Last night the SP of Lahore Cantt issued a security alert on
national television to close down all the schools and colleges in
Lahore Cantt. These days we are in such turmoil that security alerts
are taken seriously. While we were regretting the closure of the
schools once again the education department overturned the SP’s
statement telling him that he had no right to issue such a
statement. What a pity that we have to put up with a team of such
incompetent people who can’t even decide what needs to be done. We
don’t expect competency or dedication from anyone in power in
Pakistan but at least those who are in charge of a department could
consult someone sensible to make such decisions which affect a
number of people. The government is also deciding to give Saturday
off. Its nice to have a long weekend to relax but it suits the
nations who work diligently from 9-5, at least 5 days a week. First
we all need to get into the habit of working hard and then indulge
ourselves in long weekends. Whether its the schools or the offices
we need to formalize our holidays and if any extra days are taken
off in emergencies then we should compensate for them by working
extra hours.—Lahore Cantt
NRO’s interpretation
Hashim Abro
Our media’s single-minded focus on a handful of non-issues over the
past eight months has left all and sundry bewildered. Conspiracy
theories, rumours and hyperboles are getting the air time. I
remember those days in media, when newspaper reporters would not
want their names tied to such nonsense and the media would have done
extensive journalistic investigations before even thinking of
publishing or giving legitimacy to any story on this nature but,
unfortunately, nowadays a few dailies have earned their brand in
this nasty business. The sad truth is that our media has crossed all
limits to misinterpret certain things. Facts are largely absent, or
buried under mountains of fiction. The way, the National
Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has been misinterpreted by a few
right-wing media anchors, as “National Robbery Ordinance”, “No Rule
Ordinance”, “New Rigging Ordinance, one is really shocked. So far,
none of the anchor has tried to explore into the rationality and
respectability behind this Ordinance and educate the nation about
it.
Sadly, our media discusses nation-dividing issues and create
frustration in the society. It never discusses vast poverty, massive
unemployment, health care, and deteriorating agriculture in the
country— but NRO and Kerry Lugar Bill (now Act). How strange!
Regrettably, our media, in a particular, a few national dailies,
publish outright lies and a distortion of the truth. Smear tactics
are being used by a few TV anchors to discredit, stain or destroy
the reputation of PPP-led coalition government and its leadership,
in particular, its co-chairperson, President of Pakistan, Asif Ali
Zardari- as he is the only beneficiary of this Ordinance. Media
never speaks of, an unparalled beneficiary of this Ordinace, the
M.Q.M whose more than three thousand “ the most wanted men ” in
various crimes, were released from jails and acquitted from the
courts. Our media never speaks of the PML (N) leadership and their
men who are in Pakistan as a result of this NRO. Where goes the
integrity of media in this respect. In this backdrop and growing
resent against TV channels, media men and media house owners are
requested to study their policies, recast and revisit their agendas.
This country belongs to us, hence, media needs to generate national
feeling and national harmony-not sow the seeds of racism and
ethnicity. Media must respect rationality and respectability of
certain positions and policies and should not to jump to
conclusions. —Islamabad
Green Karachi
Syed Ejaz Ali
Most of the land encroachments are seen along the railway line and
coastal belt in Karachi. Other than that in drainage, land has been
grabbed and illegal settlements have been made.
During monsoon season, it is seen that the area around the
encroachments is flooded with dirty water. KWSB and City Government
claims that this year the situation was far better. Lot of machinery
has been purchased to carry out the cleaning of the Nallas before
rainy season but end result is overflowing of gutters and sewerage
in some of the low lying areas. One such example cab be seen and
felt everyday in Gulshan-e-Iqbal where rotten garbage is visible-
close to the Bridge on Rashid Minhas Road. Removal of garbage is
highly unsatisfactory from any environment standard. There was news
in one of the newspapers that some time back city government was
interested to award contract to Japanese Company to produce 50 MW
energy from the solid waste. But due to some unknown reason the idea
has been dropped. Although city government has planted a significant
number of trees on the roads of Karachi but continuous effort is
required to keep air clean and fresh. Cantonment areas of Malir,
Faisal, Karsaz, Maripur, Clifton and Karachi/ NED Universities can
help easily the citizens of Karachi by planting more Neem trees
every year to reduce air pollution.
