| 17 May 2004 | Monday | 26 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Decision on gas import
A wrong move
As the fighting in Iraq rages on unabated, the Bush administration finds itself being sucked deeper and deeper into the quagmire of what is fast becoming a second Vietnam for the US.
The battles between the American troops and Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi army appear to be unwinnable for both and as the conflict drags on the crisis only deepens further. With its superior military strength, the United States has relentlessly pushed on with its offensive.
The Sadr forces are now seeking to mobilize suicide bombers as they come under pressure and the damage caused to the dome of the Hazrat Ali mosque has incensed the Iraqis and will help Sadr enlist fighters.
With the casualties on both sides mounting by the day and the military standoff between them appearing to be unresolvable, it is difficult to foresee a political solution to the crisis.
The Americans know better than anyone else that in modern-day international politics no conflict can be solved by military means alone. For that the parties concerned have to sit around the negotiating table and talk.
If it is accepted that in the final analysis the non-military factors will determine the course of events in Iraq, it is patent that the US has already lost the war.
With the American casualties rising - more than 770 have already been killed since the US launched its unlawful attack on Iraq - it is becoming more and more difficult for the Pentagon to justify this military operation.
The weapons of mass destruction in Saddam Hussein's arsenals, which American soldiers were supposed to dig out to make the world safer for everyone, have proved non-existent.
This has weakened the American case all the more. As a result of the shameful scandal of the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison by the US army personnel, Washington has had revulsion and condemnation heaped on it from all over the world.
This has damaged its image seriously, and now there is division in the American armed forces on the government's Iraq strategy. Military newspapers read widely by the armed force personnel have even started demanding the dismissal of the defence secretary.
In these circumstances, it is not surprising that the United States is trying to win over its allies to pull its chestnuts out of the fire by assisting in the revival of the political process in Iraq.
Hence the intense lobbying for a UN Security Council resolution supporting the proposed transfer of power from the US-backed Coalition Provisional Authority to an interim Iraqi government on June 30.
This manoeuvring will not, however, change the situation on the ground. The United States' failure to win Iraqi hearts - it seems to be alienating them further as the crisis drags on - will make it impossible for any interim government to function effectively or hold credible elections in 2005 as is planned.
First of all, any governing body created under the present circumstances will not enjoy the trust of the people and will never succeed in cleaning the Augean stables.
The United States should now work towards a quick withdrawal from Iraq and seek to enlist the UN's support in setting up a caretaker administration in Baghdad. It is time the Islamic world, which has chosen not to raise its voice at this critical juncture, asserted itself and demanded an American pull-out from Iraq before the conflict there engulfs the whole of the Middle East.
Decision on gas import
The government's decision to opt for two gas pipelines - one bringing in gas from Qatar and another from Turkmenistan - is a move in the right direction. A final decision in this regard is expected in December.
There has been a lot of delay in deciding the route of pipelines for the import of gas which will be needed in the coming decades. The options include import from Turkmenistan through an overland pipeline passing through Afghanistan; from Qatar through an underwater pipeline; overland directly from Iran.
One reasons for the delay was the political and security situation in Afghanistan as well hindrances resulting from the US-led economic sanctions against Iran.
Another reason was that some local gas discoveries made a calculation uncertain as to when the country would need to import gas to meet the growing domestic demand. As things stand, Pakistan would need to import gas by 2010 when the growing demand is projected to outstrip local supply.
Gas is playing an increasingly important role in the country. Oil import bills have come down in the past few years with many industries switching from oil to gas for fuel.
Oil consumption fell by a significant 20 per cent in the first half of the financial year 2003-04 as more industries made the switch-over. The use of compressed natural gas for vehicles has also increased significantly.
This is a cheap and pollution-free alternative to petrol and diesel. The government has put in place the massive $1.4 billion Gas Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (GIRP), which will ensure that the natural gas supply and distribution can cope with the increase in demand.
Pakistan is expected to make a $750 million saving in its three billion-dollar oil import bill in the coming year as a result of increased reliance on gas. These savings can only be sustained if supplies are ensured at economical rates in the coming years. This is why Pakistan's plans to finalize a pipeline project need to be pursued seriously.
A wrong move
The Karachi Port Trust authorities' decision to stop the completion of a charitable school in Keamari on technical grounds seems all wrong. The school, being set up by an educational organization in cooperation with the local police, would have been able to accommodate 700 students from this lower middle class locality if it were allowed to open its doors this year.
It would be the first such school in the area set up by philanthropists to impart quality education to children on a subsidized fee structure. It could also serve as a model for good police-community relations.
Given all this, it is ironical that the KPT chose to stop its construction on the grounds that rules did not permit a school in a residential compound - despite the fact that a madressah is operating in the same compound without any problem.
The whole issue has to be seen in the larger context. Our cities are now littered with schools built in residential areas, and no one seems much bothered by this. The KPT can make an exception in this particular case considering the school's non-commercial status.
It will allow children of the area facilities that they would otherwise never have access to. In the past, there have been several occasions where the KPT has changed the rules to suit itself.
Take for example the housing scheme that is being built near the boating basin on mangrove land. The KPT can offer to build a similar school on its lands elsewhere. The number of schools in Sindh is far fewer than the need.
To add to this is the problem that several school buildings have been encroached upon by influential people. The government should make a serious effort to have these buildings vacated.
At the same time, it should also support initiatives to have new schools built in the private sector, especially in areas where it has no facility of its own.