Khost bomber

Monday, 11 Jan, 2010

A VIDEO purporting to show a Jordanian suicide bomber, who killed several CIA agents in Khost, seated next to Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the TTP, raises some very troubling questions. While the authenticity of the video has not yet been established, the initial consensus seems to be that it is genuine. Even if it is not, what is clear is that statements claiming responsibility for the attack have been attributed to the TTP and that the TTP has not contradicted those claims as yet. Here, then, seems to be a spectacular example of collaboration between the TTP, Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban. (Al Qaeda has already released a video paying tribute to the Jordanian bomber, while the CIA’s forward operating base in Khost was almost certainly being used to direct operations against the Haqqani network on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border.) So does the attack signal a new phase of heightened cooperation between the various militant groups straddling the Pak-Afghan border? We must recall that Waliur Rehman, a South Waziristan TTP kingpin, recently boasted that the TTP has sent “thousands” of its men to fight the American-led forces in Afghanistan — a claim that has largely been dismissed as propaganda, but which indicates the keenness of the TTP to drum up its role in Afghanistan.

Moreover, do recent events make nonsense of the so-called good Taliban/bad Taliban distinction that the Pakistan Army allegedly makes? Certainly, many have pointed to the problem inherent in the army’s strategy of focusing its operations on those groups that are directly attacking the state here: cross-pollination between ‘discrete’ militant groups has made such a distinction hard to justify. In some cases, the army has had some limited, short-term tactical success with its approach, but the strategic and long-term costs are hard to justify. For example, before the operation in South Waziristan, an ‘understanding’ was reached with Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan to stay out of the battle. He did, but then in many cases he has either given sanctuary to TTP militants from South Waziristan or allowed them safe passage. While we remain aware of the fact that the Pakistan Army does face some very real constraints — opening too many fronts may cause violence to spike even higher inside Pakistan, operations need to planned and paid for, etc — and that the American ‘do more’ demand is problematic, there is also the reality of a hydra-headed enemy. And, as with the mythical Lernaean Hydra, cutting off only some of those heads will not defeat the threat.


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Books and children

Monday, 11 Jan, 2010

AS television viewing, electronic games and the Internet have come to hold sway over children’s leisure hours worldwide, parents have been complaining that children are losing interest in books. Although reading books has not traditionally been a popular pastime in Pakistan, given the country’s low literacy rate and poor state of education, publishers have begun to pay more attention to the needs of young readers. For the first time in years, good-quality modestly priced reading material for children is available in bookshops. But why is this flood of children’s literature in English and Urdu failing to attract new readers? Why aren’t more children reaching out for books? And why are the readers of yesterday not so enthusiastic about the printed word anymore?

Reading for pleasure, which introduces young minds to new ideas and information, must not be allowed to die. In fact, the need to actively promote reading by children still exists and should be pursued vigorously and imaginatively at all levels. Whatever strategy is adopted, it is important that some basic principles be adhered to. Book promotion should not be a one-time effort. Encouraging reading should be an ongoing process and a collective effort by parents, teachers, publishers and education planners. It is a participatory process and reading out to younger children, especially by parents, can help them develop the reading habit as they grow older. It is unrealistic to expect children to read non-curricular books simply because they have been exhorted to do so. Similarly, schools should allot space and a reasonable budget to libraries headed by those who are booklovers and can stimulate the children’s interest in their stocks.

This is no doubt a challenging job at a time when there are so many distracting factors that take away children from books. Yet technology such as the Internet and television are no substitute for the human interaction books can provide if they are used as a means to bring readers together. It is ironical that at a time when publishers have responded to the demand for children’s literature and there is a deluge of children’s books in the market, the readers should be disappearing.

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University affiliation

Monday, 11 Jan, 2010

TRANSITIONS are never easy. The hiccups that remain in the half-decade long process of affiliating Punjab’s medical colleges with the University of Health Sciences show how such efforts have to be sustained. The students of the Fatima Jinnah Medical College, a women-only institution in Lahore, are protesting daily against their institution’s affiliation with the university. They say that when they enrolled, they did so because they wanted to get their degree from the University of Punjab with which their college was then affiliated and that the college should not be affiliated with the University of Health Sciences, a process that has yet to be completed. This argument is discriminatory if not implausible. All other medical colleges in Punjab, public and private, are already affiliated with the University of Health Sciences. How can the students of a lone college hold out without being seen as ‘special’?

This, however, does not absolve the education authorities of blame. They created false hopes among the students that the Fatima Jinnah Medical College would become a university instead of having to change its affiliation. This could not come about because of administrative and financial constraints but it kept the college away from the affiliation process. The officials also failed to convince the students that the changed affiliation would not hamper the international recognition of their degrees. The result? The University of Punjab is maintaining a complete examination system for medical education for a single college. Now the issue is no longer under the education department’s jurisdiction. The Lahore High Court has taken suo motu notice of the protests and the court is expected to resolve the issue sooner rather than later. One hopes that it has also been noted that the provincial government has failed to successfully handle an issue that is minor compared to other challenges.

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OTHER VOICES - North American Press Connect the dots

Monday, 11 Jan, 2010


THE average American television viewer sees enough double-crosses on the hit series 24 not to make the mistakes the CIA did in letting a double agent get close enough to bomb a spy base in Afghanistan….

… Five days [after the attempted jetliner bombing], Jordanian physician/suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Malal al-Balawi set off a blast that killed five CIA officers; two contracted employees of Xe Services, the security company once known as Blackwater USA; and a Jordanian who was working with the CIA. Surely it was desperation for information, and not just sloppiness, that led the CIA to drop its guard and not search Balawi thoroughly before letting him into a room with operatives. Balawi had provided useful information in the past, but his background was suspect. Indeed, the doctor, who formerly expressed jihadist sentiments, may have been coerced into spying for US ally Jordan.

The CIA had high hopes for its planned meeting with Balawi, expecting him to provide information that might lead them to Osama bin Laden or at least his lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri. That Balawi instead delivered a bomb adds credence to a new report that criticises the emphasis of US intelligence-gathering in Afghanistan on capturing or killing insurgents. Maj Gen Michael Flynn, the top US military intelligence officer there, says it would be more helpful to learn more about the local population, their politics, economy and culture….

Gen Stanley McChrystal … has also stressed that military success requires a better understanding of the Afghan people. Just as certain is the need for all the US intelligence-gatherers, military and civilian, not to get so desperate for a lead to a target that they are lured into the type of fatal inattention to security that allowed a suicide bomber to enter into their midst and complete his awful mission. — (Jan 8)

Crisis averted

Tuesday, 12 Jan, 2010

POLITICAL temperatures were brought down in Karachi on Sunday night when, at a meeting attended by PPP and MQM leaders, it was decided that elements involved in targeted killings in the city would be dealt with without regard to their political affiliation. It was also decided that only specific persons would be authorised to speak on behalf of their respective parties. A fresh political crisis has thus been averted as there had been fears that the MQM would vacate the treasury benches in parliament over the issue of the killings. It is hoped that a similar level-headed approach will be applied from now on whenever disagreements between Sindh’s two major parties arise. Political maturity demands at least this much. It is also hoped that the major players will refrain from making strongly worded statements that vitiate the political atmosphere and lead to tensions. Elements from both parties have made such statements which did little for political harmony.

In the case of the targeted killings, there must be a stronger effort by the police to investigate the murders and bring the culprits to book. Again, political will on the part of the authorities concerned is necessary for this exercise. But what must also be examined are other underlying issues that could be causing tension. One of these, as observers have noted, pertain to opposing views on the fate of the local bodies system in Sindh. There should be a frank discussion on the matter so that a workable solution can be reached. The LG system that has been retained in Sindh has been done away with in the other three provinces. Though not without flaws, the system appears to have worked well in major urban centres like Karachi. This view must be considered in any exercise to decide what is best for the province.


