PTA as usual have denied the editorial entitled Cellular companies thus technically saying the contents of the Editorial are all false and wrong. I do not remember during my 38 years working life even a single occasion when a Government agency had accepted that the complaint addressed to it or appearing in the press was correct. My experience is that the Public Relation Officers of these Governments in a vain effort to defend themselves in the name of Clarification make the things more dirty. A specimen of such an example is a last month Clarification in print shape lying before me. It says the Foreign Office denied that the Saudi Ambassador visited His Lordship Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhary on behest of the Government as was rumored then. The spokesman stated that the Saudi Ambassador visited the Chief Justice at his own and he DID NOT route his movement request through Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As is usual with these Spokesmen and public relation officers in the same statement he added that the Ambassador went to Chief Justice WITH THE permission of the Government.

The PTA Dy. Directors clarification is in line with same practice. In fact in 38 years practical life I have seen the citizen complainants are invariably always wrong and as our government departments never know moving even a single inch deviate from the rule regulations. The PTA PRO very proudly says that no law enforcement agency has ever complained to it. Does a Government agency ever makes a complaint to another Government agency where the cause of complaint or concern was affecting only the common man? For recent example State Bank has recently advised the banking staff working on I.I. Chundirghar Road Karachi to be careful as some good dressed educated type people were working to harass the Banking employees forcing them to use their ATM and credit cards. I have not myself read this SBP warning but came to know through a conscientious citizens further professional advice to the people through these columns. Had there been any tradition of a Government agency making complaint to another government agency, the SBP should had first warned the Police headquarters which is just 100 metre away from SBP rather than just to fill up the requirement ask unarmed citizens to protect themselves.

The PTA Dy. Director says that there exists a complaint cell in PTA. To show the extraordinary departmental efficiency he very proudly added that this complaint cell was working 24 hours. In simple word he wants to tell that like our leaders PTA officials likewise are so keen for the welfare and care of the people that they keep chasing the people complaints 24 hours to solve the problems in shortest possible time. Experience shows such complaint cells, special cells etc are mostly created to create new jobs for some and place orders on some for costly modern equipment and furniture. Few years back with much fanfare a very costly hotline central complaint cell was created by PTCL at Islamabad. The Ministers on TV tried to prove that with creation of it a revolution has come. Now for the last more than a year it is not known where has this high tech complaint cells gone? Where are its modern PCs etc? The Governments keep on announcing new orders forgetting to know what was the fate of previous orders. The President and Prime Minister both ordered that every Division and Department would have a special complaint cell. Now PTCL except for 18 has no complaint cells and the 24 hour awakening PTA has never cared where has gone the PTCL complaint cell. Mid 1990s with similar fanfare on huge cost internet cafes were opened in major GPOs. For the last four years these cafes are closed. Recently on visit to a GPO I enquired from a staff where was the caf. He pointed me towards empty space laughingly telling me may be some children playing games with those.

I purchased a Warid SIM properly on strength of a copy of my NIC from Ramage Stores (formally known as Mumtaz General Stores), Hashmi Building, Preedy Street Karachi. The SIM got lost. I got shock when on reporting Warid told me it was not registered in my name. Then where was the copy of my NIC? Has it been used to issuae SIMs to others? Every SIM is properly logged in record of the company namely to which agent, sales office, sub agent which numbers were provided for sale. The company is deliberately avoiding to find it from its record to which agent the SIM sold to me was given for sale and enquire from the said agent the position. The 24 hours working PTA is sitting on my complaint since February 2007 with not a single word of progress. It may be of interest that my this complaint was not registered in routine rather the Chairman PTA himself acknowledged me that he had assigned it to his staff. People are crying through letters to editor on the fleecing of public in the name of Pakistan Package, where is PTA? Where was the PTA sleeping when this package was implemented to all without advance intimation? The fact is such so called packages are in fact introduced for benefit of some vested interests and not as simply may appear for the common man.

In another usual clarification last month PTA showed its efficiency how it was always attentive and had recently closed a few outlets violating the rules (sale of SIMs without registration as required by law). To know the truth and naked facts one may switch on to the instantly an unofficially banned TV channel on which a channels dost Waqar Shahd from Hyderbad (a common man) hourly says SIMs are available without any registration every where which should be stopped as according to him the criminals were taking advantage of it. Last year the newspapers disclosed there was a person in whose name about 8000 SIMs were issued (surely photo copy from photo copy of the NIC).

