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Why
avoid registration?
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As my family lives in the United States, I have been
closely following the INS registration issue. The
US has for the process its own arguments which are
probably better justified than its designs for the
Middle East. However, on this side of the fence it
is yet another painfully humiliating racist law which
we are expected to comply with.
The fact that Diana's butler got more coverage than
this issue, which is directly or indirectly affecting
millions of people in and outside the US, speaks volumes
about the "free press" in the West. I, therefore,
believe that your coverage of the issue has been a
great help to the Pakistani expatriates.
There has been criticism that the Pakistan government
has not done enough. Sadly, there is little it can
do when a sovereign nation (and that too the most
powerful) decides to get tough about implementing
the law of the land. However, if we do want to better
our lot, we should criticize less and participate
more. I found out through Dawn that the embassy in
the US was seeking suggestions. Since I contacted
the embassy staff, I have been receiving regular updates
from them.
Finally, news about detention has been scaring the
Pakistanis both in the US and at home. This is obviously
a genuine concern since people are being picked up
even for being slightly out of status. However, it
would be worse if people decided not to register.
Therefore, it might help if Dawn also gives coverage
to cases where registration was done smoothly. It
would help if people who are registering call up or
email the embassy and let them know how things went,
so that it can be relayed to others and calm nerves.
Arslan Akmal Bangkok, Thailand
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Ibex hunting in Sindh
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The decision
by the Sindh wildlife department to allow trophy hunting
of ibex has caused a furore among people, specially
environmentalists and citizens concerned about the
wildlife habitat.
First, the reporter who broke the news called it a
discriminatory policy, as the fee for Sindh-based
hunters is Rs25,000 while it is Rs50,000 for the people
of other provinces.
All over the world, including the United Sates, Canada,
Europe, Australia and Africa, where hunting is managed
scientifically, the permit fee for resident hunters
and out-of-state hunters varies because resident hunters
contribute a lot more to the state treasury through
local taxes and levies than non-residents who hardly
contribute anything. Thus, the practice of charging
the local residents a low fee is a fair rather than
a discriminatory practice.
One reader passionately protested against the decision
of allowing trophy hunting of ibex, as he felt that
it was unkind and amounted to slaughtering animals.
The truth is that trophy hunting is a wildlife management
tool. It is a methodical and scientific way of managing
the population of certain species. Ibex trophy hunting
is usually restricted to old males which have passed
their prime period and are now too old to reproduce.
Such males are of little benefit to the herd and the
population of the species in general, as not only
are they no longer able to breed but they also, by
virtue of their patriarchal status in the herd, prevent
the younger and more virile males from breeding.
Trophy hunting prevents inbreeding and helps maintain
a healthy genepool, which prevents diseases and ensures
a healthy and sustainable population.
Murtaza Yaseen Karachi
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Plea from a fellow Patrician
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Nobody could
be a bigger fan of President Musharraf than I because
of my bias towards his schooling. We Patricians always
say, "Once a Patrician, always a Patrician."
Thus, when I found out that our president had studied
at St. Patrick's High School, I was assured that we
had finally found a right leader. However, as it is
so often the case, some things are too good to be true
and the curse always starts with small things. Being
a fellow Patrician, I want to inform our president that
he better take notice of these small things or they
could add up to him losing most of his fan following
at least in Karachi.
In the last three months or so I think the president
has been to this metropolis two/three times at least
and what testing times they have been for the Karachiites.
During the Ideas 2002 exhibition I was stuck at a traffic
intersection for an hour and 17 minutes! At that time
I was thinking of putting my name up for the Guinness
Book of Records, but two subsequent thoughts stopped
me from doing so: first, there would be at least one
million more Karachiites who could match that or probably
do better, and second, I had this patriotic feeling
that this was good for the country. So I let the feeling
pass.
However, when in the last three days of 2002 and the
first few days of the new year, I had to go through
a worse ordeal because the president wanted to celebrate
the new year in Karachi, my blood pressure shot up to
heights that would put the "Killer Mountain"
to shame.
Not being allowed to park your car in front of your
office, stuck at cross sections for hours, not being
allowed to get gas filled in one's car, being shouted
at and sometimes even abused by those "protectors
of the city" and, finally the straw that broke
the camel's back, not being allowed to go to your house
because the intersection of your home lane is blocked.
The question is: aren't the people of Karachi enduring
enough mental torture owing to traffic jams, inefficiency
on the part of the city administration, electricity
and water issues, etc. that we have to go through such
an impossible situation?
So, all I plead, and surely other Karachiites will agree
with me, is that if someone of such importance has to
come to Karachi, the city management must plan it out.
Either arrivals or departures be kept in late hours
or maybe the dignitaries be airlifted to the locations
that they have to go to.
I request my fellow Patrician to look into this matter.
Sheraz Ahmed Karachi
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