Why The War On Ghosts Was Lost

i agree and support most of what dr. hoodbhoy says. i believe, there have been several official reports of the existence of `ghost` schools. i recall a report in the press about `unearthing` of thousands of fictitious teachers in the mansehra district of NWFP whose salries were being regularly drawn. what surprises me is that people are surprised by these reports. given the complete breakdown of the government in the country, and, with it of justice, accountability, and enforcement of obligations along with rights, what should surprise us is that there are still small islands of integrity and honesty. we all know the wrongs, there are so pervasive and obvious. the only solution i see is that eack of us should hold ourselves accountable. the least we can do is that if we cannot prevent the rot which is setting in we should atleast refrain from helping it. meanwhile, and dr. hoodbhoy may not like it, we can only wait for a messiah!

hey

Very nicely written Mr.Pervaiz ..I am a big fan of your writings ..as usual your shock style of writing does it`s job .I have another aspect of the education system for you ..the medical side ..

the spurt of Private Medical Colleges opened ..Pakistan Medical and Dental COuncil` cronyism and political infighting amongst the Doctors community .The govt.s opposition to Private Colleges ...and the admission system of the colleges .I mean the blatant misuse of the quota system ..the fact that only1/ 5th of the Doctors stay in Pakistan .

The story goes on and on ..a lotta material is out there for you Dr.Pervaiz ..I would recommend you write a book in english and in Urdu..as well as ensuring you have a ticket for you an your family in case of an emergency ..

On the last partn of your article ..I agree ..the writ of the state is collapsing ..the state of decay and the lack of any system of replacing the disintegrating colonial apparatus ...has unleashed the forces laid dormant by half a century of power politics.

The army is now being used to establish the govt.s writ in administrative matters ...the only thing left is for the next election to be rigged ..and then my friends ( those of you in Pakistan )

the circle will at last be complete

There is only one solution .. hang the entire lot

of villans. From N.S to B.B and on downwards. Than find a philosopher-king who can rule justly over the illiterate masses for a time until the

religious superstitions, ignorance, ethnic hatreds and other diseases are cured through education and a new sense of citizenship,which must be inculcated. The sense of citizenship that exists now in the so-called Islamic Republic is one of exclusion, not inclusion. This is the root of the problem. Therefore everyone is out to get their share of the pie, rather than thinking about the nation as a whole.

Thank God for people like you who will one day change all this.

Re: Pervez Hoodbhoy

Why the war on the ghosts was lost? Simply, because there was no intent to win such a war!

There have been too many such ``national efforts`` in Pakistan`s history and nothing has ever changed. Nothing in Pakistan will change, because vested interests in Pakistan do not want the system to change.

However, there is no reason to get discouraged. There will more false promises; more lies told and nothing will happen in Pakistan. Pakistan is caught in an awful time warp where the same nightmare will continue to play with the same results each time; nothing will change in Pakistan, because nothing can change in Pakistan.

Why the war on ghosts was lost? Is there any instance when a war against ghosts was won?

Thanks Pervez sahib for another povocative, bold and incisive write up. Wonder whether the following makes any sense.

Throughout history there has always been tremendous resistance to change, even when change has been shown to improve matters. If life is acceptable as it stands, why change it? From the point of view of those who roar, thunder and govern, this rule is all the more important to follow. Any change, for the tyrant is for the worse. Herein perhaps lie the answers to questions raised: ``Why did the state suddenly decide to move against something whose existence it had hitherto denied?``, ``Why the report has not been made public?`` - it all fits the pattern

established during the past half a century. Why change?

As regards the truth it does not ``lie smothered in the dense and dark cocoons of official secrecy``, but does come out and is there to see for those, like Pervez sahib who can.

It even seems arguable that `ordinary Pakistanis consider education good or important`. Today, in Pakistani society there does not seem to be much evidence to support the argument that an educated person is better than an uneducated one. And education here has a very narrow definition of what goes on in the institutions of learning. Why then bother about this education at all?