Such clarifications from Government departments only look beautiful as far as statements are concerned. The naked facts always are different. Once a citizen complained that a junior in waiting list was provided a phone connection while he was deprived. He quoted the installed phone number in his support. The PTCL submitted before Federal Ombudsman that the complainant was wrong and maligning the Department as the said number was never allotted to any one and was still in-active unutilised. In its support the PTCL brought the heavy register of connections in the Hearing. Unfortunately for the PTCL, the man sitting on the investigation chair in Federal Ombudsman office was an honest with God gifted public spirit which breed today is almost diminishing. He had conscious and knew well he was sitting on the chair of insaaf. He picked up his official telephone from the his, dialed the said number which was picked up from the other end while the PTCL record showed phone was still not given to anyone. He found the person picking up the phone was same which the complainant had quoted. The phone as per government record was non existing but practically it was. The clarifications of all PROs are mostly same worth. The new PTCL package may on the face of it look very good attractive but I am sure it is created for those whose use is much much more. About 8-10 years back a special weekly UAE-Karachi flight was introduced firing the gun from the shoulders of Overseas Pakistanis. It was a special package flight like PTCL special package. Its fare was about half the normal fare. The travel condition was the passenger would not carry any baggage except one hand bag of normal 8/10 kgs. This was a very attractive cheap flight which probably worked for 6-8 months as thereafter it came in the eyes of some and some articles appeared. Though the flight in record was baggage free but a few press articles which came at that time suggested flight was coming with full load carrying commercial khapias load for which purpose the flight was introduced under this novel label. Though then this door was closed I am sure some new door must have invented.

My limitation of express would finish but I will not fully be able to praise General Pervaiz Musharraf. The poor fellow day and night is worried and is working hard for the betterment of the people and the country but unfortunately he is not aware how deep our national ills are which he can with the present day PROs, bureaucracy and politicians not clean or cure alone even in next 25 years.

A question so often raises what was the reason that despite different multiple efforts by the governments there is no improvement in our general conditions and our well of national ills instead of decreasing keeps on more stinking. There could be many answers and reasons but the major one is that we are all Talqeen Shahs advising and wishing reforming others but invariably taking it as guaranteed that we ourselves are exempt from that advice or need to reform. May it be a leader, an ombudsman, a judge, a teacher or whosever every one is a true Talqeen Shah. Nawaz Sharif advised one dish but within a week he was seen in press photograph having more than a dozen meals. The argument given was it was only one dish all different meals put in one dish. The most honoured people in the country are our learned judges who take note of violation of laws by others. They read and teach through their lectures and decisions how laws and legal principles should be honoured. But same advisers by passing the nations collectively made constitution recognize a single man made constitution. Our judges get allotted plots despite knowing such an offer of allotment was in violation of the rules. Our leaders advice the citizens for simple life but themselves live in most luxurious hotels refusing to stay in a lesser standard hotel. I know an Imam Sahib who lends money on interest to other needy.

Some time back I addressed Habib Bank Limited Head Office now a privatized bank. What was the matter is not a point here. I kept on sending reminders but did not get any response. If a Head Office of a public dealing organization did not give response to public despite reminders one can well understand what the subordinate local level functionaries or Departments under it would be caring a response to the public. There is a rule enacted by our ex British rulers, as usual a good rule and likewise as usual existing in our every good governanced government, which makes it mandatory for each official working in any federal or provincial Ministry, division, department, autonomous or semi autonomous body etc to immediately and invariably acknowledge receipt of a communication received from member of the public followed by an invariable final reply when case is complete. The tendency of non response of course had increased. In 1988 I raised this issue drawing the attention to this rule. At this the Cabinet Division had to issue a circular as a refresher drawing attention of all 4 Chief Secretaries and sundries to this rule including a copy to me. But who cares.

Now seeing on expense of we the citizens as has become it a tradition to keep on establish new office under different labels a new banking Mohtasib office in a high rent building was established. I raised with it this issue of non response by the Head Office of the Bank. The non response in technical knowledge of ombudsman system is termed as act of mal administration. It may be of interest to mention here that after a joint meeting the then Federal Ombudsman and the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court declared that non response was the mother cause of public frustrations. They also observed that 70% of public complaints can die. Almost the same thing once General Ziaul Haq observed. The Banking Mohtasib did not register my complaint on the ground that the bank today was privatized hence such rules are not binding on such units. This was not and is not acceptable to me as a tax payer citizen of this country. When UBL was privatized the State Bank informed me in writing that despite privatization the SBP still had administrative jurisdiction over it. The Banking mohtasib, it may be of interest has been created by the State Bank of Pakistan under an administrative order and thus technically is a subordinate or independent subordinate department under SBP. The Head Office thus still recognizes that privatized banks were under it but a sort of subordinate department namely banking mohtasib says it was not so. When MCB was privatised on a complaint from Muree it took a stand that it was now privatized. The Federal Ombudsman directing relief to the complainant observed the bank was not merely transferred to private owners with assets only but also with its obligations to the account holders, the public and the nation.

