Date: Sunday, October 30th, 2016.

Democracy this is not

Democracy is a fading concept in the Pakistan of 2016, and both of the protagonists in the standoff in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are equally guilty in conniving at its retreat. The government in preventing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from holding its protests thus far is in defiance of a judiciary that has upheld the right to protest; and the PTI has a confused concept of democratic process if it thinks that democracy is best expressed by shutting down all the organs of governance in a national capital. The government side may be seen to have cast the first stone with the police assault on the youth wing of the PTI on the evening of Thursday 27th October and the tear-gassing at Committee Chowk on the 28th, but it will argue that it was sorely tried by the belligerence of the PTI supporters.

The PTI senior leadership is now corralled in the Bani Gala residence of Imran Khan, and to all intents and purposes under a form of house arrest. This in itself is a denial of democratic rights and it remains to be seen if Mr Khan will be detained if he tries to attend the court hearing on 1st November regarding the Panama Papers as he has said he will. The PTI is now having to re-jig its strategy, and is urging its supporters to travel in groups to avoid arrest — thus telegraphing its intent to the authorities which will now be alert to such moves. The party seems to be trying to pre-empt the arrest of its members before the main event on 2nd November, a strategy unlikely to be successful given the government’s apparent determination to confront rather than consult. The plea by Mr Khan to the police not to follow the government direction is also unlikely to be heeded.

The situation remains highly charged with the capacity to collapse into disorder, chaos even, if it is not defused. We once again appeal to the finer instincts of the leaders of both sides to put their differences on hold and create ‘safe space’ in which dialogue and compromise may be explored because conflict is going to solve nothing.

Saqlain dons the English cap

With the globalisation of cricket leading teams are drawing up strategies that help overcome their weaknesses or the proverbial chinks in the armoury. Coaches and consultants from around the world are the greatest beneficiaries as they travel all over for coaching stunts.

England who are in the middle of a gripping Test series against minnows Bangladesh have an even a sterner test next — Five match Test tour — in India. To counter the Indian spinners as well as to help their own spinners England have once again hired Pakistan spin great Saqlain Mushtaq. Saqlain was last deployed for the Old Trafford Test against Pakistan earlier this year to help strategise against the wiles of Yasir Shah, who had bamboozled the hosts in the opening match of the series at Lord’s.

Saqlain’s consultancy helped the hosts record an impressive and overwhelming win which is the reason that he has landed another stint. The inventor of ‘Doosra’, Saqlain has had quality stints with the West Indies, New Zealand, Bangladesh and also win Pakistan spinners like Saeed Ajmal in the recent past. Saqlain’s pedigree makes him one of the most sought after Pakistan coach. His stature as an international bowler is second to none while he’s now hailed as a top teacher of the art of spin. On the other hand Saqlain’s visit should hopefully help quell to an extent the rising sporting tensions between India and Pakistan.

Ever since the Uri attack, Indian and Pakistani sportsmen have been forced to stay away from mutual contests barring the Asian Champions Trophy hockey games in Malyasia. Saqlain can be a goodwill ambassador across the border even when donning the English cap.

A lawless land

Rule of law is believed to be one of the core tenets of a civilised society. It does not solely pertain to those with the power and means to obtain justice for themselves but also to the marginalised who are pushed to the brink of society, ignored and unheard. When it comes to judging the quality of life in a country, it is quite obvious that reliance on law enforcement for protection and on courts for a fair hearing of grievances must be considered. It is based on this understanding that the World Justice Project issues its yearly Rule of Law index which is based on the survey responses of citizens in countries all around the world and their ratings of their country on various indicators. The index broadly measures 113 countries on such aspects as the absence of corruption, civil and criminal justice and access to fundamental rights. In its report released this year, the index has revealed data that while not surprising, should be a cause for concern and a call to action.

Pakistan has been ranked as the 8th most lawless country in the world in this index which has placed a statistical value on the untold human misery that has resulted for decades due to rampant corruption, sluggish court procedures, lack of legislation and improper use of force by law enforcement. For the less privileged, a category which includes the poor, the physically or mentally handicapped, religious and ethnic minorities, women and children this lawlessness has dire consequences. It is only recently that enough awareness has been built up for bills against sexual harassment and child marriages to be passed. There are many who languish in jails waiting for their day in court and an untold number who have decided to not to strive for justice because the procedure is often more arduous than the crime itself. While landmark pieces of legislation are an important step, they are not enough to overturn the culture of denying justice though for the present little more seems to be on the cards to improve this situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2016.