Nuclear safety

September 7th, 2012

The scenario drawn up by think-tanks in the US, of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into militant hands, may just be more real than we think. This, of course, is a terrifying thought. So far, the possibility of such an event has been dismissed at home — but the high-level security alert put in place around Dera Ghazi Khan and the large-scale nuclear facility there, engaged mainly in mining and processing uranium, should force us to think otherwise. The local police chief of Dera Ghazi Khan, Chaudhry Saleem, has confirmed that a heavy contingent of police and army personnel has been placed around the facility after the ISI intercepted a telephone call suggesting an attack was planned on the site housing nuclear material. Experts point out that these kinds of conversations picked up by intelligence agencies have proved to be accurate in the past.

It is also a fact that just weeks ago, a daring attack was made on the Kamra air base, which also houses our nuclear assets. The ability of the militants to enter high-security facilities is terrifying. It appears that in the latest case, the attacks are intended to act as revenge for the death of Abdul Ghaffar Qaisarani, killed in an encounter with the Dera Ghazi Khan police some time ago. Information about Qaisarani’s whereabouts had apparently come after the capture of other terrorists.

What is alarming, though, is the fact that key nuclear installations are becoming definite targets of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Despite the death of Qaisarani, which weakened the TTP considerably in the area, it is said to have been able to regroup, and in some parts of southern Punjab, is stated to be growing stronger and more dangerous. This also raises questions about why more action was not taken in the past to defeat the TTP in Punjab and prevent the southern part of the province from becoming what many say is a safe haven for militants — no less so than the tribal areas in the north. It has become essential that we deal with the pockets where extremist groups gather. The possibility of nuclear weapons somehow falling into their hands is one we simply cannot afford. We appear to be getting closer to this horrific reality by the day.

Not able to handle the rain

September 7th, 2012

The KESC has recently received a lot of deserved plaudits for eliminating the loadshedding burden in areas where consumers pay their bills and for finally becoming profitable. Some of those profits, it has now become apparent, need to be redirected to overhauling Karachi’s creaking electricity network. No sooner had the first monsoon rains hit that feeders began tripping, leaving large parts of the city in darkness for countless hours. This happened despite the fact that the KESC announced immediate implementation of its rain emergency plan. The rains caught the KESC unaware, which is an annual feature that the utility company is never able to tackle.

The KESC claimed some successes in its efforts at modernisaton, including a five percentage point decrease in transmission and distribution losses — although the accuracy of that figure has been challenged. Such incremental improvements will not be enough. Just a few drops of rain in August were sufficient to cause sleepless nights for some Karachiites and heavier rains now have exposed faults in the system. Fixing problems of dust and grime settling on transformers and transmission lines will lead to some improvement. Should this take place, we would have more confidence in the KESC’s ability to handle long-term upgrades to the infrastructure.

As if the rains were not enough, the company is also involved in a battle with the federal government over unpaid dues. In yet another fight over the circular debt issue, the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) and Sui Gas claim that the KESC owes them Rs39 billion. Not only is the KESC disputing the amount, it wants the money to be adjusted from the Rs76 billion that it is owed by the government. As this tussle plays out, there is a chance that some of the 650 megawatts of power that the KESC is supplied by the NTDC may be diverted to Punjab. Karachi may then witness loadshedding comparable to the rest of the country that will accompany its frequent power breakdowns.

Flood times

September 7th, 2012

As rains continue to fall across most northern parts of the country, the havoc we have come to associate with them has also made its presence felt. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, at least seven people have died as a result of hill torrents racing down mountainsides. Some 19 people died in the same area last month, as the first rains of the monsoon season hit. There have also been deaths in Punjab as a result of rains, with at least four persons drowning in the flooded Jhelum River after a passenger van slid into it. Floodwater has also made its way into Rajanpur district in southern Punjab and into parts of Balochistan. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rains over the coming days.

It is easy to put all this down to a natural disaster; to an act of God against which man stands helpless. But is this really the case? Concern has been expressed repeatedly about the lack of disaster-preparedness in the country and our tendency to wait for havoc to strike before we act. The problems associated with a lack of readiness have been pointed out in detailed reports from international agencies. This year, we also heard of detailed plans being put in place by the provincial disaster management authorities. But despite consultations being held, notably in Punjab, and the drafting of papers, no warnings were given to people and no suggestions were made as to how they should act.

Resource constraints have been a factor. The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, comprising some 50 local and international agencies, says that it lacks resources to deal with another disaster following the floods of 2010 and 2011. In Sindh flaws, which led to mass flooding last year, have not been repaired in all cases and it seems that we continue to live on a wing and a prayer, thus tempting fate and putting lives and property at risk across the country — perhaps, because administrations care too little about the plight of ordinary people who remain perilously vulnerable to disaster.

Setting the ground

September 8th, 2012

India’s almost invariably stoic External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has struck a note of some excitement as he begins a three-day visit to Pakistan for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar. Mr Krishna’s enthusiasm, expressed on the eve of his visit in an exclusive email interview with this newspaper is encouraging, as is the new buoyancy in his tone. He says that he brings with him a message of goodwill and hopes his visit can pave the way for the solution of important bilateral issues. The minister also hoped that a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would also be made possible. Talk of this important trip has been heard several times before, most recently when PM Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari met on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Iran.

But aside from the symbolism of a visit by the Indian PM, there are other, more practical matters to deal with. Mr Krishna said that a patient, consistent approach and sufficient perseverance could lead to the solution of entrenched issues such as Sir Creek and Siachen. Certainly, an effort must be made to sort these issues so we can progress towards a true easing of tensions and take on that key issue of Kashmir. Mr Krishna also confirmed that on this visit, a new visa regime, already agreed on at secretary-level talks, would be finalised and greater access would be given to people to move across borders.