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Debt problems

Tuesday, 12 Jan, 2010

PAKISTAN’S external debt has been increasing for some years due to budgetary and balance-of-payment problems. The trend is likely to persist for another few years because the factors that compelled the government to borrow from external sources, especially the IMF, in recent years have not altogether subsided. Foreign investment has almost dried up. Exports are falling. Energy shortages and slow demand growth are holding back an early revival of the economy. A substantial increase in security expenditure on account of the war on terror and poor law and order remains a major source of the burden on the budget and has slowed growth. Little wonder then that the IMF estimates Pakistan’s total external debt stocks to increase by more than 43 per cent over the next five years to $73bn from just below $51bn to meet its financial needs. Mercifully, however, the debt to GDP ratio will not rise beyond the manageable limit of 35 per cent — far lower than 80 per cent for eastern European economies but higher than the average for developing countries — despite a hefty increase in loans in absolute terms. The IMF also forecasts the debt to GDP ratio will start declining after 2011-12 and subside to 31 per cent in 2015-16. But that optimistic scenario will largely depend on the country’s economic performance. In addition, the debt servicing burden is also expected to stay at around the current level for another few years. However, the chances of the external debt becoming unsustainable in the foreseeable future are quite dim unless economic recovery is delayed for one reason or the other.

Debt sustainability would come under pressure if the economy fails to recover from the current slowdown and exports do not pick up. It is, therefore, imperative for the government to make efficient use of the borrowed money by spending it on removing bottlenecks like energy shortages affecting growth for increasing industrial productivity and exports. The failure to boost growth and push exports over the next few years would not only lead the country into a debt trap, it would also leave little in the government’s hands for pro-poor initiatives.


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Unparliamentary

Tuesday, 12 Jan, 2010

THE first parliamentary session of the new year kicked off yesterday with the opposition gearing up to hurl brickbats at the government for all that ails the country and the government readying to protest the unfairness of its opponents’ allegations. Such back-and-forths and gamesmanship are a time-honoured tradition in parliamentary democracies the world over and if there is a predictable circus-like quality to it here in Pakistan, we are not overly worried. But what does worry us is that away from the sideshow parliament does not seem to be making any progress on its core functions: lawmaking and acting as a watchdog over the executive. The first problem is that the president is not convening parliament often enough. Article 54(2) of the constitution requires that the National Assembly be in session for at least 130 days in a year, while Article 60 requires that the Senate be in session for at least 90 days. But, as reported in this newspaper, with 60-odd days left in the current parliamentary year, the National Assembly has to meet for 41 days and the Senate for 38 days to meet the constitutional minimum. That does not appear very likely.

The second problem is that even if parliament is in session, little work gets done. The executive’s historical reliance on presidential ordinances as a legislative ‘shortcut’ has continued under the present government, with the result that there is little interest in legislation through parliament. Consider this. Following the Supreme Court’s short order in the PCO judges case last July, parliament was given a grace period of 120 days to figure out what it wanted to do with 37 ordinances that Gen Musharraf had tried to protect through the November 2007 emergency. The 120 days have come and gone, but, other than the NRO which was rejected without a vote in the National Assembly, the fate of the other ordinances is uncertain. Surely, at the very least parliament should take up presidential ordinances and decide whether or not to give them permanence as laws.

There have, of course, been other egregious mistakes by the government that make us wonder what goes on in the minds of our elected representatives. For example, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2009 lapsed after being passed unanimously by the National Assembly last August because the Senate did not take it up within the stipulated 90-day period. There seems little point to highlight here the weaknesses of the parliamentary committee system and a host of other, secondary issues. Suffice to say, democracy will not be strengthened by the mere existence of a genuinely elected parliament.

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OTHER VOICES - Sindhi Press Provincial autonomy or 17th Amendment?

Tuesday, 12 Jan, 2010

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif visited Sindh after a long time. He made two main points during his recent visit. He said there was no room for the Sindh card and that he did not intend to launch a long march for the repeal of the 17th Amendment. Although he was accorded official protocol he chose to criticise the Sindh government…. While visiting Sindh and Balochistan whatever he uttered was not sufficient to heal the wounds of the smaller provinces that are facing extreme deprivation. In Balochistan he demanded punishment for the murderers of Nawab Bugti. But this too appears to have been linked to personal issues as this demand means punishment for Gen Musharraf. People link his demand for repeal of the 17th Amendment to his wish of becoming prime minister for a third term.

… Nawaz Sharif talks much about the constitution and demands the restoration of the 1973 constitution to its original form. … When someone talks about the restoration of the 1973 constitution, he should not forget that provincial autonomy is also an integral part of the basic law. Unfortunately this part of the constitution has never been implemented since its promulgation. In 1997, when Nawaz Sharif came to power, he opted for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment but did not bother about provincial autonomy. The repeal of the Eighth Amendment is connected to the continuity of a prime minister’s rule rather than to democracy and the constitution because this puts an end to the president’s power to dissolve the assemblies. The repeal of the Eighth Amendment was a good thing because like the 17th Amendment it was promulgated by a dictator. Would it not had been better if Nawaz Sharif had fulfilled the other requisites of the 1973 constitution, abolished the concurrent list and enhanced the powers of the provinces…?

… Once again he is talking much about the supremacy of parliament and the constitution but ignoring violations of the latter…. He is neither taking up the issue of provincial autonomy nor demanding the abolition of the concurrent list. … — (Jan 7)

Selected and translated by Sohail Sangi

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Zardari in Punjab

Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010

President Zardari is expected in the Punjab capital. But it isn’t clear yet which version of Mr Zardari will disembark: the president of Pakistan, who is supposed to be a symbol of the unity of the federation, or the PPP co-chairman, who has been on a mission of late to charge up the party base and ring the alarm against ‘threats’ to his party.

In short, is President Zardari going to Punjab to play politics or to be a hands-off president? For the sake of political stability, it would be better were the president to stick to anodyne statements in public and offer blandishments to the PML-N, which leads the coalition government in Punjab that the PPP is a part of. Then again, things do not often turn out the way sensible people would hope for in Pakistan and it is clear that there is a camp in the Punjab

PPP, headlined by Governor Salmaan Taseer, that wants to take on the Sharifs and the PML-N. Punjab, of course, is unique in the federation in the sense that it holds the key to power at the centre, a key that only the PML-N and the PPP can realistically aspire to hold. But some in the PPP, including President Zardari, have also long cherished the thought of capturing power at the provincial level in Punjab, and the president’s trip may be part of that broader, long-term agenda.

A central complaint of the PPP workers in Punjab is that the party has been left rudderless in the province, with the ‘stars’ in the party attracted to power at the centre, leaving the field open to party members who are not true political heavyweights. A trip by the PPP co-chairman, however, could yield real dividends. Mr Zardari’s visit to Faisalabad in the run-up to the February 2008 elections — the only trip by the PPP co-chairman to the province in recent times — is cited as an example of how support for the party can be galvanised and how such visits can translate into an improved performance at the ballot box. Of course, high-profile visits alone will not cut it: provincial party members claim the leadership in the province needs to be overhauled and re-energised.

The challenge, though, for the president is twofold. He must attend to his party’s demands while taking care not to upset its rival, the PML-N, too much. Displaying such Janus-like abilities, i.e. looking in opposite directions at the same time, would test even the wisest and most conscientious of men. Our advice: don’t get baited by the hawks in either camp, Mr President. Tread carefully.


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Born of superstition

Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010

It is symptomatic of the retrogression in Pakistani society that heinous crimes are committed under the influence of misplaced notions of culture, religion and superstition.

The recent case of infanticide in Karachi is an example. A raid on a Korangi house led the police to the remains of a six-month-old girl buried in a shallow grave and her four-year-old sister trussed up and starved. The girls’ parents told the police that their house had fallen under the influence of ‘evil spirits’ and that a ‘pir sahib’ had appeared in their dreams to guide them towards this course of action. A case of premeditated murder has been registered against the couple, and further investigation may well lead to other reasons — such as poverty or insanity — which led to the crime.

However, there is no doubt that in Pakistan’s deeply conservative, illiterate society, holy men and pirs often exercise a pernicious influence over the credulous. There have been cases where such so-called religious men have raped and tortured or incited followers to commit inhumane crimes — the victims have generally been women and children. At the very least such pirs use their influence to extort money or goods. Unfortunately, only a few cases are highlighted, and even then little action is taken.

