| July 14, 2002 | Sunday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 3, 1423 |
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Murree’s waning charm
Educational shenanigans
PRESIDENT Musharraf’s speech on Friday night broke no new ground. Essentially, the 70-minute address to the nation on radio and television was an attempt to explain and justify the proposed amendments and to reassure the nation about his intentions. Gen Musharraf did not withdraw or modify any of the proposed amendments that have come under harsh criticism; instead, he stuck to his guns. His arguments were familiar: the politicians had made a mess of thing so that the army had to intervene every now and then; there was an institutional collapse, and corruption was rife. He was not power hungry, he said; all he wanted was to introduce checks and balances to ensure good governance. All executive powers would rest with the prime minister. But it would be unwise having a “rubber stamp” president as a ceremonial presence. He made it clear that Article 58-2b would be revived and made a part of the Constitution so as to avoid another martial law. The only new points in the speech concerned the National Security Council, which will now include the leader of the opposition as one of its members. Besides, the decision to sack the prime minister under 58-2b will be taken not by the president but by the NSC. As for the graduation clause, it is certain to be incorporated into the Constitution because the Supreme Court had already upheld the move.
During his speech, Gen Musharraf repeatedly pointed out that the proposals were after all proposals, and he invited the nation to debate these. He also hinted that the proposals were open to possible changes. What he did not spell out in clear terms is how the constitutional package — in its present form or modified in the light of the on-going national debate — will become part of the Constitution. Will the parliament to be elected in October be left free to decide on the package in its own lights and according to the rules and procedures prescribed by the Constitution or will it be enforced through a presidential ordinance requiring the parliament to rubber-stamp it?
The overall impression of the speech is unmistakable: the armed forces are determined to have a constitutional role in the country’s governance. However undesirable this may be, the generals now in control seem to have made up their minds on this issue. Virtually all political parties and the media have rejected the NSC idea, because it negates the very essence of democratic governance. Democracy stipulates the rule of law through the people’s will. In specific terms, this means that law-making and governance are done by the people’s representatives. Non-elected state functionaries have no business to interfere in political affairs. Their job is to carry out their duties as assigned by the elected leadership. What the NSC proposes to do, however, is to subordinate Pakistan’s elected leadership to a cabal of Bonapartists in disguise. This is hardly the road to take the nation to “real democracy”.
One hopes that Gen Musharraf’s proposed meetings with the politicians will lead to a compromise in the best interest of the nation. As we have repeatedly stressed in these columns, no individual or group can arrogate to itself the right to change the Constitution. Only the parliament has this prerogative. If the government and the politicians arrive at a compromise, it should be presented to the parliament for approval, rejection or modification. Arbitrary changes brought about by a military government without the people’s approval may last so long as the present set of generals are in power. Sooner or later, such amendments will meet the same fate as those enacted by previous military regimes. It is time the generals learnt from history.
ONCE known as the ‘queen of the hills,’ Murree is rapidly losing much of its former charm. Today, this popular holiday resort is suffering from all the problems associated with unbridled tourism and unchecked commercialization. The town and its environs are becoming increasingly polluted and its green slopes are being denuded to make way for more hotels and tourist facilities. The town, once an extremely picturesque and genteel resort, is now the favourite destination for thousands of holiday-makers seeking to escape the sweltering heat of the plains. It is Murree’s sheer popularity and accessibility that have also been its most serious bane. The haphazard construction of hotels has not only marred the natural beauty of the town but has increased the demand for wood and has led to deforestation. The phenomenal rise in visitors has also brought with it a growing number of vehicles, which have not only polluted the town but have also increased noise pollution to unbearable levels.
Tourism has also created serious problems for the city’s sewerage system which simply cannot cope with the strain. Garbage is now increasingly being dumped all over the town or thrown into the area’s once pristine streams. The authorities, in collaboration with local NGOs and traders, must evolve a conservation plan for the town to clamp down on some of the worst excesses of unplanned development. The town authorities and local businesses could also set aside part of their income derived from tourism to clean up the town. There is also a need for campaigns to raise awareness among visitors about the damaging effects of littering. Locals must realize that the current unchecked growth is likely to reduce the attraction of the area for tourists in the long run and could eventually lead to a rapid drop in their incomes.
THE meeting of the Ad hoc Public Accounts Committee the other day provided an insight into the mismanagement and corruption in the Punjab education department. As many as 1,600 government schools are without headmasters while other irregularities range from bogus appointments of teachers to waste and denial of salaries. The grant for the purchase of a jeep for the director of the Evening Schools Project had lapsed because the prices quoted by the suppliers against the tender were much higher than the market price. A grant for the purchase of computers and fax machines met a similar fate. All this speaks of the authorities’ callous attitude towards the spending of public money. A major scandal involves the appointment of bogus teachers. As many as 1,046 teachers were recruited in Sialkot against 180 vacancies. Obviously, there is more to it than meets the eye. Officials in the education department prepared the service books and those in the accounts issued the pay certificates. While it is necessary to identify the culprits and make recoveries, such shenanigans cannot take place without official connivance.
Coupled with the withdrawal of millions of rupees from the General Provident Fund accounts of teachers in which the Muzaffargarh district accounts officer was identified as the main culprit by the accountant-general, it shows the extent of corruption and maladministration in the department, especially at the district level. Effective safeguards against corruption and maladministration must be provided. Considerable investment in school education is being made. Earlier, a Rs 106 million grant was provided for starting middle to higher secondary classes in 6,000 schools under the Evening School Project. A similar number of schools had been upgraded. The benefit of these measures cannot be realized unless proper utilization of resources is ensured.