Threats to public health
WITH one virus not eliminated, another threatens Pakistan is drawing international attention because it is one of the last two countries where children are still being infected by the polio virus While the number of infections has gone down they have not been eliminated Prime Minister
Ahehbaz Sharif has assured a delegation of the Bill Gates Foundation, headed by its President for Global Development, that Pakistan is dedicated to the elimination of the dread disease Polio elimination is one of the causes by which the Foundation defines itself, with the delivery of vaccines to Pakistan one of its major activities Mr Sharif told the delegation that 140 million children had been vaccinated so far and that the federal and provincial governments were successfully coordinating to ensure that vaccination teams were given adequate protection
Even as they spoke the country’s Border Protection Service moved to impose strict screening at all arriving passengers and crew entering the country from abroad, for the Nipah virus after two cases were confirmed in West Bengal The virus had a fatality rate of 73 percent To keep things in perspective, covid-19 had a fatality rate of 1 02 percent Like covid-19, the Nipah virus originated with fruit bats though it infected people after mov ing to pigs in Malaysia It has similar symptoms to covid-19, but now human-to-human infection has also been reported Though Pakistan managed to deal with the covid-19 phenomenon its healthcare services must now gear up to handle the coming of this disease Covid-19 took about 7 million lives, and continues to be a killer While polio is an extremely debilitating virus the Ripah virus may cause much greater devastation There is no guarantee the country is ready for such a disease Worse, perhaps, there is little indication that the lessons of the covid-19 epidemic have been learnt
There is a certain irony that while a new virus threatens, an old one has not been overcome One of the positive developments has been that covid-19 stimulated research into a vaccine but it is still at a preliminary stage It awaits an outbreak large enough to allow clinical trials The world can only hope that the time has not arrived It is perhaps ironic that the world has just settled one conflict the one in Gaza and is near settling another the one in Ukraine just in time to face a deadly disease
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
T
At Penpoint
S President Donald Trump s latest manoeuvres show signs of his learning from Israel, as the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro resembled the kidnapping of war criminal Adolf Eichmann and the Greenland controversy resembled the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip Though Eichmann s crimes occurred during World War II, when he first helped force German Jews to migrate, and then took part in formulating and executing the Final Solution, which attempted to eliminate all European Jews Israel wanted to try him Mossad was tasked with getting him from Argentina where he had fled It did so in 1961 first keeping him in a safe house and then flying him to Israel for trial by the Supreme Court He was found guilty, and hanged So far, Maduro has not been tried, not hanged, and he is not German But he too is from a Latin American country and he has been forcibly kidnapped He was not taken by a Mossad team but by a US special operations squad and flown out by US Air Force planes not an El Al airliner (as Eichmann was) Of course, Eichmann was wanted by Israel for his crimes against Jews, and it is difficult to compare his guilt with that of Maduro, no matter how much damage he might have caused After all, the crimes Maduro is accused of only occurred because demand for drugs existed while Jews played no role in attracting the Final Solution However the disregard for national sovereignty is common Actually, at that stage in its history, Israel showed more regard for Argentine sovereignty than the USA showed for Venezuela’s This is apart from the difference between someone who was a private citizen and one who was the sitting President Israel and Mossad have a policy of ignoring national sovereignty when it comes to carrying out its mission That blurs the distinction between justice and revenge The move against Eichmann was based on revenge Israel knew that Eichmann was guilty However, he was still given a trial, allowed to mount a defence However there is the killing by Mossad of the perpetrators of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacres the Black September group in which 11 Israeli team members were killed committed in
France Italy Greece Cyprus and Lebanon with about a dozen killed and another dozen probably killed by other Palestinian factions but with Mossad accused The Black September terrorists were never given the semblance of a trial Mossad claims the motive was not revenge, but to send a message to all Palestinians not to repeat a 1972-style massacre That probably happened, because there were no more such largescale events until Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 The USA and Israel share a feeling of impunity of which the latest example is the refusal of both countries to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over its citizens The ICC is an international court with jurisdiction to try for war crimes, and is permanent It is a formlisation of the ad hoc Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals which were called into being to try for war crimes the leaderships of Germany and Japan Those Tribunals have been accused of dispensing victor s justice especially since no judicial notice has ever been taken of war crimes by the Allies, such as the bombing of Dresden or the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
