Sept/27/08


THE shots fired by the troops to ward off an incursion by two NATO helicopters was the right step to take and has been widely hailed in the country. It is high time some of our arrogant allies in the War on Terror are told in no uncertain terms that no self-respecting country would allow the violation of its territorial integrity. US Gen David Petraeus has said Pakistan faces an existential threat which requires that Washington and Islamabad work together to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. He needs to be reminded that Pakistan has to deal with the problems it faces in the way it considers to be most suited to its national interests, rather than through quick fixes suggested by the US. There is a national consensus that extremism can be eliminated only through a holistic strategy comprising dialogue, economic and social development of the tribal areas, and a recourse to limited and moderate force, and that too only when it cannot to be avoided. Pakistan's allies can help it secure the tribal areas in two ways. First, by providing it the high-tech weaponry needed to deal with militancy. Second, by helping in the uplift of the tribal areas through schemes like export-oriented industrial zones that have been debated only to be put on the backburner. Foreign interventions are unacceptable because they create widespread resentment all over the country besides providing a cause célèbre to the extremists. What is more, they are likely to destabilize the system if not repulsed.
Islamabad has to realize that in order to be able to fully assert its sovereignty, it has to work hard to be economically independent. While keeping friendly relations with the West, it has to realize that foreign economic assistance always has strings attached to it. The government has to learn to cut its coat according to its length. Simple living should be initiated from above, with the leadership acting as a role model for the nation. The consumption-oriented development strategy has to give way to a more realistic strategy geared towards the development of agriculture and industrial production, thus reducing unemployment and brining more revenues to the national exchequer. With the US gradually losing its position as an economic superpower, its influence on world politics too is on the decline. This requires necessary adjustments in Pakistan's foreign policy. There is a need to develop closer and more comprehensive relations with rising powers like China and Russia, and with brotherly Gulf states.
Pakistan's fascination for American weapons systems has increased the country's dependence on Washington despite the bitter experience of the 1965 war. To be able to assert its independence, Islamabad has to develop alternative and dependable sources to fulfil its defence needs.


PRESIDENT Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, decided to start bilateral trade in Occupied Kashmir. Both the leaders also agreed to open up Wagha-Attari and the Khokrapar-Munabao routes for all permissible items of trade. Considering what is presently happening in Kashmir, especially the atrocities committed by Indian security forces totalling 700,000, measures of the sort have little relevance in resolving the conflict. To begin with, trade with India only makes sense once the issue has been resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people and with the UN resolutions. It is moreover highly regrettable to see a propensity on the part of many of our leaders to put the core issue on the backburner and instead waste time in measures like the trade and other such non-starters.
In the midst of this flawed approach, Kashmir continues to be in flames. The violence and repressive rule of the puppet state government in Held Kashmir is fuelling a new wave of struggle for independence: a second violent uprising in the region is now gathering momentum. Tactics like arrests, curfews and extrajudicial killings are common. There is also truth in claims that the government was trying to convert the Muslim majority to a minority by resorting to schemes like giving a big chink of forestland to a Hindu Shrine Board for the purpose of building permanent structures for yatrees. The subsequent protests, the largest in two decades, shook the whole region. The Indian forces felt no scruples in killing scores of innocent protesters. But that is not all that is to the problem, the Indians are using Kashmir as a route for blocking the water flowing into Pakistan. It is a pity that while Prime Minister Singh was meeting President Zardari in New York, our crops were suffering because of lack of water that had been cut of by India and stored in the controversial Baglihar Dam. In August alone, it reduced about 60 percent of the water flowing into Pakistan in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
The point is that New Delhi is in no way willing to listen to reason or to the voice of the people, be it through CBMs or any other method for that matter. We have before us the example of the previous regime, which despite showing a great deal of flexibility failed to turn the corner with India. This was however the natural outcome as the core issue was deliberately relegated to the background. The leaders must address the call for independence first.


