| September 23, 2002 | Monday | Rajab 15, 1423 |
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Queering the pitch
Expectant mothers’ health
CORRUPTION in Pakistan appears to have increased in inverse proportion to moves to control it. It is now a pervasive evil. This is due to many factors, but one of the reasons is that agencies entrusted with the task of combating corruption have themselves been accused of dishonesty, partiality and political partisanship. Nothing perhaps discredited the anti-corruption drive more than the vindictiveness, often extremely petty, displayed by the ehtesab bureau set up under the Nawaz Sharif government. When the military government took over, it established the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), whose powers have just been increased by a cabinet decision. It will now also deal with cases that were previously handled by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), that has continued to function with a much besmirched reputation. The FIA’s economic crime wing has been transferred to NAB, so that the latter will now have exclusive jurisdiction to deal with corruption cases. The anti-corruption establishments in the provinces, another organization holding the field, will however continue to function as now.
There will be little lament over the whittling down of the FIA’s powers. The basic question relates to the credibility of various government-sponsored anti-corruption efforts over many decades. It is significant that while hearing an appeal in a NAB-sponsored case the other day, a judge of the Supreme Court was reported to have made the blistering comment that when the FIA was created by Mr Bhutto, people used to say that anyone whose case was sent up to the agency was thought to have forfeited his life, that he could not be released even if the courts intervened, and that a similar impression was currently being created with regard to NAB. This is a most unfortunate situation. NAB claims to have moved against 107 political personalities, who have either been convicted or disqualified, and 250 bureaucrats in the past two years. It takes pride in its high conviction rate. But it is nevertheless seen by many as an adjunct of the military government, which has never made any secret of its distaste for opposition politicians. NAB has been charged with pursuing cases against some politicians with far greater vigour and relish than against others who are considered to be less hostile to the regime. There has also been a perception that members of the armed forces have not faced the same scrutiny as politicians or other civilians.
NAB has been given a more or less permanent shape in the new dispensation outlined by the present government, but the government and parliament elected after the October 10 polls will be free to decide how the bureau’s reputation and effectiveness can be improved. For instance, it might be considered appropriate to have civilian control over the bureau, with its senior officials drawn from the higher ranks of the judiciary through consensus. The supremacy of parliament as the font of all power will have to be recognized, and a clear distinction made between executive and judicial powers. NAB should be as accountable to parliament as any other public body and as bound by the law of the land. The legislature, the judiciary and the executive should have in-built systems of accountability to investigate and report on instances of corruption, and the parliament’s public accounts committee accorded due respect and independence. Anti-corruption steps should not be regarded as a means to persecute political opponents or harass uncooperative individuals; instead, they should gain public acceptance as being genuinely directed at rooting out a deep-seated canker from our society. Without such an institutional and attitudinal change, mere administrative reorganizations will leave the basic problem untouched.
COMPLAINTS have been streaming in from every corner of the country accusing the authorities of favouring certain parties and obstructing others during the on-going election campaign. The accusations, ranging from the serious to the relatively trivial, form a distinct pattern. Taken together, they constitute a formidable charge-sheet against the authorities. The aggrieved parties believe that such blatantly partisan activities are part of the government’s attempts to obstruct the electoral activities of those parties opposed to the military government and to pave the way for pro-government parties to sweep the polls. The role of the nazims and other officials of the new local body set-up are among the main targets of their ire. They are being accused of openly siding with the ‘king’s party’ by placing the entire government machinery, as well as development funds, at the disposal of its candidates. There are also allegations that candidates have been coerced into standing down in favour of key pro-government contestants. Flags and banners of parties opposing the present dispensation have been removed from prominent places, allegedly at the behest of the administration. While the Election Commission claims it is keeping a watchful eye on the campaign and has warned district and tehsil nazims from acting in a partisan manner, many politicians say that much more needs to be done. A group of parties and alliances, including the PPP, Muslim League (N), Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf and the MMA, have decided to band together on a one-point agenda to fight what they term ‘pre-poll rigging’. While the authorities may shrug off such accusations, the complaints are too numerous and widespread to be dismissed out of hand. For the sake of the credibility of the entire process, the Election Commission must swiftly investigate these charges and ensure a level playing field for all contestants. The forthcoming elections must not only be free and fair but must also be seen to be so. History shows that tampering with the electoral process can create more problems than it solves and invariably backfires on its perpetrators.
A MEDICAL seminar held in Karachi the other day was informed about the causes and ill effects of low birth-weight of the newborn, and the need to prevent the rising incidence of this problem. According to the participating doctors, over 25 per cent of the total children born in Pakistan have a low birth-weight, which, even where these babies survive, can cause fatal illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary conditions later in life. The World Health Organization has set 2.5 kg as the minimum standard healthy birth-weight for babies born in developing countries, whereas the same standard for developed countries is three kg. The condition, in most cases, is directly linked to the lack of proper nutrition in the diet of an expectant mother.
In Pakistan, both lack of awareness and a general apathy towards women’s health are to blame for the rising incidence of low birth-weight. Expectant mothers, even though they may be aware of the risks associated with pregnancy, hardly receive the care and attention they deserve. They are expected to properly feed the male members of the family first and then attend to their own dietary and other needs, including regular medical check-ups during pregnancy. There is, therefore, a need to change this traditional norm impinging on women’s health and nutritional needs, especially those of expectant mothers. Health authorities would do well to specifically focus on this issue in their periodic public awareness raising media campaigns.