As one of the world’s most active militaries, the USA would like to avoid its officers and enlisted men being prosecuted for war crimes in Korea Vietnam Iraq Afghanistan and now Iran and Venezuela It is not necessary that there be a conviction or even a trial The knowledge that somone may file a complaint is a deterrent sufficient to make it possible that orders are questioned No government wants that When the President says “Kidnap that other President” he does not want to hear “Is it legal?” just Yes sir! and a snappy salute Israel is more recently concerned about cases that may be filed relative to its occupation of Palestine earlier, and now to the war crimes which have been committed in Gaza Impunity is thus shown as a fear of accountability, which in turn is not an admission of guilt
Ultimately, though, Israel’s interest will not be served if there is a resumption of the Cold War, for it is a small country, and like other small countries, risks being obliterated by a war. And Trump should remember that even a big country could be obliterated
ANobody does any good to somebody voicing silly opinions by feeding the latter s delusions, whether it is by omission or commission This misfortune is a major ingredient in the constitution of men-children (and their female counterparts) that never cease to make life difficult for themselves as well as for those unfortunates they happen to come in contact with
Tolerance is no doubt a virtue, but the brand of tolerance that has been in vogue for a while now is clearly a case of going grossly overboard The proponents of this type of tolerance insist on the following: All opinions are good; so they must all be encouraged and celebrated There must be no disrespecting any view because that could easily make the individual that has voiced it to withdraw into a corner so to speak and never to venture into opinion again
There is much to be said against this line of
reasoning A counter argument to it, for example, would be this: Encouraging all opinions will likely delude a person into a false sense of adequacy Thus encouraged the degree of silliness emanating from this type of individual is apt only to increase with time Such an individual is almost certain to keep on underestimating the importance of critical thinking, ending up losing the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion altogether Consider such a deluded specimen Summarizing any incident or discussion with what she supposes are pithy oneliners has long become her second nature and she feels very clever uttering them She has heard these clichés somewhere but does not remember where, and therefore attributes them to her own unmatched brilliance The problem with such comments (apart from the fact that they are all hackneyed) is that while each nugget of her wisdom may make a certain kind of sense on the separate occasion when it is uttered; put together her philosophy is a study in confusion and self-contradiction A pity, because frank communication, in her formative years, from family members could so easily have cured her or at the very least stopped her condition from worsening Since that did not happen her prognosis is bleak in the extreme I was once acquainted with a high-school student mentor who was concerned about a pupil showing signs of some pretty eccentric behaviour– nothing criminal or even dangerous, just silly stuff When the regularity of such incidents increased the mentor decided to contact the parents The mother when she was made aware of the complaints raised by students and teachers remarked that her son had always been unfairly targeted And then she went on to elaborate why It was because (she explained) folks resented the fact that her son was the promised Mehdi While such extreme cases doubtless exist; thankfully they happen to be rare As a rule the folks at home as well as the friends know better But they still fail their duty of speaking their minds, usually in order to spare the feelings of
Nowhere is the general lack of honesty in our society more pronounced (and with more unfortunate consequences) than in the widespread tendency of sparing others’ feelings Of course, there are good and bad ways to put one’s thoughts across, and one must be as civil and polite as the circumstances warrant, but no more The confidence that is so fragile as to be shattered by criticism is actually a delusion of adequacy in disguise
their loved ones It is counterproductive because this is precisely the sort of kindness that results in lifelong misery for the individual They do a disservice not only to him, but to all those who from time to time will be obliged to suffer him
The fact of the matter is that human beings are not as fragile as some believe A young man may feel dispirited or even heart-broken when he is shown a glimpse of harsh truth Such are the realities of life, however, that sooner rather than later he bounces back as he must And if he is the right sort he does it having learnt a valuable lesson The next time when he is told that he makes little sense on some other issue he is not likely to be nearly as shocked This is the way one develops a hard skin, which comes in handy on the occasions when one is wrong (and somebody points the fact out); and which is crucial for the times when one is right (and is being unfairly criticised) Nothing keeps a person honest (and circumspect) while voicing opinions more than the realization that those around him are going to evaluate it and are going to be ruthless in their appraisal
There is something even more essential than wholesome nourishment that a mother must provide her young ones with And that is regular and healthy doses of home truths served at the dining table In fact all the family members should be counted upon to do the same for one another There is nothing like frank, uncensored appraisal from those who are fond of us that keep our feet firmly on the ground Nowhere is the general lack of honesty in our society more pronounced (and with more unfortunate consequences) than in the widespread tendency of sparing others feelings Of course there are good and bad ways to put one s thoughts across, and one must be as civil and polite as the circumstances warrant, but no more The confidence that is so fragile as to be shattered by criticism is actually a delusion of adequacy in disguise The question that the more sensitive souls in our midst must ask themselves is this: if feelings are hurt by the mere mention of the truth, are they worth sparing anyway?
