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.
Dilution of Foreign Service Meritocracy
Recent events following India’s annexation of the IoK and our near diplomatic isolation failing to get support for submitting a resolution at UNHRC Geneva for gross human rights violation exposes loopholes in the capacity of those assigned diplomatic posts to represent our country. These are indeed difficult times where even our so-called brethren in IOC, were not even forthcoming to support us. We should be grateful to China, Turkey, Iran and Malaysia etc that stood by us condemning atrocities against eight million Kashmiri Muslims by Indian forces.
It is indeed an uphill task for diplomatic corps posted at various capitals all over the world to achieve. Pakistan is neither a superpower nor an economic giant to indulge in such luxuries sending individuals on quota basis instead of merit and skills to foreign capitals. National interest dictate that only best and most qualified be given these foreign assignments.
Although Pakistan State offers best post retirement pension and benefits in the region to retired civil and uniformed services, including subsidized allotment of plots, there seems to be no end to their insatiable greed for lucrative posts. Elected civil govts do make a few political appointments, but in doing so they must ensure that best are nominated. Their choice of individuals like Haqqani, Kamran Shafi, Nadar Chaudhry etc have not served national interest.
Perhaps it is time to reassess shortcomings of reserved quotas in civil bureaucracy, Foreign Service and heads of state-owned corporations and its toll on this country. Why should men trained as specialists in military strategy etc., be considered suitable for such postings? Pakistan faced embarrassment when our High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, against all diplomatic norms, issued a statement quoting their President, which they promptly denied.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Not Aditya, but Uddhav
Aditya Thackeray becoming the CM of Maharashtra is a laughing stock. He is not qualified for the post. What will he do once he sits on the CM’s chair? Uddhav Thackeray is a better person and the right candidate for the post.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Official dacoits
A few weeks ago an untoward incident took place somewhere in the vicinity of north Karachi where 4-5 dacoits robbed a house. After a few days of the event police officials arrested those dacoits and it took all by surprise that those dacoits were found as police officials. How strange it is that those who are supposed to safeguard citizens of the country are engaged in looting their valuables.
Complete reforms of police department is required to get rid of such unpleasant incidents and until and unless recruitment on merit basis are not ensured in police department such heinous crimes cannot be shunned. It would not be wrong to say that wicked and hooligan of the society applies for police job. People from good family background should also be encouraged to adopt career in police department so that we may have good, dignified, respected, committed and honest people in police department.
FAISAL ANSAR
Karachi
Captaincy blunders in cricket
Captaincy blunders why Pakistan cricket team was embarrassed in the first T-20 against Sri Lanka. Pakistan won the toss on a batting paradise blended and blessed with very fast outfield. Without going into details of similar past blunders our captain offered the match to the opponents on a silver platter by opting to field on a batting wicket with fast outfield. Who would not agree batting first after winning the toss and posting a big total on a batting wicket with fast outfield would have exerted pressure on the team batting second! The less said the better.
Folly followed blunder by wrong pair of opening bowlers. While Imad Wasim was accurate, Fahim Ashraf was a pedestrian with his pace resulting in match winning hammering for Sri Lanka. For team’s sake why at all Fahim Ashraf included despite his repeated big match failures! With Imad better pressure would have been exerted with Amir indeed. Sri Lanka were toying Pakistani bowlers and fielders all over the place and posted a monumental and match-winning total of 265 in 20 Overs.
Imagine batting blundered too with wrong selection and displacing set and in-form openers like Fakhar Zaman and Abid Ali of the 50 Over format. The best folly was when the batting flopped and failed captain Sarfaraz promoted himself to be off colour and out of sorts at number 4, the key batting position in all forms and formats of the game! Lessons were not learnt from the previous big outings as our pathetic cricket history repeats itself when we have not learnt from our past blunders and follies.
PARVEZ JAMIL
Karachi
Youth and climate change
Apropos the report ‘Youth leaders at UN demand bold climate change action ‘ (Sept 22). Climate change is back in the news and so in Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist. I have been following her activism from the time she stood outside the Swedish Parliament to her solar sailing to New York a weeks later.
What is heartening is that children in 30 cities in Pakistan have also got the message and come together to host scores of awareness activists to highlight the dangers posed by climate change. Let our children be inspired by Thunberg and strive to do their bit in Pakistan. It’s time our youth stepped forward and took charge of their lives as they only have one planet on which they live.
SIKANDAR SAJJAD
Larkana
Policing tortures weaken public hope
Law enforcement is known as a security agent and organ which protects human rights. Its main organ is police. It is believed that this organ has been created to enforce human rights, protect humans from any violation and maintain law and order situation. But, if this organ dismantles its written constitution by brutality damaging peace and prosperity, the society becomes sick of the organ and leads to insurgency.
The countries where law and order situation is under gloomy situation, those states are historically become victim of unprecedented killings and murders. Pakistan is among those states which are facing the brunt of vulgarity of policing. Either the case of Salahudeen Ayubi, tortured and cruelly killed by Punjab police or alleged torture of a woman in Vehari’s Ladan police station, all such are proving ill-oriented and illiterate policing behaviour in our country.
The recent fatality of Saeed Ahmed Jakhro in Shikarpur, Sindh, killed by police generates much hatred for the department in the minds of public. Mr Saeed, a shopkeeper, (snooker game), was arrested by police from his shop in connection with Akra Parchi case. But then, he was labelled with opium (Chars) and inhumanely and very brutally punished without legal investigation, thus, he couldn’t survive and died. One wonders whom to blame; the state that provides security or the corrupt police? This oppressive act shows police as a frightening force instead of a friendly force.
The 30 reports for reforming police have been used as a rapper for food. No professional training or respective behaviour is taught. All postings and reforms are implemented by political dictation. Then, why there wouldn’t be such above-mentioned bleak and rigorous cases happened? We, the Shikarpurites, urge CM Sindh, IGP Sindh and other law enforcement agencies for rapid and fair inquiry against the culprits (police) who tortured Mr Saeed and killed him gruesomely.
WAJAHAT ABRO
Shikarpur
Ethics and morality of appointments
We as a country always claim ourselves to be Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The political struggle waged by Founding Fathers, led by one of the greatest politicians, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, for creation of a separate homeland, where majority could live free from discrimination and bias of Hindu Supremacist was TWO NATION THEORY. Events in India today substantiate that Muslims and Hindus were and are two separate nations. The systematic annihilation and humiliation of vast majority of about 180 million Muslims who chose to live in India and the brutality by Cow Vigilante groups are proof if any was needed.
However, our claim of being an Islamic State puts us under some mandatory obligations to adopt morals and ethics which Holy Prophet (PBUH) always stressed upon, which include justice and equal opportunities for all citizens, including the minority, irrespective of their faith, creed or sex. Appointments to public offices must also be made strictly on merit and public office holders are scrutinized to a higher level of moral ascendance than that applicable to common citizens?
ANEELA CHANDIO
Sukkur
