| September 29, 2003 | Monday | Sha’aban 2, 1424 |
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Generational problems
Torture in Jhang
AS THE UN General Assembly meets in New York, there is a growing school of thought that believes that the world body needs to be restructured if it is to be effective. The latest to articulate this view was Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia during his final address to the assembly before stepping down from his office. Mr Mahathir Mohammad is correct when he points out that the big powers are out to recolonize the world and are using agencies such as the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO to promote their hegemonic interests to keep the poor impoverished. The sad part of this story is that the UN has proved ineffective in blocking this relentless drive towards economic domination. A sense of despair over the future of the world body has also been voiced by a former UN secretary-general, Boutros-Boutros Ghali, in a series of press interviews. If a practical demonstration of loss of confidence in the UN is needed, it is clearly visible in Iraq where the UN headquarters have been attacked twice in recent weeks, leading to the latest decision in New York to downsize the UN presence there.
The problem with the United Nations is that it has become anachronistic and has failed to keep pace with time and events. When it was set up in 1945, its structure was designed to give the victors of the Second World War control over policy-making. The veto was devised as a mechanism to ensure that no decision was taken against the will of a big power. The thrust towards big-power domination was diluted somewhat by the Cold War which split the world into two blocs. On the one hand, this paralyzed the world body on important issues because the veto was exercised by one or the other permanent member to block action. On the other, the bipolarity created a balance of power which acted as a check on the working of the UN.
Thus, the UN could perform reasonably well, even though all key decisions were taken outside the world body. Nevertheless, it played a useful role in providing a forum for negotiations and conciliation and a mechanism for peacekeeping when needed in a disputed territory. With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the bipolar system, the US has emerged as the sole superpower in the world and the UN has virtually become its handmaiden. If the world body is not to lose its credibility altogether and meet the same fate as its predecessor, the League of Nations, the time has come for its restructuring. The Malaysian prime minister’s suggestion is eminently sensible. By replacing the veto with a mechanism which would require two permanent members to secure the support of three elected members to block a resolution should act as a check on the unbridled power of the permanent members. It is important that the issue be given serious thought. The veto must in any case go. It has created the paradox of a small minority in the Security Council blocking the majority opinion in the Council or in the General Assembly. This restructuring is also required for the sake of world peace and security.
THE agreement between the judiciaries of Pakistan and Britain to provide legal assistance and protection to British citizens of Pakistani origin married against their will is a welcome development. Over the years, many first-generation Pakistani parents settled in the UK have forced their children, mostly daughters, to marry male relatives in Pakistan. The results have not been entirely heart-warming. Brought up in a different environment, many daughters have insisted on exercising their right to choose, often leading to family tensions. In some cases, British-Pakistani girls are reported to have been forcibly brought to Pakistan. In a well-publicized case some time ago, a girl had managed to escape after she sought help from the British High Commission in Islamabad.
Under the recent agreement, both countries have appointed liaison judges to whom all such cases of abduction will be referred. More importantly, if a British court were to pass a restraining order concerning a British citizen forcibly brought to Pakistan for marriage, a Pakistani court would not intervene on the parents’ behalf and would have to order him or her to return to the UK. The reverse would apply if a Pakistani citizen were to be forcibly taken to the UK. This provision is important because, if implemented properly, it could prove to be an effective deterrent against Pakistani parents in Britain who insist on forcing their daughters into marriage on grounds of religious and social customs. It would also prevent long drawn-out legal battles in Pakistani courts. Besides, this way in cases where coercion is involved, legal remedies and accountability will be available. The effectiveness of these new measures will naturally depend on increased public awareness, particularly among British- Pakistanis. The issue touches long-held traditions and ingrained social attitudes, which the law alone cannot change. Pakistani community leaders will have to assume a more active role in reconciling clashing views among generations.
THE arrest and torture of an innocent 10-year-old boy, Tassawar Abbas, in Jhang by local police officials last week is condemnable. While this is not an isolated case of police brutality, it speaks volumes for the manner in which police abuse their powers while responsible officials look the other way. In this case, Tassawar Abbas was not named in any case and was only taken into custody after the police were unable to find his elder brother who they wanted to punish at the behest of a landlord. The charge against the elder brother was that he was cutting grass from the farms of the landlord without permission. Despite the fact that this was a minor charge, a police raiding party headed by an assistant sub-inspector raided Abbas’s house and not finding his elder brother, they proceeded to beat the boy and then took him to the area police station for questioning. There, he was allegedly tortured by two police officials, who wanted to ascertain the whereabouts of his brother. It was only after a notable of the area intervened that the boy was released from his illegal detention.
There is a lot that can be said about this incident. First, why did the police proceed in such a minor issue with such efficiency and vigour as both the nature of the charges and their validity were questionable? Second, what law empowers the police to pick up innocent family members when they are unable to secure the person they wish to question? Also, under what compulsion was a minor, not even in his teens, picked up and tortured? The brutal and sadistic manner in which the police have acted in this case warrants immediate action by the Punjab government. The fact is that arresting relatives when the wanted person is not found has become a habit with the police, although it has no sanction in law. The police officials involved in this case must be removed from service and charges brought against them to set an example for their colleagues.