The author is a connoisseur of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed
Garbage on the move
Kids buying death
HASAN AFTAB SAEED
Lahore sets stric t safety rules ahead of Basant revival
The Lahore administration has announced a comprehensive code of conduct for the three-day Basant festival scheduled to be held from February 6 to 8 aiming to ensure public safety and enforce regulations set by the Punjab government
The code was issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner to regulate kite flying activities across the city, particularly on rooftops and private premises The move follows the Punjab government s decision last month to allow Basant celebrations under strict conditions, ending a 25-year ban on kite flying that was imposed in 2001 due to repeated fatalities caused by hazardous kite strings
Under the new rules the sale and purchase of kites and related accessories will only be permitted from February 1 to 8 All activities connected to the festival must comply with existing laws, official notifications and instructions issued by the Punjab government and the district administration
The use, possession, sale or display of metallic chemical glass-coated nylon or any other dangerous kite strings has been strictly prohibited Authorities have also banned loud music, DJs and sound systems to prevent noise pollution and maintain public order during the festivities
The code further prohibits aerial firing and the display or use of weapons warning that violations will lead to prosecution under applicable laws Acts involving nuisance, harassment, obscenity, indecent behaviour or disturbance to neighbours and the general public will not be tolerated
Property owners and participants have been directed to ensure proper safety measures to prevent falls from rooftops, electrical hazards, overcrowding and other risks to life and property The use of unsafe or unsecured rooftops has been banned and safety grills or walls must be installed where necessary Kite strings may only be purchased from vendors registered with the Deputy Commissioner s Office in Lahore, while buying
from unauthorised sources will invite strict legal action The installation of safety rods on
He said Gul Plaza’s management had twice been issued notices warning of inadequate fire safety arrangements but no compliance followed If negligence by any other official or higher authority is established, they too will be suspended, he added The sub-committee also noted a delay in the supply of water to fire tenders which hampered rescue operations Consequently the chief engineer (bulk) and hydrants incharge of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) were suspended, while further action may follow against senior officials if negligence is proven Memon revealed that KMC Municipal
quate The KMC municipal services senior director was also suspended for failing to ensure staff preparedness
Providing details of the incident, Memon said between 2 000 and 2 500 people were present in the building when the fire broke out on January 17 and around 80 people were affected despite rescue efforts
He announced that all relevant departments would immediately carry out a needs assessment covering equipment, training, manpower and infrastructure with deadlines to strengthen firefighting and rescue capabilities He said the chief minister was working to bring Rescue 1122 the KMC Fire Brigade and Civil Defence under a unified framework to improve coordination and resources The sub-committee further found that Gul Plaza’s management lacked adequate firefighting systems and had violated the approved building plan limiting rescue options and endangering public safety Their role along with discrepancies in leases and approvals issued by the Sindh Building Control
and KMC
Sharif, and other family members of the late Abbas Sharif were shareholders in the company, alongside some foreign nationals from the UAE and the UK Investigations indicated that from 2001 to 2017 substantial investments were made in Chaudhry Sugar Mills in the names of foreign shareholders with millions of shares issued to them
