POLITICAL parties and a number of new alliances that have come into being recently have started holding closed-door meetings, as well as corner and public meetings, for mustering support of the people in the forthcoming election. The election, if we go by the frequent assurances held out by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, will be held in October.

However, there have been some shake-ups in the rank and file of the newly-elected Nazims and Naib Nazims in the interior of Sindh following a statement by provincial Minister for Local Bodies Deewan Yousuf Farooqi that threatened to disqualify the grassroots’ leaders if they were found indulging in politics with reference to the upcoming polls, and a new set of people would be brought in their place.

Further, there are reports that the PPP high command has, on the other hand, also taken a serious view of some Nazims getting closer to the government, like having frequent meetings with high-ups at Islamabad and making assurances to President Musharraf of their support in future. The PPP high command, according to a report, intends to seek explanation from such Nazims.

Party sources say the high command is quite upset over reports that Nazims have extended unconditional support to the president and his government and is, therefore, issuing notices to such Nazims. Notices seeking explanation will remain confidential and individual-specific. According to a source, a list of such Nazims has already been provided to chairperson Benazir Bhutto for necessary action.

One option with the PPP high command is that it may ask such Nazims to resign en masse, or the party presidents at district-level may ask them to submit their blank resignations to the party to show that they are loyal to it. Moreover, if any of these Nazims opted for party ticket, the matter will be decided on the basis of merit and loyalty to the party.

Meanwhile, the local PPP circles believe that party chairperson Benazir Bhutto would most probably be returning about April 4, which is the day of death anniversary of her father and founder of the party, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

There are also reports that some government agencies have approached the press people, including newspapers, to procure photographs and record pertaining to the Nazims’ participation in party activities. These agencies have also contacted some photographers and videomen and obtained video record as a matter of proof of the Nazims’ involvement in political activity.

According to observers, this is a pressure tactic employed by the government to keep the Nazims and Naib Nazims under control and at a safe distance from the political parties. Also, if the government later on wants any of these Nazims to contest the upcoming polls on its behalf, it may be able to do so because of its control over them gained through the manipulation of the circumstances they were placed in and monitored by the agencies.

Moreover, the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA) has been giving rather a tough time to the PPP for the last some months as the killing of Sadham Chand Chawla in Jacobabad has posed problems not only for Elahi Bux Soomro and Muqim Khan Khoso (both allies of the PML), but also for the PPP and Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani.

Mr Bijarani’s son, Shabbir Ali Bijarani, is the district Nazim of Jacobabad, and he was strongly backed by the PPP against Muqim Khan Khoso, who (Khoso) had been ousted from the party because of his alignment with Elahi Bux Soomro. The FIR against the Naib Nazim, Ejaz Jakhrani, of Jacobabad, has created problems for the PPP, as well as for Hazar Khan Bijarani, for the minorities are insisting on the arrest of Naib Nazim Jakhrani for his alleged involvement in the murder.

The Hazar Khan Bijarani group is at the back of the Jakhranis, while the minorities are pressing the PPP for supporting them against the Jakhranis, and so this a test of patience for all these groups and individuals.

There are indications that the SDA and the PPP would come face to face in the coming election. The two, nowadays, are in race to seek the support of probable candidates, many of whom are former MNAs, MPAs and senators.

The PPP is largely affected by the long absence of the party chairperson from the country but any further absence will do the party a real setback inasmuch as the party position in regard to the upcoming polls is concerned.

It is thus said that the party high command has advised her to reach here by April, although she also runs the risk of being arrested on arrival.

Partymen believe that in case the chairperson is arrested, the party will get a boost instead of a setback, but if the government is not able to take her into custody in order not to trigger any adverse criticism, it will increase the party popularity graph. In either case the party stands to gain. What matters most is Ms Bhutto’s presence to lead the party and partymen successfully through the election.

The local bodies ordinance is quite clear about the role of Nazims and Naib Nazims. Since they were elected on a non-party basis, they are not eligible to take part in party politics. They have to perform their LB role in a neutral and transparent manner, without favour to anyone, irrespective of political affiliations. Such Nazims could also not take part in the party meetings, as this might jeopardize their performance as Nazim in the public activity.

