Criminal lawyers
Sir,
In all fairness, equality must be for all. However this is not the case with advocates. The black sheep among lawyers need more than mere disciplinary action to be taken against them. For example, what is the legal remedy for recovering a fee paid to a lawyer who takes it and simply disappears without doing anything? None.
You will be advised to lodge a complaint with the bar’s disciplinary committee. But the question here is whether one can call the gross conduct a breach of discipline or a criminal offense? Obviously it is a criminal offense and ought to be tried by the courts rather than the bars which are tainted with favouritism and partiality and do nothing more than suspend the delinquent advocate’s license for a month or so.
But this doesn’t help the victim to get their stolen money back from the accused lawyer, even after suffering great delays. Then what is to be done by a person who is cheated by a lawyer? The courts or police don’t have the powers to interfere in the business of the bars which are unfortunately ineffective in settling such issues over long and futile proceedings. Wouldn’t it be fair if such cases of gross misconduct by lawyers were referred to the police instead of the bars and were dealt with equally under the same laws which apply to other offenders under the criminal laws?
Mazhar Butt,
Karachi.
Climate change
Sir,
As an undergraduate student I had never heard about climate change but now I am writing to express my concern about the imminent threat it poses to our country, people and future of our children. An overwhelming number of scientists agree that signs abound that climate change is taking place much faster than was initially predicted. We have only a few critical years before the changes become irreversible. Climate change awareness should be promoted in Pakistan.
To secure a future for our nation and our children now is the time to set a new and positive direction for our national energy policy. We need policies that will lead our nation away from fossil-based fuels.
Our addiction to fossil fuel harms human health, causes global warming, degrades land and marine ecosystems, and pollutes the earth. We need energy systems that provide clean, renewable, and reliable energy that does not threaten human health or the environment. We create our future, and neglecting this would be a gross abdication of our moral responsibility.
Sabir Hussain,
Karachi.
Crossing red lines
Sir,
For any politician and citizen of Pakistan a red line is crossed by being disloyal and provoking rebellion against the country or in violation of the Constitution. This red line was crossed by Altaf Hussain on November 6, 2004 while addressing an international conference organized by the Hindustan Times in Delhi. Earlier on September 17, 2000 he termed the division of South Asia as the “biggest blunder in the history of mankind”. The venom he spewed against the creation of Pakistan merited a hard-hitting response and restrictions on the MQM, till such time party members publicly disassociated and severed all links with their leader.
The unfortunate bitter reality is that Musharraf continued to support the MQM and Altaf Hussain and never demanded a public apology, nor an explanation. Yet when it came to Nawab Akbar Bugti who demanded more autonomy, but never said anything similar against Pakistan, he ordered military action against him. This encouraged Altaf’s separatist agenda and he went on to repeatedly make a mockery of our laws. It was at the behest of Altaf and with the support of Musharraf that the May 12, 2007 massacre took place. We have witnessed the burning alive of over 280 innocent citizens in the Baldia Karachi factory for refusal to pay bhatta demanded by activists of the MQM. Finally, encouraged by the failure of the state to enforce its writ, he made a controversial speech on August 21, 2016 while addressing the Karachi hunger strike camp, where he made accusations of state-sponsored terrorism and harboring the TTP and other banned organizations and raised the slogan of “Pakistan Murdabad”.
The question arises: why should Musharraf not be accused of encouraging anti-Pakistan agents like Altaf Hussain just to achieve his political objectives? He betrayed the Quaid’s vision and sacrifices of valiant shaheeds such as Captain Sarwar, Major Tufail, Major Aziz Bhatti, Rashid Minhas etc who laid down their lives for Pakistan.
Ali M. Tariq,
Lahore.
Aggression and violence
Sir,
A state of mind in which one gets reckless and is likely to attack or confront someone is defined as aggression. Though the world is growing more modern and civilised it has failed to overcome growing aggression among people, especially young ones and this aggression leads to extremism. Violence has existed even in pre-modern times. But we should worry about it in children as studies have proven that this leads to aggressive behavior in adulthood.
Bilal Rasheed
Karachi.
End sugar subsidies
Sir,
Pakistan is supposedly an agricultural economy, but unfortunately agriculture’s contribution to our GDP is negative. The fact is that this is the one sector which is un-taxed, while our politicians get huge loans written off every now and then.
Sugar is not only bad for our health but its production also consumes a huge quantity of water (up to 4,000 liters of water are required to produce one kilogram of sugar), and water is growing scarce by the year.
Sugar exports are subsidized by the government, the fertilizer required for it is also subsidized, and as a result, sugar mill owners further enrich themselves and are able to buy expensive properties abroad (as some of our politicians have done). The government should immediately stop aiding those involved in sugar production. Instead, it should help farmers produce those items that we import at a cost of billions of rupees, like lentils (daal) and palm oil. Import substitution is badly needed for the economy to recover.
Shakir Lakhani,
Karachi.
Asia peace
Sir,
The first visit to Asia by Donald Trump brought so much hope for the people of the region. They had hoped he would address the North Korean issue with his allies and a trade deficit with China but in vain. His gestures showed to his allies that there was less hope for a peaceful resolution to conflict. He seemed to have an anti-diplomatic style which could escalate tensions.
The 21st century is considered to be Asia’s century. These countries are now emerging as economic and strategic cornerstones of the world. China has emerged as a rising power and has strong economic influence on the world. Its arch rivals Japan and South Korea have risen as technological hubs. Currently, China’s relations with its immediate neighbors are being reconciled and they are putting aside their disagreements over certain geographical sea routes. But its growing economic influence and disputes in the South China Sea is being described as a destabilizer. The South China Sea is a point of contention between the South East nations from a strategic and geographical point of view. All this may increase the differences between the USm an ally of the East Asian countries, and China as the Secretary of State already threatened China and said it must vacate the islands and stop the construction of military bases in the region.
