 |
|
Criminals
as teachers Arrest this trend |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
End the
spat
War on
terror and Pakistan
Hip,
hip, hockey!
Dumping
and disposal of waste China
builds itself for future Inside Pakistan
|
Criminals as teachers THE sense of outrage that provoked a mob of parents and others on Thursday to thrash the Delhi schoolteacher, accused in a TV sting operation of forcing students into prostitution, is understandable. However, no matter how heinous a crime, it does not give anyone the right to take the law into one’s own hands and deliver instant justice. There is a system of justice which ensures punishment after the guilt is proved and the accused is given a fair chance to defend himself or herself. It is becoming rather too frequent for mobs to attack suspects, burn public property and hold up traffic. However, this does not detract from the seriousness of the crime the lady teacher is accused of. In fact, no words are strong enough to condemn the disgrace the accused woman has brought to the teaching profession if what she has been accused of is found to be true. The Delhi government has taken immediate action by suspending her and the police, too, has acted promptly by arresting her. The incident points to the dangers to which innocent students are exposed inside and outside educational institutions. It was not long ago that a teacher in Haryana was accused of outraging the modesty of a girl student. All this exposes the inadequacy of the screening process in the recruitment of teachers. Even students staying away from parents in hostels or as paying guests in private houses too are vulnerable to sexual abuse. The same day in Chandigarh the police held a prominent citizen for installing a close-circuit television camera in the bathroom used by two girl students staying as paying guests in his house. The girls were grown up and bold enough to get the accused arrested. It seems women in general and girls in particular are not safe anywhere in the country. They will have to learn to protect themselves. The judicial system needs to be geared up to avoid delays in the administration of justice. The school authorities in Delhi and elsewhere will have to be more vigilant against criminals posing as teachers. They must find ways and means to protect children under their care. Though TV channels do their duty in public interest, they must understand that any irresponsible telecast or error of judgement can create serious trouble for the accused as well as for them and society. |
|
Arrest this trend THE Punjab State Human Rights Commission’s order against policemen exhibiting arrested persons as prize catches for the benefit of the media has not come a day too soon. It is surprising that this issue has not received the attention it deserves despite the practice being a blatant violation of the arrested person’s right to dignity as well as right to life. The PSHRC has asked the Punjab Director-General of Police to explain the conduct of policemen who display such insensitivity to the accused by exposing them to the media glare. Such parading of those arrested is also illegal as it contravenes the Police Forces (Restriction of Rights) Act 1966, a Central law that seeks to uphold the dignity of suspects who are in police custody. The Central Act is invariably observed in the breach although times without number the issue has been highlighted by courts, human rights organisations and all those concerned with due process. Several years ago there was a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking to halt the parading of arrested persons and suspects before the Press and the public. In the aftermath of the December 2001 attack on Parliament the accused were “brazenly paraded before the Press”. Often the police do not stop with simply exhibiting the arrested person. They attempt to make the persons thus paraded also incriminate themselves with statements, ‘revelations’ and ‘confessions’. This deplorable trend is now a police routine though it is a gross violation of an accused person’s right to be presumed innocent until proven guilt. Parading the accused also makes a mockery of the right to fair proceedings. It also makes the person paraded an easy target for attack thus endangering his life. It is high time the Centre and all states put an end to this practice. A good beginning would be to punish policemen who are guilty of the practice in a manner that acts as a deterrent to others in uniform. To hold the DGP of a state responsible for violations by his men may also be effective to put an end to this illegal practice which does not serve any purpose in law.
|
|
End the spat NOTWITHSTANDING the withdrawal of the three-day-old strike by the resident doctors of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Thursday, it showed how work in the country’s premier institution was totally paralysed on an issue like the issuance of degree certificates to the doctors. As always, the victims of the strike were poor patients. They had come from far-off places and were put to untold hardship because of the strike. All this is because of the continued standoff between Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and AIIMS Director Dr P. Venugopal. The resident doctors had a genuine grievance. In the absence of the original degree certificates, they were unable to go abroad and apply for jobs. In any case, why should it take two years for the AIIMS to issue degree certificates? The delay was totally unjustified. When the certificates were duly sent to Dr Ramadoss, who is also the AIIMS President, for his signature, he had no business to sit on them and question the Registrar’s legitimacy and powers. More important, there was no need for the President’s signature on the degree certificates since six other Central institutes had dispensed with the practice long ago. Sadly, instead of restoring normalcy in the institute, Dr Ramadoss has been issuing contradictory statements to confuse the people. His statement that the certificates issued by the Director without his signature were “invalid” not only reflects his indulgence in sophistry but also his determination to somehow have his way in the running of the institute. The bane of the AIIMS is that the Health Minister has been trying to cut the Director down to size so that he can exercise full control. His earlier attempts to remove Dr Venugopal failed because of the Delhi High Court’s intervention. It is time centres of excellence like the AIIMS were insulated from political and bureaucratic control. These institutions could run well if they enjoy functional autonomy and are controlled by distinguished specialists. In the meantime, Dr Ramadoss and Dr Venugopal would do well to sink their differences and work in harmony in the larger interest of the institution.