Now the situation in Sindh’s interior is such that almost all the Nazims and Naib Nazims at the district level belong to the PPP, or the NPP or the PML, with a small number of them belonging to the Jamaat-i-Islami. The Jamaat’s Nazims are better disciplined and shun politicking, but others do not and they, therefore, may try to bargain with the powers that matter.

As for the election scenario it may be said that in the absence of the proposed delimitations in which Sukkur would have another NA seat and at least one more MPA seat, it is possible that Taj Mohammad Shaikh, a former MPA, would contest on behalf of the Sindh Democratic Alliance, probably from Rohri.

CULTURAL and entertainment programmes are a thing the residents of Muzaffarabad rarely see in their city. So, whenever any group organizes such an event, the gathering at it is unusually big and they enjoy it greatly. One such programme was organized recently by the People’s Students Federation, AJK University unit.

It was a musical show, at which the performers were amateur student singers from different disciplines of the varsity. The venue was the university’s nicely built auditorium on the old campus. Attendance at the show was so big that even the passages on the sides and middle of the auditorium and the open space in front of the stage were packed with the students, both boys and girls. The audience enjoyed the over five-hour-long programme from beginning to end, because it was worth enjoying.

The show was opened by Lubna Zia, president of the PSF girls’ wing and student of the final year MA (English), who welcomed the guests by announcing that her organization would continue providing entertainment to the students’ community by holding extra-curricular activities on a regular basis.

Later, Farwa Tanvir, general secretary of the PSF girls’ wing and student of final year MSc (Economics), conducted the most part of the programme with the assistance from colleagues Khawaja Khurshid and Faisal Mir.

The first performer was Wasi Butt from the computer department who rendered a qawali, followed by many other light songs. The poor sound system and an equally non-supportive orchestra did not make any difference to the singing skills of the performers, who enthralled the fun-starved audience by rendering filmi as well as non-filmi songs and ghazals.

Renditions by Irum Tabassam of the economics department were, however, acclaimed the most. Her was the most melodious voice among her contemporaries. Others performers included Shagufta Andleeb, Navid Shaheen, Sohail Muzaffar, Quratul Ain Naqvi, Sobia, Saeed Ahmed, Abid Ali, Sajid and Khush Beg.

The audience warmly applauded their singing colleagues by clapping and whistling.

WHENEVER a crime takes place and police are approached, a new dimension is added to the matter and things are unnecessarily made complicated. It is rarely that the aggrieved person is provided any relief. That is why people avoid the police unless forced by circumstances.

This is one side of the police-people relationship. The situation is different when the police have to deal with people visiting police stations with bogus applications and recommendatory letters from the influential.

There are many examples of the indifferent attitude of the police in the official record and in press reports.

The police have a vital role to play in crime prevention and detection. But it will be futile to assume that it can handle this task all by itself without the cooperation and involvement of the community.

Realizing this, district police chief Tasadduq Husain not only floated the idea of setting up “community oriented” policing in the city but also succeeded in establishing a citizens-police liaison committee.

CPLC organizers claim it is a broad-based concept covering all aspects of crime and it will contribute towards creating a conducive environment both for the police and the people in order to reduce crime and help develop the citizen-police partnership for fighting crime.

They further claim that CPLC is endeavouring to bridge the communication gap and build confidence between the citizens and the police. The motto of CPLC is: “Together we can and together we must.” Under this slogan, the accumulated efforts of conscientious citizens and police will go a long way towards creating a sense of security among the people by redressing their complaints in a congenial and friendly atmosphere, they say.

CPLC managers intend to set up a complaint desk at each police station to entertain complaints. The desk will inquire into every complaint while the police will take up those complaints and initiate legal action. Complaints not falling within the purview of the police will be sent to the CPLC help desk situated in the camp office of the People’s Colony police station where free guidance and counselling of legal advisers and social workers will be provided.

CPLC is also developing a database for computerizing the record of police stations. Later on, this will be extended to under-trial cases in the courts and prisons of the district, central and bostal jails in the district. In the third stage, digitized mapping of the city will be carried out so as to control sensational crime involving snatching of vehicles, robberies at commercial centres, kidnapping for ransom or enmity, etc. The district Nazim and the district and sessions judge have already approved the formation of a drug rehabilitation centre in Faisalabad which will be run by CPLC. At present, there is no recognized and standard drug rehabilitation facility in the district resulting in an increase in the number of addicts.

