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.
Freedom of expression
This is with reference to US Department of State Sam Brownback concerns over freedom of Indian media after his weekly briefing on international religious freedom forum at US Senate attended by a delegation of journalists hailing from India and Pakistan. The interaction, facilitated by the President of US-Pak Foundation Shahab Qarni, took place in line with the recent outbreak of violence against Muslims in Delhi and Occupied Kashmir.
The group of journalists conveyed that Hindu journalists in India are being threatened by extremist Hindutva parties, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These journalists said that they are being forced not to report the violence and persecution against Muslims, lamenting that these extremist outfits are threatening them and their families. Unfortunately, journalists are increasingly under fire in India for their reporting. They are killed, attacked, threatened. Ironically, as popular as the BJP is, its religiously inflected brand of nationalism has raised concerns about government backed sectarianism and low tolerance for dissent.
Moreover, India encodes freedom of expression as a constitutional right under Article 19, though it is a heavily qualified prerogative. Laws classified in the constitution as “reasonable restrictions” to freedom of expression are numerous, broad in scope, and, according to a 2016 Human Rights Watch report, “prone to misuse”.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
Saudi Russia oil feud
It is in the long-term interest of Saudi monarchy and their national interest to reconsider pros and cons of their dispute with Russia over quantum of oil production and instead use platform of OPEC to regulate supply of oil to maintain balance between supply and demand. This is no coincidence that USA today is not only self-sufficient to meet its fuel requirements but will soon emerge as biggest supplier.
In the 80’s Pakistan was plunged into a proxy war with the (erstwhile) Soviet Union in Afghanistan. This resulted in US emerging as sole superpower, while Pakistan suffered immense economic losses and even after 40 years, we are still fighting curse of terrorism and extremism. Having earned ire of the Soviet Union by offering bases like Badaber, from which reconnaissance U-2 flights took off, we faced humiliation of surrender and dismemberment in 1971. In the long run Pakistan has suffered by getting involved in such proxy wars.
As it is, the Muslim world is fragmented by internal disputes between them, over petty matters like sect etc. I fail to understand why Muslim majority countries cannot find common ground on factors like belief in Almighty and Holy Qoran and utilizing their human resources for research and development in science, agriculture, health etc., for collective welfare of their populations, living in poverty, deprived even of clean drinking water. We need to boost our trade relations.
Muslim countries need to educate their populations and imbibe spirit of tolerance for members of other faiths, instead of inter-sectarian communal strife within their own ranks. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH), emphasized upon tolerance and respect for all faiths and warned us against curse of extremism, terrorism and denying women their rights etc., and stressed upon education.
MALIK TARIQ
Lahore
Doctors need respect not reforms
Premier Imran Khan stated that the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act/Ordinance was not an attempt to privatize public sector hospitals but meant to “enable improved and modern management of public sector hospitals”. Following the move, medical practitioners, opposition political parties and social circles decried the ordinance with associations of young doctors, nurses and paramedics pledging to resist the move. The situation in the KP is worrisome.
According to the MTI Ordinance, the government hospitals would be run by fully empowered BoGs. However, doctors perceive the MTI Act as a silent murder of doctors. The appointments will not be permanent, there will be no pension and the future of their job will not be guaranteed. The same rules will be applied on those professors who have been working for the past 25 years. Some Professors in the KP are of the view that the government has not been paying them their pensions for the past three years. On one hand, government claims that under the MTI Act the hospitals will remain government hospitals and they will be managed properly.
The facilities are also guaranteed to the patients under MTI. The question is will the government be able to fulfil these promises? The same government that cannot ensure the rights of doctors, the government which has not been able to pay pension to the senior doctors that too for the past 3 years, how can they ensure that the patients will be treated properly? The State needs to respect the Medical Profession and ensure their rights. The doctors in the KP threatened that they would burn their degrees if the State continues to violate their rights. It will be a slap on the so-called Tabdeeli Government if anything happens like this. The State needs to respect doctors so that to avoid any major conflict.
ENGR OMAR SHAHKAR
Islamabad
Resolution on child abuse
A new resolution is passed in our National Assembly to publically hang the suspects of child abuse in Pakistan. The resolution said that the suspects of child abuse and rapist should face the death in public by hanging them that others should not dare to do such acts.
I am thankful and really appreciating to the government of Pakistan for this serious step and hope that such beneficial steps will be taken in future as well
MUHAMMAD HAIDER
Karachi
Women no less than men
It gets often boasted — “Women no less than men”! It is obvious to say the least. Since God has made all human beings as equal, there lies no question of difference in intelligence between sexes. The fact remains that previously women were denied opportunities of getting educated or entering the job sector by their own families and this is the reason why they could not display their quality in professional sector.
Now with adequate opportunities for growth, women are showing their mettle. So not intelligence or special power, rather today’s women are prospering in every front just because of adequate opportunities. Had earlier generation received such a fertile ground, they could also have achieved wonders. And “boldness” neither depends solely upon functioning as CEO of a MNC/piloting fighter planes/climbing Mount Everest nor on sporting low waist jeans/pubbing/one night stand!
And finally women of rural poor vintage earning honest bread with relentless physical toil day in and day out. From the remote villages, thousands of women initiate their Kolkata-bound journey in trains when the city still remains in deep sleep! Throughout the day these women would work as maid, labourer or attendant in homes, construction sites or hospitals. And after such toil, they manage to return late at night, prepare meals for the family to have a nap for a hardly few hours! Are they not bold courageous fighters? And these hard working women of poor rural vintage exist almost throughout the world.
It is high time the society appreciates the fact that women power is not synonymous to the attire profession and lifestyle of today’s glamorous women of large overhyped metropolitan cities only; but it symbolises the silent honest fights of innumerable women of non-privileged class and display of spine by the counterparts of our unsung earlier generations also.
KAJAL CHATTERJEE
Via email
Demolishing Karachi
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), District Administration and Sindh Building Control Authority have started to demolish illegal buildings in Karachi after Rizvia building collapse. The demolition work has started and it will take a week to finish, according to the KMC senior officiials. Any residential plot between 60 and 399 square yards with the construction of more than two floors falls into the category of “illegal construction”.
In Malir, a five-storey illegal structure made on 80 square yards was demolished as it was built without an approved building plan. It was constructed just opposite the Malir Deputy Commissioner Office. But the question arises here who is responsible for that poor people who saved their money and built houses and that is the only shelter they have. Our government also thinks about this because if there will be no hope in them they commit sins like robbery, snatching and murder of people.
SHAHZAIB SHAIKH
Karachi
