Iqbal Day:

THE 70th death anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is being observed at a time when his concept of Pakistan as a modern Islamic democracy practising moderation and serving as a bulwark against theocracy is under attack as never before. Iqbal, who strongly criticised some of the nationalist ulema for their outmoded views, was well aware of the fact that they were not capable of leading the nation. And he was right because he understood that the leadership of the nation in the modern world required much more than traditional madressa learning. Running a modern state with all its complexities requires knowledge of the contemporary world, understanding of the economy, and the requirements of national defence, international relations and diplomatic norms and conventions. Above all, it requires a vision, which is singularly lacking among the elements rooted in tribal communities. This explains why the movement for the creation of Pakistan was led not by conventional ulema, some of whom were deadly opposed to it, but by two highly dedicated visionaries practising moderate Islam, who had envisioned the new country as a pluralist Islamic state to serve as role model for the Muslim World. What Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad has repeatedly said about democracy, the constitution and the superior courts strengthens the apprehensions Iqbal had about such clerics' ignorance of statecraft. According to the TNSM Chief, the current democratic system practised in the country is "Nizam-e-Kufr" and those accepting it are Mushrikeen. According to him, the Supreme Court and High Courts are against Sharia. One concedes that the system created under the 1973 Constitution has several flaws. That is why there will always remain a need for constitutional amendments, within the basic framework of a federal democracy, from time to time. But despite its weaknesses this is the only system that can guarantee the unity and integrity of the state. What is more, it has been endorsed by ulema belonging to all schools of thought. Similarly, there are no two opinions about the legal system being prone to corruption, and slow moving. One hopes that with an independent judiciary in place now, the Supreme Court will move apace to remove these highly serious vulnerabilities.

Any deviation from the teachings of the Founding Fathers can harm Pakistan. There is a need to urgently shoot down the 17th amendment and Article 58(2b) in line with the Charter of Democracy, enhance the quantum of provincial autonomy and improve the lot of the common man to make Pakistan a model Islamic country and a democratic welfare state. Those who want changes in the system should join mainstream politics by contesting elections, rather than dictating to the state on gunpoint.

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Justice For All:

CHIEF Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has rightly observed that the existing laws are sufficient enough, but require proper implementation and if they are followed properly, this will automatically streamline the system and provide justice to the people. Addressing the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, which concluded its two-day deliberations on Sunday with the Chief Justices of all the four High Courts and the Federal Shariat Court attending, he said the national judicial policy was being prepared to eradicate corruption from the judiciary. The meeting endorsed the Chief Justice's proposal that 2009 be declared the "Year for Justice for All" and resolved that no chief justice or judge of any superior court would become acting governor of a province or hold any public office in future. This is in line with the principle of the separation of judiciary from executive as clearly enunciated in the Constitution. The need for following this principle was never felt so strongly in the past as now. The committee has met at a time when the nation looks forward to the superior judiciary playing an effective role in revamping the nearly dysfunctional judicial system with delays in the disposal of cases being characterized by corruption and incompetence especially at the level of lower courts. There has been no significant improvement in the working of the subordinate judiciary in Punjab when it comes to clearing the huge backlog of cases or providing speedy justice to the poor litigants, despite substantial financial incentives announced by the provincial government for civil and sessions judges. The argument that quick disposal of cases can be ensured only by making the police submit complete challans without delay cannot be disputed. Granted, the police need to be reined in. But what about civil litigations involving property and other disputes? Why do they take so long to decide with litigants not getting justice in their lifetime?
The committee has very rightly asserted that a former judge of the Supreme or High Courts should not accept any office of profit in the service of Pakistan before the expiry of two years after his retirement. At the same time the moral binding on a retired judge for not accepting an ex-cadre post lower than his status, like that of banking or customs court or the federal or provincial services tribunals, would keep them from compromising their dignity while they are on the Bench. But in its endeavour to attain independence and exercise its authority, the committee need not lose sight of ensuring quick justice to the people.

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How Disappointing:

THE United States' absence from the UN global conference on racism in Geneva, in support of Israel, is extremely disappointing. Unfortunately, a number of countries from the developed world - Germany, New Zealand, Australia and some EU nations - also decided to stand by Israel, which is a sad reflection on the conscience of the international community.
The Obama Administration has boycotted the event because it fears that the text that would be read out during the meeting contains objectionable language, which would single out Israel for criticism. Besides, the prospect of the opening day speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad must have also scared the US Administration away. While the US boycott of the summit has shocked the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, Finnish Nobel Laureate Martti Ahtisaari, speaking at a forum in Amman, accused Israel of human rights violations in Gaza. He was right in saying that the investigation into the war crimes that were committed during Israeli offensive there could not be carried out because of the US blind support to Tel Aviv.
The United States is clearly at fault here. It has to make amends in its Middle East policy and give up its all-out support of Israel, which serves to generate resentment throughout the Islamic world. And because of the same factor, there appears little hope for the two-state solution to become a reality. Meanwhile, the economic blockade of Gaza followed by aerial bombardment and ground operation in it, that led to the death of at least 1500 civilians, mostly children and women, must not be ignored. US participation in the conference and speaking out the truth without any fear of the Zionist entity would have significantly improved its image in the Muslim world. Its contention that Israel should not be condemned in the conference, as it has done nothing wrong to the Palestinians, to all intents and purposes amounts to rubbing salt on the wounds of the Palestinian nation

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OIC's HR Body:

THE idea of the constitution of a human rights commission of its own by the Organisation of Islamic Conference is, indeed, welcome news. Despite the glorious principles of human dignity and rights under an Islamic system that Muslims never tire of articulating before the world, it is a thousand pity that there would hardly be a Muslim country that could boast of a clean human rights record. Rather, in comparison with other civilised societies theirs has been of a markedly miserable standard.

The OIC Secretary General, Prof. Ekneleddin Ihsanuglo, who chaired the first meeting of the OIC's Inter-governmental Group of Experts at Jeddah on Saturday hinted at the formation of such a commission and underscored the point that "human rights and man's dignity are an integral part of Islam and core components of Islamic culture and heritage."

The Muslim world cannot take shelter behind the recent recourse to the usurpation of human rights by the various Western governments, the US in particular, and continue to adopt practices that are no longer acceptable to the international community. The Western nations, which used to claim in the past to have a reasonably good human rights record, have been badly defaulting on this score since 9/11. But their justification of the prevailing political and security atmosphere in the world for putting certain limits on the exercise of the citizens' rights to certain freedoms does not hold water. They are also in the process of reviewing their positions. Human rights are so sacrosanct in the eyes of Islam that under no circumstances should there be an attempt at violating them. Besides, in the ultimate analysis, their observance proves far more desirable in terms of results than their violation.

