Aiesha Siddiqa wrote an insulting article about Seraiki wasaib i.e. two ends of Bahawalpur in Daily times.Instead of apologising for this insulting material,the editor probably her friend vehemently defended her in the name of freedom of press.
Bhawalpur backlash

Sir: I fail to understand why a seemingly straightforward analysis by Dr Ayesha Siddiqa about what is taking place in her own district should raise the hackles of some people. She has in her own inimitable style brought forth the contradictions in the society, a normal thing to do in a civilised setting. It is amusing to see such a serious and thought-provoking analysis now leading to apparently unconnected issues of sex and stress (Ayesha Khan’s letter, “Get a life, please!”; January 15, Daily Times). Ejaz Haider, forever looking to latch on to such finer aspects of life, may now be tempted to write about how certain sections of people of the subcontinent are good at it while others are not thereby unleashing a barrage of rebuttals and expressions of fear about how all this could lead to misplaced masochism and eventually even trigger an unwitting war!
SUBRAMANYAM SRIDHARAN
Bangalore

Sir: This is with reference to Ejaz Haider’s article, “Bahawalpur Cackle” (Daily Times, January 14). Before I proceed, I must clarify that I do not have any affinity with Mr Ashraf Janjua nor am I linked to the Pakistan army. Both are perfect strangers to me.

It is quite amazing to observe an editor of a newspaper taking comments by someone on an article contributed by the friend of the editor so seriously. I have a feeling that Mr Haider was trying to appease Dr Ayesha Siddiqa for some reason. To mock Mr Junjua, he suggested that the latter was a most suitable candidate for a PR position with Pakistan army. It was also suggested that perhaps Mr Janjua had written the letter at the behest of the army.

I didn’t find any thing objectionable in Dr Siddiqa’s “Bahawalpur’s two ends”, but Mr Haider’s piece was nasty. He also did not take into account the sensitivities of the people of southern Punjab and accused the region of being a bastion of terrorists. His remarks that southern Punjab is swarming with Deobandi seminaries show his personal contempt for this sect. He should apologise to the people of southern Punjab and followers of the Deobandi sect.
FAROOQ ABBAS
Via email

Ejaz Haider replies: Mr Sridharan does not seem to have recovered from the injury I caused him and some other Indians since the size issue or he would not have brought me into the loop in this discussion. I was trying precisely to make the point regarding Dr Siddiqa’s article which he has. If a letter writer decides to attack me and brings in the issues of sex and stress, how can that become a justification for referring to me?

To Mr Abbas, I can only say that I have no reason to appease Dr Siddiqa; neither is the assertion about Deobandi seminaries an attack on Deobandis. It is simply a reference to sectarian terror about which the government of Pakistan, including General Pervez Musharraf, is on record. Also, it is a shame that Mr Abbas is not linked to the Pakistan army. His kind of narrow intelligence becomes a good and motivated soldier.