Margallas in danger

Friday, 17 Jul, 2009

A PHOTOGRAPH published in Dawn of a once-flowing stream in the heart of Islamabad, now dry and filled with debris, testifies to the incalculable harm inflicted on our environment by the stone-quarrying and crushing activities in the surrounding Margalla Hills. Quarrying in the Margallas has not only caused natural streams to dry up as a consequence of deposits of stones but has also damaged numerous aqueducts, culverts and water tunnels causing water wastage and contamination. The activity is also denuding the Margallas of their green cover, besides accelerating soil erosion and destroying archaeological sites — this is happening even though the Margalla Hills were designated as a national park by the federal government in 1980. The government, with the support of civil society, had in the 1990s managed to curtail stone-quarrying and crushing in several valleys but today the decimated Margallas are a sorry picture of our failure to completely put a stop to such activity, particularly in certain parts of the terrain near Taxila under the jurisdiction of the Punjab government.

With 2009 being the National Year of Environment, the government has shown some resolve against quarry masters and stone crushers. Accordingly, a new high-level committee, comprising officials from relevant ministries and departments as well as representatives from international environmental organisations, met recently in the capital to focus on the issue. Success in saving the Margallas from further destruction will depend on how the plethora of federal and provincial ministries and departments cooperate to put an end to quarrying activities. These include the federal environment ministry, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, the Pakistan Railways, which operates a stone-quarrying and crushing plant in the hills, and the Punjab Mineral Development Corporation, which reportedly grants new quarrying leases and extends existing ones in the Taxila area of the Margalla Hills.


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A step forward

Friday, 17 Jul, 2009

CREDIT must go to both sides for seizing the moment and breaking the impasse. Events at Sharm el Sheikh on Thursday may not have rewritten relations between Pakistan and India but a much-needed breakthrough was achieved nonetheless. Whether the latest round of talks between PMs Yousuf Raza Gilani and Manmohan Singh will alter ground realities is immaterial at this stage. Equally irrelevant at this point is the role, if any, played by the US in convincing India to take a more flexible stand. Major powers almost invariably find a say in issues of major geopolitical import, and a continued stand-off between Pakistan and India is to no one’s benefit. What matters most is that the two neighbours appear to have found the middle ground and acknowledged that dialogue is the only way forward on the road to peace.

The joint statement issued after Thursday’s meeting between the two prime ministers deviates sharply from the rhetoric of recent months, especially the hard line taken by New Delhi. It was being said that India would try to recast the composite dialogue process, refusing to entertain any issue other than that of terrorism. This single-point agenda now appears to have been abandoned, at least on paper. According to the joint statement issued in Egypt, “Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed…. India [is] ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues.” Instead of describing this development as some kind of victory for Pakistan, we would do well to hail India’s timely recognition that terrorism and militancy should not be allowed to come in the way of improved relations. Mr Gilani’s point that “Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas” also managed to find its way into the joint declaration. This too is indicative of India’s ostensible receptiveness.

Both countries have pledged to “share real-time, credible and actionable information on any future terrorist threats.” If followed through with honesty of purpose, cooperation on this front has the potential to strike a major blow against terrorism, a mutual threat that must be fought jointly. Considerable give and take will be required in the days to come. Pakistan needs to do everything in its power to crack down hard on all organisations and individuals whose goal is to unleash violence against our neighbours to the east. India, for its part, must understand Pakistan’s position at a time when Islamabad is fighting militancy on several fronts. The politicians succeeded where the bureaucrats faltered at Sharm el Sheikh. The elected representatives must keep talking.

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Wake-up call

Friday, 17 Jul, 2009

A PROTEST call issued by the Pakistan Workers Federation and supported by other workers’ platforms brought hundreds of thousands of people out on the roads on Wednesday. The government was severely criticised for what the protesters termed as “anti-labour legislation that impeded workers’ access to their rights”, the routine violation of labour laws and the non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act. Other points raised included the petroleum development levy, the worsening power and security situation, rising unemployment and inflation. The demonstrations should serve as a serious warning for the government, indicative as they are of the growing frustration in society. While the protest rallies in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Hyderabad were massive, people came out on the streets in other cities too, including Peshawar, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Quetta and Karachi. The level of support given to the protest call reveals how the aforementioned issues are perceived as having worsened the lot of the common man.

There is no denying that generating income is becoming increasingly difficult because of factors ranging from power shortages that have had a domino-effect impact on the industrial and manufacturing sector, to the worsening economic situation which has led to downsizing in hitherto flourishing sectors. Additionally, Pakistan has suffered the knock-on effect of changes in the global economy, such as fluctuating oil prices. To the ordinary citizen, these factors are represented by the ever-increasing prices of essential commodities, including dietary staples. The protests reflect the state of mind of the people who perceive themselves as having their backs against the wall, with no option left other than to push back. This is dangerous, for today’s peaceful protesters may well turn into the violent anarchists of tomorrow. It is essential for the government to address the basic issues of survival — and to be seen to be doing so. There already exists a general perception that the government, despite its installation through a democratic process, is an entity divorced from the needs and aspirations of the citizenry. If this perception continues to deepen, it could spell disaster for the future of not only this government but also the country.

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OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press Peace in Afghanistan

Friday, 17 Jul, 2009

PAKISTAN and Afghanistan have become a theatre of war because of the activities of the world powers. As a result, the infrastructure in these war-torn countries is up in flames. Along with this region, the entire world is under threat from extremists and no one knows how to solve this.

Be it the East or West, the possibility of danger looms large everywhere as images of imminent death haunt the citizens. People in the West may feel relatively more secure than those in the East, economically and otherwise. However, this has not eliminated the threat of terrorism.

No one can deny that unless the world powers stay away from furthering their dirty agendas in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the world cannot be at peace. Peace in the region and the entire world depends on a prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan.

After the US defeated Soviet forces in Afghanistan, it turned its back on Pakistan and its neighbour shattered by war. After that if any foreign power kept up ties with Afghanistan or Pakistan, it was only to serve its own interests or to damage those of others.

Some countries would fuel war and killings by goading one faction against another.This has turned Afghanistan into a pit of fire whose flames have now engulfed the whole region. Today the West led by the US is going on about Al Qaeda and the Taliban presence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But they forget that had the US not brought foreign jihadists from around the world to defeat the Soviet Union and equipped the Afghans with Kalashnikovs, these entities would have been non-existent.

Being the sole superpower after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, no one can dare stop America’s interference in the affairs of other countries. But if the US continues with its hegemonic and imperialist designs, the day is not far off when weak and oppressed countries will stand up to the West, especially the US, to wrest away their sovereignty.

This scenario is likely to kick-start a new ‘world war’ that may consume humanity…. To forestall such a tragedy, the US should put a stop to the war and killings in Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the same time it is obligatory for weaker nations of the world to stand by those who have challenged the barbarism and high-handedness of the ‘great powers’. — (July 14)

Selected and translated by Faizullah Jan

Clarity needed
Sunday, 19 Jul, 2009


IT is understandable that India’s prime minister will tread warily at home when it comes to an issue as emotionally charged as relations with Pakistan. Manmohan Singh acted boldly at Sharm el Sheikh when he threw his weight behind the joint statement issued after a second meeting with Yousuf Raza Gilani. Until then the Indian stance vis-à-vis talking to Pakistan had been one of utmost rigidity: all pending matters must wait until the masterminds of the Mumbai assault are brought to book. The lingering trauma of those brutal attacks, coupled with a history of mutual hostility, all but ensured that delinking action on terrorism from the composite dialogue process would be seized upon by critics in India. And perhaps it is not just the opposition BJP or the media that Mr Singh is attempting to appease by going back on his word. The ruling Congress party enjoys a commanding position in parliament and can chart its own course if it so chooses. Does this mean that talking to Pakistan is anathema not just to the Indian rightwing but also sections of the Congress’s own constituency?