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Misplaced Hope:

PRIME Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's observation that Pakistan wants good relations with the neighbouring countries is the reiteration of our stated position. Addressing a Press conference in Karachi on Saturday that focused mainly on removing misperceptions about the enforcement of Shariah in Swat and explaining his government's policy on the War on Terror, he stressed the need for the resumption of CBMs between Islamabad and New Delhi. The PM went a little overboard saying that relations between the two South Asian countries had been improving until the Mumbai carnage had derailed the process. It was long before the terror strike in the Indian commercial capital that New Delhi started dragging its feet on reciprocating Islamabad's sincerity in resolving longstanding disputes. It remained reluctant to even accept any timeframe for the settlement of the Kashmir problem. There had been some easing of tension between the two countries since the beginning of the composite dialogue in 2002 but India was always trying to avenues for its escalation every time Pakistan sought the resolution of the core issue. Not just that its effort to fight terrorism were viewed with scepticism but it was subjected to intense finger pointing for harbouring extremists and exporting the scourge outside its borders. It became more evident after the Mumbai attacks within hours of which both the Indian government and its media started blaming Pakistani intelligence apparatus for sponsoring terrorism on its soil. The entire approach is based on diverting the world attention from the atrocities being committed in Kashmir against those struggling to liberate themselves from the shackles of the Indian occupation. As India is now going through the process of elections what keeps intriguing everyone's mind is how far these polls would alter the fundamental politics of the Held State and its relationship with New Delhi. That on the Pakistan-India front there could be a further dampening of relationship in case of a change of regime in New Delhi after the elections is something that cannot be easily ruled out. If the BJP wins it will take even longer to de-escalate the prevalent tension. The perception shared by India's political leadership and its media is that relations between the two countries could settle along the golden means of limited engagement on the basis of the extent to which New Delhi feels Islamabad is serious about fighting terrorism. Prime Minister Gilani should first try to understand the peculiar mindset, which pervades the Indian polity before placing much hope in the resumption of CBMs

The Nation Editorial: 22/04/2009.

1).A right move

TRUE to its word, the State Bank of Pakistan has finally lowered the discount rate after what it had felt was a decrease in the inflation. The Consumer Price Index (YoY), the principal variable for the government to measure inflation for the common man, went down to 19.1 percent from 25.3 percent, still high by the SBP Governor's own admission,, but low enough to live up to its promise to cut the discount rate. Our economy had been hit hard by an inflation problem following the inflationary growth policies of the Shaukat Aziz regime. The State Bank, then under Governor Ishrat Hussein's watch, started cautioning the Finance Division of the adverse effects of the fiscal recklessness, not just in terms of diminishing fiscal space, but also on the general inflation. Though the Bank could not convince the government to lay off the spending spree, it started reining in the money supply itself through open market operations and rate hikes. This prudent policy continued through Dr Shamshad's tenure and continued on Saleem Raza's watch. The two sides of the interest rate debate each have their compelling arguments. The idea behind the interest rate hikes was to suck the excess liquidity from the money markets. It is not the central bank's jurisdiction to check food and fuel inflation, nor in its power, but it could at least tackle core inflation through the money markets. That is all well and good, detractors started pointing out, but the interest rate hikes are stifling credit provision to businesses across the country. In an effort to curb inflation, we were raising the costs of business in the country, leading to more inflation. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. Pakistan was not facing a falling aggregate demand as was propounded by certain sections of the press. It was facing quite the opposite. There was - and is - a structural imbalance between aggregate demand and aggregate supply in the economy. The former outstrips the latter. This did, in fact, necessitate interest rate hikes. But if the only sustainable solution was to foster the supply side, then interest rates do have to be eased up to facilitate credit provision. One solution would be for easier credit for businesses and agriculture, but not for anything else. Though the problem here would be that the inflationary effects would still spill over into the general economy. Plus, commercial banks would end up resenting the extent to which State Bank would be micromanaging their lending patterns here. The economy is on the road to stability, true, but that doesn't mean there isn't still a long way to grow. We need to figure out how to keep inflation low while ensuring a high growth rate. That, however, will also depend on the global economic situation and the dodgy law and order situation in the country.

2.) Nation's worries.

PRIME Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's remarks that US special envoy Richard Holbrooke did not need to worry about the Swat peace accord, and that this was our country, would be welcome as far as they convey the sense that Pakistan was a sovereign state with the right to take its own decisions whether any outside power liked it or not. But since Mr Gilani also believed that the situation in the valley was returning to normal and that he was not concerned about Maulana Sufi Muhammad's statements, it is pertinent to record one's strong reservations. It is difficult to ignore whatever Sufi Muhammad pronounces, as he heads the TNSM and signed the peace deal on Tehrik-i-Taliban's behalf. His utterances on democracy and superior courts should ring alarm bells everywhere. TTP spokesman Muslim Khan maintains that his organisation would not be content with the introduction of Sharia in Malakand Division but would like to see it enforced all over the country. And, it should be understood, the Sharia that he has in mind is of the TTP's conservative mould, which is not how a large number of people in the country interpret it. About one of the main clauses of the peace accord, the laying down of arms by the TTP, Muslim Khan took a new line, asserting that they would do so only if the Sharia courts ordered them to do so.
Clearly, there is little indication of the situation in Swat normalising. At the same time, the nation is quite worried at not only by the rhetoric that is coming out of Swat but also the conduct of the TTP. The abduction of seven security personnel belonging to the Frontier Constabulary on Monday is the latest incident of the violation of the agreement.
There can be no better index of the nation's division on the issue than what is reflected in Monday's proceedings of the Senate. The MQM walked out of the House when Senator Babar Ghouri, Federal Minister from the party, could not get the Chair's satisfactory response to the question about the status of Parliament under Sharia. So did the PML(Q). There were voices from the Treasury as well as the Opposition questioning the relevance of presenting a resolution on the Swat deal after the President had signed it. It is obvious that the government has dealt with the matter most shoddily. The resolution should have been properly debated in the National Assembly and sent to the Senate rather than the President straightaway signing it. Unless the various political parties are on board and the people taken into confidence about the implications of an agreement of such significance, it would be hard to evolve a national consensus on such an important national issue.

3.) Projects for Karachi.