All this is significant; but what is most important is that Pakistan and India have reached out to each other again, with the 2008 Mumbai attack and its damaging aftermath finally put aside. However, one must not forget that the peace process has and will remain extremely prone to accidents for a long time. Therefore, the two governments should take extra care not to send their respective media on wild goose chases against each other by leaking any negative development. Negatives should always be discussed away from the media glare at the highest institutional levels so as not to jeopardise the overall peace process. We must hope that the neighbours will continue to move towards the ultimate goal of long-lasting peace. Mr Krishna’s visit constitutes a key stepping stone in this process, with his quite evident eagerness to move on, offering a great deal of hope for the future.

Expelling NGO workers

September 8th, 2012

Some recent actions of the government and military make it seem as if the biggest problem facing Pakistan is the sheer number of CIA spies overrunning the country. The commission tasked with investigating the raid that killed Osama bin Laden has shown far greater interest in investigating how many visas then ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani gave to Americans than figuring out how the world’s most notorious terrorist found refuge on our soil. So far, the only person to face punishment for Bin Laden’s presence in the country is Shakil Afridi, a doctor who assisted the US in finding the al Qaeda leader. Keeping all this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the new target is the respected NGO Save the Children, six of whose foreign workers have been told to leave Pakistan after being accused of introducing Afridi to the CIA.

Granted, it should come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the CIA’s history that the intelligence agency would seek to recruit both local and foreign NGO workers. But there is a difference between noticing this possibility in general terms and making very specific accusations against individuals. By singling out the workers of Save the Children, the government has made all of its 2,000 members prime targets for militants. That this has been done without providing any proof is even worse. Now, every foreigner working in Pakistan will be viewed suspiciously and will find it even harder to work here.

The state is operating on a double standard. Our problem does not seem to be foreigners whose loyalty lies to an outside entity so much as it is a specific type of foreigner. Those accused of serving the interests of US intelligence are forced out of the country. Those who we know serve at the pleasure of the transnational al Qaeda get to operate with impunity. From these two groups, only one is actively involved in murdering Pakistanis. Yet, it seems that we our saving our wrath for the other of the two groups.

Safely bailed?

September 8th, 2012

After over two weeks in jail, Rimsha Masih, the minor girl with Down’s syndrome put in jail after being accused of desecrating pages of a Noorani Qaeda, has been released on bail. The additional sessions judge hearing the case in Islamabad set a bond of Rs1 million, surprisingly high for a minor who is also suffering from a disability. No verdict has yet been reached in the case, which gained greater complexity after the mosque imam — in the slum area outside Islamabad where Rimsha lived — was accused by witnesses of planting the evidence on her.

For now, Rimsha has regained her freedom. Khalid Jadoon Chishti, the cleric accused of maliciously framing her, will also be tried. He remains in jail for now. But is Rimsha really safe? This is a question that should concern authorities. In the past, given the frenzy whipped up over blasphemy cases, those accused have been killed either during the course of court hearings or even after they were acquitted. Murders have also taken place in jail. The danger right now is that given the emotional outbursts we have seen in the area over the issue, some fanatic may attempt to track down the girl and harm her. Her parents have already fled the Mehrabad suburb where they lived, along with some 200 other Christian families. Christians in other cities have also stated that they were harassed by extremist forces following the incident.

It is important that the right thing is done. In the first place, Rimsha needs to be given security cover by the state. The time has also come to address the entire issue of the misuse of the blasphemy law and ensure that others do not fall victim to it. The process must began instantly. At the same time, those who falsely implicated Rimsha by planting the burnt pages in her bag, must be duly penalised under the law, so that others will think twice before engaging in similar acts and leading to other helpless people being thrown into prison cells.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

A historic breakthrough with India

September 9th, 2012

Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik signed a historic document on September 8 on the bilateral visa regime that can transform South Asia. Eight different categories have been named for a new visa regulation, including six-month visas to visit five cities for tourists without the condition of invitation and police reporting, for businessmen of two categories with several years of multiple entry facility, and at-the-border visas for senior citizens above the age of 65, etc.

The most stubborn roadblock to the breakthrough was experienced from the Pakistan military, which has acted as an arbiter of all civilian policy towards India. Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is to be praised for accepting the positions taken by two mainstream parties — the PPP and the PML-N — over the past decades towards India. The new visa regime will knock off the most insuperable hurdle in the way of resolving Indo-Pakistan bilateral disputes.

Manmohan Singh’s government in New Delhi has also taken some steps that no past government had dared to take. It has chosen to set aside its preconditions relating to terrorism that it attached to any initiative at normalisation. New Delhi has decided to forget the accusations by our interior minister and the various TV channels about how India was paying the Taliban to kill innocent Pakistanis and enabling the Baloch rebels with dollars to launch attacks in Balochistan. There was a time not long ago when Mr Krishna used to come to Islamabad asking for proof which was never forthcoming. India still wants Pakistan to do something about the elements that are responsible for the 2008 Mumbai massacre and has swallowed the acceptance of some proxy warriors in Pakistan that the world accuses of cross-border terrorism.

Mr Krishna has emerged as a most effective communicator during his visit, insisting that his government wanted a stable Pakistan. The government has given him extraordinary protocol, getting him to meet the president and the prime minister before his meeting with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. What he and his Pakistani counterpart have agreed upon will meet the approval of the main opposition party in parliament, the PML-N. Its leader, Mr Nawaz Sharif, has been announcing — in the face of disagreement from his conservative vote bank — that he would abolish a visa requirement with India after coming to power. He actually went further than anyone in Pakistan in consigning the perennial bilateral disputes to the post-normalisation era when he suggested that Pakistan should withdraw from Siachen unilaterally.

Once enforced, the new visa protocol will be transformational. Given the rise in India of an opulent middle class keen to travel as tourists, Pakistan will have to go on overdrive to build new facilities to cater to the new tourism despite its terrorism-marred conditions. New hotels and roads will have to be built for people coming by road, new border check posts in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Sindh will have to be constructed to receive them. Pakistan will now find it easy to agree to a two-way transit trade route between Afghanistan and India, thus averting the losses it was sure to sustain from the opening of an alternative route through the newly-built Iranian port of Chabahar. The route that joins India and Afghanistan will ultimately be the regional commercial highway to Central Asia. One can hope that the project of the Iranian gas pipeline will be favourably affected by Indo-Pakistan normalisation.