On the other hand, the development of nuclear and missile capabilities for North Korea is increasing and is a concern for South Korea and Japan. As missiles pass through the territory of Japan directly this undermines its security which has been assured by the US. Such advancements by North Korea is undermining and threatening US ally security and make them vulnerable to the nuclear threat. This questioned the credibility of the US to secure its ally’s interests against an aggressive country.
Furthermore, Trump’s aggressive tone against the communist regime and threatening to attack also put the security of the region at stake and any miscalculation may escalate to another nuclear war which according to the US defense secretary would be “catastrophic” and the “worst kind of fighting in many people’s life times”.
The undiplomatic rhetoric used by Trump towards North Korea may urge Japan and South Korea to pursue their nuclear program and take their security measures into their own hands. Because the military personnel and presence of their bases in some countries brought them under direct threat, any offensive measures by the US will undermine the security of these countries and they may face serious consequences. These countries also have a long history of rivalries; millions of Koreans starved to death and were divided into two parts.
Withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership and the dream of “Make America great again” seems indicative of his isolationist and mercantilist outlook. The decision to not get involved in foreign affairs may appeal to Trump but the vacuum in the region may mean Japan takes a leading role. China may also compete to become part of the agreement and dominate it.
Moin Khan Nasar,
Via email.
Rash driving
Sir,
I want to invite the attention of the authorities and the public to the problem of rash driving. These days, road accidents have been on the increase. The main cause is rash and reckless driving. Buses start a race to beat one another. The drivers try to overtake one another. Most of the roads and turnings in our country are narrow and risky. This results in horrible accidents: I suggest the following steps to check this tendency.
Police check-posts should be set up at small distances. Surprise raids should be made on the speeding buses.
Licenses of drivers who are in the habit of rash driving should be cancelled at once. If the bus companies neglect the warning, their route permits should be discontinued.
The public should also cooperate with the government. The passenger should enforce speed limits. They should refuse to travel by buses which do not follow traffic rules.
Syed Anas,
Karachi.
Smoking
Sir,
Smoking among young people is an issue that affects countries worldwide. The levels of such negative behaviour may vary across different nations. Different research has shown that there are certain personal factors behind the high use of tobacco among youth. Age has been identified as a risk factor. In terms of gender, males smoke more cigarettes per day. There may be a psychosocial factor behind this habit.
People who use drugs are also more likely to smoke. The time in which a child is exposed to parental smoking has been associated with an increases in the risk of them becoming a smoker. Children as low as 12 years of age have been known to take it p. Anti-smoking campaigns should be promoted.
Aleena Zahoor,
Karachi.
Divided loyalties
Sir,
After living in the West for a few years to be eligible to apply for the nationality some people proudly proclaim their American, Canadian or British nationality. But the moment they land in Karachi or Hyderabad, where they have lived for decades and where they were born, they identify themselves as Mohajirs.
Even after taking an oath of allegiance to the US and pledging their undivided loyalty to America and promising to do whatever is required of them to protect American national and security interests, they are allowed to play a lead role in the politics of Pakistan, by virtue of which they decide the fates of millions who would live and die in this country.
Why does the State willingly allow this conflict of interest, which can jeopardize our national security? The urban population of Sindh, people who live in Karachi, Hyderabad etc have a right to elect representatives who give voice to their genuine concerns and demands. However those whom the Election Commission of Pakistan clears after scrutiny to be eligible to contest the elections must give proof that they have lived in this country in the preceding five or three years. This condition should be made mandatory for every person aspiring to contest the elections, including those who contest on the PMLN, PPP, ANP, PMLQ, JUI etc party tickets or as independents, to ensure that they have no stakes in another country, which can affect their thought process.
Chandio,
Sukkur.
Politics of Musharraf
Sir,
This is in reference to reports about Musharraf announcing the formation of a grand political alliance and his promise to “deliver the people from the mess”. This comes from a man who accepts that he handed over 4,000 Muslims, most of them Pakistani citizens, to NATO forces in return for bounty to rot in Guantanamo cells, and who had no shame raising his fists in Islamabad on May 12, rejoicing over the massacre of over 50 innocent citizens in Karachi as a show of his power.
This was a man who as a president in uniform, in violation of the Constitution, talked about the rule of law but had no hesitation when he disgraced the women of Pakistan in an interview with the Washington Post while commenting about the rape of Mukhtaran Mai. “A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped.” It did not occur to this man that such shameful comments would invite revulsion. Even the Canadian PM condemned these remarks.
Give a man power and he will show his true colors. People of Pakistan are sick of Musharraf’s decadent mindset. It was under his watch that NAB became a laundromat instead of an agency tasked to punish the corrupt, recover stolen money and confiscate assets. He has not given any money trail about assets in his name or in the name of his children in Dubai, London, the US etc. He failed to even condemn Altaf Hussain in 2005 for his speech in Delhi calling the creation of Pakistan the biggest mistake, and instead instructed our High Commissioner to give him protocol.
His strategic depth concept backfired and Pakistan became insecure from within. This country has had enough Musharrafs, Zias, Yahyas, Shaukat Azizes, Nawaz Sharifs, Altaf Hussains. What Pakistan needs are political leaders with the vision and integrity of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam, not men who have no stakes in Pakistan and for whom this country is fit only to rule but is not worthy for their children to live in nor their assets to be located.
T. Ali,
Lahore.