IN a bid to provide better civic and urban amenities to the Karachites, President Asif Zardari approved a number of mega-projects for the city at a meeting on Monday. There is reason to believe that the projects, that range from sanitation to irrigation, have been planned keeping in view the problems faced by the people. Five of them relate to the transportation and communication system, which certainly reflects the reality that transportation constitutes one of the biggest problems there. Thousands who have to stand in queues, sometimes waiting for hours, to catch a bus will find commuting in the city much easier through the addition of 500 buses. Likewise, other projects - Karachi Circular Railway, Lyari Expressway and Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway, Larkana-Khairpur Bridge - will benefit a large section of the population. It is comforting to learn that these projects, some of which were launched earlier, are scheduled to be complete soon.
Our mega-cities are up against a number of odds, most of which result from lack of urban planning. It is however the situation in Karachi that worries one the most. Unfortunately, the development up until now has not been in consonance with the rate of increase in population. The efforts by the City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, who was hailed by a foreign rating agency to be one of the best mayors in the world, deserves appreciation, but there is still a lot that remains to be done. Karachi is home to more than 60 percent of the population of urban Sindh, which continues to grow at a fast rate. Estimates are that by 2015 it will have more than 15 million dwellers. As of now, a fairly large chunk of the population is residing in urban localities devoid of basic civic facilities like clean drinking water, education and electricity.
The President has taken a step in the right direction. The federal and provincial governments, working in concert with each other, have done well by trying to address the city's problems. Hopefully, better results would be yielded this way.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

1. Unrest in Balochistan.

WORRIED at the unrest that prevails in Balochistan, Senators from both the Opposition and Treasury benches have called on the government to take concrete measures to restore normalcy to the province. One cannot help but endorse the contention of a PPP legislator that the suffering of the people and their dissatisfaction had been decades old but, unfortunately, different governments had continued to turn a blind eye to the situation. Senator Raza Rabbani presented a 15-point agenda that among others calls for initiating a political dialogue, release of political prisoners, judicial inquiry into the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti. They could go a long way in removing the people’s sense of deprivation. It is a pity that the elected government has been found wanting in its duty of setting things right. Of course, the problems goes back to the time the country gained independence but the expectations of a new dawn that when the PPP led set up came into power did not materialise. PPP Co-Chairman President Zardari’s apology to the people of Balochistan for the past injustices just remain hot air. The monetary aid of Rs 46.6 billion he granted to the province will hardly suffice in improving its economic situation. Meanwhile, complaints of Baloch have increased. The assassination of three Baloch leaders has greatly influenced the people’s sentiments. Strikes and act of violence that include targeted killings and kidnapping incidents have multiplied. Attacks on government installations, railway lines, gas pipelines are more frequent. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani suspects the involvement of a foreign hand, which according to him, has been fomenting trouble in the restive region. But whoever is involved, the government cannot absolve itself of its responsibility on reining in the terrorists. This suggests that whatever has been done is too little too late.
All this should invariably set the alarm bells ringing for the government. Equally important is the factor of our political leadership, including the mainstream PPP and PML (N), and their commitment towards the province. Though they agree on the point that there has been some injustice, they somehow do not make a concrete move to remove it. Mere rhetoric and hollow sloganeering that the people of Balochistan continue to hear will remain a non-starter. While the authorities must act quickly to redress the grievances, one would expect that those responsible for creating law and order situation in the province to desist from doing so in the national interest.

2. Respect peace accord

MIAN Nawaz Sharif has taken a stand on the Swat peace deal which is timely, unambiguous and rational. Taking note of highly serious developments that are taking place in Swat and the adjoining areas he has clearly maintained that there can be no bargain over the writ of the state and the democratic system. While he supports talks with the moderate militants, he has expressed concern over the export of a harsh version of Shariah to other parts of the country. His concerns would be shared by a vast majority comprising moderate Muslims, adhering to the ideas of the Founding Fathers, who had rejected theocracy in favour of democracy. The Quaid-i-Azam had put forwards the idea of a separate homeland for Muslims with a democratic, pluralistic and Islamic welfare state.
Many in this country had welcomed the TNSM move to help restore peace in violence ridden Swat. Extremist elements had challenged the writ of the state, attacked government installations and abducted and killed security personnel. Scores of girl schools were torched. A military action launched to bring the situation under control had failed to deliver. TNSM leader Sufi Muhammad promised that the militants would lay down arms, and none would challenge the writ of the state once the Qazi courts were in place. It was widely understood that the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation was a local remedy for a local problem. The government has to abide by the deal. On the other hand the Swat TTP and TNSM have to fulfil their obligations. Rants against democracy and constitution have to end. Security personnel abducted from various areas in Swat on Monday have to be urgently released. There are disturbing reports from adjoining Buner regarding Taliban of Afghan origin, having taken over local administration. They have avowedly taken forcible possession of privates homes and vehicles. Actions of the sort constitute violations of the accord and have to be stopped. Peace in Swat has to be maintained at all costs.

3. Lethal adulteration.

IN a society where adulterated food items and counterfeit products are rife, it is normal to suspect that whatever one is using might not be genuine. It has been noted that generally the eatables even produced by locally established multinationals neither give the ingredients of products nor their quantities on the packing. There is thus every possibility that the otherwise dangerous industrial chemical melamine might be higher than the permissible level in them. Thus the government decision to amend the Pure Food Rules of 2007 to ensure its proper use is commendable. There is also urgent need to acquire the equipment that could analyse the composition of various ingredients in a product. Melamine, it must be recalled, played havoc when it was detected in baby milk in higher than permissible proportions in China. Nearly 54,000 children fell ill and four of them died. Many products were taken off the shelf. Adulteration and counterfeiting in general is a dangerous menace that prevails in the country, and it is time the government took serious note of the problem appearing in different forms and shapes.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

1. Setting things Right.

AS time passes, the US assessment of the Pakistan situation following the conclusion of the Swat peace deal is taking on a gloomier look and one finds top American officials making statements that not only show the Obama Administration's exasperation at Islamabad's attitude towards terrorism but also its disregard of ordinary norms of diplomacy. In this context, the latest observations come from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, while expressing dissatisfaction at Islamabad's policy of dealing with the threat of militancy, went to the extent of calling upon Pakistanis to raise their voices against the government attitude. She complained that she was not hearing much protests from them and felt that all of them, whether officials, ordinary citizens or residents abroad, should come out against it. Giving her testimony, the first since she took office last January, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, she rang alarm bells in the world capitals saying, "Pakistan poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world". Her fears, as of many other foreign leaders, mostly centre round a scenario that perceives the takeover of the country's reins of government by anti-US militants, who she maintained were within hours of Islamabad. The US Administration's worry about the developing scenario is also evident from the frequent trips of its highest-ranking military official to Pakistan. Chairman US Joint Chiefs Committee Adm Mike Mullen flew into Islamabad again on Wednesday and held meetings with COAS Gen Ashfaq Kayani and other top brass. One wonders that if the US were so much concerned, what inhibits it from delivering to the Pakistan Army the modern equipment that could facilitate the task of tracking down the militants in the tricky tribal terrain. Once again, the Admiral promised to provide the necessary weapons and state-of-the-art technology and once again Pakistan hopes that the USA would deliver. Reportedly, General Kayani asked him to put a stop to the drone attacks that, he stressed, were making counter-terrorism efforts harder to succeed. The US should also pay heed to Senator John Kerry's remarks that underlined the inadequacy of its policy towards "Pakistan (which) is in a moment of peril."
Although utterances of foreign leaders might irk us, it would be idle to shut our eyes to the approaching threat from the militants. Even JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has issued a stern warning about the menace. It is a pity that we have not been able to evolve a well though-out policy to combat terrorism. At this moment of crisis, the people expect that political leaders, from government as well as opposition, to put their heads together and prepare a coherent, comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy to relieve the nation of the mounting worry.