CPLC organizers say security matters have not been addressed properly by government bodies with the result that a large number of people keep wandering in the offices and courts. Innocent people are exploited and no help is extended to them. CPLC wants to introduce the concept of policing by organizing private security agencies with the help of the police.

CPLC is establishing a jail detainees welfare committee and a police welfare committee for improving their working environment. It is also creating an environment committee with the help of the Tehsil Municipal Administration and the police to improve the civic facilities. Such steps will help in launching a massive education campaign to make the people law abiding.

It intends to remove traffic hazards in the city with the help of traffic police and Traffic Engineering Wing of TMA. It will also establish a geographical information system which will allow law-enforcement agencies to evolve effective plans for emergency response, determine mitigation priorities, analyze historical events and predict future events. All this will be done through digital maps containing all kinds of information about Faisalabad.

Also planned is a criminal identification and sketching system based on the latest computer identity kit, which will enable the police to develop sketches of criminals to identify them easily. It will enable identification of groups involved in crime in other districts.

Keeping in view the deteriorating condition of the medico-legal department, initially with the consultation of the district coordination officer and the district Nazim, a medico-legal complaint centre is being established at the CPLC offices to provide a relief to the victims.

A healthy change is being witnessed in the People’s Colony police station which has been virtually taken over by CPLC and converted into a model police station. CPLC has set up a neat and clean office on the left side of the police station where, instead of a muharrar and constable, a reception desk for processing all complaints through police officers of the area within 24 hours has been set up for public dealing.

Office holders and members of the CPLC are chief Mushtaq Ali Cheema, deputy chief Khurram Iftikhar and members Gen Qayyum, Mian Muhammad Latif, Ahmad Kamal, Asif Sorria, Imran Zahid, Junaid Ahmad, Mian Muhammad Haneef, Rana Javed Akhtar, Riaz Chawla, Sheikh Waheed, Saqib Shahzad, Sheikh Shahid Aziz and Sheikh Imran Ahmad.

CPLC has taken up the project of entertaining and redressing public complaints with the help of the police and citizens, and has also started work on computerization of the crime record. Linked with it integrally are CPLC guidance and counselling centres as a large number of complaints will be relating to non-cognizable issues and CPLC will have to take care of them by extending legal and social help.

The CPLC chief told Dawn that with the creation of CPLC, the community and the police had entered a new era of mutual cooperation.

He said under the auspices of CPLC, they wanted to provide relief to the people, besides improving the working conditions of the police.

The decision to set up the CPLC is a welcome step for the betterment of police-citizen relationship. One hopes that CPLC would create not only a sense of security among the people by resolving their complaints in a congenial manner, but would also create a friendly atmosphere in society.

MIRZA Ghalib is universally recognized as the greatest classical poet and supreme master of Urdu prose. He lies buried in India but in no way does he belong to that country. What he belongs to is Urdu. We can, therefore, claim that he is closer to us than to anyone else.

As everyone knows, Prof Dr Syed Moeenur Rahman is the leading Ghalibologist in the country. His personal library is overloaded with every conceivable book on the poet. He himself has written several books on Ghalib. But what I particularly want to mention at the moment is his publication of books on the subject. His son, Syed Wiqar Moeen, has a publishing house, Al-Wiqar, which produces some of the most tastefully printed books I have ever seen. The deluxe edition of Dewan-i-Ghalib (Nuskha-i-Khwaja) published last year is probably the most beautifully printed book ever produced in Pakistan. It is unfortunate that some biased quarters raised doubts about the authenticity of that publication. It had been reproduced from a handwritten copy of Diwan-i-Ghalib compiled in 1852 with corrections in the poet’s own hand.

Now, on the occasion of the poet’s 133rd death anniversary Dr Moeenur Rahman has come up with two more books which, he says, are in salute to the Mirza. One of these, printed as tastefully as the other books by Al-Wiqar, is Muraqqa-i-Ghalib, a compilation of Ghalib’s diwan by a person known as Prithvi Chander. A trader by profession belonging to the Punjab, he was born in 1898. He later went and settled down in Delhi and died there in 1978. Somehow he developed a deep involvement in the life and work of the poet and wrote many books on him. In Muraqqa-i-Ghalib, he has made selections from his diwan, added some parts to it not found in the original, and picked up some passages from his letters to include them as footnotes. In the second part of the Muraqqa, Prithvi Chander has reproduced facsimiles of Ghalib’s letters to the rulers of Rampur and others.