|
|
Friendship needs no words. — Dag Hammarskjold
|
War on terror and Pakistan Historically, in the Pakhtoon tradition, Jirga, the gathering of notables, is a conflict resolution exercise. In this regard, the conduct of four-day Pak-Afghan Peace Jirga, of tribal leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan in Kabul was an effort to narrow down differences between two bickering neighbours. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who had agreed to attend it when the meeting was proposed at a three-way summit with US President George W. Bush last year, was conspicuous by his absence at the opening session, which was seen as a big blow to the highly publicised event. On the day when Musharraf cancelled his planned visit to Kabul, the US State department spokesperson remarked that “the United States hoped Musharraf would be able to attend at least some of the meeting, if not the opening”. Ostensibly it was at the prodding of the US that Gen. Musharraf participated in the closing session of the Jirga. Afghan President Karzai, who spoke briefly at the closing session, predicted that the Jirga would have a “positive result”. “I’m praying that both countries have peace and prosperity”. Regardless of Afghan President’s optimism, future only can decide, how far this exercise has been successful to narrow the gap between the two neighbours. The bone of contention between Afghanistan and Pakistan for some time now has been the growing activities of Taliban in the Pashtun belt of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan. With Kabul sceptical about Pakistan’s role in its fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Afghanistan has time and again accused Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI of helping Taliban and providing them sanctuaries in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Both the US and Afghanistan have been wary of “Waziristan deal” (scrapped, now by tribal Jirga after the events of Lal Masjid in Islamabad) with the tribal Jirga in North Waziristan as they perceived the deal as providing sanctuaries to Taliban, and Al-Qaeda. Despite a concerted effort by the Bush Administration to bring Karzai and Musharraf on the same stage for its fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Kabul and Islamabad continue to trade charges. With the rise of Taliban activity in Afghanistan, not only Pak-Afghan relationship has gone into topspin, but Pak-US relationship too is going through a very rough weather. With President Bush’s assent to the of 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act 2007 passed by the US Congress, it seems that the tectonic plates of Pakistan-US relations are shifting for worse. From the days of 1990 when President George Bush Sr. invoked Pressler Amendment to abruptly terminate the decade-old aid programme to Pakistan, which was generally considered (in Pakistan) as “US betrayal” to the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act 2007, for the US-Pakistan relationship the world seems to have come a full circle. The event of 9/11 and so-called “Global War on Terrorism” brought renewed US interest in Pakistan so much so that Pakistan was even declared as non-Nato ally. This war is not finished yet; rather the situation is far more complicated and aggravated than it was right after 9/11. In the midst of on-going “war on terrorism”, American action of making military support to Pakistan, conditional to the US President’s certification that “Pakistan is making progress in combating al-Qaida and Taliban elements within its boarders before the United States provides aid to the country” simply highlights the intricate nature of relationship between the two-countries. It might be a simple coincidence that only a few days after the US firmed up 123 Nuclear Agreement with India on July 27, President Bush gave his assent to the 9/11 Commission
Recommendations Act 2007, on August 3. Nonetheless, it may imply which way the wind is blowing for Indo-US and US-Pak relations. Such indications were already there even in March 2005 when President Bush visited the sub-continent and made his preferences clear while speaking with the press at Islamabad after his meeting with President Musharraf. “We discussed a civilian nuclear programme, and I explained that Pakistan and India are different countries with different needs and different histories. So, as we proceed forward, our strategy will take in account those well-known differences,” he had clearly said. Though at that time President Bush was responding to a question related to the US-India nuclear deal, but it amply described the nature of relationship US envisages with Pakistan. In comparison to India-US relationship, wherein the US foresees a prospect of a long-term friendship, the US-Pakistan relationship seems to be confined only to the so-called “war on terrorism”. And above this, the onus of good relationship shall always be subservient to the performance of Pakistan in its fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda. For quiet some time, the media in the US has been agog with reports about Pakistan’s half-hearted efforts in curbing the Taliban and Al-Qaeda activities. The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) states, that the Al-Qaeda “has protected or regenerated key elements of its homeland