THERE wasn't a dry eye in the house. Call it shmatlz or genuine feeling, when Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan took oath as acting Chief Justice of Pakistan, during the ex-Pakistan leave of Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, he commented that he was missing deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on the occasion.
What would have prompted such a remark? Justice Raza Khan, along with Iftikhar Chaudhry and all the other deposed judges in the Supreme and High Courts, had put a magnificent and unprecedented show of solidarity and resolve in the wake of the action of 3rd November 2007. Could Justice Raza mean to imply that this was a time to be with his former comrade in arms because the struggle had come to fruition? That could not be. Because a remark of the sort is better suited to when one is talking about fallen brethren. Iftikhar Chaudhry, not to mention the other judges who have not taken fresh oaths, are still very much around. There are arguments on both sides of the divide. The reinstated judges would argue that they held their own against a military dictator, the pressure of the agencies, even basic financial concerns, during the martial law. Now, they are taking oath, not under the PCO, but the 1973 Constitution. That too, under a democratic dispensation of power. They've even gotten their seniority back. What's the fuss about?
The argument on the other side is that taking the oath again is tantamount to accepting their dismissal. That the oath means that their seniority can be challenged in the courts - in fact, it already has been. Then there is the moral issue of resuming duties en bloc with all the deposed judges. The lawyers' movement is one of the most remarkable struggles in modern times. It captured the imaginations and admiration of many countries, from neighbouring India to the US. The way the government has made sure the struggle fizzle out is unbecoming of a democratic party. All judges should be restored immediately.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...store-them-all

Sept/28/08

THE Friends of Pakistan, the consortium that has been set up to help the country meet "many challenges in the security and economic fields", held its inaugural session at New York on Friday. Although the participants did not consider the quantum of aid that should be set apart to bail it out of the current economic mess, the figure of money being quoted by some sections of the media to ensure proper economic recovery is between $10 and $15 billion. The Pakistan Foreign Secretary, who was present at the meeting, maintained that that much amount was, indeed, needed in view of the grave challenges the country was facing. Howsoever sweet words of "strong support of the international community for Pakistan's democratically elected government" one might hear at such get-togethers, experience proves that they are of little significance unless sufficient assistance does actually start coming in. Unfortunately, it had hardly been the fate of commitments made at these conferences. One hopes that in this particular case since the stakes for the world community are quite high it would turn out to be an exception. President Asif Zardari received assurances of help from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UK Foreign Minister David Miliband, UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed and some other countries. The question is whether these commitments would start taking concrete shape as soon as the first regular session of the Friends takes place in Dubai next month.
It is difficult to understand why Mr Zardari should wish to make the forum a permanent feature. The idea is suggestive of a permanent dependence on outside help, which is hardly something that a self-respecting nuclear power of 170 million people should relish. One would like to believe that it was a mere slip of the tongue especially as he stressed that he wanted to 'learn how to fish' rather than 'get a fish'. Pakistan would have to make the most scrupulous use of whatever assistance it receives. It should be put to most productive use and not frittered away on specious enterprises or administrative purposes. Another extremely important point, which Islamabad ought to keep in mind while accepting any foreign assistance, is that always there are strings attached. Hence we have to be careful that the conditions must, in any case, be promoting primarily our own interests.
Only if this stipulation were to be strictly followed, the support from the US and the world would prove to be a "blessing" for the country that Mr Zardari calls it. At the same time, one would expect the Americans and their allies not to try to take advantage of the difficult situation Pakistan is in; for that would serve their long-term goals. But, in any case, the onus would be on Pakistan.


INSPECTOR General Frontier Corps Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan has told the media that over one thousand militants and twenty seven soldiers were killed during the month long military operation in Bajaur. The tally is saddening as those who have fallen are all, except four, Pakistanis. As the operation is being conducted in populated areas rather than a traditional battlefield, and those opposing the troops are local people with identical features, it is hard to visualize how the authorities were able to sift the militants from innocent tribesmen. Several reports have in fact appeared of protests against the killing of non-combatants including women and children. Extensive damage has been inflicted on houses and private property including orchards and businesses. One realizes that no responsible government can allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state by raising a private army, establishing a rival administration and an alternate judicial system administering punishments on its own. Further, acts of lawlessness like torching the girls' schools, barbers shops and video centers have to be stopped. Similarly no one can be allowed to attack government installations and police stations. But all this needs to be done as far as possible through tactful handling and persuasion and recourse to force taken only, and that too sparingly, when all other measures have been tried and found ineffective. Killing of innocent people through indiscriminate use of force, carelessness or by chance, is liable to inflame a desire for revenge among the effected families and create problems for the rest of the country. Instead of prolonging the operation by two to three months, as is being visualized, it needs to be wound up at the earliest and talks initiated.
Among the measures that need to be urgently taken is the rehabilitation of nearly 200,000 displaced persons who have been forced to take refuge in makeshift shelters. With winter approaching, those in these camps are bound to face more hardships. In case of the operation continuing over a longer period there is a danger of the number of the effected people increasing.
The absence of the healing hand in Bajaur is being widely noticed. Little has so far been done to win the hearts and minds. Those affected by the operation have to be adequately compensated. The infrastructure in the area of operations has been badly damaged. Roads and bridges have to built while schools and hospitals have not only to be reconstructed but also refurbished. For the present no constructive activity is anywhere in sight.


