Sugar shortage
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The Economic Coordination Council has given the go ahead for the import of sugar. It has also, at a meeting chaired by the finance minister, acknowledged that the government has been unable to supply sugar at the subsidized rate and a serious shortfall persists. The ECC has called for action to be taken against deviant mills. A number who have failed to comply have been identified. We must hope that punitive measures are swift and can have the required deterrent effect. We have seen similar crises involving sugar supply in the past. The failure to take effective action then has led to the present situation. What needs to be done now is to take measures that will save us from encountering the same state of affairs in the future.
It has also become quite clear that people with influence within the government have been involved. It is imperative that they not be protected. A full inquiry is needed. The lobby must be dealt with. It has already caused not only losses to the exchequer but also considerable difficulties to people already hard-hit by the price hike. The standing of the government has been affected. The failure to bring sufficient sugar into the markets has now been conceded. This is a good first step. The next must be to investigate why this happened so there is no repetition in the future.
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A distant dream
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The battle to improve the state and status of women in our society will go far into the future. The latest skirmish in the running fight between those who would keep women subjugated and those who seek to loosen the cultural bonds is around the recently passed domestic violence bill. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has expressed 'reservations' about the bill on the grounds that it is likely to push up the divorce rate and that weak and elderly men need protection from the depredations of wily and violent women. Quite rightly, these 'reservations' have been rejected by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) which points out, again rightly, that a primary cause of divorce is the violence inflicted on women by men. Further, whilst there are occasional cases where it is men who are victims of domestic violence, the overwhelming majority of cases involve men inflicting violence on women, and it is this injustice that the new law seeks to redress. Broadly, civil society organisations have welcomed the bill but, as ever in this land which has no shortage of laws but a chronic unwillingness to abide by any of them, its application and enforcement are fraught with difficulty.
The NCSW has a few reservations of its own about the bill, one of them being the clause which says that if a woman is shown to have lied about an allegation she is liable to six-month imprisonment and/or a Rs50, 000 fine. Perjury is already punishable within the law and the inclusion of the 'lying' clause serves only those who might seek to discredit the evidence of a woman; and it is more likely to deter women from making a complaint than enable them to do so. No society anywhere in the world has managed to eradicate domestic violence, but some have done more than others to combat it and to ensure a level playing field for women who seek the prosecution of violent partners. We are decades behind in terms of both our attitudes to domestic violence – still considered by many to be 'a private matter' and unworthy of attention by the forces of law – and the promulgation of legislation that gives women a platform from which to combat it. A majority of men (but some more so than others) still regard women as items of property which they own. It is this mindset that must be consistently challenged by the legislature and organisations such as the NCSW. Countless thousands of women suffer domestic violence every day and it is endemic to our society. The new bill will not eradicate it, but it is a step towards the still-distant dream of women achieving their rightful place in a land riddled by misogyny.
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The Saudi card
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The centres from which political events in Pakistan are orchestrated seem varied and wide. After a week during which we have had all kinds of establishment antics, we now have the Saudis stepping in. Quite clearly, other than the people, everyone has a role to play in developments in 'democratic' Pakistan. The purpose of the phone calls from Riyadh are said to be to ensure the 'deal' struck at the time of President Musharraf's resignation are honoured. It is obviously no coincidence that the intervention has come as President Musharraf visits the Saudi capital, where he has been extended full protocol. There are a few simple facts that need to be spelled out here. The fact is that President Pervez Musharraf has broken the law of the land. It would be hard to find anyone with legal knowledge who would dispute this fact. Indeed he made a mockery of the Constitution by violating multiple provisions within it. Like any citizen, he should surely be brought to book. There is no logical reason why he should be let off.
The need to hold Musharraf accountable for his deeds is all the more important given that at this moment in history Pakistan needs to break with its troubled past. The military needs to be pushed back from politics. Its role has for too long been a source of repeated upheaval and instability. But this can be successful only if an unequivocal message is delivered and a dictator is made to answer for his actions. If this does not happen the way is paved for others to do exactly the same, knowing they will go unpunished. It is also time for the people to assert themselves. They must ask if we can truly allow a situation where events in our country are dictated by others to continue. It is true the Saudis have in the past been good allies. They have come to Pakistan's aid in times of need more than once. But should we allow anyone to act as our masters? Are we not capable of taking the fortunes of our country into our own hands? Perhaps the time has come to ensure that events that take place within the frontiers of Pakistan are determined by our laws, our wishes and by the ordinary people who live within the country and whose fortunes are tied in to political happenings within it.