Active Visitors: 81 Total Hits: 15391539 Since June, 2007
Voice of People
National museum
Dr Irfan Zafar
The new Chief Minister of Punjab has announced that the “humble”
office of the former Chief Minister of Punjab will be converted into
an IT University for women. Indeed a noble thought however another
use of this structure can be to convert it into a “Museum of
National Shame” and place pictures of all those despicable souls who
have repeatedly raped this country for the last sixty years and let
the people show their anger by spitting on them.
—Islamabad
Reminder to Mr Leghari
Shakir Husain
This has reference to an article “Messiahs or the same old story” by
Awais Leghari published in you’re a national English daily on May 5.
The gist of his article is casting doubts on a coalition which is
what Pakistan needs and how both parties have abused power in the
past by wanting a subservient judiciary. I would like to remind Mr
Leghari that his father was a part of the PPP not that long ago in
case he had forgotten which made him privy and party to any decision
taken on the judiciary.
He also talks about the “poor and illiterate” masses to whom
journalists and op-ed columnists have a responsibility. Mr Leghari
should know that the people reading newspapers are not illiterate
and he gives the people of Pakistan too little credit—perhaps a
reason for his failing at the polls. Mr Leghari should also recall
that when he graduated from the University of Rochester his father,
then President Leghari, arrived at Rochester with an ‘official’
delegation of over a hundred on public expense to see him son
graduate—so much for caring for the ‘poor and illiterate’ masses.
—Karachi
Matter of concern
T N Syed
At a critical point in Pakistan’s history, Mr Zardari gave priority
to his domestic issues over the most urgent national issue and flew
to Dubai. Had Nawaz Sharif not followed him, the restoration of
judges would still be in limbo. Why a critical issue like this had
to be discussed abroad is a point of concern for everyone. The
casual attitude of Mr Zardari has cast doubts on the future of the
government and its ability to deliver relief to the people.
—Rawalpindi
Pakhtunkhwa
Shahid Ayub
The name Hazara no longer exists as an administrative entity after
all divisions were dissolved in 2002. However, the region called
Hazara consists of five districts namely Haripur, Abbottabad,
Mansehra, Batagram and Kohistan. Pakhtuns make up about 60 per cent
population of Haripur district. Pashto-speaking Pakhtuns are almost
half of the total population whereas the bilingual segment
descendants of Pakhtun tribes like the Jadoon, Tareen, Tahirkheli,
Qazi and Yousafzai makes up the remaining half.
The Pakhtuns make up about 50 per cent of the population of
Abbottabad district. Mansehra district is inhabited by Swati
Pakhtuns who are mostly bilingual but a significant part of the
district’s population speaks Pashto as well. The district also has a
tribal area whose residents speak Pashto. The next district in
former Hazara division is Batagram whose population is
Pashto-speaking. Then there is Kohistan area where Pashto is spoken
by around 30 per cent of the residents and the rest speak Kohistani.
The government should take a bold step and rename the province as
Pakhtunistan or Pakhtunkhwa in accordance with the wishes of the
overwhelming majority of the province.
—Peshawar
Banks’ threatening posture
Mushtaque Ahmad
This is with reference to a shocking news item published in
newspapers about a man committing suicide due to harassment by bank
officials. This was a very disturbing news story. One feels so
ashamed that the banking sector, which should play a key role in
promoting business activities, is literally taking lives of people.
The death of Tufail, 27, is a gruesome murder and the bank in
question should be sued for taking his life. I have personally
observed this sort of attitude by the recovery department of a
commercial bank. The kind of language the half-literate bank
officials use is very irritating. The bank employees do not hesitate
to threaten their customers that they would ‘storm’ their office
and/or home to get the instalment. They even say: “Sir, you are a
respectable person in your office and neighbourhood. How would it
look if our people come to your door and threaten you for money
aloud?” Many banks have given authority to certain hooligans to
recover instalments by hook or by crook. What they do not realize is
that if a customer is unable to pay the instalment on time, there
might be some real problem because no one wants to be a defaulter.
These banks have become a nuisance because many customers do not
know their rights. Banking courts are expensive to approach and I
hope the media and the judiciary will pay attention to this issue
and expose the banks which are making lives of the lower-middle
class miserable.
—Karachi
Contradictory statement
Anwar Jalal
Recently in an interview with a private television channel, Asif Ali
Zardari said that whenever the government had a two-thirds majority
in parliament, it would consider the option of impeaching the
president. On the contrary, his party is about to present a
constitutional package in parliament to reform the judiciary as well
as clip presidential powers. One wonders how the government will
pass the constitutional package if it does not have a two-thirds
majority in parliament which is a must to amend the constitution.
—Peshawar
