Preserving the rights of women

IT IS heartening that we have fair-minded elements in Pakistan who are able to analyze the situation of women objectively and make sensible suggestions. That can be said about the committee set up by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) to look into the Hudood Ordinances. On the basis of the committee’s study, the NCSW has recommended to the government to repeal the Hudood Ordinances and draft a new law in their place. This is not the first time such a proposal has been made. But the commission’s report certainly carries more weight. It has not been made off the cuff in a fit of emotionalism. It is based on the deliberations of 18 members who are legal experts and also have an understanding of the problems women face in our society.

Since General Ziaul Haq promulgated the highly controversial Hudood Ordinances in 1979 this law has operated in a one-sided way against women. The number of female prisoners in Pakistan’s jail suddenly shot up in the years following the introduction of the Hudood law and more than half of these were on zina charges. The widespread abuse of this law was apparent even then from the high rate of acquittal. But no government that followed made a serious attempt to change the law. So strong was the propaganda describing the law as an integral part of religious jurisprudence and so powerful were the vested interests defending Hudood that the country continued to be burdened with legislation that was patently unjust, with enormous potential for abuse. A simple example of how the Hudood law has provided an opportunity to men to use it to oppress women is the fact that the Qazf provision has generally not been invoked though it requires a man bringing false charges against a woman to be prosecuted.

Let us hope that the NCSW will be forceful in following up its recommendations to repeal the ordinances. The commission does not appear to be very optimistic about its recommendation being accepted given the political equations that exist in the corridors of power today. But it needs to show greater commitment in this matter. The chairperson is right when she says the commission’s mandate is to make recommendations on certain issues. But she is wrong when she claims that what happens next is not the commission’s business. The commission was set up in 2000 in response to a long-standing demand of the women of Pakistan. The idea was to have a watchdog body to monitor the government’s policies and the laws enacted to ensure that they did not hurt the interests of women. The commission may not have judicial powers but it can play a moral role in safeguarding the rights of women. In other countries where such bodies have been set up and their commitment and motivation have been strong, they have used pressure on the government to get a law changed. Why should the NCSW not enhance its own stature and display the courage to uphold what it believes to be right?

The political bug

REPORTS over the weekend have indicated that some army men are under investigation for possible links to extremist organizations, including Al Qaeda, and several for allegedly working for an “enemy country”. The first news about those with reported connections to extremist groups was attributed to a magazine/ website based in the Far East. The figures have varied and have kept growing as well as the charges that are being investigated. Confirmation of sorts has since come from the military’s press office with regard to some of the reports.

If news of the investigations had in the first instance been given by the army itself, it would have prevented speculation or imprecise reporting. It should not be a cause for surprise for anyone that there are elements within the military that have been affected by the crusading bug. After all, it was inevitable that the long and close exposure of the army and its various agencies to the Afghan situation dating back to the resistance against Soviet occupation should have had its ideological fallout. Even before that, when Ziaul Haq was army chief, he was believed to have been quite dedicated to converting the rank and file to his own religious views. Joining the military does not mean that a person forfeits his right as a thinking individual and to hold his own opinion about matters religious and temporal. But having actual links with extremist organizations or with any other political grouping is a different issue altogther and violates military regulations. The army high command should be worried about what has surfaced and carry out a thorough screening of its men, and do so in a transparent manner and lay the facts before parliament.

The military should also note that it has allowed itself to become susceptible to political influences because of its repeated readiness to rule the country and patronize favoured politicians and parties. Army chiefs from Ayub Khan down have seized power and then acted as full-blown politicians. In the process, an institution that should have been above the cut and thrust of politics and dedicated solely to safeguarding the country’s borders has lost its insularity. It is now so intertwined with civilian affairs that it stands in danger of having its neutrality and integrity constantly challenged. The latest developments should lead us all again to consider how best our armed forces can be delinked from politics and their reputation as guardians of our security can be protected.

JF-17 fighter

The test flight of the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft scheduled for later this week should be an important milestone in Pakistan’s effort to become self-reliant in its defence needs. Built with Chinese cooperation, the JF-17 will begin serial production in early 2006. According to the air force chief, its performance is as good as that of the US-made F-16. That being the case, and assuming that the testing and production phases go according to schedule, the JF-17 could very well become the air force’s primary combat fighter. A multi-role lightweight aircraft, the Thunder fighter can fly 1.6 times the speed of sound, and will have a long-range strike capability. Given the numerical superiority that some of the PAF’s rivals possess, the emergence and eventual commissioning of the JF-17 could help redress whatever strategic imbalance may exist.

The development of the JF-17 is also an indicator of the strong ties that have traditionally existed between Pakistan and China and of the tangible benefit flowing from that relationship. It also shows that indigenous talent exists at home and can make significant progress in science and technology given the right mix of government encouragement and resources. It proves that with due care and diligence, Pakistani technicians and skilled workers can match international standards. Perhaps it is time we used such talent in other fields, especially in the construction of infrastructure. Pakistan-China cooperation extends well beyond defence to other vital sectors of the economy. Chinese assistance and expertise has come in the form of the development of Saindak in Balochistan, the construction of the Karakoram Highway and more recently in the development of a deep sea port at Gwadar. However, Islamabad could also derive much benefit from Beijing’s experience in other fields, especially flood control and construction of reservoirs. Achievements in the defence sector will hopefully have a civilian spin-off so that the lives of ordinary citizens will gain in tangible ways from technological advances.