2. Balochistan package.

WITH the best intentions, PM's Interior Adviser Rehman Malik is capable of producing the worst results. The 'facts' he presented to the Senate have satisfied neither friends nor foes. He said that India was financing the BLA, which according to him, was involved in terror attacks inside Balochistan while its chief had been provided shelter by President Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. It is surprising that while India maligned Pakistan all over the world in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, Mr Malik should have preferred to keep secret the proofs he avowedly possesses about New Delhi's involvement in terrorist acts inside Balochistan. Is it not strange that Mr Zardari should have gone on cultivating personal relations with Mr Karzai while the Afghan President played host to a man whose group was wreaking havoc in Pakistan? That Mr Karzai pressured Brahamdagh Bugti to release UN official John Solecki only at the UN Secretary General's request is a reflection on our diplomacy. What Mr Malik said about the background of two of the three Baloch leaders whose killing has led to large-scale protests was characterised as sheer distortion by a number of Baloch Senators. Provincial PPP President Lashkari Raisani has accused him of presenting a cock-and-bull story concocted by the security agencies. The Balochistan ANP chief has said Mr Malik was indulging in the decades-old canard of branding Pushtuns and Baloch as traitors. The opposition has accused Mr Malik of creating misunderstandings with Iran by citing confidential information. If the idea was to convince the Senators, the speech has been counterproductive. One hopes Mr Malik is able to put up a better performance during the Senate's in-camera sitting.
Branding people traitors or foreign agents has not paid off in the past, nor will it now. Unless serious efforts are made to remove the grievances of the people of Balochistan created by successive governments, hostile countries will continue to fish in troubled waters. While the PPP leadership has been long on promises it has been short on delivery. What the people of Balochistan want are not doles, but their due share in resources and power.
It is time the government concentrated on fulfilling its promises instead of continuing to repeat them ad nauseam. Mr Malik says that the administration is ready to 'accept all demands' of the people of Balochistan 'except independence' and that it is going to present a constitutional package that will include provincial autonomy and concede to the provinces their right over natural resources. The sooner the government unveils the package, the better for everyone.

3. Uplifting agriculture.


RECESSION has hit every country indeed very hard. The IMF is not much hopeful about the world getting itself out of the economic crisis anytime soon at least not until 2010. It believes that the global growth will be sluggish at the alarming rate of 1.9 percent. No doub Pakistan, like other economies of the world, has been thrust deep into this maelstrom but while different countries from around the globe have taken emergency measures, energizing different sectors of their economies, it has largely adopted a supine attitude towards improving its fiscal situation. For instance, it has ignored its agriculture without taking into consideration the fact that it could make a major contribution in making a financial recovery. By supplying food products like wheat, rice and vegetables, to the world that is going through a food crisis, Pakistan could earn valuable foreign capital.
The need, therefore, is to modernise the farming methods. Citing the example of Gobi desert and how it was turned into a precious farming area, a delegation of Chinese experts has rightly suggested that Pakistan converts its deserts into productive farmlands. They have also stressed the need to introduce hi-tech agriculture on a large scale. While one hopes that the government would lend ears to what its Chinese friends are saying, it could in the meanwhile do well by taking certain steps to improve the yield of crops. The farmers need to be given easy access to credit. Then, the availability of certified seeds remains a big worry. While its use ought to have been 100 percent, it was recorded at 19 percent. Likewise, owing to rampant poverty, the use of equipment like tractors has been curtailed. Lack of water and electricity makes the situation worse.
The government must gird up its loins to address these problems. Keeping in view the factor that Pakistan's economy is largely agrarian, there is reason to believe that the sector could greatly help the country pull itself out of poverty.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

1. Dual threat.


US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said relations with Islamabad will be adversely affected if it fails to act against the Taliban. Pakistan finds itself in a position where it faces grave threats from both its eastern and western borders. The Indian posture towards Pakistan has hardened after the Mumbai attacks, while extremists are putting the country's integrity in jeopardy. Pakistan is being asked to change its approach towards India, as the "existential threat" that Pakistan faces comes from internal extremists and not India. To many in Pakistan, this is a one-sided view which fails to take into cognizance the ground realities in South Asia. The Kashmir issue which is the root cause of hostility between the two South Asian neighbours remains unresolved, thanks to New Delhi's obduracy. Unrest in Kashmir, caused by Indian occupation, has a direct impact on Pakistanis who have religious, ethnic and historical ties with Kashmiris. With all Pakistani rivers except one originating from Kashmir, the core issue has economic implications for the country. Pakistan wants a peaceful resolution of the problem. For this, it has tried its level best to persuade India to come to the negotiating table. India has invariably invented one excuse after another to wriggle out of talks. Knowing well that the Pakistan government had nothing to do with the attack, India unilaterally called off talks after the Mumbai attacks. Pakistan is pressing India to resume the composite dialogue while India continues to refuse. The Indian elections have in fact hardened New Delhi's stance. This leaves Pakistan with no option but to station the bulk of its troops on its eastern borders.
This has provided an ideal opportunity to the extremists in FATA and Swat to expand their activities as events taking place during the last week amply indicate. First the Taliban consolidated their hold on strategic Buner, then they advanced to Shangla. They successfully impeded the movement of the Frontier Constabulary by ambushing a police van which was piloting units of the civil armed forces. Earlier statements by Sufi Mohammad and TTP's Swat spokesman Muslim Khan had made many in Pakistan realize the implications of the threat posed by extremists to the integrity of the country. The advance of the Taliban into Buner and Shangla has shaken many out of their complacency.
One can understand the concern being expressed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US joint chiefs chairman Adm Mike Mullen. However, asking Pakistan to do more, and wringing hands or advancing implicit threats when it refuses to shift troop from the eastern border, will not do. Washington should instead move ahead to persuade India to normalize relations with Pakistan and show willingness to address the core issue of Kashmir. This would help Islamabad divert full attention and all resources to fighting the extremists.


2. For a coherent policy.


SUCH is the threat by the marauding Taliban, that even the political parties who were once apologetic in their stance towards them on the ground that the Taliban movement in Swat was for a just cause, have now found it prudent to rethink their approach. PML(N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif has realized, though belatedly, that the Taliban had exploited the peace deal in Swat to expand their control to Buner and other areas, and insisted that Talibanization was something the people of Pakistan did not want. Likewise, few would have expected that the Jamaat Islami would also express its reservations about the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. JUI(F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who at one point in time was considered very sympathetic to the Taliban, felt it right to warn the National Assembly on Wednesday that if the Taliban continued to move at their present pace, they would soon be knocking on the doors of Islamabad. Even more importantly, it is ANP, the party that negotiated the peace deal by seeking help of Maulana Sufi Muhammad to broker a truce with the Taliban in Swat, which is of the view that the Taliban will not give up their ways unless compelled by use of force. Taking notice of the violation of the peace deal in Swat, NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti felt the need to re-launch military operations in the restive region. That all the mainstream political parties have been forced to publicly oppose the Taliban, speaks volumes about the real motives of the movement. As it turns out, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad is little interested in the restoration of peace in the troubled valley. After his failure to convince the Taliban to disarm, he has launched a tirade against the government, maintaining that democracy was a negation of Shariat. Besides, given the way the Taliban had been violating different peace deals in the past, it should have been clear from the very first day that the Swat accord likewise would not hold and that the militants would use it to buy time to strengthen their network. But the manner in which the matter was taken to Parliament for approval does not inspire confidence. One cannot help but think that this was meant to show to the West that it was a popular decision taken by the legislators themselves. This reflects poorly on the official strategy of coping with what is undoubtedly the most serious issue today.
There is a need under the circumstances that the government, in concert with all the political parties, put its act together and come up with a coherent policy to deal with the militants.