IT is a matter of great pride to learn that Agosta 90 B submarine has been commissioned in the Pakistan Navy. The submarine has been built by Pakistani engineers, which speaks volumes about their skill. One should also be thankful to France, which helped develop the technology at the initial stages. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who was present at the induction ceremony termed the development a landmark. However, his emphasis on the need to be self-reliant in areas of arms procurement should be given a serious thought.
There still remains dire need to be militarily self-reliant in the fields of production and procurement. Our defence forces are mainly dependent on US technology and equipment. While it is an undeniable fact that the US stands head and shoulders above others in matters of arms production, our dependence on its equipment has left us in a quandary. The biggest drawback is that the US can block the supplies whenever it wants. In 1965, despite knowing that the war was crucial to our survival, it cut off the ammunition supply. Most of the artillery, which was American made, was rendered useless because of lack of firearms. This flawed approach of relying on a single country is bound to cast its negative impact on foreign policy as well forcing the leadership to compromise on issues of national prestige. At present, the armament factories in the country particularly those in Wah are doing a good job but the weapons manufactured there fall in the category of small arms which have limited relevance in today's age of next generation weapons like drones and anti-satellite missiles.
The country, rather than putting all its eggs in one basket, must therefore pursue military acquisitions from a variety of sources. Special focus should also be paid to setting up of quality institutions and plants. Procuring arms from different sources and indigenizing modern technology would strengthen our defence.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...g-selfreliance

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/29/08

WATCHING the two US presidential hopefuls on the TV screen wrangle over the issue of militancy that, they believe, mainly stems from Pakistan's tribal region, fuels insurgency across into Afghanistan, endangers the lives of the US and NATO troops operating there and prolongs the War On Terror, it appeared that there was merely a difference of nuance between them on how they intended to go about putting an end to it. Characteristic of his forthright style, Democrat Barack Obama vowed to launch military strike in case Islamabad was "unable or unwilling" to act against a high-profile Al-Qaeda target the Americans had spotted. Republican John McCain tried to put a gloss over the same approach by saying that he "would not publicly state" that the US forces were going to attack because that would be unhelpful. Senator McCain would work through the Pakistan government to face the challenge, suggesting that his administration would strike targets within its territory with its consent. Thus, the next occupant of the White House would, in essence, not have any qualms in disregarding Pakistan's sovereign right to handle such issues on its own as it deems fit. One would act peremptorily without waiting for Islamabad's nod; the other would take it into confidence.
Senator Obama's criticism of the Bush administration for supporting General Musharraf at the cost of the goodwill of Pakistani people was no doubt justified, but he would be too naive (and that of course he is not) to imagine that by defying the sanctity of the country's sovereignty he would be making amends. He seemed not to bother about the sensitivities of the people and held a grouse for, what he thought, "they (the Pakistan government) have not done what needs to be done to get rid of these safe havens", though the US had pumped an enormous sum of $10 billion into the country. The heavy cost Pakistanis have been paying - loss of precious lives of soldiers and civilians, terrorist attacks, rampant insecurity - for getting on the US bandwagon accounts for little in his eyes. Compared to that stance, Senator McCain viewed the scenario somewhat differently. He valued the people's backing. "We have got to get the support of the people of Pakistan," he maintained.
Remaining on the issue of terrorism, one would like President Zardari to substantiate his view that President Bush's leadership has made the world "a safer place". This perception is at sharp variance with the common opinion of expert observers of events as well as of the general public. In any case, it would be difficult to reconcile it with his other statement that the axis of evil was growing. Only a just redress of grievances of the people under exploitation of powerful states could herald a safer world.


THERE is no marked difference between military regimes and democratic governments when it comes to taking crucial decisions on dictations from the world powers. It is however for the first time that an elected PM has conceded that his government took some difficult and "undemocratic" decisions like the withdrawal of subsidies and passed the burden on to consumers due to international pressure. There is no disputing the fact that democratic leaderships have to take unpopular decisions at times but then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would have a few takers for his claim that his government agreed to the removal of subsidies only because economic stability was its top priority. Mr Gilani who was in Karachi on Saturday to attend an iftar-diner hosted by Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad had earlier had a meeting with the representatives of the business community. But he might not have been able to satisfy their curiosity on how economy could be galvanized amid the rising cost of energy and other inputs. The PM deftly directed them to the finance and commerce ministers to have their genuine concerns addressed.
Mr Gilani had a point in saying that law and order was precarious due to terrorism and extremism but stopped short of elaborating why has the menace spread further on his regime's watch. This government is not only framing its economic policies on pressure from international financial institutions but is also religiously following foreign diktat for combating militancy that has gradually spilled over from the restive tribal region into the settled areas of Pakistan. The country is facing devastating fallout of the so-called War on Terror. The recent blast at Marriott Hotel Islamabad is a pointer in the direction. But so far the government has not been able to figure out whose war it is fighting and at what cost.
The Prime Minister seemed genuinely concerned about the economic downslide and rising inflation, which has added further to the miseries of the people but his government cannot escape the blame for not doing anything substantial to redress their grievances. It remained too badly stuck in resolving political squabbles within the ruling coalition to spare time to focus its attention on the matters of governance. It was seen clearly dithering about its promise to revive the rule of law for which the nation had voted it into power. Mr Gilani and his party's leadership will be doing the greatest disservice to the nation by letting the parliament act merely as a rubberstamp as it was during the Musharraf era rather than turning into a sovereign body exercising freedom.


