02-08-2013
More controversy: CECs resignation

A PRESIDENT has been elected, but the fallout from the controversial electoral process continues. The chief election commissioner, Fakhruddin Ebrahim, has resigned and, while he has not said so directly, it has been reported that Mr Ebrahim was unhappy with the Supreme Court amending the presidential election schedule and the lack of support he received from the other ECP members. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has summoned the PTI chief Imran Khan today to explain why he should not face contempt charges for comments critical of the judiciary made in the run-up to the presidential election. All in all, it is an extraordinary surge of controversy after the event ― and has the potential to tarnish the reputations and democratic credentials of all involved.
Mr Ebrahim`s resignation in particular seems driven more by frustration and emotion than calm rationalisation. As the CEC who presided over an election that is largely seen as credible and acceptable but not entirely free and fair, Mr Ebrahim was uniquely positioned to push the project of electoral transparency forward, especially since he was only a year into the job. From electoral rolls to vetting of candidates` papers to enforcing campaign rules to ensuring a transparent polling-day process and much, much more, there is a lot that remains to be done. Mr Ebrahim may have chafed under the constraints of his office previous CECs, before the last parliament`s constitutional amendments, wielded much power, whereas now the CEC has just one of the five votes in the ECP ― but to give up so early into his job, even if a general and a presidential election are now under his belt, surely does not send the right signal.
Yet, when seemingly clear-cut constitutional prerogatives are taken over by another institution, resignation may be the only honourable thing to do. But rather than try and wade out of controversy, the court has waded deeper in with the summons to Imran Khan. The PTI supremo`s words were uttered in public and made a clear distinction between undermining the integrity of the judicial pillar of the state and criticising specific actions or judgements handed down by the judiciary in recent electoral matters. The right to criticise a judicial pronouncement is very much a part of the democratic order. In fact, it is also part of the judicial order of things: after all, the recently forgotten practice here of dissenting opinions by judges has through near-universal legal history helped developed the law as it stands today. Too many battles and too much controversy is unhealthy for any institution.

Rare consensus: New power policy

THE new power policy has broken fresh ground already. The fact that it carries with it the consensual support of the provinces is something new, and certainly a source of strength. It is also heartening to note that the provinces did not play a purely obstructionist role, but were discerning in raising their objections. They protected their entitlements to the country`s fiscal resources, but agreed on energy conservation measures and agreed also to take tough action against power and gas theft. They also did not raise any undue objection to the tariff hikes envisaged by the policy, which shows they resisted the impulse to play populist politics. All of this is a welcome change; no power policy in the past has commanded such deep consensus and this means that there is one less excuse left for failure.
This brings us to the crux of the matter. The real test for the policy, indeed for the government, is now poised to begin. On Wednesday, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif took the opportunity to remind the country that the amount of electricity being generated in the country is now at a peak ― 16,000MW. He was right to point out that this state of affairs will be short-lived if crucial reforms are not put into place quickly. Empowered with the consensus amongst the provinces, the debate has ended and the implementation phase must now begin. From here onwards, we all expect to see hikes in power tariffs, but we also hope to see losses reduced and gas diverted to the power plants in spite of objections from the powerful CNG and fertiliser lobbies. We hope that the matter will not run out of steam after the tariff hikes, and that the government will find the wherewithal to make the tough calls necessary to see the policy implemented in letter and spirit. All eyes are now on the cabinet that will oversee implementation, and the timelines are not very long.

Pakistanis out of line: All about queues

IT was a readable and rare caption to a picture in this newspaper ― `customers scream their iftari orders`. With their hands stretched out, the customers in Hyderabad had no choice but to implore and scream to draw the salesman`s attention because standing in line is not a part of South Asian culture. Whether it is a bank counter, a nihari shop or a railway ticket office, forming a queue is one of urban life`s many requirements Pakistanis have not cared to adopt. Surprisingly, there are places where Pakistanis have always stood patiently in line ― cinemas, for instance. There was mutual respect, for everyone conceded the other`s right to entertainment. Not getting a ticket was one of life`s great disappointments and had to be endured. But to be deprived of a ticket because someone jumped the queue would have meant a brawl. Pakistanis also queue up ― rather, are made to do so ― at airports because of stringent security procedures. In any case, the atmosphere at most airports since 9/11 has been grim.
Basically, queues ― or their absence ― give an insight into a people`s civic consciousness, their level of education, and a commitment, or lack of it, to egalitarianism and human rights. A society that believes in queues is a classless society. From this point of view we have a long way to go. As once observed by defence analysts about the 1973 Middle East conflict and Arabs` lack of discipline, the latter were unable to queue up for a bus let alone pose a security threat to Israel. But the moment Arabs learn to stand in line, Israel must worry about its security. In the zero-sum game between Pakistan and India, neither side need worry, because people on both sides are good at screaming out their orders.

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LAIS-AL-INSANA ILA MA SA-AA