Sept/30/08
Baptism of fire
PRESIDENT Asif Zardari had his baptism of fire during his maiden visit to the US as head of state. Besides addressing the UN General Assembly, he had the occasion to interact with government heads from a number of countries. What must have tested his mettle most were meetings with President Bush and senior members of his Administration. Being in the US on the occasion of the first presidential debate, and having talked to both vice-presidential candidates, he must have had an inkling of what lies ahead after either of the two presidential hopefuls assumes office on January 20. Mr Zardari's weakness lay in two things. First, he was making the visit when the country faced unprecedented economic and social challenges. Second, being an elected president, he was not free to make the sort of promises his predecessor did.
On account of the deteriorating law and order situation, he carried little good news for President Bush while, because of the sad state of the economy which led to the downgrading of the country's rating and fears of an imminent default, he badly needed the West's support. Washington was obsessed with the fear of a lethal attack being in the offing from Al-Qaeda men who it believes are being trained in Pakistan's tribal areas. The attack on Islamabad's Marriott Hotel, with the Czech ambassador and two Americans among the casualties, had added manifold to the US worries. While President Zardari was in New York the Afghan ambassador-designate to Pakistan was kidnapped and an exchange of fire took place between Pakistani troops and two US helicopters violating the country's airspace. The events had sent warning bells ringing in Washington. While Mr Bush noted Mr Zardari's concern about violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty, the latter failed to extricate any ironclad guarantee that no violation of the sort would take place unless certain conditions were fulfilled, that is, Pakistan was to take action against key Al-Qaeda leaders presumably hiding along the Pak-Afghan border and ensure that there was no crossborder movement from the tribal areas. It was conveyed in no uncertain terms that it was Islamabad's duty as a responsible state to contain any activity hostile to the US from its tribal areas, failing which Washington would act on its own to safeguard what it considered its vital national interests.
It was, however, recognised in Washington that it did not suit it if Pakistan was to turn into a failed state on account of the economic crisis it faces. The World Bank was given a nod to agree to $1.3 billion support despite its earlier refusal to help. The Friends of Pakistan too agreed to collect $10 to $15 billion, though it was not clear how long they would take to fulfill the promise. The visit thus can be described as partly successful.
On a war footing
THE menace of loadshedding has reared its head yet again. The brief respite during Ramadan, allowing the people to breathe a sigh of relief, was broken by countrywide blackout spells extending to over eight hours per day. The explanation by the PEPCO chief that the loadshedding was the result of a power shortfall of 1500MW the company was experiencing, seems like another of the excuses that the authorities usually come up with. Another reason he gave was that the shortage of water in dams aggravated the power crisis, but it appears like an attempt to brush the problem under the carpet and is hard to buy. Dry dams are just one aspect of the problem; the country produces more than 80 per cent of its electricity from other sources like oil and gas.
The government ought to realise that things could get out of control if it continued its makeshift approach. At present the Independent Power Producers, whose share in electricity generation is quite large, have threatened to quit providing services if their bills are not paid. It is obvious that the government's ability is handicapped by the liquidity crunch, but then it would become extremely difficult for the IPPs to keep working without receiving their dues. Meanwhile, the demand and supply situation continues to worsen. It is worth pointing out that the energy requirement has shot up 20 percent this year alone. The PEPCO chief has assured that the crisis would be over by August 2009. Given the government's half-hearted, snail-paced approach, there does not appear much light at the end of the tunnel. The plan includes bringing in new IPPs. However, the past record of how the government has been doing business with the existing ones would, in all probability, serve as a disincentive to them. Reportedly, 15 new IPPs have been asked to bail the country out of the mess.
It is a pity that the Thar Coal Project, initiated in 1993, could not go any further due to frequent government dismissals. It should be taken out of the cold storage at the earliest. The energy reserves discovered in the Thar area are estimated to be greater than those of Iran and Saudi Arabia put together, and could generate a huge amount of electricity which would allow the country to export the surplus as well. We should also explore the useful option of exploiting alternative sources of energy. We have the example of the West, that is now rapidly turning to solar, wind and other sources for energy generation. The authorities should end their present piecemeal outlook and must address the issue on a war footing.
Quetta blasts
TWO bomb explosions in Quetta, coming at a time when the country is already shaken by terrorism, should concern the government, which has not been able to find a cure for the growing malaise. As many as 11 people were injured, two of them critically, when the blasts ripped through two crowded business centres in the city. The concerned SSP tried to downplay the incident by observing that there was just one bomb and the other blast was caused by an exploding gas cylinder, as if the law enforcement agencies are not supposed to respond to a situation where an act of terrorism does not meet some measured magnitude.
Now consider some basic facts behind the blast at a CD Centre. A man walked into the shop and immediately came out of it, leaving a shopping-bag inside. The police was intimated about the suspected explosive, but it did not bother to alert the bomb disposal unit. It rushed to the spot but only after the explosion had occurred. The shop owner and other traders dealing in the CD business had been receiving threats from a militant organisation that if they did not immediately stop what they termed an un-Islamic business, they would have to face the consequences. But the police did not beef up security around this plaza, which being a busy place in ordinary times, had been drawing even larger crowds due to Eid.
Before this, Balochistan was not familiar with this kind of crisis where the so-called religious organizations would start issuing warnings to videoshop owners in a bid to enforce shariat as is the practice in the restive tribal region and some settled parts of the Frontier Province, currently in the grip of violence. The federal government must take a break from other activities and focus its attention on addressing the genuine concerns of the Baloch population, which was compelled to take up arms after being subjected to the worst kind of repression in the last nine years. Balochistan needs a healing touch. It cannot be left to the mercy of the elements desperate to foist on the nation their version of religion.
source:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne.../Quetta-blasts