According to the joint statement, the composite dialogue and action on terrorism would not be bracketed together. However, shortly thereafter Mr Singh told the Indian press that a “composite dialogue cannot begin unless and until the terrorist attacks that shook Mumbai are accounted for”. He took the same line in the Indian parliament on Friday. Indeed, Mr Singh offered an entirely different interpretation of the pledge to delink action against terrorists from the composite dialogue process. The resumption of talks, he appeared to argue, cannot be a precondition for taking legal action against those who orchestrated the Mumbai carnage. Such reasoning is at odds with the spirit of the joint statement. Ideally, Mr Singh ought to speak his mind with greater clarity.

It is hoped that Mr Singh is merely playing to the gallery and catering to domestic political compulsions. If he has to make the right noises on his home turf then so be it. But nothing should be allowed to derail the process of negotiation which is clearly in the interest of both countries. Terrorism is a mutual threat and sincere cooperation on this front is essential for the well-being of Pakistan as well as India. Other outstanding issues such as Kashmir also need to be addressed. It has been reported that Pakistan is likely to figure prominently during the US secretary of state’s trip to India this week. Any attempt by any quarter to bring the two neighbours closer at this critical juncture can only be appreciated.


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Strengthening democracy
Sunday, 19 Jul, 2009


NOW that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for Nawaz Sharif to return to electoral politics, the PML-N chief must return to the National Assembly at the earliest. Elections for vacant seats in Lahore and Rawalpindi are on the cards and provide the perfect opportunity for Mr Sharif to enter parliament and take his role as leader of the opposition. From a democratic standpoint, there ought to be no other option: Mr Sharif is the chief of the PML-N, the party that leads the opposition in the National Assembly, and therefore he must now play his designated constitutional role from centre stage. This isn’t simply a matter of form: despite being one of the central pillars of a constitutional democracy, parliament here suffers from a lack of real power and gravitas. One man’s entry alone will not change that, but Mr Sharif is no ordinary politician and his presence in the National Assembly could be a catalyst to making parliament relevant again and restoring its centrality to the democratic project. Rather than meetings in drawing rooms and statements issued at press conferences, what the system needs is serious public debate in parliament and institutionalised decision-making. Because Mr Sharif has been deliberately, and unfairly, shut out from parliament for nearly a decade, his non-presence could not be justifiably criticised — but that has changed now and democracy needs him to play his constitutional role.

It must also be pointed out that from an institutional point of view the fact that the Supreme Court has made Mr Sharif’s re-entry into elected politics possible is not necessarily a good thing. There is no doubt that from the charges to the trial itself the process of the PML-N chief’s conviction was flawed and unfair. But, unlike other high-profile public figures, Mr Sharif opted to let that process run its course and refused to challenge it until recently. So, legally speaking, the Supreme Court had to veer onto difficult terrain in overturning a nine-year-old conviction. It would have been better if parliament found a way to solve what was a political problem disguised as a ‘legal’ matter.


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Challenges ahead
Sunday, 19 Jul, 2009


THE repatriation on Friday of about 9,000 families to the main areas of Swat increases the number of displaced people who have turned homewards to about 61,000. This is encouraging since order can only be restored to the battle-ravaged zones once the internal refugees return and resume their regular activities. Notwithstanding some initial reluctance prompted by security fears, it is evident that many families have decided to take the chance and return home rather than continue to contend with the anxiousness of living in camps, temporary shelters or with relatives. All this has meant disruptions in education and income-generation, violations of familial and gender privacy codes, poverty and an increased risk of hunger and illness. Repatriation signals a beginning to the process of picking up the pieces of lives shattered by the conflict, and a limping return towards normalcy — for great challenges still lie ahead. While the process of repatriation has gone relatively smoothly so far, only a handful of the internally displaced — estimated originally as exceeding two million — have chosen to return at this point.

A sizeable number of families have not received the one-time cash grant promised to them, and the government must immediately act on its assurance to provide it soon. Having assisted their repatriation, the state cannot afford to abandon the returnees to their fates. Increased efforts are required to repair the civic and administrative infrastructure, set up educational and healthcare facilities and improve local economies.

Most importantly, the areas declared safe must be kept that way. Reports of sporadic militant activity continue to come in and little success has been witnessed so far in arresting or eliminating much of the militant leadership. They cannot be left with any chance of resuming their anarchic activities and the government must institute all the policy changes required to ensure this.

Raiwind meeting
Saturday, 18 Jul, 2009


BEFORE and during the lengthy meeting between President Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Raiwind yesterday speculation centred on the possibility of the PML-N rejoining the federal cabinet and something concrete being decided on amending the constitution. But there was disappointment on both those fronts. Does that mean the meeting was a failure? Not quite. Indeed, the very fact that Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif — whose conviction in the 1999 hijacking case was overturned by the Supreme Court the same day — were meeting after eight months, during which they clashed bitterly over several issues, was itself a small victory for democracy. As the joint statement noted ‘dialogue and discussions [are] the essence of the democratic process and … the doors to meaningful and result-oriented dialogue should always remain open.’
Perhaps most promisingly the statement also mentioned: ‘Both sides agreed that the problems faced by the country were too stupendous to be resolved by any one political party or state institutions and required the collective efforts of all political forces and parties.’ Effectively dealing with the threat of militancy, the economic crisis and a structurally flawed system of constitutional governance will definitely require cooperation between what are effectively the two largest national parties in the country.

But, words aside, there is no getting away from the fact that the relationship between the PPP and PML-N leaders is at best complicated and that differences do exist. One sign yesterday was the decision to not hold the traditional press conference and face the media together. The other was the lack of anything concrete on precisely what amendments are to be made to the constitution. Reference to ‘undemocratic clauses’ and the need to ‘democratise the constitution’ were plentiful, but Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif could clearly only agree that the parliamentary committee set up to review the constitution should ‘complete its task in the shortest possible time and propose suitable amendments in it’. Therein lies the rub: cooperation at the centre and perhaps even another ‘national government’ is conditional on amending the constitution to the satisfaction of both the PPP and the PML-N. In theory, the two parties ought to be in agreement on the big constitutional changes because they share similar views on the issue. But the status quo favours the PPP over the PML-N and the former will be keen to extract a quid pro quo while the latter will be averse to making binding political commitments. Much hard bargaining lies ahead, but at least the leaders of the PPP and PML-N are once again talking to each other rather than at each other.


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Talking to the Taliban
Saturday, 18 Jul, 2009


EVEN though President Barack Obama has decided on a ‘surge’, the US doesn’t seem averse to the idea of talking to the Taliban, albeit the Afghan ones. Bush administration officials had also indicated from time to time that they were willing to talk to the Taliban, making it clear they thought Al Qaeda was the principal foe. Wednesday’s statement by Hillary Clinton is pregnant with possibilities, though the Democratic administration needs to be a little more open about its plans. Nearly eight years after America invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban regime, the insurgency has shown no signs of declining. The militants have surprised the world with their resilience and tenacity, for their major strategic assets — continued recruitment and uninterrupted arms supplies — remain intact. For all their firepower, American and Nato-led Isaf forces have failed to win logistically.