attack capability, including a safe-haven in FATA, operational lieutenants, and its top leadership.” This report which is highly critical of Pakistan has certainly proved to be last proverbial straw in US-Pak present crisis. Pakistan also seems to be rattled by some statements emanating from Washington that it may contemplate “direct strikes” against Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements inside Pakistan. President George Bush and Vice-president Dick Cheney have to some extent held back the threat by saying that US will respect “Pakistan’s sovereignty”, but will act upon on “actionable intelligence” without elaborating, however, whether it will do so with or without Pakistan’s authorisation. US-Pakistan relationship is in a quandary. As the Bush administration is putting pressure on Musharraf regime “to do more” against Taliban and Al-Qaeda, going by the limits Musharraf is stretched to, Washington’s “less” is indeed “very much” for Islamabad. Whereas President Bush’s patience with Musharraf seems to be running out, at the same time, President Musharraf’s space to act against the Taliban is shrinking too. If the Musharraf regime in Pakistan is fudging its fight against Taliban and clandestinely helping it, then exerting international pressure, or for that matter a regime change can deliver goods for the US. But if one is able to gauge properly the present ground situation in Pakistan, a conclusion that things have moved much beyond the competence of present dispensation or for that matter even for the future one’s to deliver for the US is not very far-fetched. It was always known somehow that contradictions between Pakistan and United States will crop up one day. A balancing act by Gen. Musharraf after 9/11 only postponed the inevitable. Except in few urban centres, Pakistani masses, nowadays, irrespective of its religious orientation or not, is engulfed in worst kind of anti-American sentiments. It is not only FATA that have witnessed rise of religious extremism and militancy, but settled areas in NWFP, Balouchistan, some rural pockets in Punjab and a section of Karachi thinks and speaks the idiom of radicalism at the moment. Virtually, the Pakistan Army is pitted against its own people. How far it can go to keep its alliance intact with the US and its allies is a simple matter of conjecture for anybody to make. But it’s for sure, the more the spread of fanaticism in Pakistan, the more stress it will bring upon relationship between Pakistan and the west. Whether Pakistan remains to be a western ally in future, or sides with its people, will be a very important situation to watch as this will shape up the whole paradigm of so-called “war on terrorism”. But one thing is certain: whichever way the situation heads in Pakistan, this region is poised for more bloodshed and chaos for the
time-being.
|
Hip, hip, hockey!
Ten-rupee
question: Who is the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team in Chak De! India? Of course, it’s the cute goalkeeper Vidya Sharma. Million-rupee question: Who is the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team? Well…um…er… If you have won just a tenner, go join the PHL (Pseudo Hockey Lovers) Club. Its members are enjoying every moment of the stick-and-ball game in theatres, even though they have never bothered to set foot in a stadium to watch a real match. Hockey has overnight become hip for these people. They are busy criticising the nationwide obsession with cricket, concealing the fact that they themselves sat up late the other night watching the India-England one-dayer. Most of the club-walas are from the north, the region which has received special treatment in the film (Its more appropriate title would’ve been Chak De! North India). “Dynamic” players from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are the centre of attraction on screen, while those from other regions — who can barely speak Hindi — have been largely relegated to the background. Even the catchy “war cry”, Chak De, has a Punjabi, rather than pan-Indian, ring about it. Can a Bengali or a Tamilian easily grasp its connotation, let alone shout it straight from the heart? Warts and all, CDI is on course to become a cult classic. So much so that PHLites feel Shah Rukh Khan should be given an honorary Dronacharya Award for his efforts to popularise women’s hockey. Given SRK’s mass appeal, he can promote any sport, even sepak takraw, provided some enterprising director decides to make a film about it. There are cynics who think that the superstar’s passion for the national game, besides the general euphoria, would dwindle once the blockbuster completes its dream run at the box-office. These “spoilsports”, however, are reluctant to voice their opinion openly, for fear that the club members would beat them up — obviously, with hockey sticks. It remains to be seen whether the film’s super success would benefit the much-neglected players and their sport in the long run. For the time being, it’s the reel team that’s hogging all the limelight. Don’t be surprised if there’s a repeat of that famous blunder by a British newspaper, which used actor Ben Kingsley’s picture in an article on Gandhi! By the way, in case you are actually keen to know, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team is Mamta Kharab. Now don’t ask — Mamta
who?