The other salute by Dr Moeenur Rahman is the publication of a book by Nayyar Pervez, a college teacher at Faisalabad. It is titled, Dr Moeenur Rahman aur Kainat-i-Ghalib. The book happens to be the research carried out by Nayyar on three leading scholars of Ghalabiat, Maulana Ghulam Rasul Mehr, Malik Ram and Dr Moeenur Rahman. The thesis presented after the research earned the young lady an MPhil from the Khairpur University. The present book is just a part of that thesis covering only Dr Moeenur Rahman.

WHAT is the real status of women in Pakistani society is a question that frequently arises in a variety of ways, and more often than not it is a source of a great deal of pain and anguish. To women themselves, it is a question of embarrassment and distress, to say the least. To their families and friends, too, it is a cause of deep concern and anxiety. Have you not realized that despite all progress that this society has made, women going out of their homes unescorted are still insecure? Think of this, and mourn.

Here an obvious question that arises is also about female students, whose number is growing as socio-economic changes drive them to join the workforce in a society where discrimination against women is common and the attitude of men towards women is often derogatory. How long will it take before men are able to give women the inherent dignity and the respectable status that they deserve, more so in our Islamic society.

One has in mind the current story coming out of Karachi University campus with regard to a girl student and a male teacher at the Shaikh Zayed Islamic Research Centre.

Many of us are former students of the Karachi University, and have the deepest respect for the Alma Mater, and have simply sadly reflected on what the report said. What would parents think of the reported allegation that a teacher had demonstrated an “irresponsible attitude” towards a girl student? What would those conservative families and parents have to say to it, who have always had an objection to co-education, and male teachers in girls classrooms. What would the majority of girl students think about male teachers not just at the campus but anywhere in society.

Then contemplate what teachers (whose social status is often a matter of opinion and dissent anyway) may themselves have to feel about a teacher being openly accused of misbehaving with a girl student. The Karachi University Teachers Society has supported the said teacher, who, initially, was suspended by the Vice Chancellor, and then asked to go on leave. That stand does surprise, keeping in view the context that makes one wonder of how a teacher could go back to the same institution in view of such allegations that have been levelled against him.

One has spoken to some people on this issue that agitates students and teachers at the campus. A person who watches closely the sufferings of Pakistani women in society has underlined the courage of the girl student and said it is welcome that she has chosen to speak out. Most women take to silence and are unable to tell the real story she has.

I spoke to a corporate woman (in a senior management position with a multinational company, who also takes an active interest in women’s issues), made some very pertinent observations on the theme of “sexual harassment” that takes place in this society. And it does so, despite what is said to the contrary. The weakness of the woman is for ever taken for granted.

She said while there is no law to protect women from “sexual harassment”, there is also no real system within organizations and companies to deal with the issue, which is evidently rising steadily as urbanisation spreads. Then the status quo that we still have, prefers to discourage women from speaking out if they do suffer and are victimised. And if women do complain or protest, they are at the mercy of a “men’s club” environment, often amused at all this.

An unfortunate aspect of this vulnerability of women (as students or as employees at all levels) is that it is the woman who is blamed. The argument being that women should either stay at home or that they should be able to defend themselves, and handle such situations (ugly of course) which are bound to arise, for it is a man’s world. For married women, it is uncomfortable, of course, when it comes to lecherous men, and for single women at work, it is another kind and agony, prolonged.

Now returning to Karachi University, what is disappointing is that an educational institution is expected to be above these sort of teacher-student relationships where the institution itself gets a setback, imagewise, and otherwise.

An impartial inquiry has apparently been initiated now and its findings are awaited. Students at the campus have protested, and so have teachers.

It is indeed necessary to deplore that such an experience has come to the surface, reflecting partially not just on the Karachi University but also reminding us that women at work or study remain unprotected at many times, and this vulnerability they have, needs to be talked about. It shouldn’t be swept under the carpet.

The more one mulls over the issue, the unhappier one becomes. There are sad undercurrents perhaps. The teacher concerned has been roughed up, twice, and he has been warned of dire consequences.

One hopes that a respectable ethical way out is possible in all that has happened so far, and that is so not only for the concerned individuals, but also for an institution that is very very dear to all of us in the city.