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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
“Nationalization” of the Pak Tea House
Back
in 2011, on January 2, The Express Tribune carried an article, Pak Tea House,
by Ayesha Siddiqa. In that, a reference was made to another article, Tea,anyone? by Ahmad Rafay Alam, published earlier on May 8, 2010, in the same
newspaper. I read both.
March 6, 2011
March 6, 2011
The News attempted a short history of the Pak Tea House also on this occasion. Link to A brief history:
Would the Nationalized Pak Tea House add to this corruption or not let’s wait to see!
As
I am an ardent lover of the Pak Tea House, as it has played an important role
in my intellectual training and so many other souls, and also as I knew quite a
bit of what was happening to the Pak Tea House then and to the owner of this
property through friends who were part of the management of the
Halqa-e-Arbaab-e-Zauq and attempts to save the Pak Tea House from disappearing,
in response to both of these of articles, I wrote Reliving Pak Tea House.
Actually,
I wanted to contribute to this debate, but was uncertain whether The Express Tribune
would carry this or not since I am a ‘non-entity.’ While emailing this to the
Express Tribune, I sent its copies to Ayesha Siddiqa and Ahmad Rafay Alam. As I
personally knew Ahmad Rafay Alam and had already met him twice or thrice, he
did reply to my email and regarding this we talked on phone also. I requested
him to recommend my article for the Express Tribune to consider for
publication. He did, but Reliving Pak Tea House did not impress the
editors of the Express Tribune.
[This
gave rise to an interesting story, which I would like to relate at another
opportune time.]
Then,
the same was emailed to almost all the newspapers. Some of them carried it:
Re-living
Pak Tea House
Viwepoint
online http://viewpointonline.net
February
12, 2011 - February 18, 2011
-----
Re-living
Pak Tea House
The
Frontier Post
-----
Re-living
Pak Tea House
Pakistan
Today (in Letters to the Editor)
-----
Here
is what I wrote:
Reliving
Pak Tea House
Sharing
the lament on the death of Pak Tea House in Lahore, this responds to Ayesha
Siddiqa’s Pak Tea House (The Express Tribune of January 2, 2011) and
Ahmad Rafay Alam’s Tea, anyone? (The Express Tribune May 8, 2010).
They
heap together those circumstances which they think hastened Tea House’s demise.
Ms. Siddiqa writes: ‘According to him (Ahmad Rafay Alam), the death of the
place was inevitable due to problematic urban development. I would just like to
add that the famous chai khana could not escape extinction because it had
become intellectually stale and unviable before it tuned financially
burdensome.’
It’s
debatable that the circumstances singled out by both writers added to the Tea
House’s downfall. Do such places which acquire symbolic significance die
“soulless,” as Ms. Siddiqa argues? This loses weight as both writers agree that
those who used to flock to and populate Tea House after its closure dispersed
and found new places, though not matching to Tea House’s symbolic status. Ms.
Siddiqa laments more than Tea House the corruption of intellectuals and men of
letters by Gen Zia’s dictatorship. To me, that seems to have nothing to do with
Tea House’s closure.
As
a matter of fact, when the business of Tea House’s proprietor suffered or he
thought of bettering his lot, he took to doing something else instead of
entertaining the literati. The known literary figures visiting Tea House at the
time intervened and the decision was sort of put on hold. Again as the
enterprise was not sustainable, a cut-off date was announced.
This
spurred a flurry of hectic efforts on the part of certain Tea House ‘fans’ to
save it from the hands of its business-minded proprietor. Significant is the
fact that litigation was also resorted to involving the proprietor. Whatever
the details of the Save the Tea House Campaign are, finally the Tea House, a
private business, and at the same time a historic place of literary
significance closed down.
Ms.
Siddiqa probes: ‘One wonders if the provincial government could think of buying
it from the owner and dedicating it to the intellectuals of the country.’ This
is where the present writer differs most. As some bureaucrat-writers were also
on board the Save the Tea House Campaign and they used their clout, but whether
such an attempt was made or not is not known to the present writer. However,
what came out of this Campaign is a place called ‘Chaupal’ erected in Nasir
Bagh to accommodate the displaced writers. No doubt, all this was done at
tax-payers’ expense. Also, there is a hall in Al-Hamra meant for them.