The normalisation-first approach — favoured by the world but not by Pakistan — is going to facilitate the final resolution of bilateral disputes: Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage and other water issues, and terrorism, etc. Above all, Pakistan, once assured of peace on its eastern border, will be better able to confront al Qaeda and its ancillary terrorists like the Taliban, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jandullah without relying on the subterfuge of blaming India. Pakistan will cease to be the national security state preying on its own people and will be better able to align its national economy with the well-being of its people.

Local government in Sindh

September 9th, 2012

With the PPP and the MQM coming to an agreement over the local government system in Sindh after nearly five years of wrangling, there is healthy suspicion that this development — which could not take place during any stage in the preceding years — has only seen the light of day because the general elections are fast approaching. This makes it necessary for the PPP to ensure that the MQM remains a coalition partner at the centre. Without the seats the MQM brings from Karachi, it would be extremely difficult for the PPP to get enough allies to form a government. Sensing the leverage it had, the MQM also began holding exploratory coalition talks with the PML-N while discussions over the local government system were underway. Some would say that this was designed to make the PPP toe its line on the issue.

The agreement that the two parties have hashed out contains just about everything the MQM wanted with one important exception. Control of the police remains with the provincial government and will not go to the newly-elected local government officials. This was the one term that the PPP could not agree to as that would have ensured that its other allies in Sindh — the ANP, the PML-F and the PML-Q — would walk out, not only from the Sindh government but at the centre as well. For now, the PPP and the MQM have decided to overlook this issue but it could remain a sticking point that may undo this agreement in the future.

As it happens, the ANP, the PML-Q and the PML-F have decided to resign their provincial government positions and sit on the opposition benches. This protest will likely be temporary as they have agreed to continue supporting the PPP at the centre. Politics aside, it is undeniable that the local government system has worked well, particularly in Karachi where the MQM nazim, Mustafa Kamal, earned plaudits during his tenure. Added to that, the Supreme Court had also issued a verdict ordering that local government elections be held throughout the country. It may have been spurred by politics but the end result on local governments may, perhaps, not be all that salutary as far as the province is concerned because it may exacerbate polarisation.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

The military and the law

September 10th, 2012

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating a scandal related to the military-run National Logistics Cell (NLC) and cannot proceed because the GHQ, in order to prevent proceedings under normal law of the land, has decided to take the accused officers out of retirement and try them under court martial general.

The case against the NLC is about the loss of Rs1.84 billion to the civilian exchequer when top NLC officers illegally invested Rs4.3 billion in the stock market and caused a Rs1.8 billion loss in the process. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed NAB in July 2011 to proceed against three former generals and two civilians involved in this scam. The decision to make the shady investment was taken by Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Munir Khan, Lt Gen (retd) Mohammad Afzal Muzaffar and Maj Gen (retd) Khalid Zaheer Akhtar.

NAB, which is also headed by a retired military officer, could not proceed against these officers because several meetings between the NAB chief and the army chief came up against the latter’s resistance to the idea of letting the retired generals be prosecuted. Instead, NAB has told the PAC that it will now proceed only against the civilian officers of the NLC involved in the case. It is faced with the problem of investigating the alleged culprits in the case without the benefit of the earlier inquiry by the GHQ and questioning the two civilians at the NLC without access to the organisation’s decision-making military officers.

Pakistan is on the horns of a dilemma: how to deal with an institution that is constitutionally subordinate to municipal law but supreme in power in reality. Constitutionally, Pakistan is a normal state but in terms of state theory it is a ‘national security state’, cemented into the national psyche as a military-led entity with a revisionist mission statement embedded in the textbooks. The official history of the country tells us that it has been ruled repeatedly by military dictators, some of them quite popular during the times they ruled. The latest scandal has broken on September 6 or the Defence of Pakistan Day, which the country celebrated quietly with TV channels lionising the military as a ‘victor’ against Pakistan’s enemies, even saying that the next war is going to be with ‘different’ enemies, subliminally suggesting that India as a foe has been supplanted by America.

There are a number of things to be considered. The GHQ may think that this is the wrong moment for the military to face an avalanche of negative publicity, especially after being hauled over the coals in Balochistan by the Supreme Court, in connection with ‘disappeared people’. There is no doubt it has interviewed the retired generals and has found that they went to the stock exchange with good faith but were misled with wrong advice. The GHQ could also be wary of NAB because of the rumours of its politicisation.

It may also think that a parliament that thinks nothing of losing hundreds of billions through civilian scams was hardly the authority to order the investigation of an institution that has so far stayed out of the limelight of scandals. There may be justification in the thought that since the government allows the NLC to be operated by military officers under the blanket concept of ‘state security’, it must adhere to its vow of secrecy, especially as the stock market blunder could involve details that would look bad if they came out during investigation. The NLC was said to be involved in activities alleged by the enemies of Pakistan to be related to Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

However, the avalanche of negative publicity is already teetering on the brink through the media. The impression of exemption from the law and there being two laws in the country on the basis of ‘national security’ is no longer something that Pakistan can live with. Already, the military is being challenged on this in Balochistan. Exemption of any sort will not fly any more. It is possible, however, that NAB may find the defence of the accused officers credible enough to recommend mitigation.

Forgotten people

September 10th, 2012

Even though there have been fresh displacements notably out of the Kurram and Khyber agencies this year, the fate of internally displaced persons (IDP) in the country have been largely forgotten. The 500,000 or so persons in the country still displaced by conflict, according to figures from international humanitarian agencies, are largely dependent on shelter and assistance provided by relatives, though feeding programmes run by the World Food Programme continue to function in some areas. Most IDPs have never moved into camps, some move back and forth and this makes their number harder to estimate. What we do know is that most IDPs live in extremely miserable conditions, struggling for survival and in many cases unable to return home because they have nothing left to go back to.