|
Dumping and disposal of waste As
the elections in four Municipal Corporations are over, it is now time to concentrate on the plight of urban dwellers whose number is swelling day by day and is expected to reach 50 per cent by 2030. The foremost problem the urbanities face is the dumping of all types of waste on roads, streets, drains and at other public places. The management of solid waste is one of the essential services and it is the duty of the urban local bodies to arrange for daily cleaning, collection, transportation, processing and disposal of waste. Proper discharge of this service is essential to public health, a clean environment and good healthy living. Due to lack of appropriate efforts by the local authorities and apathy on the part of citizens, solid waste management has become a tenacious problem and this has happened, not withstanding the fact that a large part of municipal funds are allocated to it. Even the Twelfth Finance Commission has asked the municipal bodies to spend at least 50 per cent of the enhanced grants (Rs. 5,000 crore) on solid waste management. In this contest one can learn a lot from the southern states which have applied various strategies to convert “trash into cash” and “waste into wealth”. The “people-participatory approach” of Suryapet (A.P.) and public-private partnership of Namakkal (T.N.) are worth emulating. While the former implies the change of mindset of all stakeholders (NGOs, people and the municipal staff, including municipal councillors), the latter approach lays stress on privatisation right at the door-to-door collection with segregation at the source into organic and inorganic waste. Then on the BOT principle organic waste is converted into vermin compost and the latter into recyclable waste and inorganic waste. The most striking success has been achieved in Greater Vishakhapatnam Corporation (A.P.) which, with 15 lakh population, daily generates 750 metric tonnes of solid waste. But with the privatisation drive it has ensured 24 hours cleanliness in the city. The most hazardous bio-medical waste is disposed through scientific methods with no adverse effect on environment. In Punjab, however, the disposal of bio-medical waste has become a bone of contention between the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the hospital authorities in major cities, viz., Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala. Therefore, let the municipal corporations in these cities take up this responsibility and charge a nominal fee from government hospitals and commercial fee from private nursing homes failing which they can be heavily fined and penalised. However, it must be stated that the municipal councillors in the Southern states have played a commendable role. By adopting a scheme of “recognition and awards” for achievers and “fines and penalties” for defaulters, these municipal bodies have achieved the status of “dustbin-free” and “zero-garbage” towns. Even Supreme Court has appreciated these efforts and remarked that with “just good management and a sense of commitment” the target of “dustbin-free, zero-garbage town” is achievable. Therefore, what is required is the vision and will on the part of the elected representatives to ensure healthy urban environment. Then there is an urgent need to construct public toilets at strategic places to ensure a healthy urban life. And like other cities these may be operated on a PPP basis. The maintenance of parks can also be entrusted to private entrepreneurs in lieu of the rights to display advertisements and charging the parking fee, as has been done by states like Haryana. Even the transport services proposed in the state budget for 2007-08 need to be operated in the private sector. This will not only reduce the burden on the state exchequer, but will also add to employment. Many urban local bodies in Punjab have already a successful experience of privatising street lighting. Therefore, in view of the ever-increasing urban population, there is an urgent need to improve urban amenities so as to check the unrestricted growth of slums. However, the most difficult question which these corporations and other urban local bodies will have to face is that of resource crunch. Having already abolished octroi, property/house tax, which is a progressive source of revenue, must be given a fair trial. All over the world, property tax constitutes 50-60 per cent of municipal revenue. Therefore, except under special circumstances like widows and destitutes having a bare minimum dwelling unit, urban property should not be exempted from property tax. Then modern shopping complexes, eating joints, hotels, marriage palaces, private nursing homes, teaching shops and other commercial establishments should bear a higher burden of property tax. Instead of per unit tax, these should be taxed on the basis of the floor size or rental income or even annual turnover, which would reflect the true value index of property. Further, in order to improve the collection from property tax some innovative ways like lumpsum payment with suitable progressive rebates should be encouraged. There is an urgent need to study, item-by-item, all sources of municipal revenue so as to identify additional resource potentials. Under no circumstances urban amenities should be given free. At least operational and management costs, commonly known as variable costs, must be recovered. If at all in the interest of maximising social welfare, subsidies are required, then these must be restricted to capital costs only. Even charging any public utility like drinking water at the flat rate amounts to subsidising since the marginal cost to the user is zero, which encourages wastage. There is also an urgent need to ensure functional and financial autonomy to the urban local bodies as is envisaged in the 74th Constitution amendment. The transfer of resources from the state to the local bodies need to be institutionalised. Like the Central Finance Commission, the recommendations of the State Finance Commission must be binding on the state. Then the municipal bodies in Punjab like other states must be allowed to float tax-free municipal bonds, guaranteed by the state or central government. In fact, many of the financial blues of the state can be mitigated if the institutions of local self-government are given financial and functional autonomy.
