Black Days in Karachi

oops - mixed you up with binifer on the baby thing, sorry bina!

Bina - I just saw in your profile that you went to Wellesley College ... I live in Natick (since 1996) and my husband works in Waltham, I used to work in the Financial District for Fidelity and took my train from Wellesley Square all the time ... funny we may have crossed paths sometime ... hope you and baby are doing well !

An editorial in Sunday`s (August 24) DAWN:

Oil spill again



This has now happened a second time this month: the Tasman Spirit is prolifically leaking its oil again, proving the government agencies wrong. Bad weather and stormy seas predicted for the next few days will obviously make salvage operations even more difficult, making it certain that the ship`s remaining cargo of 20,000 tonnes of oil will empty into the sea. This will add to the miseries of those citizens who have still not recovered from the effects of the spill earlier this month. All commercial activity in the area has come to a halt, and the beach is no more a place fit for picnicking and a bit of fresh air. One does not know for how long the Clifton beach will remain closed to the public. But one thing is obvious: the KPT and other government departments have not learnt any lessons from the oil leakage disaster earlier this month.

Foreign experts have been called in for help in the clean-up process, but their presence seems to be having no effect on the situation. Perhaps, this results from the fact that the Pakistani authorities never had a contingency plan of their own and because the foreign experts are suggesting environment-friendly measures for disposing of the contaminated sand and dead marine animals. Many of our NGOs, too, seem to have a lot of academic knowledge about environmental degradation, and a penchant for holding seminars, but have no practical knowledge or experience of dealing with such disasters. The dispute between the Defence Housing Authority and the city government over where to dispose of the contaminated sand and dead fish needs to be sorted out. The government has instituted an inquiry into the oil spill but some have questioned its independence given that it is made up of officials serving in organizations whose performance the inquiry will seek to investigate. One wonders whether heads will roll and the government will break from tradition and release to the public the findings of the inquiry.

ana_deborah #35 I think your basic point is that we Pakistanis are too apathetic on public issues. It is hard to argue against calls for less apathy. However, please see Shandana`s article on the same subject ``Call to action on the oil spill``, and particularly the latest posts from her on that board, an I think you will agree that efforts are being made. Of course, there is always room for more.

Incidentally, my objection to ferozk`s diatribes (and that is basically all they are in my view based on a quick walk through his posts) is that you cant use Tasman Spirit spill to condemn Pakistanis en masse. As Shandana clearly indicates, there are far too many Pakistanis doing far more that you or me or ferozk (writing posts on chowk is mere time pass, lets admit) for any one of us to rant on about perceived deficiencies in the Pakistani psyche. In case of the Tasman spill, a ton of condemnation of government is worth less than an ounce of self-help and individual initiative.


b.

ferozk #36 So you insist I read your lengthy posts. Trouble is I dont have time nowadays. Tell you what - I`ll read ana_deborah`s post at some point hopefully and get back.

re: tahmed32

The explanation lies in my previous interacts. I have explained my reasons. If you would care to read them, I believe you will have your answer.

Ciao

am hesitant to enter into this argument, debate, call it what you will between feroz and tahmedji. . .but something compels me to stick my not so big nose in this discussion. . .and so i will shake off my laziness, sluggishness, tiredness...and attempt to comment on this. and this is looking to possibly be a longish post. . .but i will not apologize this time.

i read and reread feroz`s posts. . .and yes even i cringe at the thought that we as pakistanis at home and abroad are to blame for the oil spill occurring. the KPT mainly are to be held at fault here, and the PNSC...they are directly to blame for the environmental disaster that is wreaking havoc for the inhabitants of karachi and its environs.

having said that. . .

if we pakistanis remain silent about this and do not demand (and demand is the proper verb here) accountability from the government offices responsible for this bloody mess, then yes, we are just as much responsible as the idiots who mismanaged this. we keep crying about democracy this, and democracy that. . .well, those of us who wish to see democracy have a chance to put it in action by asking for accountability. granted, musharraf has been more of a usurper rather than a democratically elected president, but how does this stop us as citizens who claim to be pakistanis, and those of us abroad who still have ties to pakistan from wanting these bumblers (the kindest thing i can say in english without being censored) to be answerable for their actions, and future actions?
silence is not golden here. . .silence is poisonous.

