| 22 July 2004 | Thursday | 04 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425 |
Security in district jail
ISLAMABAD: Saarc seems finally to be getting its act together after almost 20 odd years during which it hasn't been able to undertake a single joint project despite hundreds of sittings.
During a chat with Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon, it transpired that this year alone there would be a total of 140 Saarc-related meetings. The members are now beginning to lose their patience with the mere mention of meetings and piling up of studies and recommendations.
We are now told that the Saarc folk want to get down to real business and show something for their two decades of existence. The resolve across the board is to deliver and let the concept of regional cooperation translate into practical terms - thanks to the favourable winds of change blowing across the region since January.
An interesting fact that has come to the fore during the Islamabad Saarc discussions is that not all seven Saarc member states have to be on board to initiate a joint project. It can be started with a minimum of three. The word in Saarc circles is that such projects could start in the energy and health sectors.
The Indian foreign minister, who arrived here on the eve of the Council of Ministers' meeting, was struck by nostalgia. He served as high commissioner here till 1982 and then came on an official visit in the late 80s with the then prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, to attend the 4th Saarc summit.
Unassuming and approachable, Mr Natwar Singh made no attempt to avoid journalists at the elaborate multi-course dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri in honour of his Saarc colleagues on Tuesday night.
He had a candid chit-chat with a group of curious hacks who sought his views on the current Pakistan-India peace process and the way out of the Kashmir knot. He was quite vocal and did not shy away from any of the questions.
He dropped plenty of hints that lend optimism that a resolution of bilateral disputes even on issues as complex as Kashmir may be possible. Mr Natwar Singh's veiled message to probing media persons was that his mere presence in Pakistan and meetings with the Pakistani leadership should be read as the Indian government's willingness to show flexibility and boldness.
When asked whether there could be any meeting ground between India's claim that Kashmir was its integral part and Pakistan's contention that Kashmir is its jugular vein, he did not mince words and responded in the affirmative.
To make the point, a reference was made to parallel lines meeting in the case of Germany and France as well as the United States and Japan (despite the fact the US had dropped bombs on Japan).
There were other interesting and telling observations made by the Indian foreign minister in response to a flurry of queries by journalists who had encircled him before the sit-in dinner.
But it was all strictly off-the-record. And the sharp-witted minister was quick to warn journalists that if they fell into the temptation of going on record, they would have to face the music for it.
"If you quote me, I will just contradict it," he said in his somewhat disarming style. A timely intervention was made by his host Mr Kasuri who tactfully retrieved him from the ring of reporters for a group photograph of Saarc foreign ministers.
Apparently the choice of Farida Khanum for the musical evening that followed the dinner was at the special request of the Indian minister.
* * * * *
India's new Intelligence Bureau chief Ajit Kumar Doval is no stranger to Pakistani journalists who cover the diplomatic beat. He served as first secretary at the Indian high commission in Islamabad in the mid-80s - certainly an added qualification for such an appointment in this part of the world. In other parts of the world, however, it seems to work the other way round.
For instance, a frequent visitor to Pakistan from Washington, Christina Rocca, was an intelligence officer with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) before becoming a diplomat as assistant secretary of state for South Asia Bureau. Another example is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was head of the KGB.
* * * * *
With the key diplomatic slot in Washington having fallen vacant after the appointment of ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi as the UN secretary-general's Special Representative in Iraq, the capital is abuzz with the question of who will be our next envoy to the US.
According to informed circles in Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as some press reports, this time around it may be a retired army general. Gen Jehangir Karamat, the former chief of the army staff, is said to be the top-runner at the moment.
Although the Foreign Office has drawn up its own list it has little to choose from as it has no strong contenders to offer. Some of the good ones are either already posted abroad or about to retire.
It appears that the Foreign Office is suffering from a deficit of senior serving career diplomats who could be seriously considered for this high-profile and challenging post, leaving room for a 'political appointment', though some might argue that 'martial' appointment might be the more appropriate term.
While the final decision will ultimately be taken by President Musharraf, there are strong indications from knowledgeable quarters that Gen Karamat may soon get his posting orders for Washington.
JK, as he is known, is a familiar face in Washington and has acquired many friends there in influential circles over the years. Since his retirement, he has been associated with think tanks and has also been on the international lecture circuit there. His retirement followed a public speech in the Sharif era advocating a national security council - something that has now become a reality.
Security in district jail
After almost an year of the Sialkot jail tragedy in which four civil judges and five prisoners were killed, the jail authorities claim to have made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident in future.
Four civil judges and five captives were killed in a shootout at the district jail on July 25, 2003. A well-equipped control room has been established at the jail in which the movement of captives is recorded round the clock through 19 closed-circuit cameras.
The officials also claim that they are providing facilities to the prisoners and their relatives, who visit the jail. Talking to Dawn, superintendent Muhammad Yousaf Ghauri said the jail's security system had been improved after the incident and foolproof arrangements made to guard against any untoward incident.
He said intercom facility had been provided to the security staff and measures taken to provide security to the judges and other officials. The superintendent said the jail hospital's operation theatre and laboratory had been renovated and the provincial government had equipped these with modern machinery.
District and Sessions Judge Badruzzaman Chattha said he visited the district jail every month to listen to the problems of the prisoners, and inspected all the barracks and facilities being provided to the inmates. He expressed satisfaction over the overall security arrangements.
Sialkot bar association acting president Syed Nasir Ali Wasti and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee chairman Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali Ghuman also expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the jail authorities. They said electric water coolers had been installed at the jail's barracks, and sheds and benches affixed for visitors.
Meanwhile, the business community has established a well-equipped football stitching centre at the jail where skilled and non-skilled prisoners work and earn. The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry is assisting the project.
Highlighting some of the problems, the jail superintendent said 2,461 prisoners had been detained at the Sialkot jail against its capacity of 662 due to which there were some problems.
The Sialkot district jail was established in 1863 and some time back this 141-year-old building was declared dangerous by the authorities concerned. Since there is no jail in Narowal, the captives of the district are also kept at the Sialkot jail, which has become overcrowded.
At present, as many as 20 women and 89 boys of 21 years of age (involved in various cases) are kept at the jail. Similarly, 259 addicts and drug pushers are also among the inmates.
Some 15 prisoners have joined computer diploma courses, as a trained computer instructor has been hired for giving them training. Similarly, a religious scholar has also been appointed for teaching the Holy Quran to the inmates.
When contacted, DCO Syed Tahir Raza Naqvi said the district government had decided to establish a vocational training institute at the jail to train women prisoners. He said the Punjab and district governments were ready to set up the jail on the Sialkot-Pasrur Road near Model Town No 2. He said the provincial government had disclosed the matter of construction of a new building for the jail after the July 25 tragedy.
The DCO said the provincial and district governments would share the cost of the project, which would be completed in four years. The new building of the jail would be similar to that of Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, he said, adding special courtrooms would also be constructed at the new building.
Meanwhile, a majority of the relatives of the prisoners told this correspondent that the jail security officials insulted them. They alleged that they could meet their relatives inside only after greasing the palms of the officials. The jail superintendent, however, denied the charges.