| December 20, 2003 | Saturday | Shawwal 25, 1424 |
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Resuming links
Iran’s ‘yes’
Iran’s nuclear programme came in for undue censure recently by the EU as well after an exiled Iranian opposition group claimed that Tehran was enriching uranium and hiding the information from the IAEA inspectors. Iran responded to the allegation by saying that the NPT — to which it was a signatory — did not prohibit enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes and that under the treaty’s provisions its nuclear facilities were open to international inspection. This, however, did not satisfy the EU members, who put their weight behind the US demand that Iran sign the additional protocol and subject its nuclear programme to greater international scrutiny. Now that the needful has been done, and after Iran has even taken the voluntary step of suspending uranium enrichment for the time being, all speculation and allegations on this score should come to an end.
THE government and the MMA have managed to create a totally confused situation about the Legal Framework Order. If it is permitted to linger, the confusion can prove dangerous for an already fragile polity. There were reports earlier this month that the two sides had finally agreed on a package, which would be presented to parliament before the MMA deadline. The deadline passed without a package, and the religious parties’ alliance formally began its street protest from southern Punjab this week. A government spokesman glibly said negotiations and protests could go together. On Friday, there were reports again that some of the MMA leaders had rushed to Islamabad the previous night and an understanding had been reached over the presentation of a bill in parliament that would incorporate points on which prior agreement had existed. Whether the MMA has also agreed to the president seeking a vote of confidence from the assemblies as a device to bypass the constitutional obligation of an election has not been made clear. It is only when a bill is actually moved in the National Assembly that we will know where we stand in a tedious confrontation that has paralyzed political and legislative processes in a system that we call a parliamentary democracy. It will also then be revealed as to the extent of compromises that have been accepted on many of the fundamental provisions and character of our Constitution.
The basic issue is the military’s desire to frame its own ground rules for running the country and framing policy. It has been a continuing problem for decades and many precious years have been lost to a wasteful confrontation that has prevented the strengthening of political and democratic institutions as well as made Pakistan stumble from crisis to crisis without any long-term political or economic goals in sight. Given the military’s dominance, the choices are limited for the political parties. The opposition’s stand is a principled one — that only the elected representatives have the right to govern and only the elected parliament has the right to amend the Constitution. It is also fully justified in pointing out that a president who is also simultaneously chief of the army staff is a constitutional anathema. There is right on one side and might on the other.
The politicians have understood that, given the existing realities, some common ground has to be found — an attitude that is reflected in the MMA’s negotiating position. It is the military now that has to realize that the deal being offered by the MMA is the best it can hope to get, although from the point of view of the rest of the opposition, notably the ARD, it is not an ideal one. It will be short-sighted to let the crisis simmer on and sit back as a public agitation takes shape. New perils might arise, as popular discontent over economic and social problems mingles with the MMA’s protest drive. Once an agitation takes hold, there is no knowing what turn events might take, particularly in view of the fact that political parties have largely lost touch with the masses and their problems. There is, thus, no room for complacency, and a genuine effort must be made to come to a settlement of the constitutional issues. The ARD will probably have strong reservations on an MMA agreement with the government that leaves the question of a president-in-uniform unaddressed, but there is the other side: the ARD might then be able to emerge as an effective opposition.
THE resumption of air and rail links between India and Pakistan from next month is a welcome development that will go a long way to improve relations. It will facilitate greater people-to-people contact. In the two years that direct links were suspended, people in both countries endured needless hardship and additional expenses to visit each other by travelling through a third country. On the whole, travel within the South Asian region became cumbersome as a result of the restrictions on over-flights as well as other forms of travel. Mercifully that stage is now about to be over and there is a shift towards normalization. With the Indian and Pakistani airlines announcing their flight schedules and talks underway to resume the Samjhota Express by January, there is a general sense of relief among the people who will have the option to travel by train, by bus or by air.
One hopes that the governments of India and Pakistan will now concentrate on some of the other vital confidence-building measures proposed in November. For instance, the number of visas issued to intending travellers on both sides needs to be raised. For the people in the southern part of Pakistan, Karachi in particular, there are three proposals that need attention. One is the need to have visa camps in Karachi so that people of southern Sindh do not have to travel to Islamabad for visa formalities. Second, talks between India and Pakistan need to look at the possibility of re-opening the Munabao-Khokhrapar-Rajasthan railway line as this crossing saves time and money for people from this part of the country wanting to visit relatives in India, especially in central and southern parts of that country. Finally, the proposal to start a ferry service between Karachi and Mumbai needs to be taken up soon. This will be a cheap and pleasant way to journey between the two cities. Besides promoting goodwill and understanding, easier travel between the two countries is also bound to give a boost to bilateral trade and commerce.