02.06.2013 Credible constraints
It is early days yet, but the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s proposal to limit its own power to undertake populist decisions in the energy sector is a welcome one. The incoming administration appears to have agreed to a proposal that has long been espoused by energy reform advocates: removing the power to make appointments in state-owned power companies from the prime minister’s office. It appears that Nawaz Sharif is willing to relinquish that power and hand it over to independent boards of directors at these companies.
And just for good measure, to ensure that the temptation never overwhelms any future prime minister, the Nawaz Sharif Administration appears to be contemplating selling more of the government’s shares to private investors, a move that would increase private sector representation on the boards and limit the government’s power to interfere in the running of state-owned energy companies. Such attention to institutional development is a refreshing change for the energy sector, particularly after the disastrous inaction of the previous administration.
The economy is best served when the private sector is left to run businesses and the government focuses on regulating those businesses. While a full privatisation would be preferable, the government placing credible constraints on its own authority is a significant step in the right direction, one that is likely to be welcomed by investors, local and foreign alike.
The incoming Nawaz Sharif Administration appears to be showing a great deal of political maturity so far and has given indications that it is more interested in solving the energy crisis than increasing its own powers. We hope this trend continues throughout the five years to follow. Here is one incentive for the new administration: energy sector stocks have skyrocketed since the election in anticipation of the PML-N undertaking real reform in the energy sector, driving up the broader stock market. If the administration dithers in the path towards that goal, it will face a stock market crash and a capital flight by foreign investors, who have been gearing up to pour money into the country.
Prisoners’ dilemma
The plight of those accused under the blasphemy law is highly disturbing. A report in The Express Tribune highlighted the sad case of Hamid Hussain, who has been in prison since March 2012, and is currently in solitary confinement. Accused of distributing objectionable pamphlets, his case is unusual in that his name was apparently inserted in the FIR four months after it was first filed. Mr Hussain claims that he has been wrongfully implicated.
These prisoners face abuse of their rights in jail, with other prisoners, as well as jail officials, threatening them. The conditions in which they are kept are deplorable and they are kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time for reasons of “security”. Many of those accused of blasphemy in the past have been murdered in custody. The mental anguish these prisoners go through takes a toll on them; many face psychological problems and die in prison. It is the state’s responsibility to appoint competent lawyers to fight their cases but lawyers are often reluctant to endanger their own lives.
An estimated 1,274 people have been accused under the blasphemy law since 1986, when they were introduced by General Ziaul Haq, until 2010. The law is blatantly misused and has become a tool to victimise minorities. What is frightening is the currency that it has found among citizens, with religious zealotry and a growing intolerance becoming a hallmark of society. Punishment under the laws includes life imprisonment and the death penalty and while the death sentence has never been implemented, many are murdered before facing a fair trial. At times, on the exhortation of certain clerics, these murderers are celebrated rather than condemned, as was Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of the late Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. The fact is that the blasphemy law is in urgent need of reform since, at present, it is often used to settle personal vendettas. It is high time that those who make false allegations of blasphemy are brought to the book themselves.