A two-pronged strategy is needed to counter this phenomenon. First, the public must be made aware of how they can be taken advantage of by crooks or sadists masquerading as holy men. Superstition and gullibility must be countered at every level for they affect the rich and poor alike. Secondly and more importantly, the role of the pir in the perpetration of violent or criminal behaviour must be recognised and treated as collusion in or incitement to a crime. The pir in the Karachi case may have been a figment of the couple’s imagination, but there are too many real pirs at work in the country.

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Marine pollution

Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010

Preventing the degradation of coastal ecosystems is a collective responsibility, not that of Karachi alone. This was precisely the point raised by the federal environment minister in the National Assembly on Monday, and the sentiment behind the statement is to be lauded.

Water treatment facilities in Karachi are grossly inadequate and cannot cope with the volume of sewage generated every day. That said, the minister’s argument seems abstruse. He said the entire country dumps its effluent in Pakistan’s watercourses — which is true — and ultimately it is up to the cash-strapped Karachi city government to treat this waste before it reaches the sea. The point here is that water treatment plants deal with the output of the sewerage system, not the natural run of rivers and other watercourses which wind their way to the sea. No one can filter the Indus, and it should be obvious that if we are to take collective responsibility for marine pollution then the discharge of effluents must be stopped at the source. Right now a staggering 400 million gallons of industrial waste are reportedly dumped into the Arabian Sea every day. Karachi is said to contribute 80m gallons.

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act and National Environmental Quality Standards may not be perfect but they are fairly comprehensive on the subject of effluent discharge. Relevant laws exist but, as is the case generally in Pakistan, they are rarely enforced. Industrial units are expected to treat their discharges before release to ensure that they comply with the NEQS. Some do but the overwhelming majority simply dumps toxic waste into the sewerage system or the nearest watercourse.

The resultant losses are huge: biodiversity is taking a massive hit, fish and shrimp stocks are depleting, people dependent on riverine and marine resources are losing livelihoods, and the seafood we consume may have already become hazardous to our health. Even the Pakistan Navy has seen huge losses in the form of corrosion suffered by seafaring vessels anchored off Karachi. It is not too late to reverse the tide. We must rethink our priorities and collectively act to save the sea.


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OTHER VOICES - European Press Time to get real about junk food

Wednesday, 13 Jan, 2010

SOME may want… to give up smoking. Others will have different … agendas. However, it is fair to say that the majority of those trying to change something in their lives will try to lose weight. One of the appalling and unfortunate consequences of our age of plenty … is that far too many of us are jeopardising our health and happiness because we are too fat. We eat too much and lead inactive, sedentary lives. Today… medical professionals warn that within two decades half of us will be obese…. ....Why is this? Why are so many of us unable to develop the resolve needed to protect ourselves from obesity? Is it that we are culturally unused to denial or self-discipline? … As we have seen in so many others areas denial only works for so long and reality, even if it comes dripping slow, will surely prevail.

One of the core issues surrounding obesity is diet. We eat far too much junk food and use far too many drinks which are little more than coloured sugar. We have reached a sorry pass when it seems we may have to legislate to prevent people killing themselves or their children by feeding them the wrong food. … [T]ime has come to confront the industries that are doing so very much to undermine the health of our entire population. … Prevention is only one part of the solution, education is another. …

Maybe we should educate all of our children to develop the personal and psychological skills as well as the character needed to have the confidence and resolve to confront these issues… We should give them the skills needed to survive in a world where so very much of human activity is one form of exploitation or another…. — (Jan 12)

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State Bank report

Thursday, 14 Jan, 2010

PAKISTAN’S economy has come a long way in the last one year. Many acknowledge that the PPP government took several politically tough decisions like the abolition of power and oil subsidies to successfully stabilise the sliding economy it inherited. By implementing its macroeconomic stabilisation programme it has brought back the economy from the brink. Fiscal and external account deficits have narrowed, foreign exchange reserves have improved and inflation has declined significantly. The country’s sovereign ratings have also improved. Naturally, the State Bank of Pakistan’s report discusses all these positive trends in detail. But full economic recovery will take some more time in spite of the positive spin the SBP has sought to put on the state of the economy in its first quarterly report for the financial year 2010. This is mainly because the government has failed to address the structural bottlenecks stalling economic recovery and growth. A persisting energy crunch continues to distress the industry; water shortages are preventing the country from exploiting its full agricultural potential; and failure to tax the rich and powerful lobbies is once again threatening to destabilise the fiscal stability achieved in recent months. The result of these failures is evident: the economic outlook remains weak.

Yet the SBP is hopeful that the nation’s GDP will increase by around 3.3 per cent, the target set in the budget for the current fiscal year. However, few subscribe to the bank’s optimistic view. In the absence of a major recovery in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, the bank claims that the impetus to growth will come from the services sector. In claiming so, the bank fails to see that growth in the services sector is largely dependent on growth in manufacturing and agriculture. Unless the commodity-producing sectors improve, there is little that the services sector can do to push growth.

At the same time, threats to macroeconomic stability are resurfacing. Inflation is projected to resurge on increased power and gas prices. Fiscal slippages could make it hard for the government to meet the fiscal deficit target, and the delay in the realisation of pledged aid/loans/grants from the Friends of Democratic Pakistan group is impacting liquidity and preventing the government from spending on social and economic development. The external side, nevertheless, is expected to improve over the last financial year due to generous funding from the IMF and the US under the Kerry-Lugar act. Therefore, it is difficult to expect a major pick-up in growth, at least in the foreseeable future. Unless obstacles to growth are removed, it will be futile to expect sustainable growth even over the long term.


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A cry for help

Thursday, 14 Jan, 2010

ACCORDING to a Lahore-based psychiatrist the incidence of suicide in Pakistan is on the increase. This is not surprising. Given the insecurity, unemployment, inflation and political instability that grip Pakistan today, it is a major challenge for even the most stable person to retain his or her sanity. Suicide is the result of the interaction of a number of factors — biological, genetic, psychological and environmental. It is important that all of these are addressed to help a person overcome suicidal tendencies. While the government has an important role to play in addressing the causes of suicide, the main element in the prevention of suicide is general awareness. It is important that families understand the symptoms and take seriously any change in the behaviour of another member and his/her threat to kill himself/herself. Depression too must be addressed preferably by a mental health professional. Help-lines can serve as a band-aid measure until proper help arrives.

While those suffering from mental disorders — which can lead to suicide — need professional help, a collective effort by members of society can go far in making life a lot easier for those with depressive tendencies in these trying times. Reaching out is after all a sign that a cry for help has been heard. At the individual level, the acquisition of skills in stress management can help alleviate symptoms of depression. Where the stress agent cannot be changed people must learn to address the issues that are hurting them and devise strategies so that they can learn to cope with their problems without letting these dominate their lives. Sometimes even a change in perception can release stress. Needless to say a healthy lifestyle — diet and exercise — are the key elements in facilitating good health, both physical and mental, and the medical community must promote this as far as possible.


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Tehran killing

Thursday, 14 Jan, 2010

MYSTERY shrouds Tuesday’s bomb attack in Tehran which targeted an academic described by Iranian officials as a leading nuclear scientist. Tehran was quick to voice its outrage, claiming that initial investigations indicate that two foreign powers and their “mercenaries in Iran” were responsible for the assassination of physicist Massoud Ali Mohammadi. The US, named in the “triangle” along with “the Zionist regime”, dismissed the charge as absurd. Mr Mohammadi’s killing comes on the heels of US Centcom head Gen David Petraeus’ statement that Iran’s nuclear sites are not fortified enough to withstand powerful ordnance, an indication that attacking the facilities has not been ruled out. Tuesday’s incident also comes soon after Tehran missed a year-end US deadline for accepting a UN-drafted deal under which Iran would swap enriched uranium for fuel rods used in nuclear power plants. And then there is fresh talk of a new round of sanctions or other coercive measures to make Iran toe the western line. Given this backdrop, some see Mr Mohammadi’s murder as a warning shot.

However, it is now being reported that Mr Mohammadi supported opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in last year’s controversial presidential election. He also complained about the way students were treated in the ensuing protest movement which Tehran has tried but failed to crush with brute force. What’s more, it is said that a professor of particle physics is unlikely to have played a role in Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr Mohammadi’s internationally published work includes research on two-dimensional gravity and the black hole as well as complex mathematical analytical issues. In short, it is felt by some that he was a theorist, not a nuclear scientist.

