| September 15, 2003 | Monday | Rajab 17, 1424 |
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Unending tragedy
Meaty worries
THE on-going tussle between the IAEA and Iran has more to it than meets the eye. The Atomic Energy Agency’s move to set a deadline of October 31 for Iran to prove it has no secret nuclear weapons programme is intriguing in itself. Iran is a signatory of the NPT and has been cooperating consistently with the watchdog body, which includes routine inspections of its nuclear installations by international experts. It is, therefore, surprising that suddenly the IAEA should follow the American lead and suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons on the sly and demand extra inspections and information about its programme. It is not clear why the agency should submit to American pressure to make such a demand, especially when barely a fortnight ago Iran had expressed its willingness to sign the additional protocol of the NPT which provides for extra inspections. It is not surprising that the 35-member board of the IAEA did not even consider it necessary to take a vote on the issue which is so highly controversial. The split in the body was underlined by the 15 non-aligned members’ statement which declared the ultimatum to be a mistake.
Given the direction in which events are moving, the IAEA seems to be heading for an impasse. Taking offence at the agency’s sceptical stance, Iran could very well withdraw its cooperation, which it has already threatened to do after a “deep review” of its relationship with the IAEA. If the matter is taken up by the UN Security Council and sanctions are imposed on Iran, the crisis will deepen. This has serious implications not only for the success or failure of the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the international system; it will also have profound implications for the power equations in the Middle East. The pressure being brought to bear on Iran underlines the fundamental issue at stake in the contemporary nuclear non-proliferation debate. There is a clear-cut division between the nuclear haves and have-nots, with the former enjoying a privileged status in the global order. In fact, so pronounced is the advantage of the haves that they can use their clout to provide protection to a rogue state like Israel that can escape stern treatment from the nuclear powers, while North Korea has come under immense pressure from the US. Such discriminatory treatment undoubtedly is bad politics since it can cause a reaction.
It is plain to all that the stand-off in the IAEA with Iran is a continuation of the confrontation mounted by the Bush administration in the wake of the war against Iraq. Soon after Baghdad fell, it was commonly believed that Iran would be the next target. Mercifully that did not happen immediately, thanks to the resistance American troops are facing in Iraq. But the American strategy to keep Iran under pressure continues to be on the cards. This could backfire as happened in the case of North Korea which has made an open declaration of its nuclear ambitions. Given the problems Washington is facing in Iraq and its protege Israel’s troubles in Palestine, it is hardly sensible to invite a reaction from Iran. Moreover, seeking to exploit political divisions within Iran for short-term gain, will strengthen the hands of the hardliners in Tehran who continue to perceive America as the “shaitan-i-buzurg” and weaken the position of the reformers.
IT IS an unending tragedy — Pakistanis frustrated by living conditions at home attempting to enter other countries illegally and getting caught or dying while making the attempt. Last week, 23 bodies of would-be illegal immigrants of Asian origin were washed up on the shores of the Evros river in Greece. Some Pakistanis were reported to be among the dead. They are believed to have drowned when their overcrowded and old boat sank in the river somewhere between Turkey and Greece. Pakistanis have also been among the dead found stuffed in suffocating containers and trucks while being smuggled into European countries. The National Assembly was told the other day that there were 9,000 Pakistanis in jail abroad, most of them illegal job seekers or travelling on forged documents.
Despite the hostility and suspicion with which Muslims are now being increasingly viewed in the West, the desire for a better life and means of sustenance is so strong that Pakistanis continue to fall into the clutches of bogus travel agents and traffickers in human beings. These gobble up the life’s savings of aspiring emigrants and then sit back and watch their clients being killed or arrested. It is a disgrace that this racket should go on with only fitful efforts by the authorities to check it. Early this month, it was reported that an alleged trafficker, a big gun in the business of preparing fake travel documents, was being treated like a VIP guest while in custody in Lahore. Endemic corruption in the enforcement agencies prevents meaningful action against those dealing in the illegal export of manpower or those promoting the flesh trade. Our government is unwilling or unable to address the social and economic problems of the people, but it can at least exert itself a little bit to prevent racketeering in people’s needs and aspirations.
THE findings of a committee set up by the Sindh ombudsman to inquire into the affairs of the meat trade in Karachi are startling to say the least. It has been disclosed through these findings that over 10 per cent of all animals brought to Karachi by road die on their way to the city owing to the horrible conditions in which they are transported. What is more worrisome is the discovery that a percentage of the dead animals are sold in some of the city’s markets for human consumption. This meat is consumed at roadside restaurants and sold through food vendors and in meat shops in poorer parts of the city. The other findings of the committee highlight the unhygienic way in which meat is processed at make-shift slaughterhouses, and the inappropriate manner in which it is transported and sold in the market.
This manner of meat handling is not unique to Karachi. Most cities in Pakistan, including Islamabad, do not have a proper abattoir where animals can be slaughtered and their carcasses processed in hygienic conditions. The stocking and sale of meat remain unchecked, with the result that meat sold in the market is in many cases stale or poor in quality or hygenically substandard. It is high time the government took notice of this. As a first step, it should remind the civic agencies of their responsibilities in respect of handling and processing of meat as part of the recently introduced anti-adulteration legislation and take cognizance of the irregularities being committed by butchers and meat sellers. Efforts should also be made to encourage private entrepreneurs to invest in this sector to ensure better care and hygenic standards at every stage. The government should also look at why a mechanized abattoir at Karachi, which was completed in 1974, has still not been put into operation. As demand for meat continues to grow the meat trade should be standardized and the problem of neglect and irregularities affecting the quality and hygenic standards of meat properly addressed.