Fake identities
July 25th, 2012
A British tabloid’s exposé of the ease of obtaining fake identity documents and UK visas in Pakistan has become a scandal of international proportions because of its link with the upcoming Olympics. But the problem is not a new one. Despite the money and expertise that has been poured into modernising CNICs and passports in recent years, getting hold of fake ones remains shockingly easy. The old days of manual processes for creating these documents are long gone. But even now, when they are computerised and managed through automated processes and electronic databases, the systems — which apparently meet international standards — remain vulnerable to corruption. If you can find an agent with the right links inside Nadra and the passport directorate, procuring another person’s identity is simple enough for anyone willing to pay a price.
And as long as it doesn’t crack down hard enough on people on the inside who are willing to tamper with the process, Nadra, where the CNICs that become the basis for fake passports originate, has limited options. It can continue building more sophisticated checks into the system, but much of the technology used is already world-class, including software that carries out fingerprint and photograph matching. Ultimately, the problem comes down to corrupt individuals being willing to manually override systems and tamper with records for a fee. While there have been multiple raids within Nadra over the years, many of which don’t make it into the media, they have obviously not been effective enough as deterrents. Fixing responsibility is not difficult — the names of operators are entered at every step of the process — so this seems to be a simple enough matter of being more vigilant about detecting irregularities and cracking down more frequently on operators on the inside and agents on the outside.
Despite the implication that the UK visa scam could have been used to smuggle terrorists into the Olympics, at the moment this seems like pure speculation. And the history of Islamist terrorist attacks in the UK indicates that it is largely a home-grown problem there. But for Pakistan itself, this is a national-security matter. Fake Pakistani documents have been found on foreign terrorists, including former Iranian Jundullah head Abdolmalek Rigi and Ramzi Yousef, and been used by members of banned Pakistani outfits to leave the country. So while such forgeries take place in other countries too, in Pakistan’s case they are particularly risky, further damaging its international reputation and allowing domestic militants to get away. World-class systems may be in place, but Nadra and the pass-port directorate need to carry out some significant housecleaning.
Rehabilitating extremists
July 25th, 2012
The tentacles of radicalisation have seemingly infiltrated all parts of society. In addition to ideologically motivated leaders and members, extremist groups also sweep into their embrace other people for reasons such as a warped understanding of camaraderie, economic need or simply because they are misguided. In such cases, rehabilitation measures can act as the crucial pivot. But earlier moves by sections of the security establishment to set up de-radicalisation centres for people detained in conflict zones came under criticism on a number of counts, including the need to keep the civilian government at the forefront of such initiatives. The same grey areas do not exist with the programme undertaken by the Punjab Counterterrorism Department (CTD), a representative of which told this newspaper on Monday that under its de-radicalisation programme, some 300 former members of proscribed outfits have undergone three-month training and rehabilitation sessions. The people joined up with the programme voluntarily, went through sessions conducted by religious scholars and psychologists, and were imparted training in 40 trades by the Punjab Technical and Vocational Training Authority. An additional 1,300 people are to be targeted, with the Punjab CTD hoping to replicate the programme.
Such interventions could prove beneficial — as they have in other countries — but their success must be judged over years, if not decades. Yet for Pakistan to be able to turn the tide, deeper issues must be addressed. Sympathisers and apologists for radical ideologues exist at the top tiers of society. Elements within the political and lawmaking elites make no bones about their support for extremists of various stripes, on occasion sharing public platforms with leaders of proscribed outfits. How much long-term good can be achieved by targeting only those who are far lower down the pyramid? For the country to counter radicalisation it must own up to the fact that it has for decades maintained a treacherous policy towards militancy and extremism, never honestly or fully rejecting their ideological underpinnings, which elements within the state have at various times, for various reasons, endorsed. What we really require is a definitive state policy on the factors that lead to radicalisation.
Sialkot footballs
July 25th, 2012
Pakistan will not be a part of football matches at the Olympics, but footballs manufactured in Sialkot will. After a Chinese machine-made ball was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, breaking years of Pakistani domination, Sialkot’s official selection as producer for the Olympics should please Pakistani fans of the game and serve as a morale booster for the Sialkot sports-manufacturing industry. Until 2000, Pakistan was the world leader in football production. But several factors, including global concerns about child labour, competition from China and Thailand, and production issues related to the power crisis have reduced the country’s share considerably. The Chinese ball used in 2010 had come under intense criticism from leading players, and the selection of the colourful Sialkoti ball for the Olympics instead is a sign that despite the industry’s difficulties Pakistani footballs were able to meet players’ needs and that leading multinational sports brands continue to look to Sialkot for world-class footballs.
The challenge now is to regain the city’s slot as world leader in the sector. Proper attention paid to Sialkot’s sports-manufacturing sector can not only provide much-needed jobs and bring in valuable foreign exchange, it could also help improve Pakistan’s unenviable global public image. Manufacturers need to be able to compete with the savvy and technology of foreign producers while adhering to global standards against child labour. The power shortage is, of course, a national issue and needs to be addressed from the top. With commitment to quality and proper marketing, it should be possible for Sialkot to recapture its share in the global sports market. In the meantime, we should celebrate the contribution Pakistan will make to
global sporting competition this summer.