Talking to the enemy has been a good idea universally. So if the Obama administration wants to probe such a possibility and bring Afghanistan’s misery to an end by peaceful means then perhaps the idea should be debated. There are, however, many imponderables. Pakistan, for instance, has learnt the hard way that it is not easy to talk to the militants, that they cannot be trusted, and that they can use a period of truce to consolidate their power and turn their mountainous fortresses into ‘safe havens’ — as demonstrated by the Musharraf regime’s disastrous deal in 2006 with the Taliban in North Waziristan. The same mistake was repeated, though with slight variations, in Swat. Ultimately, it is the army’s firepower, with full support from the people, which seems to be paying off though much remains to be done.

The US secretary of state said America would talk to the Taliban who lay down their arms and renounce violence. This appears to be a conditional approach to talks. Nevertheless, the ‘good’ Taliban should be able to pick up the signal, although President Hamid Karzai is the last person who should differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban. The other day he released five convicted drug barons, knowing full well that drug money is a major source of Taliban funding.


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Credit for the poor
Saturday, 18 Jul, 2009


The federal capital’s administration recently decided to extend micro-credit to rural women of the area by distributing cheques worth Rs 20,000 each among 30 deserving candidates. The money was disbursed under a micro-credit scheme of the national centre for rural development Chak Shahzad. Some 500 women are said to have benefited so far. After the success of Grameen bank in Bangladesh, experiences around the world have shown micro-credit to be a highly efficient method of addressing poverty at the gross-roots level. Many of the poor would be able to improve their financial condition by setting up small, self-sustaining businesses if they had access to credit. Unfortunately, they cannot approach banks that demand collateral against loans. Research conducted by the Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi found that there is no shortage of market demand or productive labour, but the lack of credit forces the poor to buy dear and sell cheap.

Moreover, micro-credit schemes run by the OPP and other organizations show that the loan recovery rate is among the poor, particularly when the recipients are women. The latter tend to place greater value on financial independence and also resources wisely. Micro-credit has therefore allowed women in several places to establish income-generating enterprises. They have set up shops, purchased and reared livestock and bought sewing machines. This has also had effect of empowering women in a patriarchal society. Some micro-credit organizations have, however, experienced difficulties in either disbursing loans fairly or recovering them due to politically motivated demands that individuals of certain constituencies or party loyalties be given preference. This must cease. It is incumbent on the government to not only ensure that recipients of its micro-credit scheme are deserving but also political interference is not allowed.

Fata ‘development’
Monday, 20 Jul, 2009


IT’S a catch-22 situation: lasting peace depends on development, and uplift work can’t commence in earnest until peace is restored. That is the situation today in vast swathes of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas where the state is struggling to wrest control from Taliban-backed insurgents. South Waziristan is being bombarded every other day and Bajaur, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan and Orakzai are also far from peaceful. Kurram, for instance, has been all but cut off from the rest of Pakistan for nearly two years. When a consignment of cement can’t reach the place, it is easy to see why development work is at a standstill. Many parts of the tribal belt are no-go areas, even for those responsible for their administration. Officials at the Fata Secretariat remain barricaded in Peshawar, and it would be interesting to know how many top officers there have ventured deep into the tribal areas in recent months.

Yet we are told that all the funds — Rs5.61bn to be precise — allocated for Fata development were utilised in the last fiscal year. It needs to be asked how this was possible at a time of conflict. A breakdown of the spending may shed some light for those who are unable to locate precisely where this ‘development’ work took place. What progress has been made on the ground and how much money was consumed by ‘administration’ and the perks that come with it? On Wednesday, the Fata Annual Development Fund for 2009-10 was approved during a meeting held at the Governor House in Peshawar. Of the total outlay for the current fiscal, nearly 90 per cent has been earmarked for ongoing projects. The nature of these schemes is anybody’s guess but chances are that they have more to do with paperwork, ‘strategising’ and expenses incurred in Peshawar than physical work in the field.

Infrastructure development, job creation and the provision of essential services such as education and healthcare facilities hold the key to a healthier future for the people of Fata. If it is to prosper, the tribal belt needs to be brought into the mainstream of Pakistani society. Otherwise this deprived region will remain a breeding ground for extremism. The Political Parties Act must be extended to Fata so that its people are given real choices and true representation in parliament. The archaic Frontier Crimes Regulation needs to be replaced, as promised by the government last year, by a more just and effective penal code. It is understandable that the successful implementation of such measures hinges on the cessation of hostilities. But somehow, against all odds, ‘development’ work continues in Fata.


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Pressure on history
Monday, 20 Jul, 2009


IT is not difficult to see why there is a clash between attempts to preserve the past and the pressing needs of today. A growing population and its ever-increasing housing and other requirements put extraordinary pressure on historical monuments especially in a bustling city like Lahore where scores of such relics are struggling to maintain their original look and keep their extensive premises. An official report says that more than 3,000 people are encroaching on space that belongs to these monuments. Can the government do anything to rectify matters? Going by an official handout, authorities in Lahore appear all set to launch a massive anti-encroachment drive against those who illegally reside or do business in and around the city’s 124 historical monuments.

All the concerned departments, including the police, are being mobilised to make the campaign effective.

The current drive should take note of a similar effort in 2007 when city authorities moved against encroachers, equipped with a Supreme Court order for their eviction. The resistance put up by the occupants was so strong and the hue and cry they raised so vociferous that the government had to backtrack after having removed only a fraction of the encroachments. Moreover, the little that was removed came back soon enough. In the absence of any official plan to provide the encroachers with alternative housing and business concerns, the latest drive will certainly meet a similar fate. The encroachers will not let this be an easy task for the government. They will resist the demolition squads and wait for encroachments to return even before the debris is removed. Any anti-encroachment drive, therefore, should not just involve bulldozers and batons but also plans to resettle those it displaces. Short of that, Lahore’s past and present will keep struggling to survive in an uneasy and uncertain coexistence.


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A costly non-probe
Monday, 20 Jul, 2009


THE futility of asking the UN to investigate Benazir Bhutto’s murder has now become obvious, with the probe team chief saying it would fix no “criminal liability”. Then what is the probe all about? After all, the aim of every investigation into an act of crime is to find out who committed it and give justice to the guilty. As he defined it at his Friday’s press conference in Islamabad, UN commission chief Heraldo Munoz said the mandate of his mission was limited to determining “the facts and circumstances of the assassination”, and that “the mandate does not include a criminal investigation”. This means we have asked the UN to conduct a costly non-probe that in the end is programmed to prove nothing. We are also reminded here of the investigation by Scotland Yard, whose finding limited itself to determining the cause of Ms Bhutto’s death. Again, the all-important question — who killed Benazir Bhutto? — remained unanswered.

The Muslim world’s first woman prime minister was killed at a time when the PPP was not in power. The party’s demand that the UN should investigate the Pakistani icon’s murder was indicative of its lack of trust in the Musharraf government. However, even after it came to power after the February 2008 election, the PPP still had a resolution passed by the National Assembly asking the world body to investigate what indeed was a crime that had stunned the world. One could understand the UN investigating Rafiq Hariri’s assassination. He was anti-Syrian, and Damascus had troops and influence in Lebanon. A situation like this did not exist in Pakistan on Dec 27, 2007.

Before the assassins struck, Benazir Bhutto had written a letter to Pervez Musharraf naming the persons she thought wanted to assassinate her. Indeed given her lineage and gender, she had reason to suspect that, with the elections approaching, the powerful lobby well-entrenched in Pakistan’s establishment since Gen Ziaul Haq’s days could eliminate her. Benazir Bhutto’s murder was a crime against a Pakistani citizen committed on Pakistani soil. For that reason, there is no alternative to a high-level investigation by Pakistan itself.