Mr Mohammadi’s background has given rise to allegations that his assassination may be a signal to other academics who support the reform movement. There are also fears that his supposed death at the hands of “mercenaries” may be used to crack down even harder on protestors and to detain activists opposed to the Ahmadinejad government. In the absence of concrete evidence, no theory can be discounted at the moment. Tehran must carry out an extensive and credible investigation so that the perpetrators can be pinpointed.

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OTHER VOICES - Far Eastern Press The problem of Yemen

Thursday, 14 Jan, 2010

… IT is critical for passengers to recognise that security cannot be perfect and expecting it to be so is unrealistic. Security measures will always lag behind the creativity of terrorists.

… Pragmatism should also prevail as the world contemplates the sorry spectacle that is Yemen. The country has been wracked by civil war for over a decade. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been in power for 31 years, relying on dwindling oil revenues to buy off rivals and enrich his family: Yemen is ranked 154th (out of 180) on Transparency International’s corruption index…. Not surprisingly, it is ranked 151st out of 177 countries in the United Nation’s Human Development Index.

… Success in Yemen will require more than a counterterrorism strategy, however. Focussing only on the threat posed by the extremist groups will only ensure that the fissures in Yemen widen, undermining what little legitimacy the government can claim …. — (Jan 9)

Exposing cover-up

WHY do industrial enterprises … cover up workplace accidents? … In a gas leakage incident last week in a steel plant in North China’s Hebei province, plant authorities initially tried to conceal the accident but then said only a dozen workers were poisoned … Even on the second day when it was impossible for a cover-up, plant authorities said that only seven of the 16 poisoned workers had died. The death toll was, in fact, 21….

… What should be noteworthy are the possible violations of law or corruption behind the cover-up. … We are not yet clear whether there is any violation of relevant legal rules in how these workers are hired. So it is important for the investigation to find out why it was necessary for the authorities of this private business to conceal the truth of this accident and the real death toll. Those who are held directly accountable should never be allowed to get away with just disciplinary penalties without exposing the real cause for the cover-up. — (Jan 11)

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The Taliban

Friday, 15 Jan, 2010

IS Hakeemullah Mehsud dead? History suggests we must wait until we can know for sure: the TTP leader has risen from the ‘dead’ before. But two observations are in order. First, even if Hakeemullah has been killed, it does not mean the TTP will automatically collapse. When Baitullah Mehsud was killed last August, there was much speculation about rifts within the TTP and whether it was possible to find a replacement leader as charismatic and deadly as Baitullah. But soon enough the talk of dissent died down and Hakeemullah rose to become a fearsome leader. True, Operation Rah-i-Nijat has deprived the TTP of its ‘centre of gravity’ in South Waziristan and caused its leadership to scatter, but the army itself acknowledges that counter-insurgency operations against the TTP must go on. The TTP is not a spent force yet.

The second point is for the Americans. While Pakistan has been blamed for making a good Taliban/bad Taliban distinction, the fact is the Americans have long had their own ‘order of preference’: the Afghan Taliban have been of more concern to the Americans than the Pakistani Taliban. So if the Pakistan Army’s distinction has been wrong and misguided (as it has been), so has the Americans’. It makes little sense for the Americans to tell Pakistan that there is no such thing as ‘good’ Taliban because all Taliban are the same when the Americans are themselves busy making distinctions according to their own agenda in the region. The recent video showing Hakeemullah Mehsud seated next to the Jordanian suicide bomber who attacked a CIA base in Khost makes nonsense of the American claim that while the Pakistani state’s actions against the TTP are a ‘start’, the ‘real’ work against groups such as the Quetta shura and the Haqqani network is yet to begin.

Clearly, the Americans have extended some cooperation to Pakistan in the fight against the TTP: Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a drone strike, military equipment was rushed to Pakistan to aid its counter-insurgency operations over the last year and aerial surveillance has been shared. The problem though is the way the Americans and the Pakistani sides approach the Taliban problem: each is obsessed with only part of the Taliban ‘spectrum’ and looks at the rest as incidental to its concerns. But the distinctions are artificial and meaningless in many respects — there are only Taliban, and they need to be defeated.


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Mian Channu tragedy

Friday, 15 Jan, 2010

THE death of 10 schoolchildren at an unmanned railway crossing in Mian Channu on Wednesday has highlighted the dangers such crossings pose. The children were killed when their school van collided with an approaching train. It is believed that the driver, who also died, did not see the train because of thick fog. The railways minister has blamed the van driver for negligence. Another railways official, quoting the train driver, has said that the van came on the track all of a sudden, giving no time for the train driver to apply the emergency brakes. There are over 2,500 unmanned crossings across the Pakistan Railways network and the safety statistics associated with such crossings are not good. According to a report in this newspaper, in the past five years, over 100 people have been killed in collisions between trains and other vehicles at unmanned railway crossings while 160 have been injured — many have lost limbs. The railways ministry has moved a summary to the federal cabinet for the establishment of manned crossings with gates across Pakistan. Considering Wednesday’s tragedy and the poor safety measures at unmanned railway crossings, it is imperative the government acts on the plan immediately.

Barriers are especially needed where tracks are located at the junction of busy roads. The Railways Act requires the placement of suitable barriers where rail tracks cross public roads and it is appalling that these have not been installed in several places. The Mian Channu accident also highlights the absence of safety procedures where school vans, often travelling at high speeds, are concerned. This is true of schools vans across the country. They are packed with children, some of them dangling precariously from the sides of the vehicle. Parents, schools, the traffic police and drivers must all ensure that youngsters are brought to and from school in complete safety.


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Privatisation not the answer

Friday, 15 Jan, 2010

THE arrest of the former Pakistan Steel Mill chief, Mueen Aftab Sheikh, draws attention to the conditions prevailing at state-owned enterprises like PSM, PIA, Wapda, the Railways etc. Many have labelled these enterprises as parasites — with good reason. These entities have accrued massive financial losses and run up loans to the tune of billions of rupees due to years of financial indiscipline, mismanagement, corruption, administrative irregularities and lack of investment. The government spends more than Rs200bn annually to keep these enterprises afloat while they continue to bleed profusely. The critics of state interference in the sphere of business have for long been calling for privatising these organisations. Give them away if you cannot sell them, they have advised successive governments. Undoubtedly, the argument for disinvestment of the SOEs is very strong. Public money thus saved can be used to build new schools, colleges, universities and hospitals to educate millions of people. The global trend also favours privatisation as resource constraints are keeping governments from investing money in public-sector businesses.

But wait a moment. Who is going to buy them? No one has that kind of money in Pakistan. Even if anyone did, why would he stir up a hornet’s nest? Foreign investors are least interested in putting their money in loss-making businesses. They are interested in making money rather than working overtime to turn around sinking businesses in a developing economy like Pakistan’s. And who says private investors are more efficient than the public sector? Failure of thousands of businesses everyday goes to prove that the private sector can be as inept and wasteful as the public sector.

There is no good reason to believe that the loss-making entities cannot be made commercially viable without selling them. All we need is the political will to invest money in these entities for restructuring them on modern lines and make their financial and administrative processes transparent and efficient to plug financial leakages and stem corruption. Even if these entities are to be sold, the government would have to make them profitable to attract buyers and get a good price. The task may be daunting but is not impossible to perform.


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OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press A weapons-free city

Friday, 15 Jan, 2010

SHAHI Syed, the president and chairman of the Pakhtun action committee of the Sindh chapter of the Awami National Party, has said that his party believes in the politics of peace and reconciliation and would support any effort to restore peace to Karachi. He stressed the need to foil the conspiracies of all non-state actors in order to secure the life and property of the citizens. He said people belonging to all nationalities living in Karachi should unite to defeat non-state actors who want to create trouble in the city and disrupt economic activities. He also demanded that Interior Minister Rehman Malik ban weapons — both licensed and unlicensed — in the city. He regarded the abundance of weapons in the city as a catalyst in the occurrence of terror incidents. He demanded that the federal government consider his party’s proposal to declare the city a free-trade zone.