The situation could worsen. We continue to hear of an impending military operation in North Waziristan, an agency with a population of around 400,000. This would invariably mean more displacements. The number is hard to predict as yet but any further movement and displacements would result in more people being rendered homeless and dependent on outside help. This is not a welcome situation, especially as we have not been able to look after those already in need. Resource constraints add to the problems and the issue has, of course, vanished from the public gaze. Few even remember that we still have a huge IDP population. To complicate matters, those who have returned have received little help in rebuilding their lives.

In North Waziristan, there is already talk of possible displacement. People wonder where they will go and what they will do should full-fledged conflict break out in an area which is now seen as a key militant safe haven. This dimension of the problem needs to be given attention and plans need to be put in place to deal with any fresh wave of displacements. At the same time, those still living away from home need help so that we can find solutions to a problem that has persisted now for years, with wave after wave of people forced out of homes in the north.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

Friends and neighbours

September 11th, 2012

Before leaving Pakistan, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna called his host a “good” friend and a “good” neighbour. Easy though it may be to write off his statement as the kind of harmless lie routinely told in cause of the greater good, there can be no doubt that in the aftermath of Mr Krishna’s visit, the two countries are better friends and neighbours than they used to be, even if the use of the word ‘good’ is a bit of a stretch. The agreement over a relaxed and liberal visa regime is an undoubted breakthrough that will have a ripple effect as people-to-people contact multiplies. Talk of war should hopefully subside when people from both countries see how similar they are and how they share the same aspirations.

This progress, however, has only come about by turning a blind eye to the many outstanding issues Pakistan and India still have. The question of terrorism has been put aside for the time being — a wise move given that any agreement there is likely to take a long time. Matters pertaining to trade and travel can be discussed in a more cordial environment, so long as these touchy topics are saved for another day. There will, however, ultimately come a time when militancy and Kashmir can no longer be ignored. That is when Mr Krishna’s hopeful remarks will truly be put to the test. Pakistan still has not acceded to all, or indeed most, of India’s demands pertaining to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, including banning the Jamaatud Dawa.

There is also no forward momentum on the Kashmir issue. Officially, both countries still hold to the maximalist view that the territory is an integral part of their respective countries. Pakistan, meanwhile, has found it convenient to continue to make India the scapegoat for self-inflicted problems in Balochistan and Afghanistan. For now, hawks on both sides have stayed on the sidelines and declined to derail progress on matters of peace. Once such matters come up for discussion at the negotiating table, they will have their say. And then all of Mr Krishna’s and the diplomats’ kind words will see how much water they stand in.

Strong advice

September 11th, 2012

The national conference convened by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in Balochistan has produced some excellent advice for the authorities. Lawyers, politicians, representatives of NGOs and human rights activists speaking at the conference called for an end to the role of military and intelligence agencies in Balochistan. Many would agree that the key to the problem lies in the manner in which the agencies have acted in the province and their hand in picking up hundreds of people who have gone missing over the years. The bodies of at least 57 have been found this year alone. It is vital that this process be ended if any kind of peace is to be restored to our most restive province.

The conference also called for a verdict on the key question of who murdered Nawab Akbar Bugti in August 2006. The death of the tribal and nationalist leader led to a spike in the struggle being waged in Balochistan by forces who seek autonomy. Rage runs high over the killings during a military operation and also over the spate of violence by state agencies which continue.

Other discussions on Balochistan were also held and it is clear that there is a need to involve all stakeholders in the province to find some means of restoring normalcy within it. The tactics adopted so far by the government have not worked. The rights package for Balochistan has barely been implemented. This means much more is required for the sake of the health of our federation. The meeting called by the SCBA has raised some very pertinent points. What is vital now is that the authorities recognise that the crisis in Balochistan cannot be resolved unless the agencies are plucked away from the province and other means are adopted to resolve a crisis that continues to grow by the day. Until the killings and disappearances continue, there can be no hope of unraveling the situation that has reduced our largest unit to complete chaos and created so many complexities that it is now increasingly difficult to unravel the web without getting badly bitten.

Minority matters

September 11th, 2012

President Asif Ali Zardari recently met with the parliamentary committee, which he formed following the incident involving Manisha Kumari to address the grievances of Pakistan’s Hindu community. The committee visited various districts in Sindh and found that the community’s top-most concerns were the kidnappings and forced conversion of Hindu girls to Islam.

Thank you, President Zardari, for finally taking notice of the grievances of our Hindu community. However, while the president and other government figures have recently chanted that minorities should be allowed to practise their faiths freely, minority and human rights supporters have yet to see progress. The issues are nothing new; the government has been aware of the injustices towards Hindus and other minorities over the past several years, since they have occurred frequently all across Pakistan. Some incidents have stirred the emotions of the entire human rights community, locally and internationally. What minority communities and human rights activists would like to see is verbal promises by the president and other government figures being put into effect. Furthermore, not once has anyone proposed replacing the blasphemy law altogether with a law that upholds the rights of every religion and protects against any sort of hatred or discrimination faced by followers of all faiths. In Pakistan, it is apparent that those who are seen fewer in number, the minorities, are also seen as lesser in rank and in class and consequently seen as less deserving of rights.

The situation has worsened to the point where the president cannot merely “hope” that parliamentarians, religious leaders and members of civil society will recommend ways to deal with the issues of minorities. He must take a stronger and more proactive position for the betterment of the lives of our minority communities. We want implementation, justice and recognition for minority communities as a people who are just as deserving of basic human rights as the majority in this country. Mere discussions will not do.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

After the rains

September 12th, 2012

About 0.7 million people have been displaced from Dera Ghazi Khan district in southern Punjab after heavy rainfall triggered torrents that raced down hillsides, hitting DG Khan city, too. The monsoon, which arrived relatively late this year, also flooded Rajanpur district and a state of emergency has been declared in both Punjab districts. Rains also fell across Sindh with flood warnings issued in some areas and the Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further rains with the downpours also hitting Azad Jammu and Kashmir, from where widespread damage has been reported, mainly due to the washing away of homes.

The same questions arise as those which have come up in previous years: was there sufficient readiness? Were people warned in advance given that the rains had been forecast? Sadly, as has been the case before, the answers appear to be in the negative. Authorities need to tell us why this is the case and what is being done to prevent possible havoc in the areas in Sindh and Punjab where more rain is expected. It seems we have learnt little from the scenes of disaster and human suffering that we saw in both 2010 and 2011.

