"How did it go at the school today," asks the father.

"I was completely ignorant of my father's intention to dump me along with my three minor nieces at Data Darbar when he took us there under the alibi of offering prayers," says 12 years old Shakila, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Shakila was speaking with The News on Sunday at the office of the Child Protection Welfare Bureau (CPWB) on Montgomery Road, where her sister and brother-in-law, residents of Jhuggian Dars Gaoun, had come to reclaim her and their daughters.

On the day her father abandoned her a month ago, he asked her to wait by the entrance to the Darbar while he bought flowers. "I waited there for more than four hours but my father did not return. I looked at every passing face in search of my father, but I could not leave my post as my father had asked me to stay there," she says. "Eventually I had to move because my nieces, who had not eaten anything for many hours, were hungry. I managed to get milk for one-year-old Tayyaba and some rice from the langar for two-year-old Khadija and three-year-old Laeba."

A person wearing a uniform also tried to find her father but failed. He told Shakila to go to sleep and promised that he would watch over her and her nieces at night. They spent the night in the entrance passage of the Darbar.

She woke up in the morning to the realisation that her father had dumped her forever. Shakila's mother had died of cancer and she was living with her sister. "I had to take care of my sister's children and in return she gave me food as well as thrashings and verbal abuse, even for petty mistakes," she says. "I was not allowed to play with other children and I spent my time at home." She was watching TV one day when her sister and her husband were not at home, when suddenly the television went off. "I thought it had gone out of order. I was afraid that I would be blamed, so I left the house and went to my uncle's place, thinking he would save me from my sister. But my uncle sent me to my aunt's (father's sister) home who called up my father. She said my father was a labourer and had no permanent place to live, and he was also reluctant to take responsibilities. I have two brothers who work in a factory, but they also do not want to keep me. My father took me to Data Darbar, saying we were going to pray there, but in fact he was planning to get rid of me forever."

She says that a number of women had asked about her family. She did not tell the truth to anyone as she was scared and did not want to go back to her sister's place.

She says that the next day too she managed to get food for the younger girls and to get them to go to sleep in the evening. "The person wearing uniform did not allow anyone to come near us at night. One day a lady came to me and promised to get me a job. I went with her to meet her daughter. The same day, her daughter contacted the Auqaf Department, who took us to CPWB."

Her elder sister told TNS that her brothers and father did not want to take care of her, therefore she had been living with them with her husband's permission. She says that she had beaten her several times but never treated her as a servant of her daughters. She also denied the allegations of tying her with ropes and beating her afterwards. "My father has another kind of life in which there is no place for us, that is why Shakila was living with us. I cannot even tell you about the place where is he living now," Shakila's elder sister says.

Shakila's sister wants to take Shakila home with her. She says that her daughters are very attached to her. "We also advertised on TV and cable when they went missing and then, one day, were told by someone that Shakila was found from Data Darbar and now she is staying at CPWB."

But Shakila refuses to go with her elder sister. She requested the officials of the CPWB to be allowed to stay on at the Bureau, where she is very happy. At this CPWB sent the three minor girls home with their parents, but let Shakila remain at the CPWB.

CPWB's Director Programmes, Zubair Ahmad Shad, told her sister and brother-in-law that Shakila's custody would only be given to her father, and till then she would live in CPWB. He told TNS that every facility is available at the Bureau, therefore Shakila wants to stay there along with other children.

From Shakila's story her fear of her sister and her family members comes across very clearly. The whole episode has convinced her that she is safer anywhere other at home.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has frequently reiterated that the provincial government has chalked out a comprehensive plan to provide environment-friendly one lakh CNG rickshaws to applicants in three years in order to replace two-stroke rickshaws in big cities.

Nevertheless, red tape, undue favouritism and anomalies in grant of loans under the lately announced Punjab Green Fund Programme, has made people believe that the Punjab government's much-trumpeted CNG rickshaws scheme might face the same fate as the Yellow Cab Scheme announced by the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the past.

Mismanagement on the part of the Punjab Bank, the Punjab Cooperative Bank and Punjab Small Industrial Corporation (PSIC) coupled with short supply of CNG rickshaws is stated to be the major impediment in the realisation of the project. Loan seekers complain that loans are not being approved on merit. They say favouritism, second-rate CNG rickshaws, lengthy processing of loan and preference to the referred cases of various officials of CM Secretariat, CM House and Governor Secretariat, has marred the entire process of grant of loans to the applicants. Moreover, engineering concerns engaged in production of substandard CNG rickshaws have caused inconvenience to the poor.