3. PIA woes.


SEVEN days and $5.5 million later, the pilots' association of Pakistan International Airlines has called off its strike. It is about time. In these extremely competitive times for international airlines, our national carrier could not afford to inconvenience its passengers as much as they did. The hapless passengers, primarily those bound for Europe, were left stranded at the airports. In a show of resilience and ingenuity, some of the PIA higher management, who are qualified pilots in their own right, took the initiative and undertook these flights themselves, if only to cut the pilots down to size a bit. Both sides, now cognizant of their situation, decided to find a way out.
The pilots need to know what the organization can and cannot give them. These are times of recession. All governments know that. All businesses know that. Whereas the problem in Pakistan might have been that of limited public fiscal space - businesses are actually as good or bad as they had been in the previous government - the effects of the global recession are still felt by companies, public or private. Employees, especially white-collar employees of these companies, should realize the predicament their organizations are in. Even when times were good, the situation at PIA was not peaches. It is a bit of a drain on the exchequer. It needs to make better business sense. Granted, as a public sector corporation, it does fly to commercially unviable destinations, but the minuses seem to be outweighing the pluses. It is a top-heavy organization with far more chiefs than Indians. It needs to be streamlined. In the process it is bound to cut down on many jobs, including from the ranks of those who took part in the current strike. Pushing PIA to the brink is going to be counter-productive to their well-being. They don't want to go down in history as the group that laid the final straw on the camel's back.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

Editorial: The Nation 26/04/2009


1. A sense of urgency.

ON Friday stern warnings were delivered to militants in Swat and FATA by both the political and military leadership. A high level meeting held at the Presidency reiterated the government's resolve not to compromise on enforcing the writ of the state or allow the militants to establish a parallel authority in any part of the country. Setting aside the reservations recently expressed by the US and European countries about the army's role, Gen Ashfaq Kayani made it clear that the armed forces were determined to achieve victory against terrorism and militancy "at all costs." He also said the army will not allow the militants to dictate terms to the government or impose their way of life on the civil society of Pakistan. Meanwhile an all parties conference convened at Peshawar by the ANP-led NWFP government urged the Swat Taliban to lay down arms. It also called on the government to implement the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation and demanded an end to drone attacks by the US. Sensing that resentment was growing in the country against them Taliban started pulling out of Buner. There were reports however that they still maintained presence in the surrounding mountains. The rude shock administered by the Taliban leadership's denunciation of democracy and the dispatch of armed militants to adjoining areas has created a sense of emergency among the mainstream parties. Things have suddenly started moving fast. The parliamentary committee on national security has submitted its recommendations. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman wants the cabinet to implement the recommendations without wasting time. PM Gilani however would like to have a wider national consensus for which he has suggested a debate on the report in the National Assembly before formulating a national policy on security.
A desire for national consensus combined with an urge to speed up things was visible during Mian Nawaz Sharif's press conference on Friday also. Rejecting attempts at Talibanisation and condemning Taliban's tendency to dictate things at gunpoint, the PML-N chief called on the government to convene a national conference of all political parties to resolve issues like militancy in Swat, FATA and Balochistan. What is more, he wanted the meeting to be held within the next three days. Many would agree with Mian Nawaz that the challenge the nation faces is so grave and complex that no single political party can deal with it alone. Whatever action is to be taken in the days to come has to be owned and fully supported by the entire nation. This requires convening of an APC to forge a national consensus, which should then be endorsed by the Parliament. Equally important is for the PML-N to join the ruling coalition so that the jointly agreed policy is implemented by a prestigious national government.


2. US admission at last!

AT last, setting aside the superpower ego, the US has acknowledged the truth of what Pakistan has all along been saying about the growth of militant phenomenon that is plaguing the region. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, deposing before a Congressional committee, conceded that the US was harvesting what it had sown. She admitted that having brought forth and nurtured the jehadi elements, gathered together from the area and other parts of the Muslim world, the US left Pakistan in the lurch once the Soviets had been driven out of Afghanistan with their help. Islamabad, ill equipped to fight off the deadly fallout, had to put up with an illegal arms and drug culture and a host of other debilitating consequences of the US venture. It is pertinent to point out that Washington also needs to review its policies towards other nations in general and stop propping unpopular military or civilian leaders to the detriment of democratic forces in the belief that they serve its interests better. Dictators and stooges do not help it earn the goodwill of the people that is crucial to the furthering of its legitimate objectives abroad. Rather than supporting Zias and Musharrafs or wooing candidates of its choice it should help democratic leadership to flourish. One would like to imagine that Secretary Clinton's candour reflect a radical shift in policy by the Obama administration indicative of viewing the world realistically rather than a place for imperialistic exploitation and serving crass self-interest. The withdrawal from Iraq, where it had no business to be present in the first place, must not be in the fashion of the post-Soviet departure from Afghanistan. Perhaps, no compensation would be matching enough to the death and destruction the sin of its invasion has caused. It has shattered the peace of arguably the most advanced country of the Arabs, killed more than a million Iraqis, turned the land into a vast expanse of rubble - all on the basis of doctored intelligence to satisfy its thirst for oil. For all the brutalities and diplomatic exercises it has brought to bear to put down the insurgency against foreign occupation, the country is still afflicted with the curse of suicide bombings. In the last two days, over 150 people have lost their lives, demonstrating how disastrous has been the American aggression launched six years ago and how deceptive the calm that appeared to have returned to the country.
The next step to Secretary Clinton's remarks should be to dispassionately view Islamabad's problems, both in the fields of security and economics, and extend it concrete help to get over them.