Checks on madressahs

Tuesday, 21 Jul, 2009

THE demand by a group of ulema that the government should conduct raids on “all madressahs” serves to highlight the rising awareness in the nation of the threat to Pakistan from religious extremism. At a meeting held in Lahore on Sunday to observe the chehlum of Maulana Sarfraz Naeemi, the ulema suggested raids on madressahs to make sure that they did not have a terrorist agenda. Last week, we know how a blast flattened many homes in a village near Mian Channu, killing 12 people. It later transpired that the explosion occurred in the stockpile of arms and ammunition which a man running a seminary attached to his home had allegedly managed to store. The seminary taught the Holy Quran to the village’s boys and girls, and under its cover the man — who had gone to Afghanistan to acquire training and was known to the police — was said to be training suicide bombers. Reportedly he also wanted to assassinate the prime minister

While the scholars’ demand for raids can be understood in view of the gravity of the situation, what is actually needed is a system of perpetual monitoring of madressahs. A raid that yields no information about covert activities will be counterproductive and will expose the government to the charge of harassing madressahs believed to be imparting normal religious instruction. Whether it is sources of funding from abroad, propaganda or hate literature, the intelligence agencies need to closely monitor the working of all madressahs. Action must be taken where positive proof exists of anti-state activities. That the demand for raids has come from a section of the ulema is indicative of the fact that the Taliban and their supporters are becoming increasingly isolated because of their barbaric ways and the threat they pose to Pakistan.

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Oil spoils

Tuesday, 21 Jul, 2009

THE pain being felt by people at the pump has a lot to do with the existing taxation on petroleum products. The oil-pricing formula made public on Sunday reveals that the government is pocketing 24 to 30 per cent of the price of each litre of kerosene oil, diesel and petrol. The cumulative taxes on petrol come to 50 per cent of its ex-refinery price, 39.49 per cent of the price of diesel and 36 per cent of the price of kerosene oil. As if this were not enough, refineries, oil-marketing companies and pump owners too are making windfall profits. According to the Rana Bhagwandas Judicial Commission report on oil pricing the government, refineries and OMCs have raked in billions of rupees since the adoption of market-determined oil prices almost a decade ago. It says the government revenues from the oil sector crossed Rs1tr between 2001 and 2008. The net profits of oil refineries and OMCs also recorded an unprecedented jump during this period, one more indication of how governments here protect the interests of big corporations.

There are no two opinions that the government needs enhanced tax revenues for spending on development and public services. The best way of doing this is to expand the net of direct taxes rather than going the easier route of indirect taxation. The latter always punishes those who are already paying their taxes according to their income or those who should not be paying taxes at all. It also contradicts the logic of withdrawing food and energy subsidies. As the poor need to be helped through direct subsidies, the rich must also be taxed directly, whatever the source of their income.

Just as the withdrawal of subsidies hasn’t won the government many friends, the growing feeling that it is fleecing the consumers is going to hurt the ruling PPP’s public image which is certainly in need of some urgent improvements. Blaming ‘high’ prices in the global oil market will not help. The government must invent a way of cutting the profit margins of those involved in the oil trade for the benefit of the party and the people.

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Unprepared yet again

Tuesday, 21 Jul, 2009

KARACHI, that unfortunate, creaking city by the sea, has been hit by disaster again. More than 200mm of rain in a 24-hour period stretching from Saturday morning to Sunday morning nearly broke a 32-year-old precipitation record and seemingly nearly broke the city itself. But, as ever, it was not just a case of the unavoidable wrath of nature but also one of human mismanagement and incompetence grossly compounding the original problem.

Take the case of one of the city’s chief tormentors, the Karachi Electric Supply Company. A month ago, storms damaged Karachi’s links to the national grid, rendering the city powerless for nearly a day. At the time, the KESC management explained the situation as ‘unavoidable’ and suggested it had acted as quickly as it could. What it did not explain was why losing one-third of the city’s power must necessarily cripple the entire system — in addition to electricity supplied from the national grid, KESC has its own power plants and purchases power from IPPs. In fact, it should not; however, the system does collapse because KESC’s transmission and distribution systems are dilapidated and decrepit, and for reasons of age and safety the entire system tends to shut down when a major part of it is damaged. And since power plants require a few megawatts to start up, KESC and the city’s

IPPs cannot restart their plants until the link to the national grid is at least partially restored.

This miserable tale from last month had a new twist last weekend — one IPP did not trip after Karachi’s links to the national grid collapsed, but the power available from the IPP could not help restart the other power plants because the transmission poles had also been damaged by the rain. And so the city had to see out one of the worst downpours in its history in complete darkness until the link to the national grid was restored in the early hours of Sunday morning. And it did not end there — parts of the city were without power until Monday. The KESC management claimed it was working on a war footing to get the system fully functional as quickly as possible, but history suggests there are reasons for scepticism. No doubt this was a major crisis — the city’s drainage system was overrun, there was chaos on water-filled roads across the city, getting from one place to another was all but impossible on Saturday night — but had the KESC prepared? Had it taken the predictions of rain seriously and stationed repair crews at the sites that were most vulnerable? Karachiites deserve answers.

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OTHER VOICES - Sindhi Press Raiwind meeting: a pleasant change

Tuesday, 21 Jul, 2009

PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari met Nawaz Sharif after eight months at Raiwind. The president reportedly asked the PML-N to rejoin the federal cabinet. On the same day the Supreme Court quashed the conviction of Nawaz Sharif thus clearing the way for the PML-N chief to return to parliamentary politics. This created a convivial atmosphere and Zardari congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his acquittal.

The Charter of Democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif advocates that the political leadership should stand united on basic political issues. The Charter is a significant document as it reflects the vision of national leaders and especially because it promises to stop army intervention….

Pakistan is a country where anything is possible. However, now the political forces should be vigilant and should not invite intervention by non-civilian elements on any pretext.

This may be a long and difficult path but political forces have to take it. Practically speaking, this journey has not started yet. Benazir Bhutto after years in exile concluded that in Pakistan the intervention of non-civilian forces can only be stopped through the unity of political forces.

It is high time that the political leadership introduced a new political culture. The country is presently facing a number of crises including the war against extremists, the Balochistan issue, repeal of the 17th Amendment and an unfriendly relationship with India. Nawaz Sharif should understand that if he comes to power next he will need the PPP to strengthen his government. Both the PPP and the PML-N need to fulfil their responsibilities. — (July 19)

Selected and translated by Sohail Sangi

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Home truths

Wednesday, 22 Jul, 2009

EVEN though many IDPs still await relocation, hundreds of thousands of refugees are now back home in Swat and Buner. And not a moment too soon for the majority of those housed in makeshift facilities. Conditions at the camps in which the displaced were boarded left much to be desired, and the scorching heat was clearly unbearable for the highlanders. Like the accommodation process, the journey back home has not been without its hiccups.

Transport arranged for the purpose wasn’t always available, many displaced families say they did not receive the cash cards they were promised, and others weren’t quite convinced that it was safe to return to areas that were war zones not too long ago. That said, it must be recognised that the government was faced with a gargantuan task for which it was ill-prepared. Also, with the exception of the US, Pakistan was let down badly by the international community and the ‘Muslim brotherhood’ in particular. Still, against all odds, things weren’t as bad as they could have been. The World Food Programme and its untiring efforts to feed the hungry deserve a special mention here.

Two IDP camps in Mardan were officially closed on Monday as there was little reason to keep them running after the recent exodus of homeward-bound refugees. This is welcome news but the road ahead is bound to be rocky. Although some basic services have been restored in parts of Swat and Buner, it will take time and resources to rebuild infrastructure in these areas. Some schools have already reopened in Swat but those demolished by the Taliban must be rebuilt. Businesses and farms, in some cases, will have to begin from scratch. The most pressing concern, however, is that of security. To this day, Taliban fighters are being engaged and killed in parts of Swat and security personnel too are dying. Some IDPs are refusing to go home until the influentials in their communities do the same. The element of fear has not been eradicated, and it is the duty of the state to convince the people that it will not let them down again.

