibility reports for projects included in CPEC? Speaker Fazullah Qureshi also asked if environmental assessment studies had been done before the start of activities. Keti Bunder in Sindh is also not feasible due to sea intrusion.
I hope the Government of Pakistan will keep the country’s interests supreme and also keep an eye on human rights issues related to CPEC. The government can ask all Chinese companies to keep at least 2.5% of spending as Corporate Social Responsibility and support the Government of Pakistan when it comes to building hospitals, schools, skill training centers all along the CPEC route. At least 80% of Pakistanis from where areas by the route or where factories and ports will be establish should get jobs.
Aijaz Ali Khuwaja,
Karachi.
Ghost schools in Sindh
Sir,
The chief minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, has done many things for the province. But perhaps his attention can be drawn to the area where he is living where there are 30 ghost schools that have been closed for the last two years. Thieves have even taken off and stolen their doors and windows.
Zakira Ali Jan,
Kech.
No electricity in Balgatar
Sir,
Balgatar is a great town in Balochistan but it has been facing a problem with electricity. It particularly affects water supplies. The rich light their houses with generators. I appeal to the government to bring electricity to Balgatar.
Mahlika Peerjan,
Balgatar.
Drought in Awaran
Sir,
Drought is become a major issue in Awaran. There has been no rain for three years, compelling more than 80% of people to migrate. Therefore, I would request the government of Balochistan and authorities to look into this issue and provide water to them as soon as possible.
Sanaullah Pendag,
Awaran.
Women’s safety
Sir,
The Punjab government has launched a “Women Safety Smart Phone Application”. It is a landmark initiative to prevent and combat harassment. I congratulate the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, the Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit and the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women for their work together.
There has been widespread violence against women in Pakistan. Social values, a lack of adequate laws, and a lack of enforcement of existing laws are the main problem. Violence includes honour killings, acid throwing, forced marriages, rape, sexual harassment, and dowry-related violence.
An estimated 5,000 women are killed every year in domestic violence. The majority of victims of violence has no legal recourse. Law-enforcement authorties do not view domestic violence as a crime and refuse to register cases. The Punjab Assembly has already passed a historic bill for the protection of the rights of women. The app is another exemplary step.
Mansoor Ahmed,
Faisalabad.
Financial White Collar Crimes
Sir,
I refer to the new presidential ordinance revoking the discretionary powers of NAB’s chairman to give plea bargains and pardon criminals involved in robbing the state of billions of rupees. In developed democracies where the state is required to cater to the welfare of the most deprived sections of society, investing in the development of human resources etc, such financial crimes that deprive the national exchequer are considered more heinous than murder. Those caught are given long sentences in the US and Europe, so that they serve as deterrence for the powerful and influential. These white collar criminals with their billions hire the best lawyers, chartered accountants, tax advisors and bribe a corrupt bureaucracy and politicians to evade prosecution. Financial crimes, if not curtailed, and eliminated through severe punishment would lead to self destruction.
Robbing the state prevents it from providing basic health facilities, education, clean drinking water, effective law-enforcement and equitable justice for the masses. A lack of funds leads to thousands of deaths, starvation and an environment where crime flourishes and the lives of citizens are endangered. Those involved in white collar financial crimes are the biggest threat to national security, exposing the vulnerable poor to exploitation and recruitment by extremists.
The biggest challenge to national security is the difficulty faced by a few honest law-enforcement agencies to detect this crime and file charges. In the rare circumstances when such crooks, who have become billionaires, are caught, they are let off with mild fines. They are let off the hook after they surrender the plundered loot. But this makes a mockery of justice. Unless the state imposes long prison sentences and confiscates all their moveable and immoveable assets, those held by them or their family members, which cannot be justified in their tax returns, these crimes will continue to occur. Punishments such as plea bargain schemes or that imposed by this presidential ordinance will only encourage these criminals to continue robbing the state and causing untold hardships for the millions who could have benefitted, had the national exchequer not been deprived of its funds.
Malik Tariq Ali,
Lahore.
Water crisis
Sir,
Gwadar is a beautiful city but unluckily its residents have been living with a water crisis. The population is forced to drink and use salty water. Therefore, I am humbly requesting the government and the authorities to build dams in order to store rainwater for the use for its residents.
Naila Haider Ali,
Kech.
Lest we forget PK661
Sir,
It has been over 26 days since the PIA ATR crashed, killing 47 human beings, who paid to travel safely from Chitral to Islamabad. One only hopes that their next of kin will gain closure, be paid insurance and be given an explanation for this crash. One hopes that there will be remedial action by the CAA and airline, ensuring this never happens again.
The record of investigations conducted on the Bhoja Air or AirBlue crash are deplorable to say the least. There is an eight-minute audio recording circulating on social media which contains contents of conversations in the cockpit and seem to be from the Cockpit Voice Recorder. This was supposed to be a three-pilot operation with an instructor captain, a rated co-pilot and a trainee pilot sitting in the right seat. A woman’s voice is heard before the first mayday call, informing of engine failure. This woman is talking about a recording and continues to be heard well after engine failure and the mayday call. What is shocking is the voice continues to be heard even after the second mayday call made after over three minutes of the initial call.
Several private TV channels have also reported that three months before this accident Flight Operations had taken the ATR out of the career plan and hired on contract pilots directly from outside the airline and from within for command and co-pilot duties. Why was this done? Where was the rated co-pilot and why did he not take over when the engine failed? Why was the crew involved in a recording during the course of operating a flight? What is the training record of all three pilots and who cleared them and allowed the training of non-rated pilots on northern domestic routes?
PIA needs to overhaul its top management and so must the CAA, which is one of the most profitable state-owned organizations. Billions of rupees from tax-payer funds have been given to keep the national airline afloat even though it faces losses of over Rs250 billion. The purpose of a state-owned airline is to provide safe and convenient air travel to clients, not for the airline to be held hostage to its employees, with top executives holding office during LPR, obsessed with seeking contracts post-retirement and becoming the victim of a conflict of interest.
Gull Zaman,
Peshawar.