"A letter written by Ashraf Junjua in response to Dr. Ayesha Siddiaq's Bahawalpur's Two Ends"


Bahawalpur’s ‘third’ end!

Sir: I write with reference to Dr Ayesha Siddiqa’s article, “Bahawalpur’s two ends”, (Daily Times, December 25, 2006).

Writing about the rampant evils of society is indeed commendable, since it involves collection and collation of facts on a specific subject. However, if accuracy is compromised and the facts are distorted, then the effort proves futile and does not go beyond the level of propaganda.

Dr Siddiqa is a reputable writer but does not seem to have been objective in her analysis of the district. She has written about prostitution in the area and the presence of jihadi and extremist groups; she has also declared the Islamia University a totally unproductive institute and claimed that most historical buildings in the area are controlled by the army; also, that the “sprawling” Bahawalpur Cantonment is inaccessible to the locals. In asserting this, the writer has merely played with the sentiments of innocent, religion-loving and peaceful people. The presence of just two such persons, i.e., Riaz Basra and Maulana Masood Azhar, does not imply that the people of Bahawalpur are terrorists and extremists. Similarly, lax moral behaviour of a few individuals does not mean the whole of Bahawalpur is in the grip of prostitution. The regulation of traffic by Army authorities in the cantonment does not mean the cantonment is inaccessible to the locals. A university imparting education to thousands of students cannot be called totally unproductive.

Writers of such repute as Dr Siddiqa need to be more objective; they need to think positively and write to promote peace, harmony, national integration and cohesion. This is especially so at a time when our country is surging ahead and striving to create a positive image in the world.
ASHRAF JANJUA
Islamabad