An applicant Muhammad Javed who has been running from pillar to post in order to get his loan approved by the Punjab Bank says, "I have been residing in a rented house in Shadbagh for the last 15 years. The bank has refused to grant me loan under the pretext that I do not have my own residence in the City. If I had my own residence in the provincial metropolis I would not have needed loan from the bank to purchase a CNG rickshaw. Certainly, I would have a lot of other options to earn my livelihood instead of running after a loan from the bank".

Ehtesham, a rickshaw driver, alleges that the banks' staff is hand in glove with the dealers of various companies who are minting money out of the scheme. The Bank of Punjab, he says, has fixed Rs. 38,000 as minimum down payment for the delivery of CNG rickshaw, but the dealers are charging up to Rs. 60,000 out of which Rs. 38,000 are being deposited into the BOP while the remaining amount is going directly into their own pocket.

"I tried my level best to get the loan sanctioned from the Punjab Bank. The tough requirements and repeated visits to the bank compelled me to approach the dealers and buy the vehicle through black-market," he says.

Rickshaw drivers complain that two-stroke rickshaws are being replaced by the government with 'faulty' four-stroke CNG rickshaws that develop several defects soon after they start plying on roads.

Muhammad Amjad, another CNG rickshaw driver says, CNG rickshaws frequently develop faults in their gears, brakes and engines. "Although most of such vehicles are developing faults, the worst-hit are the buyers of Pak Hero that seems to be unable to ensure smooth running on the road," he says, adding, "I purchased CNG rickshaw (Pak Hero) last month and from day one it failed to tread on road. It could not even complete the required test-run."

He keeps on saying the company provided the rickshaw, based on petrol and advised me to contact a workshop to convert it into CNG.

"In view of this situation I decided to return the machine either to the company or the dealer. But, neither the dealer nor the company is willing to come to my rescue," says Amjad.

Adil Khan, Chief Manager Punjab Bank says Punjab Green Fund Programme is being carried out successfully with active participation of the Bank of Punjab. Small Industries Corporation and Punjab Cooperative Bank are providing loans for the purchase of CNG rickshaws under this programme. The notion regarding anomalies and favouritism in the process of grant of loan are not correct, he says.

With regard to acquiring loan for purchase of CNG rikshaw, Adil says, Punjab Bank's procedure is quite simple and clear-cut. A loan-seeker has to fulfill a few requirements in order to get the loan sanctioned by the bank. These include: filling up the loan application form properly and the same should be verified by two witnesses, not necessarily government servants. The bank takes 8 to 10 days to verify the documents and if the particulars provided by the loan seeker are proved accurate, the bank instructs the applicant to get his account opened in the bank and deposit 25 per cent of the total price of the vehicle. Usually, an amount of Rs. 37, 000 approximately is deposited as down payment by the loan seeker.

He goes on to say the moment the loan seeker meets the bank requirements, the bank sends the pay order to the manufacturer without any delay. At present, two companies -- Sazgar and Pak Hero, are manufacturing commercial vehicle under the green CNG rickshaw scheme initiated by Punjab Chief Minister. He admits that the bank has received a number of complaints with regard to use of substandard material in the CNG rickshaws manufactured by Pak Hero Company.

Muhammad Rathor, in-charge Rickshaw Scheme of the BoP says the main branch has received only 15 applications for grant of loans during the last 12 days, and except one or two all the applications are still under process. He admits that the bank has received some applications annexed with letters (DOs) from the CM Secretariat. "Naturally, we are bound to give priority to such cases as are referred by the higher government officials."

An official of the PSIC, says on condition of anonymity that PSIC has received over 7,000 applications in the last three months but provided financing for 109 rickshaws only. He too admits that few cases were processed on the 'recommendations' of various government officials. However, he refused to provide details of the 'official list' prepared by PSIC in which names of officials were mentioned for giving preferential treatment to certain applicants.

Punjab Transport Minister Rana Shamshad Ahmed Khan says that he has asked the officials of the Bank of Punjab and other relevant organisations to speed up grant of loans for CNG rickshaws .The government, the minister says, is trying its level best to redress the genuine grievances of the loan seekers. He says, "I am hopeful that we will overcome these problems very soon, and 4-stroke CNG rickshaws will be available in all major cities of Punjab, including Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala."

As to provision of substandard CNG rickshaws, he says the government has taken measures to ensure provision of state-of-the-art CNG rickshaws to the people by the manufacturers. The companies have been warned in this regard.

Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is a hub of commercial activities for traders and businessmen of all cadres. The chamber is a dynamic organisation, always engaged in some kind of activity. This year's election was more of a get-together party at the LCCI rather than a tug of war. One of the members, Adnan Usmani says, "this is the third consecutive year the elections are peaceful otherwise one could see people hitting below the belt on the question of votes."

The 2006 elections were held only on the five seats for the associate class, while the remaining were bagged unopposed. Though elections to the chamber class were unopposed, a large number of voters could be seen at the LCCI premises to support their candidates. A member of Chamber class, Junaid Ashraf, talking about the election activities says, "this is more of an image building activity".

Election at the LCCI was really strange as there was no opponent at election booth. One cannot think of election without opposition. This kind of election seems more of a ritual rather then any rivalry or contention.

Shahid Sheikh, candidate for President from PIAF group says, "It is right that no opposition group is contesting against us but five independent candidates are contesting. So, we have to follow the rules and procedures of election, and our victory will be only confirmed when announced by the election commissioner for this election."

The ruling group gives reason for no dominant opposition at LCCI election. Mian Shafqaat Ali, the President for 2005-2006 says, "We have restructured LCCI building to meet the future requirements; we have included a meeting hall for 500 people, we have constructed business club for our members and workers, have added extra parking facility, and sent more then 20 trade delegates to different countries to create a liaison with these states and to increase business. All this has given a boost and has created a good image of Pakistani businessmen. To bridge the shortcomings of entrepreneurship globally we have started language courses for our members in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, English and French."

To impart proper information on the latest developments and techniques LCCI arranged different seminars and launched a website to keep businesspeople updated. Talking about his team's achievements, he adds, "We have issued LCCI Trade Directory 2006 and have made a display center. This center will be a platform for businessmen to promote their goods under one roof. As people from all over the world visit chambers daily, this display center would help people in their businesses." He strongly feels that all these achievements helped securing their position in this election.

One of the members who was reluctant to disclose his identity, reveals that there are small segments of opposition that are slowly brewing and growing. There are small opposition groups comprised of The Founders, Young Founders and Jamaat Islami group. If these groups succeed in developing a strong leadership and direction, they will definitely give tough time to the prevailing setup.

The chamber never experienced a lull in its activities during the last one year and Mian Shafqaat Ali and his team are optimistic that this trend will reign for the next year, too.

All of us have heard about customised banking. But what it exactly means was not in my knowledge till I came across this enterprising bank manager. Heading a bank's branch in Garhi Shahu, this young lad is known for his public relationing skills. Unlike the unaccommodating older lot, who would always go by the book, he can go to any extent to satisfy his clients. It all started when my brother asked me to get a cheque encashed and after a couple of days again deposit the withdrawn amount into his account. The purpose obviously was to avoid compulsory Zakat deduction levied on saving accounts.

When I visited the branch and submitted the cheque for clearance, it was soon presented before the manager. Soon I was called to the manager's room who received me at the door and ordered tea for me. This experience was a totally new one and I did not have any idea of what was in store for me. After a short pause, the manager asked me about the purpose for which I wanted to withdraw the cash. He already had the idea and gave me an offer that I had never received earlier. "What if you give me the cheque. I will withdraw the cash a day before the deduction date and deposit it again a day later. Meanwhile, it would stay safe in the bank's lockers." I was also told that account holders visiting banks a couple of days before Ramzan were an easy catch for robbers. How lucky one can be if he withdraws money to avoid 2.5 per cent Zakat deduction and ends up losing all of it to robbers. Had it been my money, I could have benefitted from this 'personalised' offer and hoodwinked the potential robbers. But my brother hardly believes anyone. For him, this manager making this strange offer could have been the biggest suspect. A call made at my brother's mobile, obviously from the manager's mobile, ended all the excitement. He simply thanked the manager for his offer and asked me to do what I was supposed to do.

Common man's power

When I sat down to draft these lines, I had it in mind that too much had been written on Lahore's traffic police in the last few weeks. I must give the readers a break, I thought. They would no more be interested in the feats performed by this 'wonderful lot' or the helplessness they usually exhibit while on roads. But despite trying my best, I could not resist the temptation of dedicating a couple of sentences to a dejected constable I had met a day earlier. I was driving along the canal road and had reached near the rear gate of Aitchison College when I saw a middle-aged traffic constable in the middle of the road. He was trying frantically to stop the passing commuters. But none of them, whether they were riding bikes or cars, stopped. Even the driver of a public transport vehicle ignored his signal and whizzed passed him in a way that he had to literally jump for his life.

