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.
New Islamabad Airport irregularities
Almost every state-funded project has suffered because of gross irregularities and politicized appointments of cronies to head mega projects, who lack necessary technical knowhow, expertise and experience. The New Islamabad Airport is one such project which was announced in 2005 by Pakistan CAA. Foundation stone was laid on 7 April, 2007 by President Musharraf and PM Shaukat Aziz.
After numerous delays and cost escalation, the project was made partially operational on 3rd May 2018. Pakistan’s aviation industry faces a crisis because of the incompetence of the mediocrity placed at the helm and sanctions imposed by EASA for safety concerns and irresponsible statements by the Aviation Minister.
Islamabad Airport was designed for simultaneous arrivals and departures from two parallel runways. Unfortunately, because of the criminal incompetence of those within CAA and Project Directors appointed by them, there were basic design flaws. Minimum distance between Two Parallel Runways was less than the mandatory spacing for safe operation as per ICAO regulations.
This is apart from roofs leaking and in one case caving in. Even the choice of the site was made on political grounds during the tenure of PM Shaukat Aziz and President Musharraf, rather than on soil survey by specialists. The recommendations of Shamsul Mulk, a universally acclaimed engineer with integrity, must be followed and implemented.
One fails to understand why retired or serving officials should be appointed to head these projects when there is no dearth in this country of highly qualified engineers, with expertise in relevant fields. Institutional and departmental accountability should have jurisdiction on misconduct of an officer within the department, but not when they are deputed to head projects or organizations funded by the taxpayers. Retired civil or uniformed officers, getting pension from the civil budget, if appointed to head civil organizations must be held accountable by the judiciary.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Deserve sanctions
from UK
As a passionate defender of human rights activist, I would like to congratulate the UK government profoundly for slapping sanctions on four Zimbabwean security officials. As a fighter and passionate defender of Zimbabwean human rights, I stand in solidarity with the meaningful and effective measures that the UK government is taking to address human right; I stand in solidarity deficiencies in Zimbabwe.
The UK government has demonstrated clearly its Department for International Development strategic objectives which are strategic Objective 1 peace; strengthen global peace, security and governance. This includes tackling the causes of instability insecurity and conflict. It hurts people to be shot like slaughter cows, six died in post-election violence on August 1, 2018, as residents awaited the result of the July 30 national elections.
Security forces used excessive lethal force to crush nationwide protests in mid-January 2019, when heartless President Emerson Mnangagwa announced the fuel price increase of 150% resulted in three days of demonstrations throughout Zimbabwe in which security forces fired live ammunition, killing 17 people and 17 women raped. ZANU-PF government has caused acclimate of fear and the soldiers are the most horrific abusers of people civil rights. Human rights have continued to decline during Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency.
Unidentified assailants, suspected to be state security agents, abducted and tortured more than 70 critics of the government during 2020. Security forces also continued to commit arbitrary arrests, violent assaults, abductions, torture and other abuses against opposition politicians, dissidents, journalists and activists. Emmerson Mnangagwa and his careless, ruthless and reckless ZANU-PF has failed to uphold human rights in Zimbabwe and should be ousted.
KUDZAI CHIKOWORE
London
Military coup in Myanmar
The people of Myanmar, also known as Burma, have witnessed yet another military coup after braving the atrocities penetrated by military personnel during the darkest 50 years of oppressive rule in Myanmar. The military rulers considering the 8th November, 2020 elections conducted in Myanmar as farce and fraudulent wherein Aung San Su Kyi, erstwhile state counsellor and Chairperson of “National League for Democracy”, trounced her antagonist enjoying military support, claiming 80pc of seats in Parliament, emerged victorious.
The top brass of military being acquainted with the Monday’s first parliament session to be held after the elections paving the way for democracy to nurture, in the wee hours of the very day detained Aung San Suu Kyi and alike undaunted politicians to stage a military coup, quashing the pivotal and legitimate rights of ordinary people enshrined in the Constitution of Myanmar.
As the military endorsing to declare state of emergency for one year in Myanmar, it is high time for world leaders to exert pressure on individuals ushering in these anomalous scenes to this country by orchestrating judicious policy meant to desist such acts in imminent future. There remain no other options for the UN and other world bodies to remain in complacency, but to intervene in this chaotic situation and amicably redressing it at earliest.
SYED MUSHARAF RASHDI
Hyderabad