|
|
China builds itself for future The
China of today could be the India of tomorrow. This is especially true with regard to the rising pollution and traffic. The traffic is slow even on the five ring roads circling Beijing due to congestion. There are three millions cars on the roads of Beijing and in Shanghai, perhaps more. Even though the government is trying to control the number of new cars hitting the road by charging a high price for each new number plate, everyday hundreds are being bought. Just as they loved cycles in the past, the Chinese love cars now. Many cars are of Chinese make which are available at low prices as compared to cars manufactured with foreign collaboration or imported cars. Even though there are 15.3 million people in Beijing, there seems to be an order in daily life. For example, there are no major power cuts and there is no shortage of water except that you cannot drink tap water-just like in Delhi. The cities are clean and there are no open garbage heaps to be seen anywhere. Law and order is commendable as women can walk the streets alone even late at night. There are so many star-rated hotels in Beijing and Shanghai that tourists can hunt for real bargains. Shanghai has excess capacity in hotels because the government and the private sector have built more hotel space than can be used currently but in three years’ time, when the Shanghai Expo takes place, there will be no shortage. The Chinese have built their roads in the countryside in a similar manner. Even though in some parts, traffic is thin, in future the roads will be used to full capacity. In the countryside, outside Shanghai, there are many attractive double-storyed buildings that look too smart to be farm houses and some are visibly empty. Again the state government is building for future. The entire city of Shanghai is being built for future because each Chinese believes that China will be a great country and Shanghai will be like New York. Similarly, in many of the multi-storyed commercial and apartment buildings in Beijing, there is much unused space. The government has taken into account that in future, there would be a growth in demand for office and living space. The Chinese government is clearly planning ahead and there seem to be no serious hitches in implementing policies. The biggest problem of urban planning-land — is not a problem in China as all land belongs to the government. All private parties have to lease land to build. The government gives them long ( often 99 years) lease which works out much cheaper than buying land. As a result , the number of skyscrapers across Shanghai and Beijing is just astounding. As some one said, from “China watching” people are now “China gaping”. So awesome is the progress and the scale at which new buildings are being built -all glass and steel— can only be gaped at. From the past eras, it seems that China has always believed in large scale as is evident from the 15,000 km- Great Wall and the huge palace in Beijing, “The Forbidden City”. Even the Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world. The interiors of their public building are also gigantic with huge wall murals. The Chinese definitely believe in grand designs and spatial harmony which in India can be seen in some of the buildings built by Emperor Shah Jahan. The Chinese shopping centres are the next attraction for any tourist. Both cities have huge “fake” markets where branded goods are available. The latest in cameras, cell phones, watches, handbags, luggage, shirts and ties with designer labels are available for a fraction of the original price. But there are genuine fakes and fake “fakes”! The trick lies in spotting genuine fakes because they are so well made that they could be passed for the real stuff. This is specially so in the case of ties with the Made in Italy label attached to them. Apparently, whole villages are engaged in making one special type of fake and since there is such a flourishing market for these, the central control is weak in stamping them out. Also the market for fake DVDs is amazing with such good quality that one can’t stop buying. There does not seem to be any problem of copyrights being enforced and the designers of France, Italy, the US and the UK must be losing millions of dollars. The irony is that the genuine “Made in France” tie looks a pale copy of the fake “Made in Italy” one from China as its quality is so good and dazzling. The same is the case with the shirts and wallets. If they have the technology for copying the best in the world, why on earth are they not making their own brand? Unfortunately, that is the problem-there is no important Chinese brand in the world except perhaps Lenova. Even in textiles they produce for the world but their own brands are not famous. A visit to a state-owned undergarments factory in Beijing showed the kind of integrated knitted textile units the Chinese have. From fully automated, computerised weaving of the knitted fabric used for T-shirts, vests, thermal underwear and baby clothes to dyeing them and sewing them, is all undertaken by a young team of workers under one roof. By far girls outnumber boys and are working in almost all the processes except the dyeing units which are more arduous and the heat from that boiling unit is quite oppressive. The rest of the units are all air-conditioned. The girls live in the factory dormitories eight to a room. Each room has four bunk beds and the eating of meals is in the common dining room. The workers who live outside are transported by big buses.