For
sure, such and other such ideas seeking government to act were floated and
tested during the Save the Tea House Campaign. Also, for sure, no such thing as
private initiative was witnessed then. Instead, the fans of the Tea House
trampling its proprietor’s right to use his property as he wished tried to
force him morally, socially, and legally not to put his property to any other
use but of their choice. They wanted the government to stop the Tea House’s
proprietor from putting it to no other use, as Ms. Siddiqa too wonders.
Couldn’t
the intellectuals and literati pool and offer the Tea House owner a price
lucrative enough to refuse? They could purchase it, run it as a trust or
partnership, and turn it into a tourist attraction by reinventing it as home to
intellectual and literary icons of the sub-continent! There should have been more than hundred
ideas which could save the Tea House and run it as a financially viable
business, if the intellectuals and men of letters had cherished and inculcated
an independent mind in their heads and a spark of private initiative in their
endeavors! Ah, the same had already been corrupted by their dependence on
government (and tax-payers’ easy money), as Ms. Siddiqa explains.
The
demise of the Pak Tea House is symptomatic of the crisis of intellectual
independence and private initiative in Pakistan. The premises is still there,
existing with its symbolic glory, waiting for someone with entrepreneurial
spirit to make use of its huge potential, who would turn it once again into Pak
Tea House? Let’s see who reinvents and relive the Pak Tea House!
[This
article was completed on January 2, 2011.]
-----
Then
last August, I received a call from the Herald; they wanted my opinion on the
revival of the Pak Tea House by the provincial government. I replied in earnest
to all the questions the Herald put to me. The gist of that was made part of
the feature, “Not everyone’s cup of tea,” by Abid Hussain, in its issue of
September 2012.
Here
is what the Herald used:
“Others
believed that reviving heritage might be a worthwhile objective but that the
government has no business running cafes. “It is not for the government to
spend the taxpayer’s money on such projects,” observes Dr. Khalil Ahmed, who
heads Alternate Solutions Institute, a policy think tank.
[Herald,
September 2012]
Here
are the questions from the Herald and their replies:
Revival
of the Pak Tea House
Q:
Is it viable for Punjab Govt to undertake such a project in first place with
Taxpayers' money?
A:
No, not at all! It is not for the government to spend taxpayers’ money on such
projects; it is just that some of the influential literary figures who have got
a say in the government and bureaucratic circles that they get away with such
things.
Years
back when the PTH was closed down by its owner, under the pressure of
bureaucrat-writers, the Punjab government set-up a niche, “Chaupaal,” in the
Nasir Bagh. But it did not sustain. There were other ideas seeking government
to act throughout the Save the Tea House Campaign. Now once again some such
scheme has been implemented to revive the PTH with the citizens’ tax money.
It
seems like lawyers, doctors, and a number of other well-knit communities,
litterateurs and intellectuals are also demanding their share from the “Loot.”
Otherwise,
there is no justification that such ventures be financed in this manner.
Also,
conspicuously absent is any private initiative in this regard.
Q:
Does this not go against the tradition of PTH which has been a bastion of free
speech and freedom of thought, for it to run under govt patronage?
A:
Yeah, it is against that tradition of free speech and freedom of thought! As
Intezar Husain has narrated in his autobiographical ventures, even under the
worst phases of dictatorships, the PTH remained an island cherishing
independence and freedom of thought. The way the PTH revival is going to be
“financed” by the government may affect its flagship status, and under the
circumstances it is evident that unless government is prepared to finance it on
permanent basis, this revival is destined to fail.
Q:
Do you think that in the current day and age, with evolving scenario in Lahore
in general and Mall Road in particular, PTH will be able to revive its lost
glory?
A:
As stated above, I think there are more chances the PTH will fail than regain
its lost glory. As it has already been demonstrated, two such initiatives,
Chaupaal (Nasir Bagh) and Adabi Baithak (in Al-Hamra, The Mall, Lahore), proved
unsuccessful. But this can’t completely be ruled out that the magic and
nostalgia of the place may help the PTH populate once again!