But this time around, there was a further and still more alarming element to the deluge. The hill torrent which ravaged DG Khan poured down the mountainside with such force for the first time in history that it threatened the nuclear facility in the area, triggering panic among staff. The torrent was diverted to the city to save the plant. This should make us think about the safety of our nuclear arsenal, which apparently faces a risk both from terrorists and the forces of nature. Safeguards are required to prevent possible catastrophe.

At a wider level, we need to put better flood control systems in place. In this age of technology, this is not an impossible task. Even if damage cannot be fully prevented, it can at least be contained — and this should be our principal goal given that we are familiar with the havoc rains can bring with them as they pour down from the skies.

Danger at sea

September 12th, 2012

The deaths of 10 fishermen, who drowned when their boat capsized soon after leaving Ibrahim Hyderi village near Karachi, raises a lot of questions about the state of water safety in the country. The fishermen set sail around the time of the high tide, when conditions on the seas are most treacherous. No warning was given to the boat and indeed, the fishermen should never have been allowed to leave by the coastguard in the first place. Instead, the fishermen were left to their own devices, with the other 27 men on the boat rescued by a passing trawler.

Those responsible for providing warnings to the fishermen before they set off on their voyage and for rescue efforts once the boat capsized are the coastguard and the Maritime Security Agency (MSA). Yet, according to the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, the MSA sent only one boat to try and find any survivors. This was a failure not just of pre-disaster management but also of post-disaster management. At all levels, the authorities concerned were unable to do their job, leaving the unlucky fishermen to face the ravages of the sea. The dereliction of duty on their part is even more startling given that the monsoon season is in full swing and adverse weather conditions should be expected.

There may be such incidents in the future and the MSA should learn its lesson from the Ibrahim Hyderi disaster. A system needs to be put in place to alert fishermen when weather conditions are too dangerous and the coastguard must ensure that no fishermen head out to sea when this is the case. In case of freak waves, where the authorities have no forewarning, the MSA must use not only multiple boats to find survivors, but it must also employ helicopters to track down fishermen. Human life cannot have a price tag placed on it and so questions of expense should not be entertained. In this particular case, the police needs to investigate if the authorities were at fault and register cases against those responsible. Punitive punishment is the only way to get apathetic officials to do their job.

A cartoonist in India

September 12th, 2012

Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested in Mumbai on a charge of sedition for his cartoons, which allegedly mocked the Indian Constitution. Mr Trivedi, a supporter of the Indian anti-corruption movement, actively participated in Anna Hazare’s campaign. He has been sent on judicial remand till September 24 and if convicted, his sentence could be up to three years. Rightfully so, Mr Trivedi’s arrest has led to criticism by the Indian media and other prominent figures, including former Chief Justice of India Markandey Katju, who claimed that such an act is unacceptable in a democracy.

In a democracy, citizens are encouraged to speak out when they have differences of opinion with the government, as that is the way to move forward, by incorporating everyone’s opinions in government policies and giving all citizens an equal say. Thus, when Mr Trivedi, a citizen, expressed his opinions — and possibly those of many in India — he should have been allowed to do so freely. His cartoons did not impinge on anyone’s rights and only sought to achieve an honest government for the improvement and advancement of India. However, recently, it seems that the Indian government has become more stringent on people’s expression of freedom. Earlier, the government banned Mr Trivedi’s cartoon website and in April, the Indian police arrested a professor in Kolkata for publicly posting cartoons that ridiculed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The fact that Mr Trivedi was called out by a lawyer, draws a contrast to Pakistan’s own lawyers, who showered Mumtaz Qadri with garlands for murdering Salmaan Taseer, a man who had spoken up against the misuse of a law. However, this is a surprising move by the Indian government. It is a violation of democracy and a person’s freedom of expression. While we cannot help but look inwards towards Pakistan on the anti-corruption issue, India should also show more tolerance for its people’s dissenting views — especially since the Indian parliament has been in turmoil for the past two weeks.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

Fire from hell

September 13th, 2012

How does one even begin to fathom the magnitude of the tragedy that has hit the nation in the form of two massive fires? Over 20 workers died in a factory fire in Lahore while in Karachi the tragedy was perhaps beyond the grasp of one’s imagination. At the time of writing of this editorial, the death toll was in the lower hundreds and rising, in all likelihood making it the world’s worst factory fire. The fire broke out on the evening of September 11 and the factory in question is said to have employed over 1,000 people. It took more or less the whole of the following night to put the fire out and it is likely that the rain element played a role in this as well since Karachi experienced heavy rainfall during the nights of September 11 and 12.

The quotes of the men sent to fight the fire, mentioned in various reports including this newspaper, presented a hopeless situation. For starters, Pakistan has little or no concept of fire safety. Schools rarely have fire drills, unlike in most developed countries, and this means that most Pakistanis grow up with no real awareness of the havoc that fires can cause to them and their immediate surroundings. More specifically, there is no system in the country of fire hydrants, which are used in the West to supply water at high pressure to fire tenders. This is why, whenever there is a massive fire, one hears of fire tenders running out of water — because they have to carry their own supplies with them, which usually do not last all that long. There is also the issue of equipment such as adequate number of snorkels, which allow firefighters to approach high-rise buildings or get close to a structure if the road approaching it is narrow and cannot accommodate a fire tender.

This is the sad state as far as the fire fighting aspect to all of this is concerned. Then there is another side, of how structures that house offices, homes and in this particular case, a factory, are equipped to deal with fires. In the case of Pakistan, one has to say — and clear proof of it comes from these two tragedies — that structures have more or less no fire safety equipment. The factory in question had no fire exits and — according to officials at the scene — windows had grills so workers couldn’t escape. All of this is capped by an unsettling attitude or mindset, if you will, in general, where many among us feel that fire safety issues are things best left for those who live in developed countries and that if a fire were to happen in our midst, that would more or less be part of fate’s plan.