IN Golarchi, District Badin, a man has sold his child for Rs 100 as soon as he was born. According to a private TV channel, a person named Laano sold his child, and delivered it within hours of birth to members of the Agwani tribe. The incident was reported to the police by the maternal uncle of the child, and then police action led to the recovery of the child and to the taking into custody of Farid Agwani. The child's mother, Hanifan, has disclosed that the people from the Agwani tribe came when she was unconscious, but still able to make out that they had come on a rickshaw, and then the foul deed was done. That Laano has a history of child-sale, having before sold a girl-child, should not distract from the fact that this has been an episode caused by poverty. Indeed, the whole of lower Sindh has been impoverished by the current economic crisis, and Badin is just one district among many which are at moment deeply afflicted.
It is difficult to imagine how hard-pressed must be even the father of a child who would sell off his own blood on birth. The situation he must be facing would have to be very dire indeed, for him to have made the necessary arrangements ahead of the birth of the child, and that too without the knowledge of the mother, whose silence was so essential to the success of the scheme. That he planned the crime in advance is clear enough from the sequence of events as pieced together by the police.
The government should pay special attention not just to the afflicted districts, which include the area from which both the National Assembly Speaker and her husband the Sindh Home Minister belong, but to the whole of Sindh, or rather the whole of Pakistan, to make sure that no families get so poor in the current crisis that they are forced into selling their children. No one should take the plea of custom, or any such thing as any party to this deal might make, to justify this horrible crime, as has happened in some other cases.

source : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...8/Dire-straits

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Sept/30/08

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari had his baptism of fire during his maiden visit to the US as head of state. Besides addressing the UN General Assembly, he had the occasion to interact with government heads from a number of countries. What must have tested his mettle most were meetings with President Bush and senior members of his Administration. Being in the US on the occasion of the first presidential debate, and having talked to both vice-presidential candidates, he must have had an inkling of what lies ahead after either of the two presidential hopefuls assumes office on January 20. Mr Zardari's weakness lay in two things. First, he was making the visit when the country faced unprecedented economic and social challenges. Second, being an elected president, he was not free to make the sort of promises his predecessor did.
On account of the deteriorating law and order situation, he carried little good news for President Bush while, because of the sad state of the economy which led to the downgrading of the country's rating and fears of an imminent default, he badly needed the West's support. Washington was obsessed with the fear of a lethal attack being in the offing from Al-Qaeda men who it believes are being trained in Pakistan's tribal areas. The attack on Islamabad's Marriott Hotel, with the Czech ambassador and two Americans among the casualties, had added manifold to the US worries. While President Zardari was in New York the Afghan ambassador-designate to Pakistan was kidnapped and an exchange of fire took place between Pakistani troops and two US helicopters violating the country's airspace. The events had sent warning bells ringing in Washington. While Mr Bush noted Mr Zardari's concern about violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty, the latter failed to extricate any ironclad guarantee that no violation of the sort would take place unless certain conditions were fulfilled, that is, Pakistan was to take action against key Al-Qaeda leaders presumably hiding along the Pak-Afghan border and ensure that there was no crossborder movement from the tribal areas. It was conveyed in no uncertain terms that it was Islamabad's duty as a responsible state to contain any activity hostile to the US from its tribal areas, failing which Washington would act on its own to safeguard what it considered its vital national interests.
It was, however, recognised in Washington that it did not suit it if Pakistan was to turn into a failed state on account of the economic crisis it faces. The World Bank was given a nod to agree to $1.3 billion support despite its earlier refusal to help. The Friends of Pakistan too agreed to collect $10 to $15 billion, though it was not clear how long they would take to fulfill the promise. The visit thus can be described as partly successful.