Q:
Any additional comments, opinions you may have on this venture and Pak Tea
House itself.
Additional
comments: I would like to share the following from one of my pieces on the
revival of the PTH:
“Couldn’t
the intellectuals and literati pool and offer the Tea House owner a price
lucrative enough to refuse? They could purchase it, run it as a trust or
partnership, and turn it into a tourist attraction by reinventing it as home to
intellectual and literary icons of the sub-continent! There should have been
more than hundred ideas which could save the Tea House and run it as a
financially viable business, if the intellectuals and men of letters had
cherished and inculcated an independent mind in their heads and a spark of
private initiative in their endeavors! Ah, the same had already been corrupted
by their dependence on government.
“The
demise of the Pak Tea House is symptomatic of the crisis of intellectual
independence and private initiative in Pakistan. The premises is still there,
existing with its symbolic glory, waiting for someone with entrepreneurial
spirit to make use of its huge potential, who would turn it once again into Pak
Tea House? Let’s see who reinvents and relives the Pak Tea House!”
All
through these years, no such private initiative emerged; and as has mostly been
the case in Pakistan, the initiative was left to be taken by the government.
Isn’t this a sign of Pakistani intelligentsia’s dependence on doles by the
government! The fact is that they have always been dependent on the government,
be it in the form of Writers Guild or be it Academy of Letters, or be it the
latest Revived Pak Tea House. These intellectuals must be asked how they are
going to assert their intellectual independence, then?
Also,
the lost initiative in the form of a PTH revived by the government funds is
tantamount to weakening the already frail Civil Society of Pakistan!
-----
Now
the Pakistan Muslim League (N) ruling party in the Punjab has renovated the Pak
Tea House, and it has been inaugurated by Nawaz Sharif himself.
Here
is the link to the coverage by The News:
Here
is the link to the coverage by The Express Tribune:
Coverage
by Roznama Express:
The News attempted a short history of the Pak Tea House also on this occasion. Link to A brief history:
Also,
once again has appeared another article, The end of Pak Tea House in The
Express Tribune (March 7) by Ayesha Siddiqa. She writes:
“I
wonder if we realise that the end of the Pak Tea House is not about closing
down of a shop. It is symbolic of closing down of a window to a rich legacy of
art and literature.”
-----
The
debate continues: how the state subjugates the civil society; how it corrupts
its intellect; how it tempts and how it bribes this intellect.
No
doubt, the Writers Guild and the Academy of Letters have contributed in
corrupting the men of letters and intellectuals in Pakistan!
Would the Nationalized Pak Tea House add to this corruption or not let’s wait to see!
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Jaan Laina Sirf Riyasat Ka Haqq Hay
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State Aristocracy’s Pakistan – 22
I
started collecting and sharing this information just because of my focus on how
the state aristocracy makes use of its capture of the state to further its
interests and loot; however, there is so much to it appearing daily in the
newspapers that to me it requires another blog fully devoted to the state
aristocracy’s appropriation of the citizens’ tax money and misuse of the public
authority.
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 7, 2013]
[The Express Tribune, March 7, 2013]
[The Express Tribune, March 7, 2013]
[The News, March 8, 2013]
[The News, March 8, 2013]
Under guise of war relief: Rs. 1.6 billion tax liabilities of three industrial units waived off
[The Express Tribune, March 8, 2013]
[The Express Tribune, March 8, 2013]
Hence, I think I should give only the links to such news items and
of course from such newspapers which I happen to see.
Government
allows MPs to stay put at Parliament Lodges till next polls
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
Prime
Minister approves plots for 100 Grade-22 officers
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
Islamabad
High Court stays appointment of PM’s son-in-law
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
“State
Bank of Pakistan deputy governor appointed on merit”
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
Gas
supply of six ministers cut off as Public Works Department fails to pay bills
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
‘Controversial
Statutory Regulatory Order to be withdrawn soon’
[The News, March 7, 2013]
-----
Allotment
of prized plot: For lawmakers, rules are meant to be broken
[The Express Tribune, March 7, 2013]
-----
Lucrative
posting: Islamabad High Court suspends appointment of PM’s relative
[The Express Tribune, March 7, 2013]
-----
Rs.
