I write this to record my humble views about opinions published in your editorial and op-ed pages on June 26.
KARACHI: Felicitations on taking an initiative other newspapers should have taken long ago: To request an eminent individual to serve as ombudsman for readers who may have protests or complaints to make about your newspaper and which they believe cannot be/will not be adequately addressed through a letter to the editor.
I write at this time also to record my humble views about opinions published in your editorial and op-ed pages on June 26.
In the editorial titled “PPP-PML-N squabble” (June 26) it is disappointing to note the appreciation you afford to the slyness/cleverness of the PPP leader who has outsmarted the PML-N leader. Without holding a brief for either, surely the qualities to be emulated are those which have abiding, long-term value rather than those which are merely transiently “successful”.
In the second editorial on that day titled “Pakistan-India relations”, you hold the Pakistan military entirely responsible for the problematic bilateral relationship. Even after acknowledging our military’s misjudgements and misadventures, the heavier burden of guilt lies with India, with both its civil, political leadership that has a strong militaristic psyche and the covert, strong influence of its own military on India’s intractability on Kashmir, Siachen, even Sir Creek et al.
In the op-ed piece titled “What weakens the military?” by Ayesha Siddiqa, apart from the predictable anti-military bias of the whole comment, is it appropriate for your esteemed newspaper to permit a columnist to refer to a respected gentleman columnist in so discourteous and flippant a phrase as “a retired military chap-turned-analyst”? For the record, do print the word for the female equivalent of ‘chap’!
Javed Jabbar
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2011.