3. Karachi killings.


THE killing of Muhammad Aurangzeb 'Babu', a local ANP leader, in Karachi, is no doubt a tragedy in itself, by indiscriminate firing on the rickshaw carrying him, but what makes it more horrific is that it is not the first murder in Karachi of its kind, and there is a concerted effort to give such killings an ethnic colouring. This would be an attempted conspiracy against Pakistan under any circumstances, but when all of the parties representing the various ethnicities which go to make up Karachi are represented in the ruling coalition, and while representing ethnic groups claim to be national parties, there is no reason why such killings should provoke any outburst of ethnic chauvinism. Such chauvinism is particularly dangerous in Karachi, which apart from being a magnet for the entire country because of its employment opportunities, is the nation's only port, and its financial capital and industrial and trading hub.
These killings seem to be an attempt to place the city at the mercy of the kind of ethnic tensions that have afflicted it in the past, and though the murder of Aurangzeb 'Babu', a target killing according to the local DSP, was almost surely political in nature, to allow it to inflame ethnic sentiment is unfortunate and a negation of whatever 'Babu' stood for. His own ANP, despite its name, represents in Karachi the Pashtoon community, with Karachi being described as the largest Pashtoon city in the world, though Pashtoons are not at all in a majority here.
Since all the parties with any presence, let alone representation, in the megapolis, are in the ruling coalition, there should speedily be an end put to these killings, and especially to the ethnic sentiment they are used to inflame. That should not be beyond the powers of these parties to manage. Unless they keep Karachi calm following not just the murder of 'Babu' and others, they may be suspected of playing with ethnic flames for petty political motives.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

Editorial: The Nation 27/04/2009

1. TTP's self-assertion.


HAVING found the authorities on the defensive after it had extracted a favourable peace deal from them through
the intercession of the chief of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has adopted a policy of self-assertion. The policy signifies a greater role for the TTP in
running the affairs of the Swat valley than envisaged in the agreement. It even chose to extend the area of its
sway and sent its militant forces into Buner, who stayed there for about 20 days, and also to Shangla. Both the
TNSM and the TTP have been acting in clear violation of the peace deal on several counts, though at the same
time TTP spokesman Muslim Khan maintains that his organisation is adhering to it while it is the government
that is in breach. Sufi Muhammad's apparent helplessness to persuade the TTP to abide by the agreement
could reflect, according to some analysts, his complicity since they believe that the TNSM is one with the TTP in
the mission to spread their brand of Islam outside the confines of the valley into Pakistan and beyond.
On Saturday, the TTP refused to let a military convoy of seven vehicles move towards the Qambar area of
Mingora because Muslim Khan visualised that the motive behind the movement was to launch a military operation. He promptly warned the government against any such intention. According to one report, however, the
convoy was allowed to proceed towards its destination after half an hour. If continued enforcement of the writ of
the state is part of the deal the movement of troops anywhere in the country is beyond question. In fact, it is a
cardinal factor in the existence of the state. Muslim Khan's statements that the deployment of troops in the area
could not be permitted since it was against the agreement call for an immediate and unambiguous clarification
from Sufi Muhammad, who should be held responsible for such views and warned that they were endangering
the deal to which he is signatory.
Muslim Khan's defiant posture raises the ugly prospect of armed action to which COAS General Ashfaq Kayani
referred the other day. In the wider interests of the nation already facing multiple crises and both sides should do
their best to avoid the situation getting out hand. That is only possible if all parties involved were to strictly adhere
to the agreement. The apprehension is that this time round the military operation could be deadlier. In such an
eventuality, therefore, it would be obligatory upon the armed forces to prevent innocent civilian casualties to
occur.


2. Reducing PSDP.


THE likely cut in the Public Sector Development Programme, estimated to be about Rs 118 billion, isn't going to
bode well for our development scenario. The reasons cited are understandable, if sad. There is the poor security
situation that eats up into developmental expenditure. Then there is the increase in food and fuel prices. The
difference has to be financed from elsewhere. That has dragged down the PSDP from Rs 337 billion to Rs 219
billion.
The problem with cutting development, however, is that in the larger scheme of things, a country can never rid
itself of security situations without an adequate enough spending on development. It's the security-development
conundrum. But Pakistan, for most part, isn't like southern Afghanistan. We might not be able to spend on
development because of limited fiscal space but not because the situation is absolutely abhorrent of state
spending. Throughout the NWFP, for instance, even in Swat right before the current conflict, there wouldn't have
been any opposition, or even lack of interest in, investment in girls' education. All the talk of cultural factors not
being conducive to development, in other words, though not entirely false, is a bit exaggerated. But that situation
might not last long if obscurantist groups are given the run of the land by our security agencies.
There is really no alternative to development. Perhaps, if the developmental expenditure is being cut, thee can
be a greater stride on two fronts: one, the government can at least ensure that the quantum nevertheless being
spent is spent well. Second, it could create more fiscal space for itself to counterbalance what it has lost; a
streamlined taxation structure should be worked on. We have one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the entire
region. Development is the purpose of the state; the lesser it spends on development, the more ground it gives
to non-state actors to hijack not just religious sentiments but also populist demands.


3. Shahbaz's initiative.


JUST two days after the PPP showed its intention of quitting the Punjab government and its Ministers started
packing up, Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, trying to avoid any headlong rush into a new political crisis,
approached Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with a request not to leave the coalition. The two leaders, who
began interacting with each other more frequently after the reinstatement of the judiciary and the restoration of
the Punjab government, also discussed the overall political situation of the country with special emphasis on the
steps needed to contain lawlessness at their meeting in Lahore on Sunday.
Mian Shahbaz's initiative to bring the PPP back on board would not only help remove misgivings between the
two mainstream parties caused by incredible trails of broken promises but would also inspire them to a renewed
commitment to the Charter of Democracy. But then the PML(N) leadership also needs to review its decision of
not rejoining the federal government. It has to give up the habit of having its cake and eating it too. The argument
that the PML(N) can continue extending support to the PPP government by sitting on the Opposition Benches in
the National Assembly would strengthen the perception that it avoids sharing the blame for the latter's failures. It
bears repeating that this peculiar mindset is against the spirit of running a coalition and hence it needs to
change if the country is to be run democratically and saved from military takeovers in future. Mian Shahbaz
needs to properly advise his brother rather than leaving him at the mercy of hawks in the party who have been
pushing him to brinkmanship.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

Editorial: The Nation. 28/04/2009.


1. Peace in Malakand.


DESPITE the NWFP government having carried out its obligations under the Swat accord, peace hangs by a thread in Malakand Division, thanks to the failure on the part of the TTP to fulfill its promises. In glaring violation of the agreement, its activists have yet not laid down their arms, despite repeated reminders by the administration. They also hinder the security forces from establishing the writ of the state. For instance, a military convoy was stopped from entering Mingora on Saturday. Incidents of lawlessness have consequently increased all over Malakand Agency, In Lower Dir, people continue to be kidnapped for ransom and law enforcement personnel attacked. Last month five persons, including the district police chief and a former Nazim, were gunned down by criminals. On Saturday, twelve children were killed in a bomb blast in a village. On Sunday, an FC convoy was attacked, with four paramilitary soldiers wounded, including an officer. This led to an operation by the security forces resulting in the killing of more than two dozen militants, including a Taliban commander. The TNSM has consequently called off peace talks.
The militants continue to violate the agreement in other parts of the Malakand Agency also. There is a perception that Maulana Sufi Mohammad is either unwilling to fulfil his pledges or is not being allowed to do so by the hawkish elements in the TTP. In Swat, seven trucks carrying chemical fertilizer, that can be used to make bombs, were looted. There are reports of armed militants moving towards Kalam. They have already set up checkposts in Bahrain. Despite a number of militants having left Buner, the population in the district continues to live under terror. Four persons who were listening to music were subjected to humiliation, with their heads and moustaches shaved by the militants. While the government is keen to abide by the Swat agreement, the TTP leaders are issuing threats of taking over the provincial capital and finally turning Pakistan into another Afghanistan. The militants have to realize that Pakistani people are deeply committed to defending democracy, for which they have made immense sacrifices. A realization is fast growing in the country that what the militants are challenging are the very ideas that form the basis of Pakistan. There is a need on the part of the TNSM and TTP to avoid the path that leads to confrontation and bloodshed. A free society allows all interest groups and political parties to express their views in order to gather support for them. Elections provide an equal opportunity to them to enter the Parliament where national policies are formulated. What is not allowed, however, is recourse to the use of force for the implementation of one's programme. Anyone attempting to do that is liable to be confronted by the collective will of the people of Pakistan.