16 billion last minute package approved for feudal lords
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-21441-Rs16-bn-last-minute-package-approved-for-feudal-lords
[The News, March 8, 2013]
-----
Two
CIA men posted at Bilawal House helped Jatoi escape abroad, SC told
[The
News, March 8, 2013]
-----
SC
orders FO to take steps to bring back Tauqeer Sadiq
[The News, March 8, 2013]
-----
Questions
still to be answered by an educated minister
[The
News, March 8, 2013]
-----
LHC-convicted
Baboo sets new record
[The
News, March 8, 2013]
-----
Under guise of war relief: Rs. 1.6 billion tax liabilities of three industrial units waived off
[The Express Tribune, March 8, 2013]
-----
Cabinet
meeting: Rs. 5.5 billion burden passed onto gas consumers
[The Express Tribune, March 8, 2013]
-----
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Insaaf Ke Insaani Taqazay
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Monday, March 4, 2013
State Aristocracy’s Pakistan – 21: Finance Minister’s cousin appointed to State Bank board of directors
ISLAMABAD: Prime
Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has appointed a first cousin of Finance Minister
Saleem Mandviwalla to the Central Board of Directors of the State Bank of
Pakistan (SBP) apparently in violation of the law.
Mehmood
Mandviwalla is a practicing lawyer, a profession that disqualifies him from
holding the position. He is also a partner at Mandviwalla and Zafar – advocates
and legal consultants.
The State
Bank of Pakistan Act 1956 states: “The Directors shall be
eminent professionals from the fields of economics, finance, banking and
accountancy, to be appointed by the federal government. Those appointed to the
board shall have no conflict of interest with the business of the bank.”
The
clause, which was inserted in the act in March last year, was aimed at
depoliticising the board and ensuring that relevant people sit on the board,
which is entrusted with vast powers in the SBP policymaking.
Mehmood
was among the five directors who were appointed by Premier Ashraf on February
27 on the advice of the finance minister.
When
contacted, Finance Minister Saleem Mandviwalla defended the move and insisted
that the law provides that a lawyer can be appointed as director of the SBP.
When
the relevant clause of the law was quoted, he said, “The SBP governor (Yaseen
Anwar) wanted a lawyer on the board.” He added that the governor wanted someone
with working knowledge of the SBP to be appointed as a director.
The SBP Act empowers the board to determine and enforce the limit of credit to be extended by the bank to the federal and provincial governments – powers that bring it head-to-head with the existing policies of the federal government.
The SBP Act empowers the board to determine and enforce the limit of credit to be extended by the bank to the federal and provincial governments – powers that bring it head-to-head with the existing policies of the federal government.
According
to the law, the SBP board provides general supervision and direction in
monetary affairs for the smooth functioning of the economy. It formulates and
monitors monetary and credit policy and determines the expansion of liquidity
while taking into account the federal government’s targets for growth and
inflation.
The
Express Tribune also contacted the Prime Minister Secretariat and the
SBP for their comments. Their spokespersons advised reporters to speak to the
finance ministry that moved the summary for appointments.
Asad
Umar, former president of Engro Corporation, who has also served on the SBP
Board, said the law should be followed in letter and spirit. He said that since
Mehmood was a close relative of the finance minister, the government should not
have appointed him as a director. But Umar was of the view that Mehmood could help
in banking supervision as he can add value to the board’s work.
Umar
went on to say that after the new appointments, there was structural weakness
in the board since there was no economist.
The
other four newly appointed members are Iskandar Khan, former president of
Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Iqbal Hasan, a former banker, Nawaz Tiwana,
former managing director of the Pakistan International Airlines and Shahid
Ahmad Khan.
The
question has also been raised over appointment of Iskandar Khan whose appointment
is also in violation of law. While talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said he
had done accountancy courses but did not hold a Master’s in Business
Administration.
Khan’s
appointment is seen as a move to protect interests of the sugar lobby. The sugar
industry has exposure to the banking sector and the central bank also regulates
loans extended to the industry.
[The
Express Tribune, March 2, 2013]
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Jaal Saaz Ya Qanoon Saaz
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