A pre-planned effort is under way to make the lives of the Pakhtuns living in Karachi miserable. The NWFP chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has made it clear that every individual of the Pakhtun community is standing firmly in the war against terrorism and for the defence of the nation. Talking to the families of those who were killed or injured in the blasts in the NWFP, he said that the enemies of Pakistan were targeting mosques, women, children, the elderly and others to achieve their nefarious goals. He vowed that terrorism would be eradicated from this “pious land”. He said that Pakhtuns would not hesitate to make any sacrifice to thwart terrorism.

The federal government is also trying to end the weapon culture in the country. In this regard, the interior ministry has issued a notification banning the issuance of licenses for weapons. The interior ministry has clarified that the ban would continue for two months and vowed that action would be taken against those possessing illegal weapons. In this regard the ministry is chalking out a strategy with Nadra officials. It is the duty of every citizen to make the country weapons-free. We should give pens in the hands of our children instead of rifles. — (Jan 9)

Selected and translated by Sayyed Fawad Ali.

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NRO review

Monday, 18 Jan, 2010

In a surprising and unusual move, a review petition against the Supreme Court’s judgment in the NRO case has been filed even though the court has yet to issue the final order.

Stranger yet, neither has the Attorney General of Pakistan nor have the lawyers who argued on behalf of the federation filed the review. Instead, a lawyer associated with Law Minister Babar Awan now wants to represent the federation.

Moreover, according to legal experts, the government may have shot itself in the foot over the issue of corruption cases in Switzerland: by telling the court it has no right to issue a directive to the executive in proceedings outside the country, the government may have given the court a green light to look deeper and longer into the very issues that embarrass the government the most.

So what is going on?

At the moment, nobody seems to know for sure. Speculation has centered on the role of the law minister and there have been murmurings that he may not have acted with the full and considered opinion of the government firmly behind him. Things will become clearer in the days ahead, so for now we will restrict ourselves to some comments on the relationship between the judiciary and the courts.

First, it is all too apparent that in the event of a serious clash between the judiciary and the executive, there will be collateral damage, possibly to democracy itself, and it will play into the hands of the extra-constitutional forces. However, and this is the second point, as yet the prophecies of doom have not come true. The judiciary has skirted uncomfortably close to the line separating the domains of the executive and the judiciary and the government has made known, mostly in privately, its acute suspicions about the judiciary’s motives — but neither side has done anything truly destabilising. For that we are thankful.

Third, saner voices must continue to caution both sides against doing anything daring or outrageous because, and this is important, a clash is not inevitable. All along the erstwhile beneficiaries of the NRO have claimed they were being persecuted by political rivals and there is no merit to the charges against them. Now is the time to prove that in a court of law.

Meanwhile, since the lawyers’ movement, the judges have claimed their goal is to establish an independent, just, principled and responsive judiciary. Now is the time for the judiciary to show that witch hunts are a thing of the past and that every defendant can expect to be treated fairly.


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Entertainment apathy

Monday, 18 Jan, 2010


A number of film and television artists in Karachi recently criticised what they termed as the government’s indifference to their fields, and the resultant stagnation of associated professions.

They have raised a pertinent point, though the unresponsiveness of official quarters should be blamed on the state rather than on any one government. Decades of apathy towards the creative and performing arts have taken their toll: film, which really was an industry once, barely merits the description while quality theatre work is rarely seen or supported by the government.

Even entertainment television, despite the remarkable expansion it experienced over the past decade, is mainly being run in the private sector with hardly any incentives from the state. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the people in these professions are at the mercy of corporations, an unpredictable market and an uncertain economic clime. The issues range from the non-payment of fees, hazy copyright laws and the lack of intellectual property rights to piracy, high taxation rates, the dearth of quality equipment and an insufficiently trained workforce.

This is an unsustainable situation, yet it can be remedied. What is primarily required is political will. State and society must recognise and stress that the creative and performing arts are a vital component of national culture, and have an indispensable role to play in the formation and understanding of the national identity.

Meanwhile, these fields represent the livelihoods of thousands of citizens and generate revenue for the government. Yet the state has historically taken an ad hoc approach towards film, television and theatre; the few efforts to improve these sectors’ performance have been piecemeal and sporadic.

It is time that a cohesive policy was formulated with a view to building up these fields by providing incentives, financial grants and institutional support, while also regulating and mainstreaming professions associated with them.


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OTHER VOICES - North American Press Sentenced to abuse

Monday, 18 Jan, 2010

THE Justice Department needs to act swiftly and decisively to protect young people who are being battered and raped in juvenile corrections facilities all across the country. A shocking new study by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics surveyed more than 9,000 young people in custody and found that 12 per cent reported being sexually abused one or more times, mainly by staff members.

Particularly alarming, the study found several juvenile facilities where 30 per cent or more of the young people reported being raped.

These latest findings are consistent with those reported in June by a federal commission created by Congress under the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act. The commission … also outlined a list of sensible policy changes.…

The commission said that corrections facilities must make it easier for victims to report abuse without fear of reprisal and promptly and thoroughly investigate all rape claims. It said that prison employees must be better screened before they are hired.

The commission also called on state corrections agencies to develop written zero-tolerance rules for employees of adult and juvenile facilities … Employees must be put on notice that they will be held accountable if they participate in sexual assaults or look the other way when they occur.

The 2003 law gave the United States attorney general until June of this year to evaluate the commission’s findings and issue new rape-prevention standards. But juvenile justice advocates worry that the Justice Department will allow state corrections officials to water down those requirements, partly by arguing that they will be too expensive to implement. The department should not allow that to happen. If it does, Congress will have to strengthen the legislation. Zero tolerance for abuse in prisons or juvenile facilities must be the law of the land. — (Jan 15)

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RIP RPPs?

Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010

More or less everything the government has claimed about the controversial rental power projects has been debunked by the Asian Development Bank. The government has said that RPPs are a necessary stopgap and that it got the best possible deal from the RPP owners in the circumstances.

But, according to a report in this newspaper yesterday, the ADB, which was tasked with evaluating the RPP scheme, fundamentally disagrees. Electricity produced by RPPs would be substantially more expensive than what the government has claimed. The supply of electricity from RPPs is not guaranteed. If the RPPs default on their commitments, the government may be on the hook rather than the RPPs being punished.

There isn’t enough gas available in the country to meet the RPPs’ needs and no provision has been made for the transport of the alternative fuel, furnace oil, to the RPPs. The list of flaws identified by the ADB is shocking.

So what’s next? First, the fate of the eight RPPs that have been approved (though not given the final green light by the prime minister) has to be decided. Six of those eight are believed to be in ‘advanced stages of completion’ meaning anything from the ‘equipment has been ordered’ to ‘the equipment has arrived and is ready to be installed on land that has been acquired’. Presently, the first RPP is scheduled to go online by mid April. Such are the legal, financial and production-related complexities that at this stage it may be better to go for some RPP-generated electricity, albeit with some changes to the scheme.

The bigger problem, though, remains unaddressed: there is no comprehensive, long-term plan for electricity generation. So much time and energy has been invested in the no-electricity-versus-expensive-electricity debate over RPPs that no one in government appears to have had time to sit down and draw up a blueprint for meeting the country’s energy requirements five, 10 or 15 years from now. We do not have any idea what the energy mix in the country is going to be. For example, will Bhasha dam be completed on time and what in the meantime and even thereafter, i.e. what is the hydel-power road map? Will we import gas from Turkmenistan or Iran or both or neither? What are the deliverables that the Alternative Energy Development Board has committed to? Can Thar really produce enough electricity to power the country for 1,000 years or even a century or even a year? Unless these and many other questions are answered, the power crisis of today will seem quaint in comparison to what the years ahead may hold.