These two fires took place in factories but one has to ask how many offices of multinational companies, how many five-star hotels, and indeed, how many glitzy newspaper and television channel offices have fire safety measures like operational fire extinguishers, designated and clearly labelled fire exits. An independent survey would show that fire safety procedures are next to nil in most offices in Pakistan. The situation in the case of shopping plazas and even malls is even worse with most ticking fire hazards, especially with reference to their electricity metres and wiring.

As for the governments, they have not learnt any lessons — and history would suggest that even the dubious distinction now of having the world’s worst industrial fire may not be enough to wake it up from its deep slumber on the issues that concern citizens the most.

Owners of these factories and the municipal authorities whose job it is to monitor safety measures at the buildings have completely failed in their responsibilities. At the very least, their gross criminal negligence must be punished and existing building and fire codes should be implemented in earnest without delay. In addition, provincial governments, especially their respective labour departments, must ensure that labourers are granted protection and that measures are put in place to battle such disasters at all places of work.

A controversial interview

September 13th, 2012

Fox News’ purported interview of Dr Shakil Afridi certainly makes for explosive reading but also causes one to pause in doubt. Just how did this right wing US TV organisation land an interview with someone incarcerated in Peshawar whom the intelligence agencies would ensure had no access to journalists or communication devices? The interviewer, Dominic Di-Natale, claimed on Twitter that he personally spoke to Afridi for 40 minutes and that he was unable to explain how he landed the interview in order to protect those who helped him secure it.

The most likely explanation for this is that Di-Natale was able to smuggle a telephone to Afridi. This, too, raises another set of questions. Does that mean prison guards, who would certainly thoroughly check any visitors Afridi had, were part of the process? And though Di-Natale claims that he asked Afridi key questions to ascertain his identity, wouldn’t intelligence officials who interrogated him also know the answers to those questions? The ISI and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police have already denied that the interview ever took place, but both have an obvious incentive to lie about what they would consider a major security breach. The ISI also claims that the cell where Afridi is being held employs cell phone jammers which, again, would make sense.

Then there are the sensational claims attributed to Afridi in the interview. He says that the ISI sees the US as a bigger threat to Pakistan than even India and details how he was held at Aabpara in solitary confinement. Claims of torture have also been made and Afridi declares that he was proud to have worked for the CIA. Not only do the contents of the interview conveniently stick to the US narrative and feed into every suspicion the US holds about Pakistan, they all but ensure that Afridi will face even more torture for his heresy. Amid the confusion, conspiracy theories are bound to flourish. Maybe, many would suggest, the ground is being laid for a prisoner swap where Afridi would be exchanged for Aafia Siddiqui. At this time, the truth is too murky to be certain.

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Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

Insulting one’s faith

September 14th, 2012

Deliberately mocking a religion or aiming to make derisive comments to hurt the feelings of its believers is a terrible thing to do. It is hardly what a world filled with rapidly-increasing intolerance needs. The undoubtedly offensive video placed on You Tube, by filmmaker Sam Bacile, which is extremely derogatory and disrepectful towards the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was bound to unleash anger and cause hurt. Further infuriating was the fact that the movie was quickly backed by controversial Florida-based pastor Terry Jones, to apparently coincide with the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The actions of both Bacile and Jones have to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Jones has in the past spoken of Islam with open hostility and in 2010 and 2011, his actions triggered riots in Afghanistan. Bacile and Jones are evil people. They cannot hide behind the mask of freedom of expression to spread their biases and narrow-mindedness.

These are people who spew venom and bask in the glory of their notoriety. Their work has had its desired effect. The US consulate at Benghazi was attacked as violent protests erupted which left a few Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, dead. Similarly in a mob action in Cairo, rioters attacked the US embassy and tore down the flag. This action has rightfully been condemned by the Egyptian president. But more needs to be done.

In the name of freedom of expression, time and again the West has allowed certain figures to ridicule Islam and play with the feeling of its followers. This only leads to more anger amongst Muslims. The US has not been able to address this problem despite the growing number of Muslims who live in that country.

Even as the State Department condemns the attack on its missions, an understanding needs to be built within the US that inept ‘hate’ videos such as this one can only add fuel to extremist fires. It is clear that hatred for the US still surges like a wave across the volatile Arab world. True peace can only be achieved by creating an environment within which tolerance can flourish. Films such as the latest one released from the US do nothing to create this stability and indeed only add to existing complications in a divided world.

Karachi fire and after

September 14th, 2012

The factory fires in Karachi and Lahore, which killed a combined total of over 300 people, were entirely preventable. Had the factory owners complied with existing laws and had local authorities shown any interest in enforcing these, the fires would have been preventable. It is likely that the fires were caused by a short circuit, which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all industrial fires and could be reduced simply by updating the obsolete electric supply system in the country. In addition, fire safety laws, which fall under the purview of district and provincial governments, should be refined in the wake of this tragedy to force all commercial and residential buildings and homes to use only fire resistant cables.

As it is, the laws we have on the books should have been enough, had they been followed and enforced, to contain the fallout from the fires. The Factories Act of 1934 (amended in 1997) has an entire section devoted to fire safety. Ali Enterprises, the textile company which owned the factory where the fire took place, is guilty of flouting several laws. According to eyewitnesses, only one exit was open while the rest were fastened. The owner and chief executive officer of Ali Enterprises have been placed on the exit control list but that on its own is not enough. They must be prosecuted and jailed for their negligence and criminality.

Local governments must wake up to the fact that they are equally culpable. Working in collusion with building mafias, the authorities responsible for fire safety and building standards have been all too willing to turn a blind eye to blatant violations, preferring to line their pockets with cash. On top of that, fire departments, particularly in Karachi, are simply not equipped to do their jobs. There are only 23 fire stations in the city and between them they have a total of 40 odd fire tenders and just a handful of snorkels and dousers. This makes response times pathetic and leaves them unable to do little more than just recover charred bodies.

