A rare opportunity
November 13th, 2012
Even as the ruling party tries to make what political capital it can out of the Asghar Khan case, it will probably not be able to sweep under the carpet the real question: who will punish the generals? If Nawaz Sharif and other politicians took bribes to rig polls, who doled out those bribes? And here’s another complication: at whose direction was the money handed out? For all the temptation to use the case to make the main opposition look bad before the general elections, the ruling party knows it will look just as bad if it tries to implement only those parts of the Supreme Court verdict that suit it best. Because along with sordid tales of how low Pakistani politicians can go, there are two other important things at stake as the IJI saga unfolds in all its gory detail: the government’s courage in the face of the military, and its willingness to accept that a Pakistani president should not be involved in politics.
Perhaps that is why the FIA has yet to start investigating who received the money, despite the ruling party’s protests about the evil machinations of the PPPs opponents and the PML-N itself now courting a probe. For the opposition party, this appears to be a reasonable political gamble at the moment: invite accountability, betting that the ruling party will not have the fortitude to open up a can of worms that will require trying retired but very senior army generals and will also invite more questions about the PPP co-chairman’s occupancy of the presidency. Add to this the assessment that concrete proof about who received bribes will be hard to come by, and the opposition’s push for an investigation emerges as a reasonable risk-reward calculation.
But that is consistent with the opposition’s primary goal at the moment — performing well in the general elections. For a ruling party that claims to have achieved a milestone for Pakistani democracy, something more last-ing should be at stake. Through a combination of its own political savvy and because of the leanings of the current chiefs of the military and the judiciary, the government and the president have managed to bring the country to the brink of completing a full democratic tenure. But during that time they have hardly been willing or able to assert their authority as the military’s commanders. This could be the last real test of the current set-up’s commitment to democracy. With just a few months left to go, a civilian trial of generals Beg and Durrani, rather than leaving their fate to the military, would add to a lasting legacy.
Pragmatic approach
November 13th, 2012
A potentially disruptive confrontation involving the Election Commission of Pakistan and a number of lawmakers over the issue of dual nationality has been put off, at least until Nov 30. That is the new deadline the ECP set on Monday for lawmakers to submit their affidavits declaring that they do not hold dual citizenship. While the original deadline had expired last week, according to the latest reports around 200 lawmakers, including the prime minister, had not filed their documents. MNAs, senators and members of the provincial assemblies are all on this list. The Supreme Court had ruled in September that holding dual nationality for lawmakers is unconstitutional, and the ECP proceeded to seek affidavits following the apex court’s verdict. Around 12 legislators have already been disqualified for holding dual citizenship.
As a matter of principle, since the Supreme Court has ruled on the matter and as the ECP is insisting on it, lawmakers need to file their affidavits along with the requisite paperwork without delay. Senators especially should submit their documents as the upper house will remain after the present assemblies complete their tenure. Yet it is also true that general elections are on the horizon and with only a few months remaining before the assemblies complete their term, any drastic action taken against a large number of lawmakers at this point may upset the apple cart and create another unwanted confrontation between state institutions. Hence, it is imperative that all stakeholders — the lawmakers, the ECP and the Supreme Court — handle the matter tactfully and pragmatically to ensure a new crisis does not emerge. The ECP should work on creating an effective procedure through which candidates are thoroughly scrutinised for the upcoming polls to ensure dual nationals do not contest. Also, if the SC deems it fit, it can review its earlier order on the issue to facilitate a smoother democratic changeover. And if the legislators feel the law is unfair, perhaps they should amend the constitution to allow dual citizens to hold public office, though this newspaper agrees with the view that dual nationals are, as per the constitution, ineligible for public office in Pakistan.
Airblue crash
November 13th, 2012
It seems to be a case of ‘who do they think they’re fooling?’ The investigation into the causes that led an Airblue plane to crash two years ago, dragged on for long. After a series of delays, a report on the tragedy prepared by the Safety Investigation Board was released by the government. It seems to pin the blame on the crew in charge of the ill-fated plane. But if the families of the victims — 146 passengers and six crew members — thought that they had finally been allowed closure, they were wrong. After the Peshawar High Court issued an order opening a reinvestigation into the crash in January, a fact-finding team of the International Civil Aviation Organisation visited Pakistan in June. No words were minced in pointing out that the report released by the government was not only inadequate, but that the “accident investigation authority — SIB as well as the investigation process — is indeed not independent”.
The ICAO report noted that the fact-finding team was not provided a copy of the main report and was only allowed to examine it under supervision. And, there were omissions that even to the layman must seem glaring: no information, for example, about the crew members’ flight hours (which would indicate experience), medical history and duty and rest times, or about maintenance checks carried out on the aircraft. As a result, not just the victims’ families but anyone who travels by air is left wondering. Was the plane safe to fly or not, and if it wasn’t, what guarantee do we have that domestic fleets and their crew comply with international safety standards? This confusion must end. A credible and comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy needs to be conducted with speed, and the results made public. Further prevarications will not be acceptable.