Through the bottleneck?
Whichever side your sympathies lie, the government’s assertion that it is willing to accept all but one demand made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan should be taken as a positive development — a rare one at that amidst this unrelenting standoff between protestors and the government.
Though it seems even longer, the protests have continued for 12 long days — holding hostage not only the state but the entire country at a time where we are confronted with a number of other pressing issues. Until a few days ago, there was no end in sight — particularly since the government was stubborn in its reluctance to negotiate. However, the formation of two negotiating committees by the government to speak to the PTI and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has provided some of a breakthrough, as has the protesters’ willingness to talk. Although it is probably too soon to get hopes up too high, it is difficult not to be positive about the breaking of the ice between the two sides at least giving some sort of shape and form to a possible solution. The points that the government has ostensibly agreed to merit repetition, for they are no small matters.
They include the formation of a judicial commission to investigate whether or not the 2013 general elections had been rigged (although the prime minister had already agreed to this in an address to the nation on August 12); that, if rigging is proved, fresh elections would be held. The appointment of a ‘non-controversial’ head of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), as well as an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary and of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). There should be daily hearing of the judicial commission and completion of investigation in 30 days, and for findings of the commission not to be in the form of recommendations but, instead, should issue directions to parties concerned; FIRs be registered in the Model Town clashes case, as per the findings of the Lahore sessions judge. Other, older demands, which would obviously only happen if evidence of large-scale rigging is found, include re-election after dissolution of assemblies; the formation of an impartial caretaker set-up with consensus of all political forces; electoral reforms (for which a committee has already been set up); resignation of all members of the ECP and finally that all those found guilty of rigging should be put on trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.
The one demand that is the sticking point is obviously the main one: that of the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. But even in this demand, there has been a relatively realistic reconfiguration that now calls for the premier to resign for 30 days — the period during which investigations take place into allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections. That bodes well for all parties, but the reality is that all involved will have to compromise somewhere for this impasse to end. Prolonging things will only increase differences and run the risk of irreparable and insurmountable damage. Then there is the threat of this issue spiralling out of control and engulfing other areas — the biggest risk which comes from undemocratic, and indeed anti-democratic, forces, which loom large in this country and are beginning to take advantage of the situation by giving it a dangerous hue.
One must appreciate the effort of some political forces in the country that have remained neutral and scrambled back and forth to defuse the crisis and bring both (or shall we say, all three) parties to the negotiating table. In this regard, former president Asif Ali Zardari’s assertions after he met Prime Minister Sharif on Saturday merit contemplation. No stranger to handling and surviving political controversies during the five-year tenure of his party, Zardari urged that the only way forward in a democracy was “dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.” Both sides would be wise to heed his words.
Neglected IDPs
How wonderful it would be if one were able to live life in a systematic manner, to drop off their children daily at school and go to work. It is unfortunate for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan that they live each day in uncertainty in a strange place, not knowing when they will be able to return home and to normalcy. Issues faced by IDPs have been outlined in a recent release titled the Multi-Clustered Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) Bannu Report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. The issues highlighted point to the question of whether the government and the army are truly taking care of these IDPs and calls for much introspection regarding the quality of life of IDPs, in terms of meeting their basic health, education and safety needs.
The IDPs camped in Bannu require immediate implementation of security to prevent all harassment, threat and assault. Furthermore, it is unfair that women heads of households are unable to obtain aid due to lack of documentation and tribal elders prohibit them from going to distribution facilities — the latter for which a security force should also be in place. Finally, this is an ideal opportunity for Nadra to register citizens who lack official documentation, who may otherwise never be registered in their lifetimes. In going forth with Zarb-e-Azb, there is a desperate call for prudent thinking and planning on the state’s part.
While the majority of people might be satisfied with the army and government providing shelter to IDPs, the ground realities are far from positive. With schools soon reopening, school buildings need to be made available for displaced children and the IDPs shifted elsewhere. As the situation currently stands, with low school attendance and the occupation of schools by IDPs who have nowhere else to go, the province — because of the lack of our state’s foresight— is breeding a whole generation of uneducated children, which is the last thing this nation needs. Proper infrastructures and facilities should have been put into place prior to the start of the operation — the ramifications of which the IDPs are now suffering.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2014.