|
|
Inside Pakistan Both President Gen Pervez Musharraf and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto have their own compulsions to enter into a deal before the coming elections. The international community, too, is facilitating their marriage (political) of convenience. But, according to media reports, there are major roadblocks in the way. Ms Bhutto has offered two sets of proposals. As The Nation (Aug 30) says, “The first category comprises those related to elections. These include doffing of the uniform by Gen Musharraf prior to his election, withdrawal of cases against politicians who were in power during 1988-1999, removal of the bar on the third tenure for the Prime Minister, removal of the condition of graduation for contesting elections and a one-third representation of the PPP in the caretaker set-up. “A second set of demands relates to securing a genuine transfer of power from the army to the elected government. These comprise the restoration of the constitution to what it was before October 12, 1999, and rescinding Article 58 (2B).” Through both sets of proposals, Ms Bhutto wants General Musharraf to give up his post of army chief. If this really happens, the PPP leader can claim to have freed politics from the army’s control. But is it possible? Her claim that the General has accepted this basic demand has been denied by the other side. Leaders of the ruling PML (Q), the General’s own creation, are opposed to his shedding the uniform. They are also against amending the constitution to make Ms Bhutto eligible to become Prime Minister for a third time. Such a course will benefit PML (N) chief Nawaz Sharif, too, which they can never accept. PML (Q) chief Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, Punjab (Pakistan) Chief Minister Chaudhary Pervez Elahi and other leaders expressed their opposition openly at a meeting presided over by General Musharraf on Thursday. After all, it is a question of their political survival. According to Daily Times, “The presidency also is believed to be reluctant to shed Article 58 (2B) in view of the ‘autocratic mindset’ of both past Prime Ministers, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif.” A threat to the deal has come from another group, the lawyers, emboldened by their success to get suspended Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry reinstated. They have announced to launch what they call the “second phase” of their movement to ensure that General Musharraf is unable to remain in power after the coming elections. What is the next move of the General on the political chessboard will be interesting to watch. Sharif as real gainer In the process of what is going on between General Musharraf and Ms Benazir Bhutto, exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is gradually emerging as
the real gainer. Reports suggest that people by and large people have no love lost for the General. Ms Bhutto, too, is losing her support base in the process of negotiations for the long-awaited deal. According to Business Recorder, “…the ruling PML (Q) is bound to disintegrate, even when the catch-22 dilemma facing Shujaat Hussain extends his dinner mat by many yards and (intelligence) agencies dip deeper in their pockets. And as it happens, there should be no doubt about the prospect that Nawaz Sharif would be the main beneficiary of this windfall.” Even PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan, who added many inches to his stature by winning the case for the reinstatement of Chief Justice Chaudhry, has reportedly admitted that “there is so much of political space waiting for him (Nawaz Sharif) at this juncture”. Mr Sharif, who may come back home on September 10, seems to be feeling the pulse of the people as he has asserted in the latest interview he gave to Aaj TV that the “days are gone when politicians were running after generals and no one was daring to stand before the armed forces”. Flourishing organ trade Illegal organ trade has been flourishing in Pakistan despite the media highlighting it off and on. Urdu daily Jang says that a Bill to ban this inhuman business has been approved of by the Federal Cabinet, but it has yet to be brought before the National Assembly to make it a law. Asking the government to show urgency in getting the Bill passed by parliament, Jang highlighted the painful state of health care in Pakistan in an editorial on August 28: “The government has taken no step against such establishments as have been involved in the manufacturing of fake medicines and sale of unsafe blood. As a result, many of those who undergo blood transfusion acquire dangerous diseases. Poor patients do not get medicines from government hospitals despite the increase in their resources considerably.” The pity is that the rulers have little time to concentrate on issues concerning public welfare.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
