This is with reference to referendum held by the Jamat-e-Islami on
acceptance or non-acceptance of the Kerry-Lugar legislation.I fail
to understand why instead of focusing on JI’s role do we not focus
on more grave issue of how detrimental the acceptance of the Bill
can be for our country. May I stress that we are not in the fifties
anymore when America was hailed as embodiment of democracy, freedom
and technologicl progress. The US now has an obvious tarnished
reputation in Pakistan.From the time of the American revolution when
the patriots tarred and feathered those who did not support them to
the present-day injustice at large,America has been blatant in it’s
abuse.
Problems are part of life.Nations face them,just as people face
them, and try to solve them.American constitution itself is now a
rattletrap affair and we are certainly better off without the
invasion of our country’s sovereignty. —Lahore
Staggering tution fee
Sajid Ali
Knowledge is the spearhead of human development, social and
individual. However it is saddening to note that its cost has
spiraled in private colleges in recent years. From around 70,000/-
for three months, fees have gone up to staggering amounts of
150,000/- in most private universities. In this time of economic
deprivation, it has become extremely difficult for parents to
shoulder this huge burden. Our economic problems have the
characteristic that manes must suffer large economic losses to
sustain the State. We have a political process that is incapable of
forcing anyone but the people to shoulder this burden.
The rising cost of private education emanates feelings of
disenchantment and has caused much concern among the students.
Private universities are only interested in their own profit
maximization paying little or no regard to the sentiments of the
students, crushing them with unmitigated fees. Addressing domestic
problems in our country tends to have a much longer time horizon. In
modern times, even long wars are won or lost in relatively short
periods of time. In contrast, a simple project such as raising the
standard of education in public schools and universities within
decent fees would take years to achieve. —Via email
Impending water shortage
Altaf Qureshi
The warning that glaciers in Kashmir melting are melting fast is
extremely upsetting especially for Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
According to study conducted by Kashmir’s University’s geology and
geophysics department Kolahoi glacier, the biggest in the Indias
side of Kashmir has shrunk to about 11.5 from about 13 kilometers in
the past 40 years. The report suggests that this fast melting
glacier will affect lives of nearly 10 million people engaged in
agriculture horticulture, livestock rearing and forestry.
The Himalayan glaciers connect to Asia’s nine biggest rivers that
pour into China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. However
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh mostly depend for their water on the
rivers flowing from these glaciers. Therefore any short fall on
account of climate change will affect these rivers and as result
hurt dependent countries severely According to study in view of
climate change general trend is that about 90% of all Himalayan
glaciers are receding. Some glaciers are receding at an alarming
rate of 44-45 yards per year. As a result Rivers levels have also
decreased drastically by two-thirds in only 40 years. Although
countries like ours, who has besides long souring wound of ‘Kashmir
dispute’ myriad socio-political and economic problems, but the
scarcity of caused by the melting glaciers, which obviously is a
manmade problem send jitters. The apathy however is that despite hue
and cry in the media and the reports of world environmental
agencies, at the government level nobody is seemingly bothered. The
water being the most essential requirement of life stands as problem
no. one. I therefore suggest that this high time that leadership of
all regional countries with almost 17% of world’s population, sit
together on a single agenda issue, leaving aside other issues for
the time being and consider seriously how the monster of water
scarcity; a proven reality now can be resolved. If the ways and
means to tackle this menace are not found within shortest possible
time, not only to stem the accelerated melting of glacier-ice and
conservation as well as proper of use of already scarce water
resources, time is not far when this region will face severe drought
and one day this region will turn into another Sahara; the world’s
largest desert in Africa. —Hyderabad
A cheap deal
Jawaid Iqbal, Gulshan Iqbal
The most insulting way of cursing a person is through a third
person, and if the cursed one minds such remarks, then third person
tries to pacify by saying that “Oh, no, those remarks were not meant
for you, they were said to me, don’t take them to your heart”. Same
is true for KLB and clarification letter attached to it. Damn if you
accept it and damn if you don’t.
The more damaging thing is that the Government calls it an historic
bill and some pseudo-intellectuals considered it the biggest ever
free lunch, although we know that there is no free lunch in this
world. It is tantamount to taking away a kidney from some gullible
villager for few thousand rupees by saying that it would change
his/her life, when in reality the opposite is true. The middle man,
the performers, and the kidney receiver benefit the most. What
happens to the kidney donor? Nobody cares. In this case Pakistan is
the poor donor who is lying on dialysis machine.
Some say that in the past Pakistan never received that big amount
without realizing that even half of that amount had more than four
times value and our population was half of what we have today
(though money was hardly spent on people - this time is no
different). Ask some economists to compare 1960s-1980s dollar with
today’s dollar. Our governments have always treated its people as
Camel Kids. These kids were always sold illegally and sold cheap.
—Karachi
No permanent friends
Zeeshan F Khan
The PM’s meeting with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of
eighth annual Summit of SCO was a quite important. We need to
understand that India which had been the most pampered of states in
Leningrad has readjusted itself to the realities of today. US
visible love for India has not surfaced overnight; it only has
poured to meet its own requirement in the region. The policy of
Indian government to milk both the cows is praiseworthy as it has
been successful in keeping both the sides to guess on who is closer
to India.
Pakistan needs to come out of old mindset. The assistance which Mr.
Putin has offered to improve the railways tracks, the Steel Mills
and other related fields should be seen with objectivity. Prospects
of heavy industries in Pakistan also came in discussion which
warrants serious thinking. Russia despite being relegated from its
old status still remains an important regional player. Growing
relationship of China and Russia will ensure a more stable region
and promises more prospects for the people living here. At our end
this window of opportunity be optimally utilized so that reliance on
US may not become a permanent weakness of the State. —Peshawar