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A courageous step

Wednesday, 22 Jul, 2009

THAT Pakistan’s history may have been different if the judiciary had stood by the law, as Iftikhar Chaudhry said on Monday, is something that hardly needs reiteration. However, his remarks are courageous in that an admission of this sort is rare. The chief justice began by referring to the Tamizuddin Khan case, and though the printed version of the top judge’s words made no reference to any particular judge, one name lurked in the background —

Justice Munir. Over the six decades of Pakistan’s history, many judges have kowtowed to dictators and legitimised their usurpation of power, but it was Justice Munir’s court that set the wrong precedent. By legitimising Governor General Ghulam Mohammad’s dismissal of the Nazimuddin ministry and the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, Justice Munir’s court dealt a mortal blow to Pakistan’s nascent democracy. Subsequently, other army chiefs were to dismiss civilian governments on one pretext or another, and either abrogate the constitution (as in 1958 and 1969) or make arbitrary changes in the basic law. The superior judiciary either looked the other way or upheld the coup d’état and legalised the dictators’ violations of the constitution. Generals Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf may not have abrogated the constitution, but they mauled it by stripping it of its parliamentary character.

However, the Nov 3, 2007 post-emergency period ushered in a new era that saw an unprecedented struggle by the bench and the bar for upholding fundamental constitutional values and waging an uncompromising struggle for the restoration of the judges sacked by Gen Musharraf.

With the judiciary restored and a democratic government in power, it is time the courts and the country looked ahead. Once in a while even a system overseen by a dictator can produce sensible measures. Consider for example the issues of greater representation for women and minorities, an independent election commission and the abolition of separate electorates. All these were introduced by the Musharraf regime and must be judged on merit.

One wishes our generals, too, had the courage to confess to their crimes and apologise to the nation. In the past there have been suggestions from ex-servicemen that generals involved in dismissing governments apologise to the nation; however, regretfully, such sentiments are always voiced after retirement. Pakistan is now at a crossroads. The task before all sections of the people, especially leaders in politics, judiciary, academia and media, is to strengthen democracy and consolidate constitutionalism to a point where no general would again think of betraying the nation’s trust and arrogating to himself the right to rule.

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Power riots

Wednesday, 22 Jul, 2009

FROM Karachi to Jhang and everywhere else in Pakistan it seems, power riots are roiling the country. There is no single cause of the blackouts. In Karachi, the KESC claims it has enough electricity to power the city, but that was of scant comfort on Tuesday to those braving a third consecutive day without electricity. Clearly, the KESC needs to work on its emergency response capabilities. In Punjab, the summer heat combined with low electricity production has driven people out on to the streets to vent their frustration against their electricity providers. Systemically, there is a straightforward central fact involved: the peak demand for electricity far outstrips peak supply, especially in summer. Combine that fact with
dilapidated transmission and distributions systems, organisational inefficiencies, managerial incompetence and resource constraints and you get what you have at the moment: a torrid summer of discontent. Help though may be on its way from both nature and man: the monsoon ought to bring down the peak temperatures across much of the country, while power plants currently off line may soon restart and add more power to the national grid.

The actions of the mobs rioting on the streets and causing damage to private and public property cannot be condoned in any circumstances. Yet, there are several things that can be done to reduce the anger felt by the people. First, is there any good reason why any locality should go without electricity for days on end? If not, then the regional electricity supply companies must do better. Second, is there any reason why consumers should not have accurate information about their electricity predicament? There clearly have to be power cuts, but the randomness and, one suspects, unnecessary severity is what irks consumers.

Must violence be the only way for the people to get what they are meant to have?

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OTHER VOICES - European Press Frank McCourt

Wednesday, 22 Jul, 2009

WHEN Frank McCourt’s great memoir Angela’s Ashes was published 13 years ago it was immediately recognised as a wonderful, benchmark memoir. That, however, did not prevent a degree of criticism from an offended minority who felt that his descriptions of Limerick as a dismal, impoverished, rain-sodden and priest-ridden backwater were unjustified.

If we are to be honest … we have to acknowledge that McCourt’s work describes exactly the lot of the poor, the near-destitute and the alcohol-plagued in the Ireland of more than half a century ago. … McCourt’s great, defining quality is the honesty he brought to his writing. … His directness could be crushing, it was certainly challenging. His great grace was that he leavened the misery with the easy humour of a natural optimist.

… Angela’s Ashes … told us things about ourselves that we might prefer were left unsaid and unacknowledged. Even today the legacy of those appalling social circumstances can be seen in all of our cities and prisons. Angela’s Ashes became a million seller, won the Pulitzer and was made into a movie. It has been published in 25 languages and 30 countries. Not bad for a retired, 65-year-old, New York-based, English teacher plucked from immigrant stock. The great redemption and victory in McCourt’s work is himself. After a childhood where survival was not guaranteed … he came to realise so many improbable dreams.

He was the child of immigrants who became wealthy. He was the inspirational teacher who stepped into a magical second life. Through his struggle to get an education, and the evangelism with which he later shared that education, he drew a map for us all. ... [H]e showed us the absolute liberating, life-defining power of education. … Frank McCourt teaches us many powerful lessons about overcoming life’s challenges and realising dreams. The greatest honour we could pay him would be to learn them. — (July 21)

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Lives in danger
Thursday, 23 Jul, 2009


FAKE and under-qualified medical practitioners are an inevitable menace in a country where the needs of a largely uneducated population are being addressed by an overstretched and inefficient public healthcare system. These quacks take advantage of the citizenry’s lack of awareness and exploit the need for medical aid. It is estimated that the number of fake medics across the country runs into hundreds of thousands. The ‘medicine’ they practise includes specialised fields such as dentistry, bone-setting and antenatal care. The state’s poor record in prosecuting such offenders means that the quacks routinely fleece citizens as well as endanger the lives of unsuspecting patients through medical malpractice.

A step in the right direction has recently been taken in Sahiwal, where an investigation was undertaken to identify and prosecute quacks. Under the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005, the District Consumer Protection Council has lodged cases against 49 fake medics to be taken up by the local consumer court. The illegal practitioners include dispensers and homeopathic ‘doctors’ administering allopathic medicines — and in some cases veterinary injections to human patients.

Though welcome, the move constitutes a mere drop in the ocean. To effectively rout the menace of fake medics from society, the state must follow a multi-pronged approach. First, practising a form of medicine for which one is not qualified must be treated as a serious crime as such practices endanger public health and contribute in a big way to the spread of dangerous diseases. Stringent legislation must be passed in this regard. Secondly, the state healthcare system must be expanded to efficiently cover all areas, and access to qualified practitioners must be improved. Most importantly, the citizenry must be made aware of the danger in seeking medical aid from unqualified people. It must be made clear to people that they stand to lose not only their money but also their lives.


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The RAW dossier
Thursday, 23 Jul, 2009


FOR quite some time now, Pakistani officials have been both hinting and asserting that there is an Indian hand behind the insurgency in Balochistan. India, it is alleged, has been using its growing influence in Kabul to channel weapons and funds to separatists in Balochistan, besides funding a training camp in Kandahar for the likes of the Baloch Republican Army. India’s Research and Analysis Wing also stands accused of masterminding other terrorist acts in Pakistan, including deadly assaults on the Sri Lankan cricket team and a police academy in Lahore. New Delhi for its part has insisted, and not without reason, that it be provided with concrete evidence of Indian involvement. This has now been done, with the reported handing over of a dossier detailing instances of Indian interference in Pakistan. The evidence apparently includes pictures of some senior Baloch separatist leaders conferring with Indian operatives as well as details of safe houses run by RAW in Afghanistan. Proof of India’s involvement in terror financing in Pakistan has also been provided, it is said, as have the names of Indian agents who crossed the border to link up with militants on this side of Wagah.