2. Time to wake up.


BALOCHISTAN Chief Minister's brother and PPP provincial leader Senator Lashkari Raisani has resigned from the Upper House of Parliament, giving expression to the growing anger among fellow Baloch nationalists against the repressive policies of the present government. "If I cannot help the people of my province I don't deserve to be a senator," Mr Raisani said, while making it clear that his brother had nothing to do with the decision.
The Baloch Senator had a point in saying that the current democratic dispensation was pursuing the policies of the Musharraf Government, which had subjected the Baloch to the worst kind of repression merely for seeking protection of their lives and rights. Mr Raisani trained his guns on Interior Minister Rehman Malik at a time when the entire province erupted into violence against the latter, who cast aspersions on the patriotism of the Baloch leaders killed in Turbat earlier this month. Complete shutterdown and wheeljam strike was observed in Quetta and other big cities and towns of Balochistan on Sunday on the call given by the Baloch National Front. The Karachi-Quetta Highway remained blocked, but luckily no casualty took place in the ensuing clashes between the law enforcement agency and the angry mob, which turned violent and damaged government offices, besides setting many vehicles on fire. The nationalist leaders termed the strike successful and thanked the people for their overwhelming response to the strike call.
The Baloch, who have been up in arms against the repressive policies of the Musharraf government, failed to find any relief in the last one year of the democratic rule. Mr Raisani's resignation should serve as an eye-opener for President Asif Zardari, whose apology to the people of Balochistan has left much to be desired. It bears repeating that the government's current approach of treating the Baloch as aliens would only lend strength to the separatist elements who are calling for the province's secession from Pakistan.


3. Doing more.


PRESIDENT Asif Zardari told PTV during a pre-visit interview that the USA should not ask Pakistan to do more, but the two countries should get together, strengthen each other, and achieve more. This was virtually in response to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement in the course of an interview with Fox News channel, that the USA had concerns about what would happen if the Pakistan government, which she said appeared stable for now, was to falter. She said this concern was because the USA feared that victorious Taliban might gain control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. She said that the USA could not allow this, and thus was 'pushing so hard for Pakistanis to come together around a strategy to take their country back.'
If Secretary Clinton is sincere, she should listen to President Zardari, who will have the opportunity during his forthcoming US visit, to tell her that the US policies in the region do not enable the achievement of US goals, let alone Pakistani. Secretary Clinton has revealed the abiding fear the USA has of the Taliban, or their Al-Qaeda allies, getting a nuclear weapon, and also the fear that this will be a Pakistani weapon. The President's message of achieving more is coming at the right time, because the policies provided by the Bush Administration have not proved to have achieved anything for the USA, which under President Obama, is not noticeably safer than before. In particular, its drone attacks in the tribal belt, have not achieved anything beyond making the tribes more anti-American and more inclined to a violent reaction. It should be noted that the US concern over the safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons has its origins in baseless Indian propaganda about them. This revival of this baseless charge by a personality no less than the US Secretary of State should thus be taken very seriously by the team preparing the President for the US visit. The solution to be offered is that of a mutuality of interests. If Pakistan is to resist terror, the USA must provide it the means with which to do so, such as sophisticated weapons. At the moment, these are not being provided, and Pakistan has been engaged in the War on Terror because it has been a victim of militancy, facing bomb blasts almost every day. The President also spoke of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan initiative. That provides further proof that the West is only helping Pakistan because it is helping in the War, not because it deserves to be helped. If it had not been for the War, Pakistan would have been left to face the current global economic crisis on its own.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

1. Taxing new sectors.


OUT of the government's decision to bring four new sectors under the tax net, one only has to look at the first to realise that the announcement should be taken with a pinch of salt. Though taxing the other three i.e services, real estate and stock market all present their own unique problems, it is the imposition of an agricultural tax that is going to be the least likely. The amount of political will that particular tax requires is greater than what the most stable of governments - and this government is anything but - can muster.
The lustre of the additional one trillion rupees that the adviser on finance Shaukat Tarin claims will yield would distract us from the difficulty in bringing these across. Let us look at the services sector first. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects and other knowledge workers across the country ply their particular trades without their being any tax on their services. The problem with a tax would be, first, that of enforcement, which needs no explanation. But it is not a simple matter of collecting this tax better; for if indeed, the income tax officials do a good job on this front, these practitioners will transfer these additional sums to their clients. That doesn't sound like too bad a proposition when it comes to architects, but a rise in doctors' fees or even that of lawyers', wouldn't bode well for the poor public. However, the fact that these professionals cheat heavily on their income taxes also presents an opportunity. These professionals could be granted refunds against their service tax upon the presentation of transaction receipts. This way, at least the quantum that goes away in income tax fraud could be saved. As far as real estate tax is concerned, it is a no-brainer. If it does indeed bring about an increase in the costs of constructing a house, so be it. The home-owners already face a steady increase in this cost due to the increases in raw material prices; if they yield a little more for the exchequer, it won't be as bad as higher doctor's fees. In operational terms, taxing the stock market would be the easiest of the four: this sector, unlike the others, has a pretty centralised platform that acts as the market. It is therefore easy to impose a capital gains and value tax. The only problem that the detractors can point out is that since our financial capital markets are not too well developed, the taxes would serve as a disincentive against investing here. True, but on the plus side, this tax would help in getting the speculators out of the market and keep only medium to longterm investors. If an agricultural tax is actually imposed, there is a way to ensure it doesn't translate into higher prices: impose the tax only on larger landowners. Agricultural markets, being nearest to text book "perfect competition", will not result in high prices. The real test, as always, is the political will.



