Pakistanis hate America?

Adnan Gill

We also must not forget, Americans have always been colonizers. First the British colonized America, then they forcibly grabbed states like Texas and California from the Mexicans. Around the world wars, America was going through a brief isolation period. America has always been and for the foreseeable future will remain a colonist power in one form or the other. Had the Pakistanis or Afghans invaded America first then I could have seen an excuse for the American invasion. Not a single Afghan or Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. Having said that I also believe Taliban were also at fault for sheltering Osama. Finally, I also don’t agree that every Pakistani hates America, because Americans have done lot of good for the humanity too e.g. in science and medicine. —Via email

Sugar price manipulation

Rashid Orakzai

The Federal Government has failed to discharge its obligation by submitting to the manupulative pressure of mill owners. To the shock of the frustrated nation, Minister Manzoor Wattoo stood up to protect the millers and stamped his approval on the unjustified price hike in sugar.

This has become a routine by sugar mill owners to hike up before every Ramadan, just like the butchers and sheep breeders hike the price of mutton before Eid ul Azha. The unfortunate people of Pakistan thought that perhaps such callous attitude by the Musharraf Junta would no longer persist after the elected government is in place. But to their utter shock, the collective financial gains of the strong sugar mill cartel prevailed, and the people continue to suffer. The message is very loud and clear, that you indulge in plunder, let sky be the limit, and then bribe your way through with part of the loot. In just over two months hoarding the sugar mafia has made over Rs 27 billion.

Politics and common interests, seem to dominate the governments response to hoarding of sugar by major sugar mills, owned by key politicial families across the political divide and families of former generals and corrupt bureaucrats. Not a single mill, owned by members of Sindh provincial coalition government, Punjab provincial coalition government, Pakhtunkwa government and Federal coalition government or former key players of Musharraf’s cabinet, has been raided or action taken against them. There seems to be an unwritten understanding between these key industrialists to protect each other, irrespective of who is in power.

This is the tragedy of the people of Pakistan. All these key industrialists in cement, sugar and now the power sector have managed to protect each others common interests and minted billions through stock manipulation. In the process if the common man of Pakistan suffers, or commits suicide in desperation, they are not bothered, because in the opinion of these people that is their unfortunate fate and destiny. Almost all of these thankless industrialists, with their fairy tale stories of rags to riches, have failed to take into consideration that they owe it to this country and pay-back for the opportunities it has provided them. Inspite of the immense wealth they have accumulated through their various business ventures in Pakistan, most of them posses foreign nationalities or immigration status.

They know fully well that they are guilty of violating the law, and in case if things go wrong, all they have to do is to pack their bags and take the first flight out. They own palatial villas and apartments in foreign countries, with billions stacked in foreign bank accounts. This is the reality and all this talk by ministers is just to fool the people, who have been fooled again and again. This proverb does not hold good in Pakistan, that you cannot fool all the people, all the time. Yes you can in Pakistan—Quetta

Banking sector potential

Shafique Ahmed

The Barclays, the second largest bank of England that is already operating 14 branches in Pakistan, in its latest assessment, has rightly claimed that country has huge potential for banking sector investment. The Bank is also right that Pakistani Banks have earned stupendous profits during the days of world financial crisis by successfully withstanding global meltdown.

But what was the secret of such an improbable accomplishment and success? Obviously it was not the efficiency, competence, upright dealings of the local banks. Basically it was preferential treatment the banking sector got during the rule of Shaukat Aziz and Pervez Musharraf. It was during this period that Banks were allowed autonomy from the State Banks regulatory mechanism and also their rates of interest on deposits were lowered abysmally whereas the rates on borrowing by public were made all time high.

What more inhuman act that was done during the period was that in order to boost bank deposits interest rate of national savings were almost halved. Those who kept their money in national saving scheme were mostly pensioners, widows and other such people were almost made to starve only to enhance the profit of banks.