Infected sheep

September 14th, 2012

According to recent media reports, Pakistani port authorities allowed a consignment of 21,000 Australian sheep to be offloaded at the Karachi port after the same shipment was refused entry into Bahrain because the sheep were reportedly suffering from scabby mouth — a disease that can also infect humans. Despite assurances by the Australian high commissioner that the sheep were healthy, authorities cannot afford to take any chances as the health of thousands of people may be at stake. The Sindh livestock department has collected blood samples from the sheep and according to some reports, the National Veterinary Laboratory has cleared these samples. However, it must be noted that getting such clearances in our country through means that are not entirely honest, is not too difficult.

If the sheep are indeed healthy, why did Bahrain reject their entry? If they are suffering from a disease, why did our authorities readily accept them? Did they carry out a detailed check of the consignment before allowing it to be offloaded? Was the decision to allow the sheep to enter Pakistan influenced by the fact that Eidul Azha is just weeks away? There is now a huge responsibility on the livestock department, as well as on those responsible for regulating food items sold in our markets to ensure that diseased meat does not find its way into butcher shops. Such fears are understandable as quality control mechanisms in Pakistan are far from stringent.

The sheep need to undergo thorough examination to ensure that they are indeed healthy. If they are not, those responsible for allowing them to enter Pakistan must be taken to task and under no circumstances should meat from the animals enter retail outlets. The relevant Australian authorities also need to be informed to refrain from shipping out diseased sheep and other sub-standard items to poorer countries. If something isn’t good enough to be consumed by the Australian public, it is not good enough to be consumed by others, either.

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Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

The withering away of the Asghar Khan case

September 15th, 2012

Since January 2012, a brave Supreme Court has finally started hearing the 16-year-old Asghar Khan case, only to find obfuscation and deception about the functioning of the ISI — Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency that scares the world as well as the unprotected average Pakistani. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked on September 13 that it was “astonishing that the notification for the establishment of the ISI’s political cell could not be found, while the cell had been active for decades”.

The petition filed by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan sought investigation into the distribution of millions of rupees of public money by the ISI among the anti-PPP politicians to manipulate the 1990 elections against the PPP. Successive apex courts have ducked the question asked in the petition because, simply put, the ISI was too powerful, manned by military personnel reporting to the army chief, although legally answerable to the elected prime minister. The present Supreme Court has accepted the challenge of going into an embarrassing case that has withered on the bough of Pakistan’s legal system because of the dominance of Pakistan’s ‘informal’ centres of power that scuttle the Constitution in a polarised political environment. The earlier courts had put the case on the back-burner. A predecessor of the current chief justice, Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing the case in 1997 when he was shown the door by his fellow judges after a ‘judicial’ mutiny, allegedly manoeuvred by the Nawaz Sharif government.

The embarrassing aspect of the case persists even today because the people who allegedly received the bribes are in denial and they are all people the Court would prefer not to cause discomfiture to. The ISI chief involved, Asad Durrani, has made a clean breast of it once again, putting the bite on an ex-army chief, Aslam Beg, who says he knows nothing about the scam.

Durrani’s list of ‘beneficiaries’ is as follows: Nawaz Sharif (in rupees) 3.5 million, Lt General Rafaqat 5.6 million, Mir Afzal Khan 10 million, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi 5 million, Jam Sadiq Ali 5 million, Mohammed Khan Junejo 2.5 million, Pir Pagaro 2 million, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada 3 million, Yusuf Haroon 5 million (he confirmed receiving this for Altaf Hussain of the MQM), Muzaffar Hussain Shah 0.3 million, Abida Hussain 1 million, Humayun Marri 5.4 million, Jamaat-e-Islami Rs5 million; Altaf Hussain Qureshi and Mustafa Sadiq Rs0.5 million; Arbab Ghulam Aftab Rs0.3 million; Pir Noor Mohammad Shah Rs0.3 million; Arbab Faiz Mohammad Rs0.3 million; Arbab Ghulam Habib Rs0.2 million; Ismail Rahu Rs0.2 million; Liaquat Baloch Rs1.5 million; Jam Yusuf Rs0.75 million; Nadir Magsi 1 million, etc.

Banker Yunus Habib, who allegedly created the slush fund for Aslam Beg and the late president Ghulam Ishaq Khan has submitted his own list: Aslam Beg Rs140 million; Jam Sadiq Ali (the then-chief minister of Sindh) Rs70 million; Altaf Hussain (MQM) Rs20 million, Advocate Yousaf Memon (for disbursement to MNA Javed Hashmi and others) Rs50 million; 1992 — Jam Sadiq Ali Rs150 million; 1993 — Liaquat Jatoi Rs1 million; 1993 — chief minister of Sindh, through Imtiaz Sheikh Rs12 million; Afaq Ahmed of the MQM Rs0.5 million; chief minister of Sindh, through Imtiaz Sheikh Rs01 million; Ajmal Khan, a former federal minister Rs1.4 million; Nawaz Sharif, Rs3.5 million; 27/9/93 Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister; Nawaz Sharif and Ittefaq Group of Companies Rs200 million (photocopies of cheques and deposit slips attached); Sardar Farooq Leghari 12/12/93 Rs30 million, 6/1/94 Rs2.0856 million, 19/3/94 Rs1.92 million, etc.

Former ISI chief Hamid Gul has admitted on television that the establishment had always been wary of the PPP coming to power and, therefore, manoeuvred the system to circumvent it. Today, the same sort of scenario is in place. It is going to be tough to get to the end of this trial due to the highly politicised judicial process in the country because of the way political rivals are exploiting the bold impartiality of the Court to settle their scores.

Reign of hatred

September 15th, 2012

Ten labourers were killed in the Dasht area of Mastung district, about 25 kilometres from Quetta, in a brutal incident, where the assailants lined up the workers along the road side where they were working and sprayed them with bullets. This cold-blooded incident indicates that violence is taking an increasingly bold style in the province, despite repeated statements from law-enforcement agencies and the government falsely reassuring the people that things are being brought under control. The manner of killing was also shocking, carried out methodically and in execution style with many witnesses around. The fear without which perpetrators of such crimes are running amok in the province, carrying out such gruesome attacks, is a serious affront to the authorities and those in charge, who have failed on numerous counts to provide security to the people of Balochistan.

