Kidnapped!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Peshawar has become the kidnapping capital of the world. Hardly a day goes by without another high-profile incident being reported. A few days ago, an Iranian diplomat was abducted from the city. In September, the Afghan ambassador-designate vanished and has not yet been located. Most recently, an attempt was made to kidnap two journalists, apparently near the tribal area located just beyond Hayatabad, as they set out to interview a militant leader. The newsmen, one Afghan the other Japanese, were injured but escaped capture.

According to police in Peshawar, who at the end of October carried out a major operation against gangs involved in kidnapping, 78 people, including 26 children, have been kidnapped for ransom from Peshawar during the past 10 months. At least 18 of them are still missing. It is believed the actual number may be higher, given that many families prefer to quietly strike a deal with abductors rather than reporting the crime. There seem to be several strands to the string of kidnappings. In some cases, it seems the motive is simply to collect money handed over as ransom. Disquietingly, political elements are said to be patronizing gangs involved in such abductions. In other cases, militants have carried out kidnappings in the hope that they can use their hostages to press home demands that usually involve the release of arrested persons. The case of the abduction of Pakistan's envoy to Afghanistan early this year fit this category. The decision to release militants in exchange for his freedom may well have encouraged further, 'copy cat' kidnappings.

The fact though is that Peshawar has become a city under siege. Militants and criminals have both been able to take a hold on it. In some cases, the interests of these two groups are in fact inter-linked and tied in together. Kidnapping is also a problem outside the city, in the tribal areas and other parts of NWFP. Indeed, in some of these areas, it was the offer by the Taliban to improve law and order that played a part in their coming to power in the first place. The problem of crime, left unchallenged in these parts for far too long by negligent authorities has gradually crept into Peshawar and indeed taken a firm hold on the city. For many, the once bustling capital has become a 'no go' zone. The murder of a US aid worker will of course aggravate the situation further and lead to more people pulling out. This has already damaged commerce and employment in the city. Each time an organization within it closes its doors, it is Pakistanis – the guards, the drivers, the office staff and the domestic workers – who lose jobs. Somehow, normalcy needs to return. The task of achieving this is not an easy one. It is tied in to the wider battle against the breakdown in the rule of law. But the effort needs to be made given the price that is being paid for the current situation, by the victims, by their families and by all those who now live in a climate of constant fear.

Pious hopes

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Religion – which often separates peoples and nations – has been the catalyst that brought together participants from 80 nations at the UN in the last week; including 14 heads of state. The UN Interfaith Conference grew from an initiative by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia – a country not noted for its tolerance of faiths other than Islam. Our own president made a platitudinous speech to the assembled luminaries and the UN secretary general in his closing remarks had words we need to ponder closely. He said: "King Abdullah's initiative has come at a time when the need for dialogue has never been greater. It has brought together people who might not otherwise have a chance to interact…the challenge now is to go beyond the words we have heard."

A challenge indeed. Religious intolerance is one of the principle underlying causes of conflict world-wide, both within individual nation states and between states themselves. Here in our homeland intolerance is institutionalized in sectarian conflicts within Islam and via discrimination against adherents to faiths other than Islam at every level of society. Indeed it is hard to find instances of active interfaith work or partnerships anywhere in the country, though the NGO sector does have examples that are both model and inspiration. As a nation we are profoundly intolerant of anything that is 'other'. Whatever the secular principles of our Founding Father may have been, they have been swept aside and replaced with a legacy of vitriol; harsh words and calls for the deaths of those who fail to conform. We cannot know just how sincere our president was, either in his attendance or in his speech, at a conference which in truth was little more than diplomatic window-dressing. If we are to be convinced of his sincerity we need to see the preacher practicing the very things he is preaching to us about. It is all very well to read out a speech written by a presidential aide, quite another to put words into practice.

Sharif's stand

Sunday, November 16, 2008

PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has emphatically stated that as he does not recognize the PCO judges as legitimate, he will not be appearing before the Supreme Court on November 20 in a case that is to decide the matter of his eligibility to contest elections. The failure of the PPP government to do 'the right thing' and restore the pre-November 3 judiciary is thus continuing to have repercussions. Sharif, who met the president of Pakistan only recently, has made it clear he is continuing to press for a full judicial restoration.

The fact also is that the stance taken by Sharif is adding to his popularity. Unusually, the issue of the judges has also captured the popular imagination and does seem to matter to people. In this regard, the claims by the federal law minister that in terms of popular appeal, the issue is insignificant are inaccurate. Reaching beyond the matter of which judges sit on SC benches, the question has become one of political morality and the need to offer a distinct break from the era of former President Musharraf. Against this backdrop, Sharif's stand will add to his appeal, particularly in Punjab. It will also keep alive the judicial issue at a time when the lawyers' movement is being rejuvenated. The refusal to appear before PCO judges will help Sharif clench his place as a political hero in the eyes of the many people who still believe the judges, including deposed justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, must be restored.