One perception that is etched in our minds is evidenced by the phrase `stealing from the government`. This incorrect perception needs to be corrected - it is the people who pay for all the stealing that is going on.

Why the war on ghosts was lost? Is there any instance when a war against ghosts was won?

Thanks Pervez sahib for another povocative, bold and incisive write up. Wonder whether the following makes any sense.

Throughout history there has always been tremendous resistance to change, even when change has been shown to improve matters. If life is acceptable as it stands, why change it? From the point of view of those who roar, thunder and govern, this rule is all the more important to follow. Any change, for the tyrant is for the worse. Herein perhaps lie the answers to questions raised: ``Why did the state suddenly decide to move against something whose existence it had hitherto denied?``, ``Why the report has not been made public?`` - it all fits the pattern

established during the past half a century. Why change?

As regards the truth it does not ``lie smothered in the dense and dark cocoons of official secrecy``, but does come out and is there to see for those, like Pervez sahib who can.

It even seems arguable that `ordinary Pakistanis consider education good or important`. Today, in Pakistani society there does not seem to be much evidence to support the argument that an educated person is better than an uneducated one. And education here has a very narrow definition of what goes on in the institutions of learning. Why then bother about this education at all?

One perception that is etched in our minds is evidenced by the phrase `stealing from the government`. This incorrect perception needs to be corrected - it is the people who pay for all the stealing that is going on.

I only wish that this sort of writings were published in Urdu newspapers. The people who are sincere as well as courageous to come on streets to protest don`t or can`t read English. The socalled leaders who bring people out on streets are so corrupt themselves that they would not like anybody talk about these things in public.

With logical amendments this could be any country in the world from this part of the world?

Dear Parvez,

Your accounts, daring, informative, and wonderfully written, as they are, intrigue me with your unique sense of passion, cynicism and naivete. In particular, I like the conversations you narrate with people who do not fear their limbs being lost, as they advicate talibanism. I picture you grappling with these people in vain (naivete) thinking they can change and then shaking till something inside you crumbles, when they deflect your words with their own dark version of reality. Which to you seems so ludicrous and loaded in hypocrisy. Yet to them, survival and corruption of the fittest?

I also appreciate your characterization of our patriotism -as a negating fear of the neighbor, rather than an affirming love of oneself one. Even more so, you could add we hate each other.

So please keep steering the ship. People who suggest you leave ship and come ashore may be jealously guided by the insecurities of their own choices. Yet your choice is a lighthouse for many of us, and your struggle is probably purer in some sense than for some of us who sign petitions abroad. Your exposure is much appreciated.

I read articles like this and thank God fro the bottom of my heart that don`t live in Pakistan.

Dr. Parvez when are you going to leave ? I think you should stop wasting your energy in Pakistan and try and leave.

Farouq Taj.

Ras,

The only thing needed now to clean up all these `ghosts` is that ubiquitous `ghost foreign hand`.

Won`t you agree?

Kant.........

Another eye opener from the good Doctor. What
is next?
The only thing missing is our ``Ghost Friends``.

Ras

I want to add that there are ghost clinics as well. One such ghost clinic was in North Nazimabad, Karachi across Taimuria library. It was used as a Shaadi Ghar (Marriage Hall)!!

Basically, the system has collapsed (whatever that was to begin with. And I am afraid that the Taliban slogan ``from kabul to islamabad` might come true. Dr. Frankinstine creates the monster and ultimately gets killed by it.

Sadly, it appears that the details of our ``well-done`` census have also become ghostly. Suspiciously, the government has been sitting on detailed breakdown of numbers for several months now, after promising immediate release. Also, the highly-praised, and separately conducted National Demographic and Health Survey of Pakistan, surveying over 20,000 households and finished over a year ago, is also not being handed over for detailed analysis. International consultants think that this is so, because much of the summary census data has been cooked to please international development agencies that important priorities are being addressed - and release of the raw data in its actual form will expose the inconsistencies.

A