The fact that the murdered workers were all residents of Quetta has been emphasised by the local administration. But the undeniably unfortunate fact is that all the victims were essentially of Pakhtun origin. This then makes it another grisly crime based on ethnic hatred, furthering the now much obvious pattern of ethnic cleansing that has become characteristic of Balochistan, over the past few years. As the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan pointed out in a recent report, such murders have increased since the 2006 killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, who had come to be seen as a symbol of the nationalist cause. Rage among Baloch nationals has run high ever since his death.

The chief minister of the province, the country’s president and others, have all expressed regret. The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party has staged protests in Quetta. But all this is not enough. It does not take us any closer to solution. Further action is required to rectify this state of affairs. The party should begin with an effort to bring all stakeholders to the negotiation table, so that their problems, their concerns and their suggestions can be discussed consensually. Only after this happens can some progress be made to restore some measure of peace and stability in the otherwise trouble-ridden province, the future of which seems extremely bleak.

__________________
Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga

Fire tragedy: Is a resignation enough?

September 16th, 2012

The resignation sent in by Sindh Minister for Industries Abdul Rauf Siddiqi, after a factory inferno in Karachi killed a record number of workers, should be welcomed. More than anything else, this resignation will serve to highlight the administrative flaws in the services meant to forestall fires and undertake rescue operation after the blaze has taken hold.

The self-exonerating statement issued by the minister says that he found himself “helpless and with no authority to move against the people responsible for the deadly Karachi factory fire”. While it is a welcome break from the practice of not allowing the buck to stop anywhere and letting the citizens suffer without holding anyone responsible, one might still ask: why resign after the fact; why not walk out after the first feeling of ‘helplessness’?

Mr Siddiqi put his finger on the real cause of the tragedy: “Two key institutions — civil defence and the labour department — which are responsible for safety measures and labour rights are not under my authority and I was compelled to see people dying in the fire”. The two departments that his ministry was in a way subordinated to are the most poorly handled institutions in the country. Nowhere in Pakistan has the industries minister ever done anything to remove this roadblock. Mr Siddiqi, too, did nothing, but to his credit, he has resigned to put the nation on notice that all provinces need to sort out the decades-old bottleneck that haunts emergencies caused by accidents and fires.

Kudos are due to the tight hierarchy of the MQM, which allowed the minister to resign to initiate the honourable convention of resigning from the job if you cannot handle it. One must, however, focus on the ‘implications’ of the lesson for Sindh — where administration has wilted in the face of terror and crime — and in the rest of the country, where industrial accidents regularly lead to the same kind of murderous chaos.

Pakistan has descended into a penumbra of institutional decay in the past decade. Virtually no ministry and department functions normally. In fact, most of them are dysfunctional, studiously avoiding involvement in outreach activities in favour of ‘desk’ activity devoted to bureaucratic avoidance of responsibility — by pointing to duties distributed among numerous equally dysfunctional departments. If the convention of resigning from ministry was to become binding today, most of the provinces would have to function without ministers. In Punjab, the chief minister, who keeps a lot of departments under his command, will be in a quandary submitting to it.

There is ‘Third World’ realism to consider related to all functions of the state that touch the lives of the population: health, education, etc, that are best neglected in order to get the state to function in other areas like foreign policy, which moves popular passions but requires no physical outreach. Today, at the federal level, the most glaring example of failed jurisdiction is the Pakistan Railways whose minister has become a butt of jokes because he refuses to resign as the trains in the country come to a grinding halt. Outsiders might say that if resignations become the order of the day, who will govern Pakistan after most of the ministers and chief ministers have gone home?

One Third World solution is to privatise — fully or partially — the sectors you cannot handle. But some burdens cannot be lightened and the bureaucracy that handles building and labour standards simply cannot be privatised. In the past, chief ministers have often referred to the dysfunction of the labour department but did nothing to set it right. The bribery rampant in officials that handle building standards has been known for decades. In these circumstances, to accuse the industrialist of ducking regulations is not entirely fair: he has to bribe officials and make up for it by bypassing safety regulations. A balanced view will have to be taken. The industrial sector is already under pressure. Compensatory, revengeful action should not be visited on it before the needed administrative reform is complete.

The significance of smiles

September 16th, 2012

Smiling, laughing out loud or chortling with amusement are all important — at both the individual and collective levels in any society. The late Lehri, or Safirullah Siddiqui, as was his real name, had the capacity to bring his little burst of happiness into the lives of many people, even if only for a short time as they looked on at the cinema screen. From the mid-1950s to the 1980s, the time during which Lehri’s career lasted, he was arguably the country’s most popular comedian. His films, beginning with his first one, Anokhi, when he was still a young man, to Dhanak in the 1980s, nearly 30 years later, filled cinema houses, and today, in a more sombre age remind us of a time when things were far more happy in a country that has increasingly lost its capacity to laugh, as politically, economically and socially, we plunge into disarray.

The disappearance of smiles from the faces of people is also linked to the rapid decline of our film industry based mainly in Lollywood. The productions of today rarely excite people or bring in revenue. This collapse is unfortunate given that movies have an important space in nearly all civilised societies.

Through the years, Lehri, who died on September 13 at the age of 83 in a Karachi hospital after a long illness, had played an important part in raising the calibre of films with his inimitable style of comedy. Comedy, of course, is one of the most difficult genres to master. Lehri reigned as the king of comedy throughout his long, illustrious career.

It is a pity that we have not been able to produce actors of a similar stature —who entertain and make people laugh, especially during trying times — since Lehri’s departure from the silver screen in the 1980s. One reason for this is the lack of patronage extended to the arts at all levels, with classical music, dance, folk music and theatre all going through a prolonged slump. Lehri’s death also brings to an end far better times for cinema in the country. As a form of entertainment for people, nothing can match the movies. People today need individuals like Lehri to make them laugh in hard times.

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Kon Kehta hy k Main Gum-naam ho jaon ga
Main tu aik Baab hn Tareekh mein Likha jaon ga