| April 9, 2003 | Wednesday | Safar 6, 1424 |
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Proud achievement
Anti-smoking law
WITH US forces all set to go in for the kill in Baghdad, the spotlight is now likely to shift away from the battlefield and focus more clearly on the shape of a post-war dispensation in Iraq. The US seems determined to instal an interim government in Baghdad under a retired US general once the fighting ends. This set-up, made up of Americans and Iraqis, would run the country for several months until a return to democratic rule. Washington has let it be known that the future set-up would be put in place by the coalition forces and no one else, arguing that they are entitled to do so because of the heavy sacrifices in “blood and money” they have made during the war. In this view, the UN would only play a secondary role by dealing with the humanitarian dimensions of the crisis. The attempt to bypass the UN yet again is creating serious misgivings and disquiet in the region and beyond. Any government installed by foreign occupiers is bound to be seen as nothing but a puppet regime. The US is also bent on inducting a number of exiled Iraqi dissidents into the set-up even though many are virtually unknown in Iraq and are widely viewed with deep suspicion by the Iraqi people.
The international community would be far less suspicious of Washington’s long-term intentions if the United Nations was given a key role in overseeing the process of transition. This would not only bestow some kind of legitimacy to the new order but also go a long way in restoring the battered status and relevance of the world body. The US-led war in Iraq seriously damaged the UN’s prestige and authority, as it was bypassed in pushing ahead with military action. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke for a large section of world opinion when he made a strong plea for the UN to be given a significant role in post-war Iraq so that the new Iraqi government would enjoy a measure of legitimacy. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Pakistan too has called for a greater UN role in post-war Iraq.
Despite world opinion firmly backing UN involvement in the process, there remains serious opposition to such a move from elements within the Bush administration led by Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Many of these unilateralist hawks have a deep contempt for the world body and see it as a veritable nuisance at times standing in Washington’s way of doing as it pleases on the world stage. However, America’s closest allies, including Britain and Australia, seem coming round to the view that the UN must now be brought back into the picture in relation to Iraq. There are signs that British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s strong preference for UN involvement is finally getting through to President Bush. At a joint press conference following talks between the two leaders in Northern Ireland yesterday, Mr Blair repeatedly called for a greater role for the UN in Iraq and a quick transition to representative government. His views were publicly backed by President Bush. If that happens, it could mean a setback for hawks within the US administration and a triumph for sanity and reason. Whatever its shortcomings, the UN is a vital world institution that enjoys global legitimacy and is perfectly equipped to oversee complex exercises like the post-war transition in Iraq.
THE Hunzakuts have done Pakistan proud once again — this time by bagging Unesco’s coveted Award for Culture Heritage Conservation 2002. A few years ago, the 500-year-old restored Baltit Fort located in Karimabad, Hunza, claimed this award. The award now conferred on the small village of Ganish Khun near Karimabad has come in recognition of the conservation and restoration of the village’s four ancient mosques and a watchtower that date back to the 16th century. The money was raised through the efforts of the villagers, who worked in collaboration with an NGO in securing funds from various sources in Norway and Spain. As the restoration work on the monuments began, the local community gradually grew more conscious of the poor state of the village. Imbued with the spirit of self-help and community participation, the villagers set themselves the tasks of paving the village streets, repairing the existing houses and improving the sanitation system. They are now in the process of building a water filtering plant that would supply silt-free water to every house in the village.
Ganish Khun, thus, has undergone something of revolution within the last few years. The visible signs of transformation have now made the village the envy of other villages in the Hunza valley. A 1,000-year-old small settlement on the main Karakoram Highway some 110km north of Gilgit, Ganish Khun has a remarkable history as depicted by lores and legends. It was here that the village’s oldest man would drink the blood of a sacrificed ibex, fall into a trance and predict the future. The nearby rocks, with carved images depicting the ceremony, have long been a tourist attraction. The restoration of the ancient fort, mosques and watchtower goes to show how much community mobilization can achieve when used for a constructive purpose. The example set by the people of this small mountain-village needs to be emulated elsewhere.
THE federal health minister’s statement the other day that existing anti-smoking legislation will be enforced from May 31 — International No Smoking Day — is welcome but why wait that long? The Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers’ Health Ordinance, to which the minister was referring, was promulgated in October last year. Admittedly, no serious effort was made to enforce the prohibition. A committee has now been set up with representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as the tobacco industry to find ways to make health warnings on cigarette packets more effective. One thing is for sure: the current warnings are too small and vague to have any deterrent value. Keeping in mind that the country’s population consists of around 60 million children under the age of fifteen, Pakistan would do well to take significant measures to reduce the current widespread prevalence of cigarette advertising. Leading tobacco companies have recently announced that they would not sell to anyone under the age of 18 or that their advertising would not target children.
However well-intentioned this might be, there is no mechanism to prevent selling of cigarettes to children. Moreover, the commitment by these firms not to target minors in their advertising campaigns seems to be wearing thin in the face of recent sponsorships of video game tournaments by a leading cigarette manufacturer. The government should not wait any further to start enforcing the anti-smoking ordinance. It should direct cigarette companies to increase the size of the warning labels and make them more direct and clear. Tobacco advertising campaigns should be carefully scrutinized to make sure that they do not encourage smoking among minors. Concerned officials and authorities in public areas like airports and railway stations must know that they will be held accountable for violations of the anti-smoking law within their jurisdiction.