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Jyoti Basu

Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010

JYOTI Basu, who passed away on Sunday, was an iconic figure in Indian politics. More a social democrat than a dogmatic ideologue, Mr Basu worked for and led the communist movement in India for more than six decades. His forte lay in bringing together disparate voices so that left-leaning coalitions could be forged and a way forward agreed upon, irrespective of political differences. He ruled West Bengal for 23 years from 1977 to 2000, a record unmatched by any other Indian chief minister. With him at the helm, Mr Basu’s Communist Party of India-Marxist was credited with restoring stability to West Bengal after the political tumult of the late 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps more than anything else, he was revered as a cult figure for redistributing wealth through land reform. A rural support base gained further strength as peasants became landowners, and in the cities Mr Basu was backed by trade unions and West Bengal’s cultural intelligentsia. He also had an opportunity to become India’s first Marxist prime minister following the inconclusive 1996 elections. However, his party chose to support the government instead of joining it, a move Mr Basu subsequently called a “historic blunder”.

Mr Basu had his critics who felt that he let the West Bengal economy stagnate by letting trade unions, who were opposed to foreign investment, dictate terms to the chief minister. He had been in retirement for almost nine years when the CPI-M lost significant ground in last year’s elections. Ironically, the party that once gave land to the people suffered heavily for its plans to sell arable holdings to industrial concerns. Some also believe that the CPI-M’s younger leaders who went from college to the party politburo in just a few years do not understand the peasantry. But whatever the CPI-M’s future in West Bengal,

Mr Basu’s legacy will remain intact.


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Aid for education

Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010

According to the Washington Post, the US is all set to spend $200m on education in Pakistan this year. This is United States Agency for International Education’s (USAID) largest education programme worldwide. There is a realisation on America’s part that its war strategy has been misdirected and that a military approach alone will not lead to a conclusive victory. There is a need to change the thinking of those who sympathise with the militants waging jihad.
Mercifully, it is becoming clear to the US that reforming the madressahs will not suffice. These institutions cater to merely five per cent of all school-going youngsters in the country. It is the mainstream schooling system that needs to be reformed. But do the powers that be really want such a change?

There are many who feel that their privileged status would be at risk if education were to be transformed to reach out to all children and give them values such as tolerance, respect for all religions, and goodwill towards all states, besides stressing the rights of all to equal opportunities. After all history shows that it is the vested interest groups in Pakistan that have resisted the development and expansion of education. This barrier has to be breached. The joint task force on education co-chaired by the British educationist Sir Michael Barber and Ms Shahnaz Wazir Ali, special assistant to the prime minister on the social sector, is expected to set the ball rolling. The task force will support the federal and provincial education ministries and identify goals mainly in the context of accessibility and quality of education. But this is possible only if an education policy with a clearly defined strategy and goals is in place.

The education policy 2009 has left many questions unanswered such as those pertaining to the language of instruction. The ideological leanings of the policy do not deviate too much from what had been spelt out previously by earlier policies. The latter, like the current one, were not too progressive. With many ambiguities in the government’s approach to education, it is not clear how the massive US aid meant to change mindsets is to be spent.


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OTHER VOICES - Sindhi press Sindh left out

Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010

TWO major partners of Sindh’s ruling coalition have agreed to the holding of local bodies poll after introducing some changes in the system. The Sindh governor and chief minister … worked out a consensus according to which administrators in Karachi and Hyderabad will be appointed with the consent of the MQM. It was further decided that if … local bodies polls were not held, the present nazim system would continue. … Though the PPP wants the restoration of the commissionerate system it bowed to the insistence of the MQM.... When the other three provinces have thrown away the yoke of the nazim system imposed by Musharraf why is it left in Sindh? … Gen Musharraf … introduced the nazim system … a new form of Gen Zia’s non-party elections and Ayub Khan’s Basic Democracies. Musharraf through this system introduced a new feudal system. The polls were rigged and anti-PPP feudals were elected who were later allotted the districts as fiefdoms. Huge funds were released but were lost due to corruption. … The common man was left at the mercy of a few feudals.

Musharraf gave all power to the MQM in Sindh and after handing over Karachi, Hyderabad district was divided to hand over the [reins of the] district government to the MQM. Before the polls the PPP had promised to restore the commissionerate system and the old Hyderabad district which were abolished by Musharraf. Neither … has been restored. Sindh has been awarded a system which is different from the other three provinces. … — (Jan 17)

— Selected and translated by Sohail Sangi

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Investigating crime

Wednesday, 20 Jan, 2010

There can be no doubt that the manner in which our police investigate crime is haphazard and unscientific. According to a report in this paper, investigations into the blast that targeted Karachi’s main Ashura procession last month have been assigned to a unit of the city police that is not qualified to probe such a case of terrorism.

The recently constituted Special Investigation Unit was formed to investigate bank heists, targeted killings and murders of police personnel. It does not have a background in investigating major terrorism cases. It is unclear why the Crime Investigation Department, which specialises in counter-terrorism, has been kept off the case. Similarly, the probe into the Baldia Town blast earlier this month has been assigned to the Anti-Violent Crime Cell, a unit which specialises in investigating kidnapping-for-ransom cases.

Karachi’s police chief says it is not important which unit is assigned the investigation as long as it proceeds in the ‘right’ direction. However, considering the police’s patchy record when it comes to investigating crime, we would say the CCPO’s optimism is misplaced. It is essential that incidents of terrorism are handled by professionals who have the requisite level of expertise — clearly missing in the Ashura blast probe in which the police began to gather evidence from the crime scene a day after the tragedy. The removal of even a small piece of evidence from the scene of crime can alter the course of investigation.

This approach towards investigating high-profile crime is not new. It is well known that the crime scene in Rawalpindi where Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on Dec 27, 2007 was hosed down almost immediately after the tragedy — in all probability eliminating crucial forensic evidence. The police also drew flak for its ineptitude in the investigation of the Oct 18, 2007 blast in Karachi. There is no lack of conspiracy theories surrounding high-profile terror cases. These may or may not be correct. However, instead of dwelling on these at length, the authorities concerned would do well to review their own performance and work towards a level of professionalism that sees investigations being completed and criminals being brought to justice.


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Test series defeat

Wednesday, 20 Jan, 2010


It wasn’t the loss itself that upset Pakistani cricket fans. Far more distressing was the way in which, time and again, Pakistan capitulated against Australia and handed the hosts a three-nil whitewash. The very least we expected was a good old-fashioned dogfight, a test of nerves and powers of application spanning five days.
What we saw instead was Pakistan being thrashed in two matches and gifting away the Sydney Test, which was all but won, courtesy of a combination of calamitous catching, terrible captaincy and a batting implosion in the second innings. Even the most cynical of fans who have had the dubious honour of witnessing Pakistan’s more appalling displays could not help but cringe.

True, Pakistan hasn’t played much Test cricket in recent years but that cannot be used as an excuse indefinitely. Mohammad Yousuf’s team — in which he didn’t even figure not too long ago — came into the Australia series with six Tests under its belt in roughly six months. Given that most of the players are not new to Test match cricket, that stint should have allowed them to get back into some sort of a groove.

And yes, grounds in Pakistan are in such terrible shape that young cricketers hesitate to dive or get airborne and take those habits with them to the international stage. But how does that explain the repeated failure to accept absolute sitters? That fiasco points to a case of nerves and lack of modern practice drills, and in Kamran Akmal’s case his time-proven inability to keep to leg-spinners who turn it big or can bowl a decent googly.

Learning from mistakes has never been Pakistan’s forte but it is time for an honest and thorough assessment, from the captaincy down, of the team’s glaring shortcomings. It is Test cricket that exposes core weaknesses and it is time they were noted and acted upon.

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Kabul attack

Wednesday, 20 Jan, 2010

The audacious suicide-cum-fidayeen attack on the doorstep of the Afghan presidential palace is an ominous development. There was, of course, death and destruction but the real impact of Monday’s attack in Kabul was symbolic: the militants are sending notice that they can strike at will anywhere in Afghanistan, even yards from where President Karzai is swearing in ministers in his new cabinet.

Suspicion has quickly fallen on the Haqqani network, and it seems likely the group is behind the latest attack. That the Haqqani network appears to be growing in strength does not surprise seasoned observers. Three advantages combine to make the Haqqani network uniquely powerful in Afghanistan.

