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shallowwater · #43 Wednesday, June 03, 2009

1. A total war.

AS the fight against militants rages on in Malakand Division and beyond, President Zardari declared on Monday that it was a "total war" that would be taken to its logical conclusion. He was addressing a high-level meeting at Islamabad that was attended by Prime Minister Gilani, concerned Federal Ministers, provincial Chief Ministers, the NWFP Governor, the COAS and top security officials. Understandably, the President as well as other participants felt satisfied at the significant gains the Pakistan Army was making and, according to presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar, President Zardari was hopeful that the day was not far off when the insurgency would be so crippled that it would cease to be a threat.
As the insurgents retreat from the Swat valley, the authorities cannot afford to remain unmindful of their impulse to create chaotic conditions in society as an act of desperation. The kidnapping of students, teachers and staff members of the Razmak Cadet School on Monday, who were thankfully rescued after prompt military action, is one such instance. The nation also recently witnessed the suicide bombing of an ISI building at a sensitive spot in Lahore, following which one senses in the air a greater focus on security on the part of concerned agencies. In this backdrop, Monday's high-level meeting decided to raise a special police force in all the provinces and install scanners and signal jammers at the entry points of almost all major cities. While the country does need a police force that is well versed in modern techniques and is equipped with necessary tools to meet the daunting challenge of terrorism, one would like to hope that the training is also imparted to the existing personnel in the course of time. The pity is that our security personnel, mostly semi-literate and underpaid, are not security conscious. There is urgent need to instil that consciousness in them. The installation of scanners and metal detectors would certainly be of help and should be expedited. The President also made a very important point: the need for the reconstruction of areas devastated by the fighting so that when the displaced persons go back to their homes, they could restart their lives, putting behind the unfortunate period of suffering in a forced internal exile. Rehabilitation of the uprooted is a most crucial phase of the campaign if the hearts and minds of the local population have to be won, and should not remained confined to words alone. The help that the international community and the local population are giving in the form of funds and other types of assistance should be utilised to the maximum benefit of the affected persons. The battle would only have been won when the authorities had succeeded in creating conducive living conditions.

2. Imperative need.

THE JUI-F and the Jamaat-i-Islami have reportedly been striving to revive the coalition of religious parties known as the MMA. Obviously, in the fractious politics of the country, the people would be keenly watching any attempt at unity between various political parties and the common programme of action they formulate.
At the same time, it seems it is high time that leaders of the various schools of religious thought and religious parties were brought together to thoroughly deliberate and come up with an answer to a fundamental question that is confronting the nation. Setting up of a conference, on the pattern of an APC, could help evolve a decisive policy on the issue of extremism. They must sit together and find a cure to the menace of militancy and the twisted version of religion that is being preached by uninformed religious zealots. The teachings of the Taliban-style clerics have played havoc with the country. Religious parties like the JUI-F and the JUI-S wield considerable influence over people of the tribal belt. They have been running networks of seminaries with large numbers of students and followers. The present situation demands that they take a different course than what they have been treading so far. They must join hands to eliminate the menace of extremism from society and drive out forces, which are disposed to violence. One would have thought that they actively engaged themselves in containing the series of deadly bomb attacks the country is witnessing, killing innocent civilians. The whole country should have a transparent strategy against the prevailing retrogressive mindset. It should not be that hard for a nation facing an existential threat from insurgent forces to come up with a clear-cut answer. The religious parties stood united during the Musharraf era because they were in power, ruling over the NWFP and partly over Balochistan. And problems arose as soon as the alliance was routed in the elections. Now once again they have shown interest to form a coalition with the express intent that it is aimed at steering the country out of the present turbulent times. Perhaps, a major factor behind the commitment might be the madrassah business where the government intends to introduce reforms. The JUI-F, JUI-S and Jamaat have stakes in the enterprise and they should join hands and help the authorities to devise a system of education at madrassahs that is in tune with the requirements of the modern age so that the students who qualify from these institutions could become useful members of society.

3. GM's collapse.

GENERAL Motors, the corporation representative of American capitalism, has gone under, almost symbolic of the plight of capitalism in the present global crisis. Once, about 50 years ago, its Chairman pronounced that "What's good for General Motors is good for America." That was the apogee of American capitalism, and the close linkage between its government and its corporations. However, the corporation that filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday was not the same, and did so to avoid being dragged down by its myriad creditors. The corporation faced $172.8 billion in debt, with assets of only $82.3 billion. Official expect the process of restructuring the giant to be similar to that undergone by Chrysler, the second largest American automaker which went through a similar process for the same reason. Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection about a month ago.
GM enters the process with billions of dollars in federal funding as well as agreements to lay off labour, and will get $30 billion after the process to top the $20 billion it already has had, which will give the US government 60 percent in the auto giant, while the governments of Canada and Ontario will put up $9.5 billion for a 12 percent stake. GM's European Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries are already leaving the GM empire, under a separate rescue scheme, bond holders are being offered a debt-equity swap involving $27.1 billion in exchange for a 10 percent share and an option on another 15 percent. All this is to avoid bankruptcy, not because the Obama Administration has any intention of nationalizing the automaker even over the long term, or participating in its day-to-day operations.
The Pakistani government, which through nationalizations became the country's biggest entrepreneur, would do well to learn from this example, which shows that government has no business to be in business. It has done well to get out of much business, but it needs to get out of remaining loss-making enterprises, like PIA, Railways and WAPDA.