The cricket summit

HOPES are high as President Pervez Musharraf travels to New Delhi on Saturday. Cricket may, after all, become a bridge of peace. During his stay in the Indian capital, the president will not just watch the last Pakistan-India One-day match. He will be meeting Indian leaders and discussing issues of political and economic importance. These are expected to lead to further bridges being built between India and Pakistan as has been happening since January 2004 when their leaders decided to re-start the composite dialogue. If there is euphoria in the air, it is because lately the peace process has gained momentum and a number of confidence building measures have followed in quick succession, the latest being the launching of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabd bus service.

The president has affirmed that he will discuss the Kashmir dispute in his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. At the same time he has also warned that no one should expect an immediate breakthrough. There have been hints from the Indian side that in the event of a lowering of the “cross-border militancy” the Indian military presence in the Valley could be reduced. All these are positive vibes and it is heartening to see that for once the two sides are displaying uncharacteristic pragmatism and restraint. Given this mood, it is possible that some new CBMs might be announced which would further ease tensions between the two countries. The importance of this should not be underestimated because an improvement in the political climate will facilitate the resolution of knotty core issues.

It is good that the president has not raised exaggerated expectations about Kashmir. He has said that the maximum he can expect is to strike some common ground. India and Pakistan are moving closer as they have set aside their maximalist positions and reached agreements by accommodating each other’s point of view. They are now sensibly using back channel diplomacy to negotiate sensitive issues and have kept their negotiations by special emissaries out of the limelight. That is why they have managed to make progress as they are under no compulsion to play to the gallery to protect their political flanks. This approach has begun to pay dividends. Since the two governments have a common stake in peace, they should work together to defeat the evil aims of the extremists on both sides who want to undermine the dialogue.

Another positive outcome of the ongoing peace process is that the leadership of the Kashmiris — not simply the mainstream leaders in Azad Kashmir and those in Srinagar—is gradually being drawn into the dialogue. President Musharraf is expected to meet some of the APHC representatives. Mr Manmohan Singh has also indicated his willingness to speak to them. It is now time for the Kashmiris to put their house in order so that they can participate in the dialogue — when they are invited to the table — in a meaningful way. It is also time for the militant groups to understand that the moment has come to give peace a chance. Once all the Kashmiris manage to forge a consensus among themselves as to how they want Kashmir’s political future to be, Pakistan and India will know what direction to follow.

Drug price & quality

THE government’s decision on Thursday to set up a Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) is a wise although overdue move. The DRA’s role, as explained to the National Assembly by the health minister, would be to ensure safe and effective drugs for the people, as well as responsibility for enforcing the Drugs Act of 1976 and devise steps to improve the drug delivery system. We are all too familiar with the current situation where life-saving drugs are not easily available even in hospitals, let alone in rural areas. Then there are drugs that are either very expensive, have expired or are even fake, which may endanger a patient’s life. The health ministry so far has not been successful in curbing these problems. In fact, the health minister’s comment that the presence of spurious drugs in the market was not as alarming as was being made out to be the case is rather surprising considering the number of reports in the press suggesting otherwise. The fact that the Punjab government alone registered 2,300 cases against manufacturers of dubious drugs last year underlines the seriousness of the problem.

In order for it to function well, the DRA will have to tackle many challenges. For instance, it needs to address the pressing issue of excessively priced drugs in the market and for that it will need to go into the working of the price system. The non-implementation of the Drugs Act has enabled pharmaceutical firms to increase drug prices at will, making it virtually impossible for poor patients to buy such medicines. This is one of the reasons that has facilitated some companies to produce sub-standard and fake drugs which are readily available in the market. For this the DRA will need to initiate a strict monitoring system that checks the quality of the drugs being manufactured and sold. The drug inspectors have proved to be ineffective in this regard and many are alleged to be in collusion with disreputable companies.

Pacifying Lyari

THE Sindh governor’s special package for Lyari, one of the oldest localities of Karachi, is welcome. The Rs 50 million package will upgrade the area’s drainage and sewerage system, which has been in a state of disrepair for the past several years. But much more needs to be done for Lyari. Apart from sewerage, the area has a chronic water supply problem that needs to be improved. Most parts of Lyari do not receive piped water because the distribution system has broken down. Many residents have to fetch water from outside the locality while others buy water from private carriers to meet their needs. Even when water is supplied to residents, the quality is very poor — and the water is not fit to drink. One of the reasons for this is that water lines have choked with the passage of time and should be replaced.

Another problem that calls for attention is the deteriorating law and order situation in Lyari. The area is in the grip of a war between rival gangs with each trying to establish its supremacy. These gangs indulge in all sorts of criminal activity, particularly drug trafficking. Parts of Lyari have become no-go areas for residents, especially at night when these gangs come out in the open and engage in battles on the streets while the police look the other way. Several residents as well as local leaders have been killed in the fighting. The government has conducted some operations to flush out these gangs but without much success. It is about time that a much more concerted effort was made so that the writ of the state is established there and the residents there have peace and normality which have eluded them for long.