| 08 January 2004 | Thursday | 15 Ziqa'ad 1424 |
Turkish-Syrian concern
Wapda's problems
One has only to recall the atmosphere that had prevailed when the 12th Saarc summit scheduled for Islamabad in January last year was postponed to fully realize the mood when the leaders of South Asia finally gathered in the federal capital this week - 12 months behind schedule but perhaps years ahead in terms of vision and the will to lend substance to their alliance. The summit had to be postponed last year because of India's refusal to attend, with Bhutan also backing out, amidst acrimonious exchanges between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Since then, it appears that, apart from good sense prevailing, people were hard at work, quietly, in both Pakistan and India to reduce hostility between the two countries that has overshadowed the regional alliance. Indeed, their bedevilled relationship hung like a dark cloud over Saarc and stifled its growth. Now, coinciding with the lifting of the gloom marking the Indo-Pakistan equation, several concrete agreements have been signed, such as Safta, described as a milestone in regional cooperation, and the social charter.
It almost appears as if the summit itself was carefully choreographed to provide an opportunity to the leaders of India and Pakistan to agree on the outlines of a road map to peaceful and constructive relations and thus clear the way for a reinvigoration of Saarc.
Inevitably, the sideline discussions between Pakistan and India dominated the summit. President Pervez Musharraf, commenting on the decision to start a composite dialogue with India next month, paid a fulsome tribute to Prime Minister Vajpayee, giving him "total credit for his vision and his statesmanship" that contributed so significantly to the joint statement issued following his meeting with the Indian premier.
The general also talked of leaving old divergences and developing new convergences. He said a historic leap forward had been taken, and history had been made. One can get carried away by the euphoria generated in Islamabad, but there is a feeling that both Pakistan and India have decided to get a firm grasp over their own affairs and realized that too much time has been wasted in conflict and confrontation, to the detriment of the interests of their desperately poor people.
This theme is reflected on a regional basis in the Islamabad Declaration issued after the Saarc summit. "Our future, our responsibility", the declaration states, and points out the importance of relating regional cooperation to the actual needs of the people. The summit adopted a plan of action of poverty alleviation, which it described as the greatest challenge facing South Asia.
The Safta agreement should help in this, by providing for the requirements of the least developed of the region's countries and promoting greater economic activity through increased trade. The declaration makes particular mention of cooperation in the fields of health and environment, where cross-border exchanges of experience and expertise can bring immediate results.
Media interaction can help promote Saarc objectives, and it is a pity that while each other's television programmes can be watched in all regional countries, the flow of printed material, including daily newspapers and periodicals, continues to be blocked. We have seen in the case of India and Pakistan, how even a small easing of restrictions on people-to-people contact can set the stage for bigger things, and the more we in Saarc get to know one another, the greater the possibility that the alliance's objectives will not remain frozen as pious declarations.
Turkish-Syrian concern
Turkish and Syrian concerns over Iraq's possible dismemberment seem justified given the highly disturbing developments in that country. The end of the Baathist regime has not been followed by peace; instead, the occupation authorities are meeting with stiff resistance and suffering casualties. The situation in regions bordering Turkey and Syria is volatile.
The area has a Kurdish majority, but it also has Arab and Turkoman minorities, which view the Kurdish aspirations with suspicion. There have been clashes among Kurds, Arabs and Turks. In view of the anarchy in Iraq, many Kurdish leaders feel this is the right time to gain greater autonomy for their region. They also expect the occupation authorities to reward them because of their support to the war on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
Recently, two important Kurdish members of the Iraqi Governing Council, Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani, released draft laws calling for the establishment of a larger Kurdish autonomous zone. They hope that the interim constitution to be adopted in March would contain their recommendations.
The concern expressed by Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President, and his Turkish host, President Necdet Sezer, during their meeting in Ankara on Tuesday stems from the consequences an autonomous Kurdish region will have for their countries. Both Syria and Turkey have Kurdish populations living in areas close to Iraq's Kurdish-majority zone.
An autonomous Kurdish entity in Iraq could strengthen separatist tendencies in Turkey, Syria and Iran and be a source of instability in the entire region. Also mindful of this danger is Saudi Arabia, which is also Iraq's neighbour. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said ethnic rivalry in Iraq could have "negative repercussions" on the Middle East.
All these concerns serve to emphasize the need for maintaining Iraq's unity. At the same time, it should be recognized that Kurd demands for autonomy stem from their sense of discrimination and persecution by the ruling elites in the region. This feeling of deprivation will also need to be addressed.
Wapda's problems
Wapda's distribution network has often been the subject of criticism. Now comes the report from the authority itself that 109 persons died in the first five months of this fiscal year as a result of complications in the distribution network. This includes 39 employees, and though the report does not say so, it would be safe to assume that most were linesmen who died while trying to repair faults.
Many of Wapda's staff, especially those who go out in the field and whose work involves routine maintenance and repair of the distribution and transmission network, perform duties often at considerable risk to their lives. The utility should take measures to significantly increase what it spends on the training and safety of its field staff. This means ensuring that there is no shortage of electricity-resistant gloves, ladders, torches, safety belts and other equipment needed to carry out repairs on the grid.
Further proof that Wapda's distribution network must be overhauled comes from three other indicators. The number of "major power failures" that happened during the first five months of the current fiscal year registered a rise of over 23 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
Second, the number of transformers that were damaged increased by 26 per cent and so-called 'system trippings' (where power goes out for less than 20 minutes) went up by six per cent. A plan to revamp the distribution system, which has been in the pipeline for quite some time now, cannot be postponed any longer.
One reason cited for the delay has been lack of funds and inadequate cash flows (thanks in large part to the authority's arrears which are around a staggering Rs69 billion). Either Wapda needs to get tough with those who owe it money - the majority are government departments - or, as a former senior WAPDA official argues, it should borrow to implement this plan because the savings that would be made in the form of a reduced transmission and line losses would lead to financial stability for the utility in the long run.