09-07-2007, 03:00 PM
The Supreme Court of Pakistan is taking suo moto notices on important issues. It has come to rescue the people. I do not think if one can in words fully describe the kindness of SC in taking the issue of missing persons. The fact is this was actually the primary and basic job of our so-called public representatives or the so called democracy which shamelessly remained silent. Who says public representatives are the voice of people and through such systems eg democracy in regions like ours, local government provides the man on the street direct access to the rule and the man on the street rules etc.
The SC after return of Honourable Chief Justice from âOn Leaveâ has activated itself. But with the speed it is taking up different issues some, including myself, are rightly worried this speedy activism may not at any time produce some undesired affects. For example SC has taken note of traffic jams in Karachi. I think at the end of the day practically there would not be any appreciable concrete outcome. The local city government, Sindh Government, Federal Government, Laws and Rules etc can do nothing in this city to eliminate traffic jams except temporarily for a day or two but only in a few areas to come up again the same. The biggest factor of traffic jams in Karachi is not digging of roads, heavy traffic, narrow roads, old vehicles etc but the main and the biggest factor is psych and mentality of our society in large from whose mind the sense of rule, sense of community feeling, sense of civic duties, sense of morality have almost gone, thanks to our corrupt politicians and bureaucracy.
SC within its limited resources can however deliver much better if it concentrates and takes suo moto notices initially mainly on those matters where public money is being âwastedâ under legalized manner. For instant it can take the issue of mad spending on introduction of i-tech in government departments under the so called claim of âefficiency and quicker response to the publicâ without forgetting that it is the man who operates any technology which matters and not the technology. Under huge expense the i-tech and computerization has been done but practically no worth to the public. The main beneficiary of this technology is the sellers of these equipment who must mostly be âdear onesâ and second class of beneficiaries are other âdear onesâ getting appointments on high salaries in these newly created sections. Governor of Sindh has established on high cost an On Line Complaint Center never ever to give response. Sindh Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Local Government Secretary all have on huge expense made departmental web sites but non have contact emails on them which is an invariable part of a web. Most of Government sites are hardly updated. A few years back taking information from post office web site I mailed some letters. The receivers had to pay penalty due to deficient postage. Federal Ombudsman the protector of citizens rights did not agree to award me refund of those penalties paid as to him it was not an act of mal administration. The post office schedule was showing 2 years old postage rates and this was not an act of mal administration our ombudsman? Habib Bank developed on huge expense web site. It had many features like On Line Feed Back, list of all Branches with emails and phone numbers which have now been deleted from the web to keep away the bloody people from filing complaints. Pakistan Post Office with much fan fare few years back introduced internet cafes. For the last 4 years these are closed and computers have gone. Where? God knows better. On huge expense PTCL on installation and more than that on publicity established a Hot Line Central Complaint Cell and an All Pakistan Web Telephone Directory. Last year Hot Complaint Cell was closed. Now 17 Hot Line Telephone directory Enquiry has been shelved. Why such a huge expense was incurred? To afford sale to some sellers and to appoint some dear ones? Where are those costly computers from PTCL Hot Line and Post Office cafes? In Stores? Are these same world class computers or some dead old models lying in stores? Almost all departments have their own web sites but the senior officials have their emails with free Hotmail or Yahoo mail. Mostly contact emails, where if these are given, are in personal names of officer concerned rather than under departmental designation etc. For example PTCL has email as irfan@...... Who is this Irfan? Is he to remain permanent for next 30 to 80 years that PTCL contact will remain irfan@.... SC can investigate where these costly equipment is, why actually money was spent if these facilities were not to remain alive for the purposes these were established from national exchequer.
The SC after return of Honourable Chief Justice from âOn Leaveâ has activated itself. But with the speed it is taking up different issues some, including myself, are rightly worried this speedy activism may not at any time produce some undesired affects. For example SC has taken note of traffic jams in Karachi. I think at the end of the day practically there would not be any appreciable concrete outcome. The local city government, Sindh Government, Federal Government, Laws and Rules etc can do nothing in this city to eliminate traffic jams except temporarily for a day or two but only in a few areas to come up again the same. The biggest factor of traffic jams in Karachi is not digging of roads, heavy traffic, narrow roads, old vehicles etc but the main and the biggest factor is psych and mentality of our society in large from whose mind the sense of rule, sense of community feeling, sense of civic duties, sense of morality have almost gone, thanks to our corrupt politicians and bureaucracy.
SC within its limited resources can however deliver much better if it concentrates and takes suo moto notices initially mainly on those matters where public money is being âwastedâ under legalized manner. For instant it can take the issue of mad spending on introduction of i-tech in government departments under the so called claim of âefficiency and quicker response to the publicâ without forgetting that it is the man who operates any technology which matters and not the technology. Under huge expense the i-tech and computerization has been done but practically no worth to the public. The main beneficiary of this technology is the sellers of these equipment who must mostly be âdear onesâ and second class of beneficiaries are other âdear onesâ getting appointments on high salaries in these newly created sections. Governor of Sindh has established on high cost an On Line Complaint Center never ever to give response. Sindh Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Local Government Secretary all have on huge expense made departmental web sites but non have contact emails on them which is an invariable part of a web. Most of Government sites are hardly updated. A few years back taking information from post office web site I mailed some letters. The receivers had to pay penalty due to deficient postage. Federal Ombudsman the protector of citizens rights did not agree to award me refund of those penalties paid as to him it was not an act of mal administration. The post office schedule was showing 2 years old postage rates and this was not an act of mal administration our ombudsman? Habib Bank developed on huge expense web site. It had many features like On Line Feed Back, list of all Branches with emails and phone numbers which have now been deleted from the web to keep away the bloody people from filing complaints. Pakistan Post Office with much fan fare few years back introduced internet cafes. For the last 4 years these are closed and computers have gone. Where? God knows better. On huge expense PTCL on installation and more than that on publicity established a Hot Line Central Complaint Cell and an All Pakistan Web Telephone Directory. Last year Hot Complaint Cell was closed. Now 17 Hot Line Telephone directory Enquiry has been shelved. Why such a huge expense was incurred? To afford sale to some sellers and to appoint some dear ones? Where are those costly computers from PTCL Hot Line and Post Office cafes? In Stores? Are these same world class computers or some dead old models lying in stores? Almost all departments have their own web sites but the senior officials have their emails with free Hotmail or Yahoo mail. Mostly contact emails, where if these are given, are in personal names of officer concerned rather than under departmental designation etc. For example PTCL has email as irfan@...... Who is this Irfan? Is he to remain permanent for next 30 to 80 years that PTCL contact will remain irfan@.... SC can investigate where these costly equipment is, why actually money was spent if these facilities were not to remain alive for the purposes these were established from national exchequer.