i remember not too long ago, taking a class where we read literature of the holocaust, and the armenian genocide. i recall several poets and writers, who in their gripping words alluded to the fact that those who remained silent about what was happening with jewish communities in much of europe were contributors, through their silence, to the atrocities being perpetrated. as harsh of a reality as that is to deal with, for those who were silent. i believe there is validity in that allusion. i think i`ve mentioned this before in connection with something else, and hate being repetitious. . .but it bears repeating. and it bears repeating because this is not the first time i have observed with more adult eyes, how we as adult pakistanis do not wish to make any waves in regards to actions that plunge us further and further into an abyss. we complain about the way things are in pakistan, but we do nothing that actually is in our power to do to press for change. and i am just as guilty of that as perhaps my ammi is, as perhaps my cousin-brother who is struggling to educate his children in pakistan is. there are too many struggles to deal with, why take on this one? and what good is it going to do?

pakistan is flooded with apathy, and so are pakistanis who live in other parts of the globe. as a cynical, often apathetic, and yes, still a citizen of pakistan who wavers between holding on, and disawowing myself from pak sar zameen, i am well aware of that. the thing is, what kind of message does this apathy send, not primarily to other lands, but within our own...to our own, our past...our present...our future...our children or future children. it is certainly not a positive one. like that one reveler in bina`s article said, `how can this hurt us?` we`ve been hurt by so much before, wars, mad generals, mad prime ministers, pollution, senseless murders, so-called honour killings, my gawd, how can an oil spill hurt us? well, it can. and it is. so wake up and smell the stink!

feroz`s posts have had emotionalism in them, and rightly so. . .but he also makes a valid point, and i cannot help but feel that it is in poor taste to question his intelligence for having made such a point. we as people who inhabit the land of pakistan, or who once inhabited the land of pakistan and still have a strong connection to it, have to some extent allowed ourselves to be trampled over so much so that now we seem not to care. . .`tis qismat, destiny, whatever. and that, forgive me, is just bollocks! i shudder sometimes at this rate to think of the future. . .of pakistan`s future. and the future of pakistan is not in the `muththi` of the army, or the bureaucrats alone, the future of pakistan is in our hands, yours. .and mine. it is our land. . .our government regardless of how we feel about it, if only we would act as if it was.

adnan: if you`re reading this, i hope that your ammi is feeling better.

i know that this was more than 50 words or so, and i am prepared for the insults and mockery that are to come my way for my unabashed emotionalism. i know that there is some truth in what i am saying, and thank you for either patiently reading this. .or skipping to the next post.

adios.

ferozk #33 OK, seriously then: Accountability is for actions within one`s control.

Please explain why the mere fact that one is Pakistani makes one accountable for the Tasman oil spill?

Kindly provide this explanation in 50 words or less, if possible.

re: tahmed32

Sir, you are more than welcome to insult me.

Sir, you have not answered my question. In fact, you have not answered one question which I asked. I am talking about accountibility. I have been clear; it is you who keeps changing the arguments. Do Pakistanis have any responsibilities to their nation in particular and to the world in large? If not, then please explain why we should not be blamed for our actions.

I will ask once more knowing fully well that you will not answer, but you will insult me again. If you feel the oil spill is a trival matter, I disagree with you. It is you and not I, who is making a mockery of intelligence.

Ciao

ferozk #31 So you are saying that every citizen of Pakistan is guilty of the Tasman oil spill. I admire your insightful thinking. Since you declared me (as Pakistani) guilty of the oil spill, let me then take a crack at punishing you (who are also a Pakistani and therefore also guilty) for the crime, as follows:

(Dons black cap).
The court finds ferozk guilty of the Tasman spill. He is therefore required to perform 5 years of community service, whereby he will therefore drink the spilt oil floating on the Arabian Sea until the last drop.
The court also finds ferozk guilt of 10,000 other counts of crime committed on his behalf by the current and previous Pakistan governments. He is therefore required to be whipped 100 times every day for 10,000 days.
In addition, by proving to
Court Dismissed!!

Commentary on the court decision: The punishments match the crimes of which you convicted every Pakistani (including yourself).