First, the Haqqani brand isn’t built simply on legendary exploits on the battlefield — the Haqqanis are also considered spiritual leaders because of the chain of madressahs they have built over the decades, especially in the Waziristan agencies. Second, Al Qaeda has concentrated its activities in the east of Afghanistan, which is where the Haqqani strongholds are located. The resulting Al Qaeda-Haqqani nexus has given the Haqqani network a big boost. Third, the Haqqani network’s linkages with the Pakistani Taliban have given it a rear base in Pakistan’s tribal areas and added to its strength. To those advantages add the fact that the torch has largely been passed from father, the old and infirm Jalaluddin, to son, Sirajuddin, considered to be more aggressive, more lethal and more ideological than his father.

With the American troop surge in Afghanistan expected to begin in March, the goal of the Haqqani network appears to be to push the Americans even further on the back foot.
In response, the Americans have lately been talking about reconciliation with “moderate” Taliban in the hope of whittling down the insurgency before taking it on and preparing to exit the country. But, as we have written before, the “moderate” Taliban appear to be more a figment of desperate imaginations than a reality.

There are loosely three groups that comprise the Afghan Taliban: the group led by Mullah Omar, the Haqqani network and the Hekmatyar group. If there are going to be any talks in Afghanistan, they are going to be with those three groups, none of which could be described as “moderate”.

Further complicating the picture is the fact that there is no clear pecking order: while all militants pay obeisance to Mullah Omar as the “supreme leader”, talks with him alone cannot guarantee the Haqqani and Hekmatyar networks will toe the line of any agreement. The new year has clearly failed to bring good tidings for the Afghan government or the Americans.


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OTHER VOICES - European Press Less war, more peace

Wednesday, 20 Jan, 2010

IT is hard to escape the impression that Britain’s major political parties are coming over all pacifist — or at least are going into the election rather less enthusiastic about military intervention than they once were. First Kim Howells, chairman of the parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence services, told this newspaper that Britain should stop routinely deploying troops to trouble spots, focusing rather on security interests closer to home. More surprising, however, and more indicative perhaps of the general political mood, was the Conservatives’ policy document on national security…. This argues for the creation of a UK ‘stabilisation’ force to lead post-war reconstruction overseas — an idea apparently derived from the existing interdepartmental stabilisation unit. It also argues for more realism in committing our armed forces and for greater emphasis on conflict prevention and diplomacy.

… There are two obvious explanations for the change. The first is the financial stringency that will face all government departments, especially high-spending ones, after the election. The second is the unpopularity of the most recent foreign interventions. Iraq is a particular case in point — and, as the Chilcot inquiry is showing, remains fiercely divisive, even though British troops have been withdrawn. But the military presence in Afghanistan — about which the public initially had fewer misgivings — also faces growing domestic opposition. The appetite for intervention, of course, was in part a reaction to the West’s failure to prevent the Rwandan genocide and the massacre at Srebrenica. It was also fostered by the perception of success in Sierra Leone, then in Kosovo. But Iraq and Afghanistan have proved much more costly…. What is unclear about the narrowing political gap on defence, however, is how far the parties’ more modest aspirations for British military power are dictated by electoral considerations and how far they reflect a genuine reappraisal of Britain’s place in the world and necessary capabilities. We hope that it is the latter. — (Jan 16)

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Fake medics

Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010

Fake or under-qualified ‘medical practitioners’ are an inevitable menace in a country where the needs of a largely uneducated population are addressed by an overstretched and inefficient public healthcare system.

The state’s poor record in prosecuting such offenders means that these quacks routinely fleece citizens and endanger their lives. A case in point is Muzaffargarh where, according to data collected by an NGO, no less than 8,000 such charlatans are operating. Their business flourishes partly because of aggressive marketing, including the daily distribution of thousands of pamphlets, advertisements on cable television networks and graffiti. But their exploitative trade also exists because an apathetic health department rarely inquires into the legitimacy of a medic’s credentials.

A multi-pronged approach is needed to eliminate this menace. First, practising a form of medicine for which one is not qualified must be dealt with as a crime: such practices endanger public health and contribute significantly to the spread of diseases such as Hepatitis ‘C’. The country needs effective laws requiring a medic to present verifiable credentials before setting up his practice, which must be subsequently monitored to ensure that there is minimum malpractice. Secondly, the state healthcare system must be expanded to efficiently cover all areas; the lack of access to qualified medical practitioners and the government health units’ notorious shortage of facilities create the target market for quacks.

Thirdly, more action is required on the part of the health department. Health authorities say that their department takes ready action whenever it receives a complaint; but the government needs to take a far more active role by aggressively seeking out and prosecuting such charlatans. Most importantly, people must be made aware of the danger in seeking medical aid from unqualified people, and the fact that they stand to lose not only their money but also their lives in referring their ailments to quacks.


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Unacceptable increase

Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010

Unsuspecting electricity consumers are being charged around 35 per cent more than what they were paying before the government raised the power prices by six per cent in October last year.
The cumulative increase in the power bills is estimated to come to more than 50 per cent in the bills for January. The charges for the current month will incorporate a further 12 per cent increase in the price of electricity.

The tariffs have been raised as part of the phasing out of the massive energy subsidies under the $11.3bn standby deal with the IMF. The exorbitant increase in the consumer bills is not due only to the elimination of subsidies.

A report in this newspaper informs us that the consumers are also being charged excessively due to a government decision to pass on the rise in international oil prices to them. In the bills these charges appear under the head of “fuel adjustment charges”.

On top of that, the consumers are paying the government almost 22 per cent tax in accordance with the power they consume. This is something that the government has tried to conceal from the public for fear of the political fallout.

Perhaps it didn’t take into account the loss of face it has suffered now that this sleight of hand has been discovered. Subsidies are bad for the economy because these create unwanted and unnecessary distortions without benefiting those for whom they are meant to help, and are a major source of budgetary problems for the government.

There are no two views on purging the economy of this needless expenditure on subsidies. But bad governance and concealment are worse. An increase of more than 50 per cent in power bills in a span of four months is unacceptable.

It has and will make middle-class consumers cut essential expenditure on food, health and education to pay energy bills. The government can help alleviate the pain of consumers by cutting indirect taxes on their bills. It must sometimes show the people that it is committed to providing them relief — or brace itself for an angry public reaction.


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NRO judgment

Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010

Lawyers will continue to pore over the 287-page detailed judgment in the NRO case in the days and weeks ahead, but at the moment it appears that the judgment contains no fresh surprises, pleasant or otherwise, for any of the parties involved.

The thrust of the short order has been reinforced and the ground has been laid for the next phase in the post-NRO world: the revival of all the cases and investigations against the erstwhile NRO beneficiaries. Here is where things become very tricky and uncertain. First, will the government implement in letter and spirit the directions of the Supreme Court? Common sense and prudence suggest that it should, but common sense and prudence have historically not prevailed in the country.

Second, what are the ramifications for former beneficiaries of the NRO who currently hold elected office? Of major interest will be the fate of ministers who have had the NRO shield taken away. Will absconders, convicts or defendants be disqualified from holding office? It seems a safe bet that the courts will be moved to strip certain elected officials of their powers, but there are complicated and technical questions of law and fact applicable, so the outcome is far from certain. Suffice it to say, some ministers and their lawyers can expect to spend a lot of time visiting courts in the near future.

Third, what does the detailed judgment mean for President Zardari? By itself, the judgment does not affect Mr Zardari’s tenure as president. But the president’s legal woes may only just be beginning. Almost certainly, constitutional petitions will be filed challenging provisions of Article 248 of the constitution that appear to bar the re-opening of NRO-related cases against the president. There may even be petitions seeking to disqualify the president on the grounds that he is not “sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest and ameen” (Article 62-f).

In addition, Switzerland looms large. The detailed judgment reads in part: “It is declared that the initial requests for mutual legal assistance; securing the status of civil party and the claims lodged to the allegedly laundered moneys lying in foreign countries including Switzerland are declared never to have been withdrawn. Therefore the federal government and other concerned authorities are ordered to take immediate steps to seek revival of the said requests, claims and status.” But until it is determined whether Swiss law permits proceeding against a serving president of a foreign country, the implications for Mr Zardari are unclear — other than the obvious: at the very least, the president is in for a great deal of embarrassment and some enormous legal bills.