The enormous profits of the banks declared from year to year after Oct 1999 and the salaries and perquisites earned by the executives, which runs into millions is testimony how the banking sector were made most viable proposition in the country. Thus it is the hard-earned money of people of Pakistan who were forced to withdraw from NSS and deposit in the Banks on which this sector was thriving.

Unfortunately the policies of previous regime are still continuing unimpeded as the bankers have now joined bandwagon of the present dispensation. Unless the economists working in the Planning Commission comprehend adverse impact of previous regime’s anti-public and unjustified financial polices tilted towards bank sector, the banks will continue to enrich at the cost of country’s economic health.—Hyderabad

Wastage of public money

Amir Khan Pathan

As reported in the media the President of Pakistan performed groundbreaking for an additional block of Sindh Assembly building on which an amount of Rs 1.19 billion would be spent. After the completion of new quarters the present Assembly building, an aesthetically one of the most elegant monument of Karachi inaugurated in the year 1938 will be preserved as national heritage.

I may point out that the present Houses of Parliament of England were built in the 19th Century (after a fire in 1834) are still catering to the need of British government. Similarly the Parliament of India was inaugurated by then-Viceroy Lord Irwin, on January 18, 1927 and both lower and upper houses are working in the existing graceful monumental structure with its simple interior decoration satisfactorily. Although England , one of the most advanced country of the world can afford to have much modern and spacious parliament house and so is the case with India yet they have chose to keep their representatives to work in much simple and sparing environment built centuries ago.

Thus for a debt ridden country like Pakistan and for a poor province such as Sindh, in the existence of such a simple and graceful monument, which has served the strength of later day’s legislatures adequately and satisfactorily, spending almost 2 billion (this cost will obviously multiply with increase in the cost of construction material and labor etc) is not the prudent decision particularly when the nation is passing through worst economic crisis of its life.

Hence there is no need of spending huge amount on construction of extra buildings in the premises of old Sindh Assembly when the present facilities are sufficient to meet the requirement of current assembly. I request the provincial government to divert funds allocated for the construction of new Assembly building to education, health and poverty alleviation, the needs more pressing then building additional block. The old Sindh Assembly Building which was declared in 1993 as “National Heritage” of Pakistan will also be better preserved while our legislatures work there. —California, US

SC order violated

A K Mirza

The Supreme Court’s order, restricting movement of heavy traffic and trucks carrying containers on the roads of metropolis till 10 o’clock in the night nowadays are being observed more in defiance. The result is that not only the horrifying traffic jams but also daily occurrences of fatal accidents on the roads have become once again a nightmare of the people.

Few days back an entire family of lady doctor with her husband and two small children, while driving on ICI Bridge was crushed under a container kept unchained on a truck against the relevant rules. Yet again a 50 year old man, bread earner of family of four was killed when his motor cycle was hit by a fast moving dumper on M.A Jinnah road; and on the same day a young boy was crushed to death under the wheels of speedy bus in DHA Phase I as reported in the newspaper. Unfortunately all these ghastly accidents have reportedly occurred in the daylight. Those driving can see that despite ban imposed by the Apex Court, heavy vehicular traffic is now once again on the roads on killing spree round the clock. To the utter disgust the officers standing on the traffic signals just look other way so as to allow the violators carry out criminal act with audacity.

As if the fast increase of automobile on the roads and plying of unfit busses driven by semi literate and inexperienced drivers, most of them addicts with criminal record were not enough that now heavy traffic has been illegally let loose in the day time despite Court’s verdict, adding more miseries to the people.

It is the official responsibility the Chief Secretary and the Inspector General of Police Sindh to ensure that orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan restricting heavy traffic during daytime are implemented in the letter and in spirit. The police officers who are found complicit in allowing heavy vehicles before allocated time should be taken to task; especially those in whose jurisdiction such fatal accidents are reported should be clubbed with the criminal nominated in the FIRs. —Tando Agha, Hyderabad

Quetta

Muzaffarabad

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