Side by side some area outside Karachi should be marked to grow
man-made forest to bring positive change in the climatic conditions.
This was planned by previous Nazim Naimatullah Khan but somehow the
project has not been given any due weightage. People of Karachi
should join hands with the Sindh Government to make it a success for
our future generations, so that they can have a more environmentally
friendly place to live.—Karachi
Fighting extremism
Nasrullah Baloch
The gradually increasing terrorism and suicidal bombing have made us
like a mad society. An unseen fear prevails everywhere in the
country. The most unfortunate thing is our future generation, school
going kids, all are threatened by this wave of terrorism. They are
going to schools with a fear that the next target might be their
school. The parents are more worried as they don’t know what will
happen in the next moment. We, as a nation, are in state of war
against an enemy who has no moral or ethical values.
As a nation we must analyze this situation. Why a peaceful country
has been transformed into a battlefield. The first answer to this
question is religious extremism and unjustified socio-economic
system which was provoked by our agencies, cruel politicians and
civil/military dictators. Pakistan came into being by the sincere
and great leadership of Quaid i Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his
loyal fellows. Quaid i Azam wanted a land where all deprived people
of the subcontinent, including Muslims, could live peacefully
without any fear of discrimination based on race, religion or faith.
Our resources must be used to uplift the health, education, social
justice for all the citizen of Pakistan. The spirit of nationalism
must be provoked at every level and all those irritants who create
any sort of discrimination at any level must be strongly condemned.
A religious harmony among different faiths should be created and
religious personalities should come forward to set standards for
this noble cause. We must review our foreign policy and a good
friendly bilateral relations should be established with particularly
with our neighbored countries and rest of the world as well. Our
elite class must curtail their huge expenditures and simplicity must
be established from the top down the line. The people of Pakistan
must be involved in the law enforcing activities and representatives
from the street level should be selected in this team to fight
against terrorism. Choukidara system must be reorganized at the root
level.
Above all, the deprived areas of Pakistan like NWFP, southern
Punjab, Balochistan and rural areas of Sindh must be focused and
economic revival plans with execution must be established on the
most priority basis. In these areas, initially cottage industry,
farm forestry, cattle-farming must be catered by the government in
collaboration with our non-governmental organization and other
resources as well. —Lahore
Time for a change
Farooq K Qazi
I am alarmed at the recent suggested alternatives by US Vice
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to Obama, in which he advises shift in
Afghan policy, aiming strikes within Pakistan. And now the
“Kerry-Lugar Act” as they call it. It’s evolution from a “BILL” to
an “ACT” itself is evidence that the US Foreign Policy is not going
to be flexible because of their own National Interests. Looking back
at the last few years, we can see the utter failure as a result of
following ‘Pakistan First’ doctrine, because we never actually did
follow that in its true essence and merely kept it to the limits of
a slogan and we continued supporting America’s unjust war. At the
same time our selfish rulers have bowed down to every request coming
from the US Congress, to an extent of even pitching our Army against
our own people.
Furthermore; Senator Hillary Clinton travels all the way down to
Pakistan to just tell us that they are not compromising on any
single clause in the Kerry-Lugar Act. An “Act” she sees as a
friendly and beneficial one for Pakistan. So beneficial that the
menace that we call TTP (Tehreek-e-Talibaan-e-Pakistan) has not been
mentioned in its entire text. And once you read it, it feels as if
its drafted by one of the Indian advisors of the Obama
administration. This goes to show the sinister game plan the US has
for Pakistan. It is high time for our Army, to roll back its
cooperation with the US, in its failing war on terror; and quickly
move to put an end to US bases and influence in the region, which
are a source of sheer trouble and mayhem. An easy way would be to
just tell the US that we’ve suffered a lot. Enough is enough. We
don’t want to be a part of it anymore. We are going to seal the
borders and make sure nothing crosses it. Not even the huge supply
containers for the US Marines. US on the other hand can find more
reliable and easy allies in the North of Afghanistan, particularly
Uzbekistan.
However, this move requires a fundamental change in our political
setup: i.e. removal of the presently flawed and ignorant government.
A government that did not even bring up the Drone Attacks issue with
the US Senator Clinton during her visit. We need change, not just of
faces but ideals. —Lahore
