Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Double faced politicians
After the judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1979 I became aware of the close contact between Malik Qasim and Afzal Sindhu and their efforts to forge a greater political unity against the tyrant Ziaul Haq and formation of MRD.
A fixed military trial of BSO leader Hameed Baloch was in the process and in the result Hameed was executed violating a status quo order passed and served on the Mach Jail authorities that led to the en-bloc resignation of all judges of the Balochistan High Court. I and many other conscientious people from civil society not only protested against this but wrote letters and articles.
But where was Aitezaz then when his help was needed, busy in his law chamber? Another close friend of mine, Tariq Farook, who had secured 2nd position with Aitezaz in the Civil Service Exam was honestly serving as Deputy Commissioner in Punjab. Later I saw him busy lobbying for a ministerial or party position along with Iftikhar Gillani together with my another college-time friend Iqbal Hyder, when the Veena Malik abduction was prominent in the news.
I have high regard for Munir A. Malik who actually mobilized the legal fraternity as Chief of the Supreme Court Bar Association against General Musharraf. While watching the last day TV live telecast I saw in Lahore a 30-day house detention order issued under the MPO served on Mian Nawaz Sharif & Shahbaz Sharif and then Aitezaz Ahsan, a leading lawyer of the judges’ movement, being served and receiving his 30-day detention order.
Strangely, relaxed Aitzaz looked towards the TV cameras and said something like this in his message to the nation: “Ok, good bye, see you after 30 days”. A few hours later when TV started showing glimpses of defiance both Sharif Brothers against the MPO order among the people and leading a rally arriving at Lahore High Court to lead the lawyers towards Islamabad, Aitezaz must have realized his blunder and to save his face he quietly came to join the lawyers rally near Shahdara Morr. When will a truly honest Aitezaz Ahsan ever emerge on the national scene vowing before a 7-member bench against the actual economic agony of 250 million people crushed under the collapsed political and economic system in our rogue democracy not suited for the genesis of people of Pakistan? There is not much chance of it given his live-long shying away from taking a stance.
ALI ASHRAF KHAN
Karachi
A hazardous incident
A boat disaster in the Mediterranean Sea is rightly regarded as the hazardous incident of the year. Nearly one week ago, a boat sank into the Mediterranean Sea, carrying 750 people from different countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine and Iraq. According to the official reports, 450 of them were Pakistanis. Indeed, it was the largest number of people.
Moreover, the incident happened owing to technical problems with the engine of the boat. Resultantly, it could not bear the burden of people. As soon as the boat sank into the water, 104 people were rescued and only 12 of them were Pakistanis.
Despite having the largest number of people of Pakistan on the boat, why did they lose their lives the most? Unluckily, Pakistanis were not treated equally as they ought to have been. Additionally, they were kept in the bottom part of the boat, four of them had breathed their last due to hunger and inadequacy of water. It is a bolt from the blue for those who have lost their beloved.
Boat smugglers promised their passengers passage from Libya to Italy. Why were the Pakistanis larger in number? It can be said that it is an economic disparity which compelled them to leave their country. Pakistan, the 5th most populous country in the world, is facing predicaments and challenges since its inception. Economic disparity has always been a grave issue in Pakistan since back to the 1970s which gives birth to many illegal practices such as corruption, crime, human trafficking and smuggling.
HASSAN CHANG BALOCH
Sukkur
Private schools
There is no denial in saying this about private schools that working there, for most of the teachers, isn’t less easy. In fact, compulsions make people do what they do. Working hard and getting paid isn’t a bad thing, since that’s how the world goes. But working themselves to death isn’t worth all of it when institutions don’t even consider all their sweat and just keep telling them to do more.
Not only this, a grown-up job is there to pay enough so that all expenses can be fulfilled. However, a large amount is paid for transport. Also, the salaries don’t get increased on a yearly basis.
Who can reply to all of this? Isn’t it a redundancy that private school teachers aren’t paid enough, and they are stoical beings since no one can say a thing on this matter? Moreover, private schools get fees from students for vacations too, but teachers don’t get paid for that. To make money, everyone goes out of home. Some of them earn a lot and others learn a lot. In all those “others”, teachers are included. In foreign countries, the most respect and pay is given to teachers, but in Pakistan it’s the opposite.
ZONISH MUNEER
Via email
When Manipur burns,
Modi is silent
India’s PM Narendra Modi’s treatment to the people of India is totally condemnable and piteous to the core that the senior leaders from Manipur are treated with apathy. He left India for the US to enjoy a dinner with the President there without giving an audience to the people of Manipur who are waiting to meet him since June. The Central and State governments get alarmed when a temple is vandalised in Australia, Canada or Pakistan.
Ironically, the BJP government is turning a blind eye to the vandalisation of over 600 churches in Manipur which shows the hypocrisy and double standard of the BJP-led Narendra Modi government. Even the apex court indicates that the law and order situation in Manipur is serious. The State and the Central governments miserably failed to stem violence and restore normalcy in the State. The message that PM Narendra Modi wants to deliver to the bloody and burning Manipur is that nobody cares about Manipur.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Box letter
Polluted water
There is no doubt water is the most fundamental need of living things. Without water no-one can survive. But, people of Sindh are facing immense trouble of polluted water. Polluted water creates a large number of diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, blood pressure etc. These diseases are widespread in Sindh. The Supreme Court of Pakistan was taken by summoning the Sindh authorities and asked them to give a time frame to resolve said issue. Unfortunately, still there is no progress on the issue. The Sindh Government must take immediate action to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
ZAMIR MEMON
Shikarpur