As I came near him and inquired about the predicament he was in, he simply told me that he wanted nothing else than a 'lift'. "Can you drop me at the next signal. I have to report to my seniors who are already there," was all he could say. On way to this destination of his, hardly a mile from where I had picked him, he told me that everyone was avoiding him out of fear of being challaned or deprived of money. Quite amazingly, he had no complaints against the public but quite a few against his department. Why don't they come out with a signal or identification that can differentiate the harmless from the harmful and the honest from the dishonest? Why am I being bracketed with the others working? All I could say in response was that he would have to live with all this. Or donning his uniform altogether was the other option. This was a suggestion that nobody, from top to bottom, wants to listen to in Pakistan. I told him that if he does so, he will see commuters, at least those operating public transport, stopping at his signal. After all this is one of the very few situations where a common man can show his power.

Hard to miss

Though unconfirmed, there's a news that has worried countless mobile phone subscribers all over the country. Have they been taxed heavily? No, this is not the case. The development is much more shocking. The news, or rumour for that matter, is that telecommunication companies are pressing regulators to allow them to charge missed calls. I can well imagine how disturbed some of my friends would be. After all, for months they retain account credit hardly enough to give a missed call. This also reminds me of the miser who saw his house burn in front of his eyes. All he did was that he gave repeated missed calls on the fire brigade's number, but unfortunately received no response at all.

Children are easily touched, you only need to know the way to their heart. It doesn't have to be costly; a handwritten note, a song or two, a visit to the nearby jogging track, or simply hand on their shoulder.

"How did it go at the school today," asks the father.

"Excellent," replies the daughter, a twinkle in her eyes, that smile of excitement on her face. "My class teacher put her hand on my shoulder today. She is so very wonderful."

The learning becomes so much easier, until the next class and a new teacher call for a fresh assessment.

The authorities want one standard course for all students. They cannot however, ensure the same teachers for these sensitive souls. Teachers' temperaments vary as do the students', and quite often a dislike can lead to a disastrous year or more. The onus for preventing such a situation rests with the teacher, and quite sadly, it has been seen that an impatient teacher in his effort to bring a student in line can render the relationship irreparable.

In the past teachers would have time to work with and on students and like what happens in the films, the most headstrong of students would be brought to their senses gradually. Not so today where the school teachers are too busy marking copies to be left with any time to be in contact with students outside the classes. The private schools advertised themselves as offering a remedy to the problem. They promised to have smaller classes making it possible for teachers to give attention on an individual basis. A few years down the road though the private schools are now also overcrowded, the teachers appear to be tired and have resorted to the same old method of passing their work on to the parents of their students. Worst of all, a few among them seem to have the time or the inclination to pat their wards on their backs. They go by the title of good professionals and perhaps have no desire to command respect beyond the term they are required to spend with a student. Or maybe they do form a long lasting link with some students but there are far too many exceptions to this in an ever growing class. Quite often the best treated are students whose parents meet the teachers more regularly than the parents of other students. A student whose parents do not have the time to pay these visits to the teacher may forever be condemned to a back bench. It wasn't like this earlier, when it was rare for a parent to visit the school except on occasions such as a sports day or the day when the result was announced.

The reverse side of the picture indicts the people, who have stopped respecting teachers and at best act as consumers who feel that they are entitled to a certain standard of education on payment. If the formula is based on the concept that fees make people professional, really, its fruit is yet to mature in the Pakistani nurseries. A smile can be fabricated in return of a few rupees. Compassion cannot be feigned.

However, genuine respect and love are hard to find in this world of ours where things are being turned upside-down. Earlier, the teacher was responsible for 'akhlaqi' training of the students, now some other known elements have taken upon themselves to train teachers in how to behave.

A senior teacher in Lahore is a bad advert for the old teacher-society equation, but through no fault of his own. He has recently received a thrashing from the husband of a town nazim in Lahore. Pervaiz Elahi is right when he debunks all those 'Leagues' who have joined a party with as bad a reputation as the PPP. It so happens that the gentleman accused of beating up the old teacher was for long a PPP leader until he slipped into Chaudhry Saheb's League, and to borrow an idea from Munnoo Bhai, is bent upon spoiling the image of Chaudhry Saheb's parha likha or educated and refined Punjab.

Pervaiz Elahi needs to quickly speak to those who have come to this decent party of his without first getting rid of their bad manners. Only a few days after the teacher-bashing, a treasury MPA is said to have supervised the drubbing of a doctor in Jinnah Hospital. This way, it will take the ruling reformers 150 million sessions to fix the things right.