| October 27, 2002 | Sunday | Sha’aban 20,1423 |
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Hostage nightmare
Seamen’s plight
THE federal government has announced that the new National Assembly will probably be convened in the first week of November. Though still somewhat vague and qualified by the word “probably”, after days of uncertainty, it is still the first indication of a clear time frame for the assembly to meet and is thus welcome. Concern had been voiced in the media and by politicians and leaders of public opinion about the prolonged post-October 10 delay in calling the assembly’s inaugural session; the delay was giving rise to speculation about the government’s intentions. Some problems, such as the elections to reserved seats for women and minorities that will be necessary to complete the formation of the lower house, still remain. But once a day is fixed for parliament to meet, other things will fall in place. The government should also make it known when provincial assemblies would be summoned. According to an earlier commitment, the Constitution is to be restored on October 31, so there is no room for any further dithering over procedural issues.
The government must understand that the legal and administrative steps taken by it to tailor the electoral exercise have weakened its credibility. It should be under no illusion that it is seen as an honest broker either by the political parties or by the people. Everything it does is scrutinized carefully for a political motve, and when motives seem suspect, every step becomes questionable. The situation has been made considerably worse by loquacious ministers who have been making conflicting statements about many issues. For instance, a debate has been triggered on the mode of electing a prime minister, although the precedent is well-established that the person most likely to command a majority should be asked to have the first try at forming the government and seek a vote of confidence within the prescribed period. Even the possibility of a run-off election for the prime minister’s office has been conjured up by one minister, who has also been giving his own interpretation of the law on floor-crossing. It has also been said that the ban on a person who has been twice prime minister or chief minister (a prescription doled out by the present regime) will not apply to those who worked in that capacity in an interim government. This has immediately been perceived as being intended to smoothen the way for the chosen nominee of a party particularly close to the government. In addition to the three-day period mandated for independents wishing to join a political party, one report now says that MNAs from the Tribal Areas will have to stay independent and will not be allowed to join a political party. If true, this could only be meant to prevent a further accretion of the already high parliamentary strength gained by the religious parties.
The more the ministers speak, the more perplexed the people become. In the meantime our political leaders are not helping lessen the confusion and uncertainty. Talks about possible coalitions remain deadlocked. Every day, there are images of leaders greeting each other with open arms, bear hugs and wide smiles. This bonhomie has yet to translate itself into practical arrangements for government making. Admittedly, the election results have presented them with an extremely complex challenge. But they must not let the anti-politics lobby, which would be only too happy if the politicians were to discredit themselves, to continue to enjoy their predicament and have the last laugh at their expense.
THE four-day hostage drama in a Moscow theatre has come to a gory end, with most of the hostages freed but an unspecified number of civilians and hostage-takers killed. Maybe, further talks could have led to a bloodless outcome to the siege. But the Russian authorities say they acted after the terrorists started killing hostages. That was as criminal as the bizarre idea of taking theatre-goers and actors hostage. Those who carried out this outrage did not advance the cause of Chechnya’s freedom. In fact, the hostage-taking might prove counter-productive by undermining the efforts of those Russians who are opposed to Moscow’s war on Chechnya. Also, the atrocities by the Russian army in Chechnya will now recede into the background, because the terrorists have provided fresh ammunition for the western media’s blitz against “Islamic terrorism.” Coming in the wake of the Bali outrage, the Moscow theatre drama has served to further tarnish the image of Muslim freedom movements the world over. The Chechens do indeed have the right to struggle for freedom as much as the Palestinians and Kashmiris but senseless acts of terror and the killing of innocent civilians play into the hands of those very forces which oppress them.
Russia should now ponder the causes that led to this desperate act by the Chechens. The Sept 11 tragedy has come in handy for the Russians, who have used it to pursue their own agenda in the Caucasus without making any serious attempts to find a negotiated settlement. Moscow is guilty of gross human rights violations in Chechnya which often drew sharp criticism from the US and the European Union. Since 9/11, however, the West has toned down its criticism of Moscow. The only way to stop desperate acts like last week’s theatre siege is to urge the Kremlin to find a negotiated settlement acceptable to the people of Chechnya.
A stream of correspondence in the letters to the editor columns of this newspaper has drawn attention to the sorry plight of Pakistani seamen in the aftermath of the events of September 11. After the terrorist attacks in the US, Pakistani seafarers have been facing great difficulties at most ports of call simply because of their nationality. Vessels employing Pakistani crew are now singled out for scrutiny and strict checking by immigration officials. Many ships are routinely delayed at ports because of such checking. These delays inevitably translate into losses for shipowners. In the US, Pakistanis must now be finger-printed and profiled as a matter of course. Shipowners are also required to station security guards at US ports to keep an eye on Pakistani seamen. In Singapore, ships with Pakistani crew aboard have to dock at a separate anchorage and are subjected to detailed scrutiny by immigration officials.
Because of such hassles, shipowners are increasingly reluctant to hire Pakistanis, despite their general reputation as conscientious and efficient workers. To add to their woes, many countries are refusing visas to Pakistani seamen. Increasingly seen as pariahs on the high seas and unfairly assumed to have terrorist inclinations unless proved otherwise, large numbers of seamen now face a bleak future. Given its key role in the war against terror, Pakistan must use its influence with the US and other countries to take up the cause of the seamen on a priority basis. While the security concerns of foreign countries may be justified, there must be a way of sifting bona fide seamen from potential terrorists in a manner that protects the interests of all the parties concerned.