THE menace of loadshedding has reared its head yet again. The brief respite during Ramadan, allowing the people to breathe a sigh of relief, was broken by countrywide blackout spells extending to over eight hours per day. The explanation by the PEPCO chief that the loadshedding was the result of a power shortfall of 1500MW the company was experiencing, seems like another of the excuses that the authorities usually come up with. Another reason he gave was that the shortage of water in dams aggravated the power crisis, but it appears like an attempt to brush the problem under the carpet and is hard to buy. Dry dams are just one aspect of the problem; the country produces more than 80 per cent of its electricity from other sources like oil and gas.
The government ought to realise that things could get out of control if it continued its makeshift approach. At present the Independent Power Producers, whose share in electricity generation is quite large, have threatened to quit providing services if their bills are not paid. It is obvious that the government's ability is handicapped by the liquidity crunch, but then it would become extremely difficult for the IPPs to keep working without receiving their dues. Meanwhile, the demand and supply situation continues to worsen. It is worth pointing out that the energy requirement has shot up 20 percent this year alone. The PEPCO chief has assured that the crisis would be over by August 2009. Given the government's half-hearted, snail-paced approach, there does not appear much light at the end of the tunnel. The plan includes bringing in new IPPs. However, the past record of how the government has been doing business with the existing ones would, in all probability, serve as a disincentive to them. Reportedly, 15 new IPPs have been asked to bail the country out of the mess.
It is a pity that the Thar Coal Project, initiated in 1993, could not go any further due to frequent government dismissals. It should be taken out of the cold storage at the earliest. The energy reserves discovered in the Thar area are estimated to be greater than those of Iran and Saudi Arabia put together, and could generate a huge amount of electricity which would allow the country to export the surplus as well. We should also explore the useful option of exploiting alternative sources of energy. We have the example of the West, that is now rapidly turning to solar, wind and other sources for energy generation. The authorities should end their present piecemeal outlook and must address the issue on a war footing.


TWO bomb explosions in Quetta, coming at a time when the country is already shaken by terrorism, should concern the government, which has not been able to find a cure for the growing malaise. As many as 11 people were injured, two of them critically, when the blasts ripped through two crowded business centres in the city. The concerned SSP tried to downplay the incident by observing that there was just one bomb and the other blast was caused by an exploding gas cylinder, as if the law enforcement agencies are not supposed to respond to a situation where an act of terrorism does not meet some measured magnitude.
Now consider some basic facts behind the blast at a CD Centre. A man walked into the shop and immediately came out of it, leaving a shopping-bag inside. The police was intimated about the suspected explosive, but it did not bother to alert the bomb disposal unit. It rushed to the spot but only after the explosion had occurred. The shop owner and other traders dealing in the CD business had been receiving threats from a militant organisation that if they did not immediately stop what they termed an un-Islamic business, they would have to face the consequences. But the police did not beef up security around this plaza, which being a busy place in ordinary times, had been drawing even larger crowds due to Eid.
Before this, Balochistan was not familiar with this kind of crisis where the so-called religious organizations would start issuing warnings to videoshop owners in a bid to enforce shariat as is the practice in the restive tribal region and some settled parts of the Frontier Province, currently in the grip of violence. The federal government must take a break from other activities and focus its attention on addressing the genuine concerns of the Baloch population, which was compelled to take up arms after being subjected to the worst kind of repression in the last nine years. Balochistan needs a healing touch. It cannot be left to the mercy of the elements desperate to foist on the nation their version of religion.

source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne.../Quetta-blasts

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Hopes and fears

2 Nov 2008


AS nothing concrete has so far come out of the government's efforts to get financial support to tide over the deepening economic crisis and time is running out before obligatory payments become due, there is a palpable sense of apprehension in the air. However, top government functionaries, the President, the Prime Minister and the Advisor on Finance sound very optimistic. The Prime Minister, attending the World Economic Forum at Istanbul, appeared to suggest to Reuters that the issue was quite simple: there was no possibility of default and, besides, Pakistan could avoid the IMF if friendly countries were to come forward with their help. The President believes that the crisis is only temporary. The Advisor to PM on Finance is so confident of the country's strength that he asserts the acceptance of IMF "on our terms", which looks quite incongruent given the ground realities.