It is said the document changed hands at the recent meeting between the Pakistani and Indian PMs at Sharm el Sheikh, where the two countries pledged full cooperation in the battle against terrorism. The Indian response is now awaited. No one expects India — or Pakistan for that matter — to accept charges of state-sponsored interference in a neighbouring country. It will suffice if the evidence is examined with honesty of purpose with due follow-up, even if it takes place behind closed doors. Stopping the meddling is more important than the manner in which it is brought to an end. It is the final result that counts. If they are rogue elements within RAW who are acting independently, they must be taken to task forthwith. Pakistan also needs to put its own intelligence agencies under the microscope and determine whether a similar cull is needed here.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged India the other day to help Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, for the common good of both countries. This is advice worth heeding because the two neighbours are now at a crossroads and need to choose a course that will relegate past follies to the realm of history. It is not the intelligence agencies that have paid the price for our mutual antagonism. It is the poor people of the subcontinent who have suffered at the hands of a money-guzzling war machine.


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Solutions or management?
Thursday, 23 Jul, 2009


WITH power protests continuing unabated across the country, President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani have attempted to intervene in the crisis. The president has talked of the need for out-of-the box solutions to the unprecedented crisis while the prime minister has constituted a high-powered cabinet committee which, according to a report in Dawn, will “make a fresh study of the situation and formulate short- and long-term strategies to overcome the crisis”. It is good that the power crisis is attracting the attention of the highest officials in the land and if some good can come out of their initiatives then we wholeheartedly support them. However, some points need to be noted. With summer in full swing, it is not so much a time for crisis resolution as simply crisis management. While power generation, transmission and distribution cannot be overhauled in days or weeks that does not mean nothing can be done in the near term. Where circular debt has hamstrung electricity generation, the federal government and finance ministry can try harder to find emergency solutions. Where the distribution companies have been unable to provide electricity to neighbourhoods for days on end, the government can hold them to account or the local authorities can lend them whatever support is needed to see the next few weeks through.

At the power generation end, the government’s latest proposals raise some troubling questions. Last year, coal was touted as the nation’s saviour, and talk centred on untapped coal mines being able to power the country for 1,000 years. Yet, nothing concrete has emerged until now. Meanwhile, Pepco keeps referring to the 3,500 MW of new capacity that will be on line by December. Pepco also claims that the power deficit on Monday stood at 2,930 MW. Simple math, then, would suggest that blackouts ought to be over by December. But that seems unlikely to be the case — so are the capacity figures being over-inflated or the deficit understated or is it both? The point is that the nation’s power policy ought to be consistent, transparent and effective. If the president and prime minister ensure that, much of Pakistan’s power woes could be solved at the earliest.


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OTHER VOICES - Middle East Press India, Pakistan: back to talks

Thursday, 23 Jul, 2009

NO other bilateral diplomacy is conducted with as much fanfare and media glare as India and Pakistan’s. And, most regrettably, an element of mistrust is always there, which to a great extent, has hindered any meaningful progress in matters of mutual concern. Though they agree to disagree on almost all core issues, it is a reassuring sign that they believe in talking to each other….

It comes as a whiff of fresh air that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani have agreed to kick-start the stalled dialogue process. Now is the time for both the countries to upgrade their level of dialogue and make it result-oriented…. [The] collective peace and prosperity of more than 1.5 billion people of the region [is] at stake.

Apart from doing proper homework, what both countries need to do is to clear the Augean stables of mistrust…. [S]everal spokespersons have taken on the responsibility of commenting on bilateral relationship, thus spoiling the broth. On the other hand, the tendency of talking via the media has not only hampered progress across the table, but has resulted in discomfort and deadlock. The core issues are serious business, and can’t be addressed through knee-jerk reactions and chauvinistic tendencies. We hope the leadership and their emissaries will look into the prospects of reaching an accord, keeping in view the broader canvas of serenity and progress….

Both India and Pakistan need to pick up from the understanding that was achieved before the Mumbai terror attacks … which derailed the composite dialogue process. A host of agreements reached in the domain of people-to-people contact, arts and culture, as well as a liberal visa regime should see the light of day. Moreover, there is no need for cajoling Pakistan in doing more on the terrorism pretext. Islamabad has already demonstrated its willingness to fight terrorism on its soil by going after the Taliban…. Rather, it would be wise if contentious issues were not brought to the fore for the sake of point scoring. Treading the bureaucratic path and hiding behind petty excuses has not helped…. — (July 17)

Supporting artists
Friday, 24 Jul, 2009


THE Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism, Sassui Palijo, has said that an endowment fund was being set up for renowned artists, and that jobs would be provided to one family member of such performers. She referred primarily to folk and classical musicians, composers and vocalists. The announcement must come as a relief to such artists. Regardless of the public acclaim they garner, many great Pakistani artists have found themselves living in penury after retirement, sometimes unable to pay for even medical treatment. After their deaths, their dependants have no access to any institutionalised system of assistance. This is all the more tragic since in many cases such artists have become emblematic of Pakistan. Certain poetry, voices and compositions have come to be understood as signifying the soul and spirit of the country, or embodying a provincial culture — examples range from Noor Jehan and Mehdi Hasan to Allan Faqir, Pathanay Khan and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. They also perform a service to the state by acting as ambassadors in the international arena.

A formalised system of assistance for needy artists is, therefore, a step in the right direction. However, it must be underpinned by creating an environment where the cultural worth of such professions is recognised, and it becomes possible to earn a decent living from them. The government-funded provincial arts councils have done little to promote such artistic activities, and often seem to be run along the most pecuniary lines. Such deficiencies must be addressed. Meanwhile, there is a need to support those who wish to be trained in the arts of music and composition, which can be done through setting up music and musicology departments in universities. This would increase the employment opportunities available to the masters, while increasing the scope of their fields. It would also promote music as an established profession in its own right.


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Extra care needed
Friday, 24 Jul, 2009


WILL Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) or his counsel appear before the 14-member Supreme Court to defend his Nov 3, 2007 actions? Since the bench has baulked from issuing a binding summons, the chances are remote. But what is playing out in the Supreme Court is nevertheless compelling and involves fundamental issues of the law and the constitution and therefore deserves close scrutiny. Beginning with what may appear to be a relatively minor issue regarding the fate of two judges of the Sindh High Court, the 14-member bench has undertaken the scrutiny of the entire gamut of issues raised by the Nov 3 emergency and the subsequent actions that have flowed from it. From the legality of the February 2008 elections and the current assemblies to the legality of the emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order, high-stakes constitutional issues are being examined.

Two things are clear. One, undoing the constitutional and legal mess created by Gen Musharraf will require a delicate and artful combination of pragmatism and legal principles. Two, the issue is being decided in an atmosphere that is clearly hostile to Gen Musharraf — all of the 14 judges on the Supreme Court bench were victims of the emergency and were shoved out by the then president-cum-general, but returned in various stages after the emergency was lifted. Therefore, we believe that the bench should appoint several respected amici curiae from among the nationally acknowledged constitutional experts to help it make sense of the complex issues before it and to maintain a sense of credibility and fairness in the process.