2. Presidential refusal.



PRESIDENT Asif Zardari refused to address a joint press conference with visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, instead leaving him to do so with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. While Mr Gilani is the appropriate person with whom Mr Gordon Brown should address a joint press conference, precedent had the President present on such occasions, and his absence has been given much significance. The main problem between the UK and Pakistan, apart from the War on Terror, is the Pakistani students acquitted of terrorism, yet still to be deported, even though their student visas are all valid. Their fate should not affect diplomacy between the two countries, but should be settled as soon as possible. The UK authorities should charge them, and they should be tried on those charges, and only then should the question arise of any deportation or whether they should serve out their sentences in the UK. If the case against them is not established, then they would be acquitted, and in that case, there should be no question of their being deported as long as they were fulfilling the conditions of their visas. British fair play demands no less, and the War on Terror is no excuse. Pakistan is taking so much trouble in this case because none of the charges has any proof, and it is being used as an excuse for deportation on unproven charges. It is something where the British are needlessly prolonging the situation, even though its repercussions have reached the President of Pakistan.
The British and Pakistani relationship, however, is not restricted to the fate of the students. Britain is also providing aid for anti-terrorist training for the Pakistani forces, and is also playing a key enabling role in Pakistan's attempts at improving trade relations with the European Union. For that, Pakistan is grateful, though it also notes that this too is linked to Pakistani cooperation in the War on Terror, in which the British role is that of an American camp follower.



3. Saner voices.


WHILE the US administration officials keep giving out mixed signals towards Pakistan to egg it on to fight the terrorist menace - the temptation of economic and military assistance on the one hand and the pressure in the form of drone strikes on the other - one occasionally also finds somewhat saner voices coming out of the US. Senator Kit Bond, a Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has told the Fox News that Washington has to convince New Delhi to move its forces away from the LoC in Kashmir to spare Islamabad the worry about its interference and enable it to deploy troops on the western border where militancy is rife. However, he stopped short of reminding President Obama of his campaign promise to take active interest in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. As any Subcontinent watcher would know, unless this rankling sore is healed, the feelings of distrust and tension would continue to bedevil Pak-India relations. The Pakistan government should step up its efforts and properly brief influential Americans, particularly persons like Senator Bond, about the absolute necessity of settling Kashmir before expecting Pakistan to wholeheartedly devote its energies to address the terrorist scourge.
Senator Carl Levin (Democrat), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stressed that Pakistan should be provided both economic and security assistance by the US. "We can support them (but) we can't dictate" them. He was for providing intelligence side by side with particularly economic aid. The Pakistanis have been complaining about Washington supplying equipment and intelligence that are inadequate to the task. It is time this gap was filled.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier

1. Impending disaster.


WHILE a three-day-long military operation in Lower Dir sent about 30,000 civilians scurrying for shelter to adjoining districts, the Buner operation would add thousands more to the internally displaced persons in NWFP who now reportedly total one million. This is by all means one of the world's biggest displacements. Thousands have sought shelter with their relatives in other districts, who in many cases find it difficult to make two ends meet. Most have been accommodated in tent villages with scant facilities. With their houses leveled, and crops and businesses destroyed, these penniless people cannot return to areas like Bajaur where peace has been established, albeit at a forbidding price. Unless a massive attempt is made to rebuild the area and rehabilitate the refugees, they are destined to live in tent villages on dole. Most badly affected are the children who have gone through the trauma caused by artillery shelling and bombing from helicopters gunships and jet fighters. Many have lost parents, relatives and playmates. The tent villages provide no schooling and the inmates face an uncertain future. This breeds bitterness and alienation on which the terrorists thrive. Unless a massive reconstruction and rehabilitation exercise is undertaken in the areas where peace has been established and living conditions improved in the existing tent villages, the latter could turn into recruiting grounds for terrorists and suicide bombers. As an NWFP Minister told a Geneva moot of relief agencies and donor countries, most of the funds being pledged by foreign donors are for security, police and Army and there is little for the impending humanitarian disaster. Pakistan, which is already suffering from a severe financial crunch, can ill afford to deal with the crisis singlehandedly. It is ironical that while the US and its European allies are never tired of pressuring Pakistan to initiate full-fledged military operations, they leave Islamabad to deal with their consequences, both immediate and inn the long term. Unless a multi-billion dollar reconstruction and rehabilitation programme is launched in FATA, the devastated area would continue to be a hotbed of extremism.
The scale of human suffering caused by military operations is so great that the government cannot afford to wait for foreign assistance. The federal government has to raise funds by economizing on its expenditures, seeking assistance from provincial governments, particularly Punjab and Sindh, and from local donors, to set up new tent villages and in improve the living conditions in those already existing. These camps should be equipped with better sanitation facilities, clean drinking water, schools and playgrounds for children, and improved access to medical assistance.


2. Violence in Karachi.


CLASHES that broke out in Karachi in the Lyari area on Tuesday between rival groups have left 11 people dead, including women and children. Dozens more have been injured. Sounds of gunfire that thundered throughout Lyari point to the absence of the government's writ. The bloodshed started with the kidnapping of a boy, but it is believed to be ethnically motivated. The agony of the harassed citizens, who were virtually trapped inside their homes, increased manifold when a stray rocket fired by one of the groups hit a residential compound. The hapless people must have been further scared to see heavy contingents of the police and Rangers remaining silent spectators to the fighting that lasted for more than 24-hours. The situation is so bad that the police, which is reported to have effected a truce between the two groups, is not sure when violence might erupt again.
Business activity in the area suffered heavily, as all shops were shut. The angry protesters later torched dozens of cars, demanding that the authorities arrest the terrorists. The government ought to look thoroughly into the violent situation. And it must bring to justice those who are involved in it. Given the fact that the warring groups have political support behind them, there are fears that the city might return to the ethnic violence that plagued it back in the 1990s. In the last few weeks, clashes between different ethnic groups have been frequently reported. The death of an ANP worker last Friday has caused quite a commotion. Apart from that, targeted killings and kidnappings are also on the rise. Shopkeepers and the general public worry that the situation might get worse.
Karachi is the nerve-centre of Pakistan's commerce and industry. Unrest there will be catastrophic not only for the government, but the entire country. The political parties in the province have a role to play as well. They would not be serving the national cause, if they urge their workers to choose aggression.


3. Threatening media.


WITH the kind of philosophy the Taliban preach and practice, the threat of dire consequences to the media should it carry any report against them was not unexpected, nor should it be taken lightly. Even Maulana Sufi Muhammad, head of the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, who is supposed to have a different ideology, has been outspoken in running down the concepts of democracy, elections and the judiciary as they prevail in the country at the present time, Independent news media, being an outgrowth of a democratic system of governance, would obviously not be to the liking of any fanatical elements. Unfortunately, the Taliban happen to be armed to the teeth and are ready to lay down their lives for a cause. And if news reports tend to expose them (as they did in the case of the flogging of a girl) they are likely to take it as serving against the interests of their cause.
The threat is condemnable and calls for all necessary precaution to be taken to forestall any untoward incident. Journalists have a difficult job to do, and in this age of endemic violence they have suffered a great deal. Incidents of murder and physical assault and kidnapping and torture have been happening to them in different parts of the world, including our own country. Yet the call of duty must oblige them to present the picture as they see it, and not as someone wants them to put it across. But, they should expect no quarter from the militants. One can only hope that someone succeeds in bringing home to them a most fundamental lesson of Islam - peace and love for all mankind.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier