11.07.2013 Valid criticism: Abbottabad Commission report
THE Abbottabad Commission report is in many ways a watershed moment. Blunt, to the point and critical in ways that few thought possible for a Commission operating in the shadow of an omniscient security establishment, the report has laid down a marker for serious and sober analysis of the country’s national security troubles. The Commission’s recommendations in particular form a sensible road map to putting Pakistan on an internally and externally more secure footing, and as such should be read with great interest by the powers-that-be. First and foremost, the essen-tial recommendation that comes across is the need for intelligence coordination between the various military- and civilian-run agencies. The present situation of shambolic ad hoc cooperation is too well known to bear repeating. The mistrust is deep and the turf wars intense, and the predominant intelligence agency, the ISI, is simply unwilling to accede to civilian control or work with the civilian side of the state as a genuine partner. This must change, though it is far from clear how exactly to proceed.
Perhaps a sensible starting point would be strong civilian leadership. The PML-N government appears willing to try and knock heads together where necessary and cajole when required, which is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Beyond that what is required is a meaningful strategy. What, for example, can the government do when a strong and assertive interior ministry is the starting point for a coherent intelligence coordination strategy but the previous ISI chief contemptuously dismisses the possibility of subservience to the interior ministry, as retired Gen Pasha did in his testimony to the Abbottabad Commission? The answer appears to lie in the true principals, the prime minister, the army chief and the DG ISI, sitting down and rethinking the de facto chain of command. Civilian supremacy is not just a theory, it is a necessity.
The second step at the outset is for parliament to begin to take on a greater role in intelligence oversight. With a second consecutive credibly and acceptably elected parliament in place, the long process of establishing parliamentary oversight is already overdue. Parliament is greater than the sum of the government and as such has more collective weight to bring to the table. Parliamentary committees on intelligence would necessarily comprise a cross-section of political parties and would lay the ground for expressing the collective will of the electorate. Again, however, the road that has to be walked is before us; will the people’s representatives develop the will to walk down it?
Professionalism needed: Ex-Ogra chief in custody
THE long chase has ended. Tauqir Sadiq, the main suspect in what is being termed as the Ogra corruption scandal, was finally brought back home from Dubai on Monday. An accountability judge has since remanded him in the custody of NAB for investigation over his alleged role. Mr Sadiq and others accused of involvement are said to have caused the national exchequer a loss of Rs82 billion by issuing licences for new CNG stations and allowing other licence-holders to relocate their stations despite a ban. Moreover, he is also alleged to have allowed gas companies to incorporate 7pc of unaccounted for gas in their billings for 45 days instead of the permitted limit of 5pc. Investigators say that by apparently showering such financial favours on companies and individuals, the former top regulator of the country’s oil and gas sector has not only helped others make money but also managed to keep some for himself.
How far these allegations are true is not known. Only a thorough and honest probe can determine the veracity of the accusations and the amount actually lost by the government and gas consumers. So far Mr Sadiq has denied the charges against him and has blamed the investigators for putting pressure on him to become an approver against certain politicians who ruled the country during the last five years. Mr Sadiq and others accused of involvement in the Ogra scandal deserve a fair trial and the government must see to it that NAB does not make a mess of matters as it has in previous cases in its eagerness to implicate high-profile politicians without solid evidence. In fact, with some other institutions also dogged by scandal, the Ogra case will test the accountability bureau’s level of professionalism in not being selective in its probe. The Ehtesab Bureau, set up under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his second tenure, was notorious for persecuting the government’s political opponents. The accountability sleuths should not blemish the PML-N government’s reputation once again.
Rethinking charity: Deadly stampede
CHARITY distribution events are a common occurrence during Ramazan, with both individuals and institutions distributing food and other items to the needy during the fasting month. But lack of planning can often turn well- intentioned exercises into disasters. Two women died during a charity food distribution event organised by a marriage hall owner in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal area on Monday. Ration packages had been arranged for 250 deserving families yet things got out of control when around 3,000 to 4,000 women turned up at the venue. The death toll was mercifully lower than 2009’s Khori Garden tragedy, in which around 20 women died in a stampede during a similar charity exercise in Karachi’s old city area.
Monday’s event was obviously mismanaged as the organisers did not inform the authorities while no arrangements were made to post women volunteers or police officers who could have helped in crowd control. Having large numbers of people gather in a congested or closed space where supply of charity goods is limited and demand is far too great is a recipe for disaster. The tragic event is also an indicator of how widespread poverty is in society. Many families who find it difficult to make ends meet grab hold of any opportunity to help put food on the table. Yet the mode of distribution at such charity events is questionable not only from a safety standpoint, but also because it is against human dignity. The philanthropic spirit of Pakistanis must be appreciated, but there should be more tactful ways to distribute charity. Philanthropists must make proper arrangements for distribution; perhaps a better idea would be to deliver food packages to needy families at their homes instead of making people form queues in public. Or funds could be channelled through reputable charities working towards the alleviation of poverty and hunger.