Consider that on Tuesday the 14-member bench declared that the February 2008 elections were not held under the PCO and therefore could not be challenged. The effect is welcome, not least because there is no appetite in the country to undo what are generally believed to be representative and, by and large, democratically elected assemblies. But then what about the PCO judges? There is a very real possibility that the superior judiciary could be riven on the basis that if the PCO is declared illegal the status as judges of those who took an oath under it will also stand revoked. Should that happen? Since it is such a controversial issue and since it is a bench of non-PCO judges which is holding hearings on the matter, the court should reach out to constitutional experts for their input. Where issues of such high principles, law and the constitution are at stake, the Supreme Court must take extra care to ensure that there is no element of the personal involved.


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Folly of drone attacks
Friday, 24 Jul, 2009


ON a logistical level, the military operation in Malakand cannot be compared to the ongoing offensive in Waziristan. The terrain differs dramatically and Swat is a settled district whereas South Waziristan lies in the tribal belt. Mindsets in a region where livelihoods are earned largely through commerce and farming have little in common with the frontier outlook of tribesmen unfettered by Pakistani law. And there is another key difference. After years of unspeakable suffering, the people of Swat finally turned against the Taliban and wanted nothing less than their eradication by the military. The point to note here is that the Malakand operation was conducted solely by the state’s security apparatus, with no hint of outside involvement, and this probably had a say in swinging public opinion in favour of the offensive.

The mood is different in the case of South Waziristan, partly because of America’s relentless drone attacks in the region. People across the country are now convinced that the battle in Malakand is Pakistan’s own war but that level of support does not extend to operations in Waziristan. The reason: continued American strikes which brazenly violate Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty. That fight is seen by many as America’s war, primarily because of the death and destruction unleashed by US drones.

In his talks on Wednesday with Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani again stressed the negative fallout of American strikes in Fata. “Drone attacks … have proved counterproductive and seriously impeded Pakistan’s efforts towards rooting out militancy and terrorism,” he told the visiting dignitary. The PM is right. American strikes have come in the way of Pakistan taking ownership of the battle in the tribal belt, and given fresh ammunition to elements whose political agenda is more or less limited to stoking anti-US sentiment. Pakistan, as the PM requested, needs real-time intel from the US as well as unmanned aerial vehicles of its own. America’s concern over cross-border infiltration by the Taliban is understandable. But Washington too must realise that it is time to so empower Pakistan that it can do the job on its own.


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OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press The core issue is state’s writ
Friday, 24 Jul, 2009


PAST experiences show that unless people stand up for development and against extremism in the region peace efforts cannot succeed. Despite army operations in Swat and Waziristan and other tribal areas the writ of the government has not been established.

The state can restore its writ once a sense of security is instilled in the people of the war-torn areas. The destruction of a few ‘training centres’ or the killing of a few militants cannot ensure the rule of law.

Instead of killing the low cadre of militant groups, the state should ferret out leaders that have been spearheading this insurgency and find out how they attract common people. The truth is that today’s Taliban did not study in madressahs as reports suggest that young tribesmen without a madressah education have joined the Taliban. What the state needs to do is find out why the common man is joining militant groups along with foreigners and how to put an end to this. — (July 21)

The plight of women

RECENTLY suicide bombers tried to strike in three provinces to target government buildings and security forces. In Gerdez Taliban attackers were wearing female attire to hoodwink security personnel at a government office. This tactic, which may be new, will cause even more problems for the women of Afghanistan. When Soviet forces entered Kabul in 1979 some people tried to flee the Afghan capital disguised as women.

Once again Afghan women will be forced to show their faces and offer themselves for frisking, especially in areas where Taliban are active. At a time when the rulers are seeking peace with the Taliban such incidents show that the enemies of the Afghan nation are still thirsty for more blood. They kill their own brothers, sisters and mothers at the bidding of others. It seems that the warring factions work under a single plan as they are now justifying each other’s existence. — (July 22)

Selected and translated by Faizullah Jan

Doctors’ protest

Saturday, 25 Jul, 2009

DISRUPTION in the delivery of basic services like healthcare can mean the difference between life and death. This observation is underscored by the Punjab-wide doctors’ strike on Thursday when tens of thousands of patients, some of them in serious condition, were unable to get essential medical attention because their would-be healers were out to make their own woes heard. The strike did not come about all of a sudden. Doctors at government hospitals have been protesting for the regularisation of their services and promotions for close to a year now. A few weeks ago, they had threatened a ‘long march’ on the chief minister’s residence. They abandoned the idea after some influential personnel promised that notifications would be issued in acceptance of their demands. By the look of things, the strike would not have come to pass if the provincial government had not prevaricated on its commitments.

The provincial authorities should not have made pledges that would be difficult for them to honour. The government should have instead told the doctors that regularisation and promotions require a lot of money which the authorities did not have and that accepting some of their demands would mean bypassing the Punjab Public Service Commission. This would set a bad precedent and further weaken the already beleaguered provincial services. Thus persuaded, the doctors might have agreed to withdraw some of their more controversial and expensive demands. But the government has chosen to deal with the issue differently by apparently trying to drive a wedge between doctors’ associations and obfuscating the issue. Official media managers are insisting that the chief minister has already regularised the services of thousands of doctors while ‘summaries’ regarding their remaining demands are ready. These tactics will induce a sense of alienation and aggravate the problem, making life even more difficult for patients.


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The deal that wasn’t

Saturday, 25 Jul, 2009

IT was the opinion of this paper that “the Pakistan government is counting its chickens before they’ve hatched.” That assessment was made in mid-May, a few days after the foreign minister proclaimed that a nuclear power deal with France was all but done and dusted. Even though Paris made no such promises, at least not in public, Shah Mehmood Qureshi insisted that “France has agreed to transfer civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan.” Mr Sarkozy, he claimed, said there was no reason why Pakistan should be treated differently from India in terms of access to nuclear power technology. The French take was altogether different, with Mr Sarkozy’s office clarifying that he had offered to help Pakistan improve its nuclear safety capability. This position was confirmed on Thursday by the French secretary of state for foreign trade, who told the press in Islamabad that her country’s partnership with Pakistan in the realm of civilian nuclear energy would be limited to safety and security issues. Clearly the chickens haven’t hatched, and the government must be censured for acting with undue haste and indulging in hype.

That said, France’s refusal to sell civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan smacks of an obvious double standard. India, like Pakistan, is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. India and Pakistan both conducted nuclear tests in the ’90s that were widely condemned in the West. A US moratorium on nuclear trade with India, dating back to the ’70s, was already in place and Pakistan too had been placed under sanctions. Yet, in a major deal, the US has since agreed to sell reactors to India while Pakistan continues to be ostracised by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Significantly, the US-India agreement does not require the latter to cap fissile material production at a time when most nuclear powers are cutting back on the same. And though a system of checks and safeguards have been guaranteed on paper, the American technology transferred to India could be used to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium for the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

None of this is India’s fault, of course. It pressed its case and used its clout and got what it wanted. New Delhi’s position was probably helped by the fact that, unlike Pakistan, India does not have a history of nuclear proliferation. But times have changed. Pakistan is trying to make a new beginning, and it must be recognised by the international community that this country’s economic and social progress is being impeded by an energy crunch that is worsening by the day. Nuclear power can go a long way in easing the burden.

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Press under fire

Saturday, 25 Jul, 2009

THE Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign has warned of an increase in the killing of journalists around the world. It says that 53 journalists have been killed so far this year in various countries, as compared to 45 in the corresponding period last year. Mexico tops the PEC list with seven deaths. However, Pakistan — where six journalists have died this year — is identified as the most dangerous country for this profession, with the situation comparable to that in Iraq and Somalia. The danger faced by Pakistan’s journalists is hardly surprising. Over the past year, the country has seen a deteriorating security situation. Journalists have lost their lives in suicide bombings and have also been killed by either militants or security forces during the recent army operation in the north-west. They have died in the crossfire and been targeted. It is distressing that the state has done very little to discourage such violence: no conclusive investigation has been launched to probe the deaths of the unfortunate journalists and no perpetrators have been brought to justice.

The fact is that the intimidation of journalists has become routine in Pakistan. The failure of successive governments to either properly investigate such cases or bring offenders to book has created an environment where press rights and freedom are violated with impunity. Indeed, on various occasions the state has itself attempted to restrict journalistic activities and coerce specific members of the profession. The consequence, as the PEC president noted, is a very negative effect on objective reporting. The expansion of the country’s media industry will remain meaningless until an environment is created where journalists can work with objectivity, without fear of harassment or intimidation of any sort. The government must immediately take steps to protect journalists’ lives and livelihoods. It must not only refrain from intimidating journalists directly or indirectly, it should also vigorously pursue non-state actors that issue threats against or unleash violence on press organisations and individuals. Creating a culture of safety for journalists will enhance the capacity of the media to contribute to building a confident and lasting democracy.

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OTHER VOICES - Sri Lankan Press Another killing: who cares?

Saturday, 25 Jul, 2009

THEY came, they shot and they fled in Galle on Wednesday. Another … opposition politician, Dushyantha Seneviratne (40) has been … gunned down in broad daylight in front of his children on their way to school. His killing has sent shockwaves through the southern province. The killers have not yet been identified and opinion is divided on their motive but the message they have conveyed is chilling: criminals are still capable of striking at will.

Political assassinations are not of recent origin. But one thought the culture of violence would end after the elimination of northern terrorism….

What has emboldened criminals to continue their operations? Their confidence stems from several factors such as political connections, the prevailing culture of impunity and a flawed legal system characterised by inordinate delays and leniency to lawbreakers….

War has ceased to be a stock excuse for the government’s failure to restore the rule of law. The eastern and northern fronts are now quiet and the government must concentrate on criminals holding out on the southern front. It is preening itself on having defeated terrorism but the high incidence of criminal activity is likely to take the gloss off its military achievements.

The government must do its utmost to have the killers of the Galle politician brought to justice so as to prove that it had no hand in that dastardly crime or criminals have not rendered it completely impotent. Let it not be said that a government that crushed terrorism has lost to lesser criminals! — (July 24)

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Baloch rights
Sunday, 26 Jul, 2009


MUCH is said but little has been done to address the problems plaguing Balochistan. The grievances felt by the Baloch are genuine, and they have not only been ignored but exacerbated by the actions of the federation over the course of several decades. The government now at the helm in Islamabad made a promising start when it issued a public apology for the “the atrocities and injustices committed” in Balochistan. That was seen as a statement of positive intent, even by some nationalist forces, but the lack of follow-up relegated the apology to the realm of rhetoric. In the dying days of March 2008, Yousuf Raza Gilani pledged that the Concurrent Legislative List would be abolished within a year. That hasn’t happened. Broken promises are what the people of Balochistan have come to expect from the centre. It is time for deep and intrinsic change.

We are now told by the interior minister that there will be “good news” about Balochistan in a matter of weeks. This is a typically vague statement, short on content and high on hyperbole. Instead of mouthing off, we should be soul-searching. It must be admitted and recognised that, much to the detriment of the ‘smaller’ provinces, a form of neocolonialism has been at work in Pakistan all along. Regional rights over resources have been appropriated by the centre with little dividend accruing to the provinces. Successive governments have colla-borated with tribal chieftains who want to keep their areas backward so that the system remains intact and influence is retained by a chosen few. Education is denied because knowledge is a tool that could be used by the poor to better their lot in life. Industry is discouraged in parts of Sindh and Balochistan because monthly paychecks are likely to shrink the ranks of sharecroppers. The people have been rendered voiceless and the state is a party to this crime.

It is said that foreign agents are fomenting the insurgency in Balochistan, which is most likely true. At the same time, however, it ought to be acknowledged that the state is creating the conditions that can be exploited by outside forces. Given its natural riches, Balochistan should be the most prosperous province in Pakistan. In reality it is the poorest. It was not just the Musharraf era in which Baloch dissidents simply ‘disappeared’. The practice of branding political opponents as ‘anti-state’ must end and the government needs to ask itself whether its actions are forcing insurgents to seek outside help, which is what happened in East Pakistan. There has been enough talk and it is now time to act.


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Damani dam breach
Sunday, 26 Jul, 2009


YET another dam in Balochistan has breached after the recent torrential rains, once again causing misery and destruction. Although the incident is not comparable to the 2005 Shakidor dam-burst in coastal Balochistan in which hundreds of people went missing or died, the recent breach in the under-construction Damani dam has reportedly affected 15,000 people, submerged over a dozen villages and inundated over 1,200 hectares of agricultural land. The immediate needs of the affected people include food, shelter and medicine. Once the waters subside they will need monetary and other help to repair their damaged homes and rebuild their agricultural lands.

Post-disaster relief is no doubt an important responsibility of the local and provincial governments as well as of the army and relief agencies. But of equal, if not more, importance are pre-emptive measures to ward off a disaster or mitigate its effects. Dam failures during the monsoon rains have become common in recent years in Balochistan which has some 300 big and small dams. Of particular concern is the fact that the threat comes more from new dams. Shakidor dam was built in 2003 and the Damani dam was under construction. Clearly, greater checks, at regular intervals, on under-construction and built dams are in order.

What is also required is structural enhancement so that dams vulnerable to breaching do not threaten communities. A detailed evacuation plan to minimise harm to the communities when the structure fails should also be drawn up. This would entail installing an effective early-warning system and educating communities on ways and means to evacuate their villages when the threat of flooding becomes imminent. Considering the potentially immense damage and loss of life that can be caused by failing dams, comprehensive disastermitigation efforts are essential.


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Stemming the rot
Sunday, 26 Jul, 2009


THAT technology can help curb crime and the media can make matters difficult for wayward politicians are the lessons to be learned from the Shumaila Rana saga. Accused of using someone else’s credit card, the Punjab Assembly legislator has handed over her resignation to the speaker and chief minister. The CCTV footage from inside a jewellery shop showed her purchase ornaments that were later confirmed to have been charged to the ‘stolen’ card. Next, the media picked up the story continually running the footage and following it up with headlines, commentary and analyses. Three cheers to technology and the media: they can certainly claim credit for Ms Rana’s resignation. This could not have been possible in an earlier age. Without technology providing substantial evidence and in the absence of a round-the-clock media, her case could have lingered on for years, allowing her to keep her assembly post.

Is the marriage between technology’s precision and the media’s activism what we need to cleanse our politics? The answer has to be a qualified yes. Though this has proved effective in Ms Rana’s case, in another instance it has not. Closed-circuit televisions showed Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor in less than two months picking fights with customs officials and fellow members of the Punjab Assembly. Television channels and newspapers followed up on the two incidents vigorously. But he remains the provincial minister for prisons.

While no doubt the leadership of Ms Rana’s party has exhibited rare political courage by showing her the door, the warts of our political culture are too big and too many to be smoothened by technology and the media alone. Chaudhry Ghafoor’s case underscores this point and indicates that political parties have to put in more efforts to clamp down on disruptive and criminal elements within their ranks. No technology, however intrusive and precise, can stop the selective application of moral standards within political parties. Neither can the media, however alert, persuade political leaders to overcome their reluctance to punish erring confid-ants. For this to happen, nothing less than the drastic restructuring of our political culture is needed. Clearly, the marriage between technology and the media is not enough.