The phenomenon is not localised and has international dimensions and, therefore, really grave. For instance, assuming that the government succeeds in its expectations of receiving assistance to revive the economy, the markedly slackened global import capacity would naturally make a sizeable dent in the quantum of our exports. Thus, it is pretty hard to accept the President's assessment that the crisis is just temporary. In this age of inter-linked global economies, there has to be a revival of economic activity in countries doing business between them. However, one would not doubt Mr Zardari's remark that Pakistan is tackling the challenge on a war footing to ease the situation. At the same time, one cannot help viewing the scenario in the backdrop of harsh conditionalities the IMF would impose while providing funds. Already there are press reports that though Islamabad is aiming at as high an injection of funds as $9 billion, the IMF is not prepared to go beyond a certain limit. Besides, it is insisting on further raising the interest rate that most Pakistani officials do not think beneficial. Reportedly, we are trying to persuade the US to intercede with the IMF to have these two conditions waved but with the superpower's present attitude towards Pakistan, it would be a big surprise if it were to do that. The scenario gets darker with the repeated indication from the Friends of Pakistan that they would not oblige and we would be forced to look up to the IMF.

From whatever source we get the required aid, Mr Zardari, due to visit Saudi Arabia soon, would have the opportunity to explain to King Abdullah our predicament and make the best efforts to secure the Saudi oil facility on credit to boost our position.

The way forward

2 Nov 2008


UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, while expressing his concern over what he said was the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan, has urged the neighbouring countries to come to its help. Mr Ban who was addressing a press conference in New Delhi must have had Afghanistan and India in mind when referring to neighbours but it was disappointing to see him not mentioning the role both countries have been playing to destabilize Pakistan. There should be little doubt that being the leader of the global body he would be aware of the nature of bilateral relations, especially the factor of illegal occupation of Kashmir by India. One had wished he urged it to respect UN resolutions on the dispute. Instead of condemning Indian atrocities in held Kashmir his stress on the need to continue the dialogue process amounted to sidestepping the focus from the core issue.

Likewise, there was no reference in the Secretary General's speech to the US unilateral air strikes on Pakistani territory and the havoc they were causing. The situation in tribal areas and the plight of the internally displaced persons is just one offshoot of US adventurism. Thus his preference to turn a blind eye to the reality and absolve the countries like the US and India of what they have been doing reflects poorly on the state of the UN and its effectiveness in solving outstanding world disputes. Little wonder, many voices throughout the world have been rightly airing their views that the UN was subservient to the US. Its failure to prevent the US from attacking Iraq and Afghanistan is a case in point.

Mr Ban if he really is sincere in easing the tension in the region should at the earliest be trying his best persuade India to respect the relevant UNSC resolutions giving Kashmiris the right to self-determination. The issue needs to be resolved urgently; otherwise, it would continue pricking the conscience of the international community.

__________________
Time is the longest distance between two places.

november/21/08


THE future of the Local Governments will reportedly be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Gilani meets provincial chief ministers on Saturday. Uncertainty has persisted about the future of the system introduced by Gen (retd) Musharraf after the February 18 elections. Newly installed provincial governments have demanded that the system be scrapped or drastically overhauled. The Local Bodies set-up introduced by Ziaul Haq in 1979 was widely criticized for being subservient to the bureaucracy. The present system introduced under the rubric of the devolution of power by Gen (retd) Musharraf, involved massive structural changes in governance at the provincial and district levels. The bureaucracy was made subservient to the District Nazim. The executive magistracy was abolished. The difference between the rural and urban areas was done away with, and MNAs and MPAs were deprived of a role in local development. The scope of the provincial governments was limited to formulation of laws and regulations. This was hailed by the supporters of the system as the end of the municipalization of politics caused by the previous set-up. Among the positive features of the new system were enhanced representation of marginalized groups, like religious minorities, women, peasants and workers. That the bureaucracy was made answerable to the elected representatives, was considered another progressive feature. Among the negative points was that the new system lent itself to misuse by those controlling Islamabad. Former President Musharraf used it to extend the military rule while he secured his position by manipulating the referendum and general elections with the help of the District Nazims. There were also complaints that the end of the executive magistracy had created administrative chaos in the provinces.


WITH the federal cabinet's approval of the economic stabilisation plan envisaging foreign assistance, the way is clear for making a formal approach to the IMF Executive Board to give its consent to a loan package of $7.6 billion for Pakistan when it meets on November 23. It bears reminding the government that though a strategy might look foolproof on paper, it would call for certain prerequisites to make it a success. The most haunting fear of the entrepreneurial class in the context of Pakistan today, for instance, is its exceedingly poor law and order situation in which neither life nor property is safe. On those who are charged with the maintenance of peaceful living conditions in the country now falls a major responsibility. Unless the investor feels secure in doing business here, one should not expect foreign capital to flow in, which, incidentally, holds the key to economic recovery, more particularly in a developing country. Even the local entrepreneur will be shy of putting in his money and would look for safer havens.