Nation is led to believe that privatization brings efficiency which we all know what type of. The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation is an example of it, not forgetting May 2007 statement from the then Communication Minister HE Mr. Babar Ghouri from educated MQM, that the KESC has so far concentrated on earning back its invested capital.

These Banks as a layman I understand have partially (except for ABL) been sold to private owners. The major share still is with the government. Hence it is wrong to say the Government has no control over such sold out institutions. Secondly even if a unit is privatized to me as a lay man it is never that the new owners are madir pidar azad from observing the law of land. They are of course free to adopt their own policies for internal running but within the purview of the law of land. A private unit say KESC still is to observe the daily working hour fixed for an employee under labour laws. If the government announces 3 days flag lowering on death of BB, the privatized KESC or say HBL is bound to adhere to it. These foreign investors can not refuse flag lowering on the plea they were foreigners.

Four times I addressed State Bank of Pakistan if now the privatized HBL was free from our rule/regulation viz prescribed rule of invariable reply as contained in Annexure A to Secretariat Instructions Manual. Each time I got a response thank you, within 48 hours someone from SBP will revert back to you. Dozens and Dozens of 48 hours have passed. I enquired from Privatisation Commission if on sale of these units they still are to observe our prescribed rule/regulations like above quoted rule for invariable response to public. The Commission tactfully avoiding the point tells me to contact the SBP. Whereas the units are sold by privatization commission and only it can tell if sale conditions also contained that these units are madir pidar azad. I repeatedly addressed the Cabinet Division to whom the above rule relates and who issued it as a refresher on my raising the issue. Despite reminders no invariable and immediate acknowledgement which in other words mean as per our national tradition Cabinet Division was exempt from acting on its own advice given to other Ministries, Divisions semi autonomous bodies. By the way last but not the least had thus a huge office named as Banking Mohtasib been established only for two units namely State bank and national Bank out of which one namely NBP is too being considered for privatisation. This also gives answer to some surprising eye brows as to how in a country where there is unscheduled acute electricity load shedding even in December and January how and how the foreign investors come.

Pakistan Damages From Riots Linked To Bhutto Death Top $1 Billion-AFP

KARACHI (AFP)–Every day laborer Abdul Karim lines up in this southern city, Pakistan’s economic hub, looking for work, one of thousands dealing with the economic aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s murder.

Deadly riots triggered by the assassination of the opposition leader caused more than a billion dollars in damage and left hundreds of shops, banks and businesses smoldering in ruin.

The shock of the murder hundreds of kilometers away in Rawalpindi was felt most here in the capital of the southern Sindh province, Bhutto’s political heartland.

“I couldn’t earn anything and passed the week with little food for my two children,” said the tall 31-year-old, dressed in a dark brown shalwar kameez and yellow sweater, standing among dozens facing the same problem.

Textile trader Abdul Wahab arrived here 10 years ago, confident that his prospects were better than in his native, conflict-torn home of Sri Lanka.

The 48-year-old told AFP he “loves Pakistan,” but a few hours after Bhutto’s death his life’s work went up in flames.

“The rioters burnt my factory with everything inside, including trucks loaded with material ready for export,” said Wahab, whose small business sold cotton towels to the U.S. and Canada as well as his homeland.

“Fortunately, I had closed an hour before, and no life was lost,” he said, though his 30 employees now have no work until Wahab can piece his business back together.

The violence, which claimed at least 58 lives and injured many more across the country, has since simmered down.

But the central bank warned the unrest had hit the economy so hard that it mightn’t reach its 7.2% growth target for the year to June 2008.

Eight years of military rule under President Pervez Musharraf have seen undoubted economic progress, but political instability, a state of emergency and Bhutto’s assassination have rocked business confidence in recent months.

“The situation has affected the immediate shipment of textiles for export, which has visibly shaken the confidence of foreign buyers,” said Khizar Dada, chairman of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association.

“We suffered the same problem when Ms. Bhutto was attacked on Oct. 18 (when she was targeted during her homecoming parade from exile), and the current situation has compounded our problems. We are receiving reports from across the province which showed textiles suffered a huge blow.”

The instability ahead of newly scheduled Feb. 18 elections has upset everyone, from big businesses to small traders.

Mohammad Hashim, owner of a small bakery in Karachi, said he couldn’t open for five days after Bhutto’s killing, because of violence and fear in the city.

“Let alone business, we the shopkeepers had to stay for many nights patrolling outside our shops to try and save them from being burned and looted,” he said.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates losses in Karachi and Sindh at about PKR80 billion ($1.3 billion).

“We have witnessed violence of the worst kind in the past,” said former KCCI chairman Majyd Aziz, referring to the southern port city’s reputation for sectarian killings.

“But it was the first time that rioters attacked industry,” SAID Aziz, who has spent the past week assessing the damage.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-08-082054ET
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