Kamran Shafi

The writer is a retired army officer and a freelance columnist

kshafi1@yahoo.co.uk

I was right. With the sole exception of President Musharraf who seems still to have his heart in the right place and an intelligent head on his shoulders, and who still seems to want to do something for the country, his cabinet (and therefore his government) is yet another addition to the (mainly) sorry list of past Pakistani governments that too had their day in the sun. This government too is made up of tricksters, inefficient layabouts grinding their own axes, and too clever by half wannabe politicos.

Some weeks ago I had written a light-hearted piece about Minister Omar Asghar Khan's silly remark about my "yellow" teeth in reply to a serious question asking why his ministry wasn't doing anything at all about the environment, particularly about the River Dhamra that flows right by my house in Wah, and pressure horns that are the bane of most Pakistanis' lives particularly of those who live along the main highways. I also wrote that the minister had told me he had received credible reports that I, Kamran Shafi, was the main polluter of the river! To which I had suggested to him to please sue me.

Readers will recall that some months ago I had the water of the Dhamra tested in a laboratory and then wrote several articles in which I repeatedly listed the dreadful poisons that flow in the Dhamra, and which have killed every living thing in a river once famous for its Mahseer, the greatest game-fish in South Asia. I had also quoted from old books written by anglers in the early 1900s, and which give graphic accounts of the once beautifully clean waters of the Dhamra, and its rich aquatic life. Indeed, I had said that as little boys, my cousins and I would walk along the banks of the river upon an afternoon with rudely made fishing rods (a five-foot branch off the nearest mulberry tree), a plain fishing hook at the end of the cheapest nylon line, and each end up with several two and three-pounders inside of an hour or two. And that we would strip off our clothes and jump into the Dhamra if it took our fancy, it was so pristine. I had also written that in addition to the foul-smelling poisonous substances released into the river by factories upstream, several marble-cutting mills and motor-vehicle service stations had quite recently come up along its banks, making the water even more noxious for man and beast and plant.

Well, what has been the Ministry's response to my varied petitions? Nothing, until I wrote about my "yellow" teeth. Someone up there seems to have encouraged the Minister to respond this time! And what happens? Someone called "Zia Ul Islam, Director, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency", one of the minister's minions, writes a letter entitled "Clarification" in Newspost of November 29th, '01, exactly one month and two days after my "yellow teeth" article. This is some of what the man says: "We would like to inform you that the Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders (there's that NGO buzz-word again) have wholeheartedly worked hand in hand to improve environment conditions in the country...it may be mentioned that the ban on pressure horns is being implemented in the country through local and provincial governments...only in Islamabad more than 3000 pressure horns were removed...in NWFP alone 15000 pressure horns have been removed and crushed...I believe the figures are indicative of the work done by the Ministry...it is a continuous campaign in which dialogue with manufacturers of pressure horns are held from time to time...as for marble factory effluents...a team of technical experts...took effluent samples...a test of the samples indicates that effluent is not significantly (mark the word, please, readers) affecting the river water quality...the discharge produced by the marble factory does not possess any hazardous or toxic characteristics...last but 'nor' the least, you have asked for the Ministry's working, I would suggest that you go through the annual report...blah, blah."

Now then. What "stakeholders"? Who are the famous "stakeholders"? Am I not a "stakeholder" too, dash it all? And am I not crying myself hoarse telling these Sahib Bahadurs what exactly is going wrong? 3000 pressure horns were removed in Islamabad, eh? Well who doesn't know that? I even wrote about it at the time and suggested that of course the pressure horns in Islamabad the Beautiful would be removed because the Beautiful People who grace that city have ears more delicate than the rest of us. 15000 pressure horns were removed in Peshawar? We know that too; we know that UNEP provided the funds and some NGO or the other helped in that one-day action. Been to Peshawar recently, Director Bahadur? Heard the cacophony on its roads, which never went away in the first place? Been on the GT Road - heard the mayhem there?

And what "dialogue with manufacturers of pressure horns" is the Ministry holding "from time to time". Most pressure horns are made in Taiwan and Thailand: are the Director Bahadur and his minister flying into Taipei and Bangkok "from time to time"? And if there are manufacturers in this country, why are their factories not sealed yet? Surely the guardians of our environment know that the law forbids the use of pressure horns? They cannot, therefore, be manufactured in Pakistan being prohibited objects, end of story. So what is the "dialogue" all about?

Marble factory effluents are not "significantly" affecting the river water quality, eh? Does this mean that they are affecting the water quality somewhat? Is an "insignificant" amount of pollution a good thing, according to our great Ministry of Environment? "The discharge produced by the marble factory does not possess any hazardous or toxic characteristics", he says. Well, marble slurry dumped into the river solidifies and cakes the sides and bed of the river, thereby choking off the growth of plant life and algae. Is this not hazardous to aquatic life? The fact that this slurry is making the river narrower does not impact on it? I am sending the Director Bahadur's letter to organisations that work in the environment sector worldwide, and am also posting it on the Internet - lets see what they think about our Ministry of Environment. I mean, who in heaven's name are they trying to fool? What is this, a silly little game?

What is this, a stupid little game? Why doesn't Omar Asghar go and see for himself? I have beseeched him many times to please, just one time, change his route to Abbottabad where he surely repairs now and again to visit his hometown and his wannabe constituency, and to travel via Hassan Abdal. I have begged him to kindly stop his motorcade atop the Wah Bridge for just one minute, get out of his ministerial limousine, and look down into the river. Even he will see the disaster that my river has become. Mayhap it will recall to his ministerial memory that when he was in the NGO business (I use the word "business" advisedly) he himself agitated the Dhamra's plight.

And what about the other acids and poisons that flow daily in the river, Director Bahadur, and which I have oft written about? Since no one in the GOP reads, no one cares, the information earlier supplied must surely be rotting in some forgotten file in some rat-infested almirah. I have therefore had the water of the Dhamra tested one more time even though I sit in the village of Stony Creek, Connecticut, USA, and am at this time (Thursday afternoon) waiting for the results to be faxed to me. This operation took many phone calls to friends and other "stakeholders" and the consequent expenditure of many precious dollars that I should, in hindsight, have spent on something worthwhile: for no one will read, no one will care this time around either. I do hope Mein General is listening, though. For he really picks them.

A little about Afghanistan. So then, Amirul Momineen Mullah Omar has given up the great Jihad? Does he really think he will be allowed "safe passage with respect"? Does he really live on cloud nine?

And, King Zahir Shah was absolutely right when he suggested the name of Abdul Sattar Seerat, an Uzbek, as the caretaker leader of Afghanistan. What clout will Hamid Karzai have, when the ministries of Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs are with the Northern Alliance? Specially when 'Field Marshal' Rashid Dostum (who likes to make mincemeat of his enemies by tying them to tank tracks and then driving the tank around town) is in an almighty sulk already? If the Americans do not put in a well-armed and powerful peacekeeping force immediately, this Bonn dispensation will fall flat on its face inside of two months.