Environmental issues
Dawn Editorial
Thursday, 16 Sep, 2010
With global recognition of the impact of development on the environment, it is encouraging that the matter is gaining attention in Pakistan.
Official quarters have finally started to turn their attention to environmentally destructive activities, which often continue despite the existence of relevant laws and in the absence of legal enforcement and political will.
For example, recently Islamabad’s city police provided the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency with two squads to initiate action against commercial buildings in Murree that are discharging sewage into the Korang River.
Similarly, after recent Supreme Court orders, the Punjab EPA has formed two teams to launch an operation against the polluters of Rawal Lake. Both these water bodies have suffered great degradation because of the mushroom growth of enterprises such as poultry farms, commercial plazas and recreation spots.
These moves ought to be replicated wherever industry, urbanisation or development is taking place at the cost of the environment.
Across the country, we have seen entire lakes and rivers being poisoned, the deforestation of large swathes of land at the hands of timber mafias and vested interest parties, and the condoning of administrative inaction as slow desertification afflicts fields upon fields of previously arable land.
Through neglect and apathy, and in some cases because the state machinery turned a blind eye to irregularities, Pakistan has for years been allowing wholesale environmental degradation.
This has to stop, and that will only happen when the state makes it a priority. The issue will gain heightened importance in future months: once the floodwaters recede we will have to take stock of the environmental damage, for example in terms of habitat loss for flora, fauna and human communities that depend on a certain type of environment for livelihood and subsistence.
That exercise ought to become the pivot that shifts the country’s attention to the importance of the environment.
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MNAs’ assets
Dawn Editorial
Thursday, 16 Sep, 2010
Making money is in itself neither objectionable nor a crime. But concerns are bound to be raised when it transpires that Pakistan’s MNAs, the country’s elected representatives, somehow managed to increase their collective wealth three-fold over six years.
That is the conclusion reached by Pildat, the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, which has closely scrutinised the assets declarations submitted by members of parliament between 2003-04 and 2008-09.
MNAs are not simply private entrepreneurs, even if they have businesses to run or landholdings to till. They are accountable to the public and the people of Pakistan are fully justified in asking two basic questions: what caused this sudden influx of cash and did the honourable MNAs pay the income tax due on this increased prosperity?
Their status in our society, such as it is, has never been in doubt. They are powerful in an almost mediaeval fashion and few are in a position to question their authority.
But perhaps it is now time for right-thinking citizens to question whether the explosive growth in the wealth of our MNAs is the result of legitimate enterprise or tactics that can’t be so easily explained.
Some MNAs declare multi-billion-rupee assets and live the accompanying lifestyle for all to see. That is their right, one supposes, in a nation crippled by poverty but at least they pay taxes on that income because they’ve put it down in writing.
What is far more deplorable are political leaders who swank about in sports-utility vehicles and live in big bungalows and still claim to be paupers.
Are they hiding their wealth? That is up to the reader, not this paper, to judge. Both the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Federal Board of Revenue need to look into reports that many MNAs are far wealthier now than they were six years ago — and the FBR should make our parliamentarians’ tax returns public.
What gold mine did they strike in this short period? While the public bore the brunt of crippling inflation exacerbated by the short-sighted policies of the Musharraf regime, our ruling elite was able to transform its millions into billions.
That is the reality of Pakistan today. This is a country where the salaried-class taxpayer — who has no option but to pay taxes — continues to be milked for all he or she is worth while many among the politically powerful contribute little or nothing to the exchequer.
It is time to ascertain whether the lifestyles of many among our politicians are in keeping with their declared assets. And if the two don’t match up, action must be taken.
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Hekmatyar speaks
Dawn Editorial
Thursday, 16 Sep, 2010
Political posturing is what the latest statements by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hizb-i-Islami, can be attributed to.
The Afghan warlord, once a favourite of the Pakistani security establishment before falling out of favour and now back — marginally — in its good books, has sent mixed signals in recent months.
Mr Hekmatyar’s most recent comments suggest that, one, no peace is possible in Afghanistan unless the foreign forces leave, and two, that if the first condition is met, the insurgents would ensure that Afghanistan would not become a haven for foreign militants, read mostly Al Qaeda, and that no harm would come to the US in future.
What are we to make of this? The Hizb-i-Islami is not considered a major player in the insurgency in Afghanistan, mostly being confined to eastern Afghanistan and having some links to the province of Baghlan.
As such, a major question mark hangs over whether Mr Hekmatyar speaks with the support of Mullah Omar, the supreme commander of the Taliban.
Without the support of Mullah Omar, no one can hope to deliver on any pledges to the Americans, and it should be noted that the supreme commander pledged over Eid to defeat the foreign forces.
There is also the problem that after making overtures towards the Karzai government earlier this year, the Hizb-i-Islami is believed to have come to the conclusion that the Afghan president has no real power and cannot deliver on any deal himself.
This may explain why in his recent interviews Mr Hekmatyar has played down the possibility of a deal with the Karzai government and focused on speaking to the Americans.
For its part, the US is believed to have had back-channel communications with Mr Hekmatyar for years, but the experienced Afghan warlord is understood to have repeatedly promised much only to quickly backtrack, a frustrating circular exercise that continues with no side having much faith in the process.
In any case, presently a review of the Afghan strategy is under way in the US, with decisions expected by December — meaning that for now it will likely be status quo in Afghanistan.