A shameful act of Bureaucracy

[sparklingway]

Hi,

Well, let me put another twist to this scenario---this time instead for the lives of our frontier force---we have another issue---we have an outbreak of EBOLA VIRUS---incidently we have our chief microbiologist our very own QSAARK who has been appointed to carry out the lab tests---.

Incidently we have a lack of proper equipment to do the lab work and the united states is kind enough to send us some protection suits on the next flight coming in so that our scientist QSAARK can wear into the lab---the customs clearing officer states that there is no no obection certificate and he would not clear it.

The order comes from the president to send QSAARK into the lab at all cost regardless of the circumstances. Our dear member Mastankhan is worried that his brother from the other mother will not survive this encounter with the ebola---so he takes it upon himself and raid the customs warehouse---releases the protective suits---brings them to QSAARK who wears them to the lab---does the experiments---finds out what strain it is and finds the cure. QSAARK is safe---but here is the problem--the customs and police are after mastankhan for grand theft---. They say that it is the law of the land---mastankhan's hands need to be cut off for stealing---and as he stole from the federal govt---all his property must be confiscated and his family put out on the street.

Now Mastankhan did it for the love of his brother to save his life---should mastankhan pay for this crime of saving the life of his BFTOM and the lives of many other. Or there is something as common sense that needs to prevail for a better and proactive approach of the problem.

You have just stated a classical moral dilemma, the answer to which varies according to race, gender and age. Morality is not universal and there isn't one answer to this question. People will justify on different terms and different merits.

Are we going to address the Trolley Problems instead of defence problems now?

 

[Solomon2]

Morality is not universal and there isn't one answer to this question.

I think it was Frank Herbert who wrote that small children usually know the difference between right and wrong, until they are corrupted by their elders.

 

[sparklingway]

I think it was Frank Herbert who wrote that small children usually know the difference between right and wrong, until they are corrupted by their elders.

Children with psychopathic tendencies do not show a distinction (based on those timed looking experiments with infants).

 

[MastanKhan]

You have just stated a classical moral dilemma, the answer to which varies according to race, gender and age. Morality is not universal and there isn't one answer to this question. People will justify on different terms and different merits.

Are we going to address the Trolley Problems instead of defence problems now?

Hi,

I think the drama that I have posted---most of the successful and morally conscious nations would act differently than less successful and nations teethering on moral ambiguity.

The difference---I feel morally obligated to help my peolple--to I don't care--I don't give a sh--t---I care less---it is not my problem---it is not my job---to let us find a way to take care of the situation---I understand that the process has not been followed but not acting expeditiously would compound the issue---the frontier corps are my brothers as well---I will take the fall for them---.

In the end it truly is a moral dillema---successful nations are morally more conscious than others.

 

[Spring Onion]

Bullet-proof jackets

Dawn Editorial
Wednesday, 03 Mar, 2010

It is unfortunate that matters have come to such a pass that the lackadaisical attitude displayed by Pakistani officialdom does not take anyone by surprise. But when this approach puts lives at risk then those guilty of inaction must be taken to task.

The NWFP police force has been among those at the forefront of the battle against militancy. From suicide attacks to bombings of schools to assaults on convoys and check-posts, the men of the Frontier police are either directly targeted or killed and injured as they strive to protect civilians.


Estimates put the number of policemen killed in the NWFP between 2004 and 2009 at over 500. More than twice that number are said to have sustained injuries. When all this is considered, the fact that bureaucratic hurdles are preventing more than 3,000 bullet-proof jackets from reaching the NWFP police is condemnable.

The jackets — worth more than $2m and gifted by the US government — have been sitting in a warehouse in Islamabad airport for the last two months. The gear was initially held up because the necessary clearance from the relevant ministries was not obtained. Though the federal interior ministry issued an NOC on Feb 13, the commerce ministry only completed the required paperwork last week. However, it appears that the release of the jackets is now delayed by PIA that wants its warehouse charges paid. PIA, meanwhile, has cited bureaucratic hurdles which indicate that the government is clueless about what to do to get the jackets released. The relevant federal and provincial government departments must speed up their efforts to have the jackets released and delivered. NWFP policemen are targeted on a regular basis, and it is lamentable that the authorities should not be delivering safety gear to them.