PS: Where did you get your brilliant mind anyway?

re: tahmed32 # 27

As a Pakistani, do you feel that Pakistani government should be accountable to its people?

You as a Pakistani are responsible for the actions of your government. Let me explain. The government of Pakistan represents your interests and when its actions harm your interests, you have a responsibility to demand an explanation - an accountibility. I can understand the argument that Musharraf government is non elected, non democratic government and it does not represent the rights of the Pakistani people. That may be true, but the Musharraf government acts in our name and it claims to represent our rights. We can disagree on the validity of this argument, but as long as it claims such, we are affected by its actions. We have the right to ask our government to answer our questions. It does not have to answer them and it may not answer them, but that does not mean we give up our right to question the government.

I honestly feel that democracy will arrive in Pakistan, but it will not be handed to us on a silver platter. We will have to fight for it; tooth and nail! Just because there is no democracy in Pakistan, does not mean we give up our rights.

As a Pakistani, the actions of the Pakistani government haunt you. As long as you claim to be a Pakistani or carry the identification of being one, you will be judged by the actions of Pakistan. I am asking for accountibility as why this happened and who was responsible for this disaster. Why are you responsible for this oil spill as a Pakistani? You, sir, have to answer that question yourself. I am responsible for this oil spill, because I feel responsible for Pakistan and as a Pakistani, the decisions which led to this oil spill were made in my name and they were supposed to represent my interests.

If on the other hand, you wish to absolve yourself and feel that you are not responsible for this oil spill, why do you claim to be a Pakistani? If Pakistan is to be improved, Pakistanis will have to improve it. Or, we can ask the United States to come to Pakistan and establish democracy like it helped democracy in Iraq. If you do not wish Pakistanis to be concerned about Pakistan, then sir, please tell me who should be concerned about Pakistan and what happens in Pakistan? As a Pakistani, are you not concerend what happens in your name? If you are not interested in Pakistan, then please leave us alone and go your merry way as we try to salvage our nation. We absolve you of all blame. Please change your nationality and have nothing to do with Pakistan -I think you have already done that! :)

Indians living abroad are concerend about what happens in India and they hold their governments responsible. Why cannot the Pakistanis do the same? If not, then what is our interest in Pakistan? How is democracy going to flourish in Pakistan if we keep never take responsibility for what happens in our name and in our nation.

Ciao

adnan #28 I did indeed stop reading after your first line. I went back and read the rest of the post, and see that it indeed sounds like what a nutcase would write. Trouble on chowk is that there are so many nuts for real, that it is impossible to determine whether the intent of the post is to be funny or to be dead serious. So, even if I had read your entire post, I would have not known you were being funny. Is it possible to be funny without sounding like a nutcase?? You know, like a couple of funny lines followed by a ;-) or something?? Just a suggestion.

jay,

``gin sipping harami``........ now you might have gone a bit too far - even i am offended........ there is nothing wrong with being passionate about your views but sometimes blind hatred can make you look silly ...... be careful

tahmed32:

Array bhai, my post in reference was in jest. I was poking fun at the mullah mentality and their ``primitive attitude``. I thought my joke about 2000 Jews not showing up for work in TelAviv was a dead giveaway. Maybe not. Maybe you never bothered to read the whole post.

But, perhaps you are right ... comedy has never been my cup of tea.

BTW, my parents live not too far from SeaView Apartments. My mother has been complaining about shortness of breath and a slight fever for the past one week. Courtesy of the oil spill, I`m sure.

adnan #25 When you write stuff like ``why are we wasting our time on trivial issues like this?``, you reveal an attitude that deserves to be put down. It is the same attitude that causes people to leave behind a mess at picnic spots, and at community events, claiming that you are concerned only with bigger problems related to international politics.

So, repeat after me: ``An oil spill is not a trivial issue.`` Say this a hundred times and you should be on your way to a less primitive attitude.

ferozk #21 I dont see you blaming all Americans for the Valdez spill. So, lets not start dragging all Pakistanis in for blame. E.g., I am a Pakistani, so please explain why I should consider myself responsible for this oil spill.

PS: And I see the medicine wore out on Jay, and he has started his usual howls about ``Hooo Hoooo Pakistanis are very bad....hooo hoooo they are jehadis.....hooo hooo, and I jay am still crazy after all these years``.