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OTHER VOICES - Middle East Press Power vacuum

Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010


NIGERIA … is in crisis over the long absence of … President Umaru Yar’Adua from the country. Yar’Adua has been receiving treatment for a heart ailment in Saudi Arabia since Nov 23, while protests are escalating back home over the power vacuum…. Yar’Adua spoke to the press for the first time a few days ago, and said he was undergoing treatment … and hoped “very soon there will be tremendous progress” which would allow him to get back home. …

Critics of the government say the president’s absence is affecting the implementation of the budget, efforts to entrench peace in the oil-producing Niger River Delta and attempts to reform the electoral system before general elections next year. Meanwhile, a federal court has ruled that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan can perform the executive duties of the ailing president without a formal transfer of power. … Yar’Adua himself should take the initiative to resolve the current crisis… — (Jan 16)

Valuable resource

DESPITE an official denial about importing natural gas for meeting Egypt’s basic energy needs, the recent statement made by the minister of oil Sameh Fahmi still suggests that this option is being considered, under the pretext of exploiting the present drop in gas prices in the world market.

Minister Fahmi claimed that Egyptian factories that use huge amounts of energy are the ones that seek to import gas from a country such as Iraq, for $1.80 instead of the $3, they’re currently paying per one million thermal units to the Egyptian government. However, official figures affirm that Egypt is selling its gas to Israel for only $1.25 per one million thermal units — less than half the price for which they sell it to Egyptian and foreign factories working here! … [W]e are mismanaging one of our most important natural resources, by exporting it for a trivial price and by exporting at all in the first place, instead of letting vital local industries benefit from it. — (Jan 17)

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A landmark move

Friday, 22 Jan, 2010

WOMEN and those who care for women in Pakistan have at long last something to celebrate. The Criminal Law Amendment Bill (which is related to sexual harassment) was adopted by the Senate with the support of all major parties, but with members of the religious parties staging a walkout or absenting themselves. The bill which had been passed by the National Assembly in November will become law when it is signed by the president. It enhances the punishment for acts previously described in the PPC and the CrPC as an “insult to the modesty of women” and gives a clearer definition of harassment to make it justiciable before a court of law. But as is the case with all laws, especially those envisaging change, they have to be translated into action. That calls for strict enforcement on the one hand, and a change in mindset on the other. One hopes that the government and social activists work towards that end to eliminate the intimidation that women face in public places. This is essential to facilitating women’s mobility outside their homes to enable them to obtain education, healthcare and employment.

The successful passage of the bill has another far-reaching implication. It clearly indicates that if progressive forces that stand for women’s rights and social change show a political commitment to their cause they can achieve a lot by successfully challenging the retrogressive elements in our midst who want to block advancement of any kind. In this respect, women have always been their first target. It also establishes the fact that the majority of Pakistanis do not support those who have used religion and violence to sustain the myth of their power and stranglehold on public opinion.

Perhaps the most immediate and far-reaching impact of the Senate’s move is that it has paved the way for another bill, the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill, 2009. The criminal law bill that had a successful passage through the upper house on Wednesday by itself does not change the parameters of ‘sexual harassment’ at the workplace. This shift in paradigm is contained in the substantive bill passed in the National Assembly on Thursday. It spells out fundamental changes in a working woman’s rights and provides for a mechanism to provide redress to an aggrieved party. Intriguingly it was not introduced in the Assembly three months ago as scheduled although the standing committee had passed it unanimously. The government would also do well to revive the lapsed legislation on domestic violence and ensure its successful passage in both houses.

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An illiterate nation

Friday, 22 Jan, 2010

UNESCO’S Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2010 places Pakistan fourth on the regional list of countries with the highest number of adult illiterates. Along with India and Nepal, this is also the country where women are twice as likely to be illiterate than men. Indeed Pakistan has performed poorly on all four indicators used to compute the EFA development index: universal primary education, adult literacy, gender parity and equality, and quality. Amongst the contributing factors identified by the report is the fact that Pakistan spends less than 20 per cent of its budget on education, the growth of political movements hostile to girls’ education and persistent poverty. Using Pakistan’s example, the report points out that literacy receives insufficient attention “and is often not incorporated into wider poverty reduction strategies”.

This indictment of the state of education should come as no surprise. The country’s education sector has suffered serious neglect over the decades and become characterised by piecemeal policies, insufficient funding and inefficient planning. Despite the efforts, no meaningful improvement has been seen in primary school enrolment figures, while high levels of poverty and child labour also play a significant role in hindering access to education. Matters have been made worse by recent political developments. In Swat, for example, the Taliban destroyed more than 100 girls schools between 2007 and May 2009; and a 2008 Taliban-issued ‘ban’ on girls’ education led nearly 1,000 schools to either close down or stop admitting girls, while fear led to the withdrawal of 120,000 girls from schools. The path to rectifying this situation lies in improving the country’s law and order situation, investing in the education sector and instituting poverty alleviation efforts that prioritise education. Unless a cohesive strategy is set into motion now, it is difficult to see how Pakistan can avoid having yet another generation’s progress impeded by illiteracy.

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Mutual failure

Friday, 22 Jan, 2010

MAYBE he was playing to an Indian audience and saying what it wanted to hear. The true import of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates’s recent statements in New Delhi will be known only after assessing the remarks he makes during the Pakistani leg of his ongoing South Asian tour. While in India he praised the government there for showing restraint in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. He also said it would “not be unreasonable to assume that Indian patience would be limited were there to be further attacks”. This argument is flawed on two counts. One, even after the heat of the moment had subsided, India did not show restraint and went out of its way to conflate terrorist organisations based in Pakistan with the operations of the Pakistani state. That argument, which may have been valid in the 1980s and 1990s, is now dated. The Pakistani state, which in the name of ‘strategic depth’ once sponsored militant organisations operating on both the western and eastern fronts, now has its hands full battling the uncontrollable monster it created. Two, Mr Gates’s statement seems to sidestep the mutual annihilation that a war between Pakistan and India would all but assure. Again, equating Pakistan and its security apparatus — as an institution, as opposed to the inclinations of misguided individuals — with the actions of outlawed militant outfits no longer applies. India seems hell-bent on isolating Pakistan in any way possible. This outlook is an invitation to disaster.

Threats of conflict aside, the mutual distrust on both sides of Wagah now borders on the absurd. Pakistani players have allegedly been excluded from cricket’s Indian Premier League for reasons of politics instead of sporting ability. In apparent retaliation, a visit to India by a Pakistani parliamentary delegation has been put on ice. At a time when official dialogue, cultural exchanges and track-two diplomacy are of critical importance, both countries are being reactive instead of pooling resources to tackle problems that are mutual in nature. This one-upmanship must end sooner than later. Terrorism cannot be defeated if Islamabad and New Delhi are not on the same page.


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OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press US role in Afghanistan

Friday, 22 Jan, 2010

AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai has thanked the United States for helping his country during a time of crises. Addressing a press conference, he said that the US had never given a blank cheque to the war-torn country. However, he said he had thanked the US on behalf of the Afghan people for whatever support it had extended.

He added that it was not the responsibility of the US government to help Afghanistan and it was generous on its part to do so. He also vowed that international troops would not leave Afghanistan until terrorism was completely eliminated from the country. Karzai said the Afghan government was trying to take those accomplices of the Taliban on board who were ready to renounce their violent activities. The Afghan president said that there were plans to make life easier for such people. He explained that billion of dollars would be spent on development projects in the war-torn country. … However, the US government has refuted reports that claim that Washington wants to negotiate with the Taliban. The US government says it has no contacts with such elements and it wants to kill the pest of terrorism with the help of Pakistan. It says that it is not treating Pakistan in a negative fashion and needs the country’s cooperation for the eradication of terrorism….

To support their claim, US officials point to the ongoing military operations against militants both by American and Pakistani security forces. The US media reported some days back that America was covertly supporting Taliban activities in Afghanistan. According to reports from southern Afghanistan, where Nato troops are fighting the militants, US commanders are providing financial support to the Taliban. The reports claim that due to the covert support of the US, Taliban militants managed to attack Canadian troops. The troops later recorded their protest and also wrote a formal letter to Nato. These things should be investigated in a proper manner for the better future of Afghanistan. — (Jan 17)

Selected and translated by Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah

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