THE sudden disruption of gas supplies to over 130 textile-exporting units in the central and northern parts of Punjab by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines without any prior notice have irked the mill owners, who had been ensured an uninterrupted gas supply by the government. The decision comes at a time when the textile industry, the mainstay of our exports, is facing a financial crunch and the country's trade deficit has risen to over $16 billion during the current fiscal year. The extra cost of electricity to be borne by textile mills during gas loadshedding would adversely affect their viability. They are already finding it hard to compete with other countries due to expensive inputs.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association's Punjab Zone President Akbar Sheikh got it right when he said the government kept exhorting the industry to adopt a market economy, but had failed on the supply side. The damage caused to the gas-based electric generators and the expensive textile machinery, due to the sudden disruption of supply, needs to be compensated. The SNGPL management must explain why it failed to intimate APTMA about the diversion of industrial gas supply to domestic consumers. Some heads must roll. The crisis gripping the leading sector of our economy, that not only earns a major chunk of foreign exchange but also is a prime source of providing employment both for the skilled and unskilled labour force, cannot be allowed to worsen. Those in authority need to take appropriate measures to check such instances if it plays its role right.


THE louder Pakistan decries drone attacks inside its territory, the more inaudible becomes the protests for the lame-duck Bush Administration. This became more obvious when the airstrikes, earlier restricted to the tribal region, were expanded to settled areas of the NWFP. Four people were killed and as many injured when a US drone fired two missiles on a residential compound in Janikhel area of Bannu District. A foreign news agency quoted a senior security official in Peshawar as saying that a major Arab Al-Qaeda operative was among the killed in the overnight attack, and American intelligence officials identified him as Abdullah Azam Al-Saudi, one of the main links between Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders operating on this side of the Durand Line. There is however no official word on whether US officials shared the intelligence with Pakistani security forces. But a drone intruding deep into our territory only hours after Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's call on the NATO Military Committee in Brussels to immediately halt missile raids in the country, is indeed a cause of concern. Islamabad must adopt proactive diplomacy to safeguard the country's sovereignty.

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You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

jan 2,2009

A changing scenario

WHILE the danger of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan has not completely vanished, there are indications that the leaderships of both countries as well as the US have realised that maintaining the present tempo of tension would not be in anyone's interest except that of the terrorists. Therefore, the war cries that had been emanating from New Delhi has been replaced with saner voices. That is also evident from remarks of White House Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe, who said, after President Bush had spoken to President Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, "all the three leaders from the United States, India and Pakistan agreed that no one wanted to take any steps that unnecessarily raise tension." The clarification from Washington that it never asked Islamabad to hand over the accused to New Delhi should be seen in this light. The Americans, who had, in the first instance, blindly gone along with the Indian version without caring to verify the evidence to put Islamabad under maximum pressure, have, it seems, at last felt that the persistence of the present scenario would distract Islamabad's focus on the war on terror front along the Pak-Afghan border. Hence, President Bush's telephone calls to the leaders of the two countries. Mr Bush, who urged them to cooperate in investigating the Mumbai attacks, should be counselling his Indian friends to come forward with the proof of the involvement of elements from Pakistan to enable it to properly proceed against the culprits, rather than trying to pressure it to rush into punishing the persons New Delhi has repeatedly blamed for terrorist acts on its soil.
Meanwhile, contradictory versions about FBI's findings whether Kasab, whom India is supposed to have caught red-handed in the Mumbai carnage, has any link with Pakistan have appeared, defying attempts to get at the truth. However, The Wall Street Journal has reported that Zarar Shah of the Lashkar-i-Taiba has confessed to being one of the principal planners of the Mumbai incident. If that turns out to be true, Pakistan would have to put him on trial because Mr Zardari has unequivocally stated that Pakistan would not stand non-state actors using its territory to plan terrorist attacks in other countries.
The world ought to accept COAS Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's demand and put pressure on India to cooperate with Pakistan by sharing all details of the evidence it has about the Mumbai killings. It would then rest with Pakistan to investigate whether its soil has been used to mastermind them and in case the Indian charges turn out to be correct, the international community could see whether the guilty are punished. Taking anyone to task on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations goes against the basic principles of justice.

sources:http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...nging-scenario

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~~We JuDgE OurseLves By What we feeL CapabLe Of doing,While OthErs JudGe Us By whaT we have already DonE~~

Need to spread peace

JUST a week after peace efforts in Swat succeeded, with the conclusion of an agreement between the government and the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, the militants in Bajaur, which is supposed to be one of their strongholds, declared truce on Monday, and that prompted the Army to announce that it was suspending the operation for four days as well. One would hope that these moves bring permanent calm and restore normal life in these violence-ridden areas. Not only that. The message spreads across, and Al-Qaeda and the Taliban elsewhere in the tribal region lay down their arms and accept the writ of the state in the larger interests of the security of the people and the country at large.

Under the circumstances, it is immaterial whether the militants' decision came after they found themselves badly cornered by the Army or they have been brought round to appreciate the virtue of peace in the talks they held with the jirga or, as surmised by an unnamed Western diplomat, the militants would like to concentrate on strengthening resistance in Afghanistan in the wake of President Obama's decision to despatch two more brigades to the occupied land, with 17,000 troops making the first phase of deployment. And, therefore, they would like to end, or at least reduce, their involvement in Pakistan's tribal areas. Rather, it is important for the authorities to make sincere efforts to build on the opportunity provided by peaceful conditions, strictly adhere to the agreement in Swat to make the arrangement durable and try to convince militants in other tribal agencies to understand that their policies constitute a serious threat to stability of the country.
The government's proactive role in this regard is all the more needed in view of the new US Administration's stress on eliminating 'safe havens' of terrorists in our tribal areas with intensified drone attacks. In an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, President Obama emphatically remarked, "I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away." However, at the same time, one hopes that the strategists sitting in Washington would see the wisdom of our argument that the violation of our territorial sovereignty, particularly that which murders innocent civilians as well, does not help get rid of the extremist scourge.

March/18/09
WHILE the result of the recent crisis has caused national jubilation, it should not obscure the hidden corners which left the undemocratic practices of the past to continue. One such aspect has been the role of the military. In the recent crisis, it still bulked larger than it was supposed to, and played a major role in persuading the President that it was best if he acceded to the demands of the protesters. It was only after this intervention that the President was prepared to accede to the Prime Minister's decision to accede to the restoration of the non-PCO judiciary, which was the demand of the protesters. A simple chronology of the crisis shows that the Chief of Army Staff did not intervene once, but several times, in what was essentially a political matter, which should have been settled between politicians.

It remains a pity that the two major parties of the country have signed a Charter of Democracy, of which the cornerstone was the stopping of the way of all future intervention by the military in politics, but when it comes to a crisis, and that too involving as non-military an institution as the judiciary, it is the military to which politicians turn. In a 'Spearhead Analysis' in this newspaper, former COAS and Ambassador to USA Gen (retd) Jehangir Karamat has spoken of the military following the 'Kiyani Model', whereby it did not take over, but remained "invisible but around, fully informed and acting through well timed and effective influence in the right quarter." This is the portrayal of a military which chose not to take over, not one which could not, as is supposed to be the case in democracies and countries under constitutional rule.
However, as General Karamat noted, a precedent has been set, one of non-intervention, that should be followed in future to the extent that in future crises, political parties will deal with each other without any interlocutors, and the military will find itself with no other role but the one that other institutions of state had in this one: spectators. No doubt, spectators are uncomfortable, and this role sits ill on those trained to be men of action. But constitutional rule requires that state institutions should obey, and not be as anxious to save the state as our military professes itself to be. Pakistan has as much of a history of military intervention as the other examples General Karamat mentioned, Thailand and Bangladesh, but its military has this time proved that it does not seek to intervene until the political breakdown is irretrievable.

THE suicide attack in Rawalpindi at Pirwadhai intersection on Peshawar Road on Monday, that killed 12 people and wounded many others, once again reflects lax security arrangements. PM's Interior Adviser Rehman Malik, who warned the public some time back that militants had entered the twin cities, seems to be only good at giving warnings, as more often than not his Ministry fails to stop them from carrying out their deadly missions. One should have thought that his real job is to ensure the safety and security of citizens, which requires disabling such elements before they could create any trouble.
The wave of bomb blasts in different parts of the country points to the fact that the law enforcement agencies have been careless in performing their duties. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team was a security lapse. Worse still, after the shootout the police could not arrest the attackers and as of now they remain at large. In the case of suicide bombings, it has been a constant refrain on the part of the security officials that it is virtually impossible to stop a suicide bomber from blowing himself up, but attacks of the kind could be prevented by cracking down on the networks through effective intelligence. It bears pointing out that the terrorists have been unable to carry out any major attack in the US after 9/11.
According to a private TV channel, the PM's Interior Adviser said that there could be a series of blasts and that the people should stay alert. But this is not going to help them in any way. They would rather look to him to make proper arrangements for their safety, instead of keeping himself busy in devising schemes to undo political opponents. Keeping in view the sensitive security situation, he ought to work with single-minded determination to bring the militants to book. A better mode of coordination between the different intelligence agencies, in close liaison with the police, might prove to be effective.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...ons/Editorials

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You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.