| 08 February 2004 | Sunday | 16 Zilhaj 1424 |
Inching towards agreement
Capital's roads
Mr Colin Powell's statement on the A. Q. Khan affair shows a lot of understanding of Pakistan's position. While the American secretary of state observed that this was a matter between the government and a Pakistani citizen, he emphasized the need for continuing the war on proliferation. He called the uncovering of the nuclear black market a "success" but said Pakistan should see to it that no remnants of "the A.Q. Khan network are left." Unfortunately, statements by some other international figures do not demonstrate the kind of understanding Mr Powell has shown.
Mr Kofi Annan, for instance, said it "sounds rather odd" that President Musharraf should have pardoned Dr Khan and hoped the general would stick to his commitment to plug the loopholes in the system. Far stronger was Mr Mohammed El Baradei's statement. The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the A.Q. Khan affair was the "tip of the iceberg" and that the IAEA would like to know "who was producing the centrifuges." He put Pakistan on notice saying that his organization had gathered facts from Libya and Iran to "confront the Pakistanis" with.
As we pointed out in one of our recent editorials, Dr Khan's confession and his pardon were not the end of the matter. Howsoever clean the government may consider itself to be, Pakistan will continue to be in world focus. And we should not blame the world, considering the fact that Pakistan has been found to be a source of proliferation, even if those responsible for it had acted on their own.
What, however, one notes with regret is that the UN, the IAEA and sections of the western media have tended to ignore other links in the international black market in nuclear material. Many European firms and underworld elements are involved. Yet there is no UN or IAEA pressure on these countries. In fact, these countries have not even been named. Because of this selectivity, proliferation watch seems to have taken the form of Pakistan-bashing.
Pakistan needs to handle the issue with the responsibility and self-esteem expected of a sovereign country. The world community is justified in voicing its concerns over the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their technology. Pakistan must make it clear that the A. Q. Khan affair belongs to the past and that there will be no replay of it.
Islamabad must look to the future, for the friendly feelings now available in Washington may not be there once America's work in Afghanistan is over. Friendship with the US is in Pakistan's vital interests. It is reassuring to hear from the president that there will be no rollback of Pakistan's nuclear programme. However, Islamabad must move ahead in a way that combines the dictates of security with credible guarantees against proliferation.
There must at the same time be a national consensus on the issue. While the opposition would naturally miss no opportunity to fault the government, political parties and elements must not try to exploit the issue. Criticism is one thing; exploiting the situation for narrow political gains another. What is involved is not just the fate of a few individuals but the very future of Pakistan's nuclear programme. At the same time, the government should try to carry the opposition along.
Inching towards agreement
The inconclusive result of the National Finance Commission meeting in Karachi recently should not be seen as a negative outcome in the context of the current efforts for a new formula for the distribution of national resources. Instead, the manner in which the finance ministers of all four provinces put across their viewpoints should be seen as a positive development indicating a narrowing down of differences on the prickly issue.
The NFC will now meet again on February 20 in Peshawar. Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz is confident that the NFC willcome out with a consensus award by March 31, and that the next budget would be based on the new formula for revenue sharing. The federal government's decision to increase the share of the provinces in the resource pool is welcome, although it falls short of the provincial demand to raise their share in the divisible pool from the existing 37.5 per cent to 50 per cent. This seems quite reasonable.
It is the spirit of give and take that should eventually lead to a consensus on the next award. Punjab's insistence on population as the sole criterion for sharing of the divisible pool will not be acceptable to other provinces for obvious reasons. The same holds true of Sindh's demand to include revenue collection as a major criterion, and will be resisted by other provinces on the ground that its predominant share in revenue collection is determined by the natural factor of the country's major port being there, with goods bound for, as well as from, all parts of the country passing through it. On the other hand, Sindh has a good case for weightage on grounds of rural development and poverty alleviation.
Another point to consider in terms of development is that some provinces, like Balochistan, incur a higher cost than some others on infrastructural development because of the problem of distances and abject poverty. These are some of the complex issues that need to be hammered out over the next couple of weeks by the finance ministers of all provinces. One hopes that some agreement is arrived at by the end of March so that the next NFC award is not unduly delayed.
Capital's roads
The recently announced plan by the Capital Development Authority to improve facilities for the general public in the capital city is a welcome move. Under the Rs 20 million plan, 42 new public toilets will be built and the existing 68 renovated. In addition, 290 dustbins and 100 benches, plus shelters and telephone booths will be installed in various places, particularly at the main commercial centres, for the convenience of the public.
These public facilities have been long overdue in Islamabad, which is growing fast commercially, with the major markets often thronged by people. But there is much more that the CDA needs to do to improve facilities and upgrade the image of the city.
A major area that needs improvement is roads and transportation. While major thoroughfares in the Capital are mostly in fit condition, there are many roads which are in an appalling state of maintenance and repair. Two such dilapidated roads include Park Road and the road leading to the scenic Rawal Lake, a major tourist attraction in Islamabad. CDA has recently prided itself on lighting up the previously dark winding road up on the Margalla Hills, but many roads down in the city are pitch dark at night. On some roads, the voltage of the streetlight bulbs is so low that it is the equivalent to having no streetlights at all.
Moreover, a comfortable and reliable public transport system is practically non-existent in Islamabad, with residents mostly dependent on cars and taxis to move around. The result has been a phenomenal increase in vehicular traffic in recent years, causing major traffic jams in many parts during office and school rush hours. The Capital's existing road and transport network is certainly in need of a major overhaul if the city's development is to keep pace with the demands of the time.