| July 08, 2007 | Sunday | Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1428 |
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Why Tony Blair?
Dissolution of assemblies
Problems in Karak
Strangulations in the economy
Distance fighting
Real democracy?
An uglier capital
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AS the bizarre episodes related to Lal Masjid in Islamabad were unfolding and the ever-wavering stand of Gen Musharraf (or is it President Musharraf?) came to the fore, one couldn’t but wonder, what in God’s name took the Pakistani authorities so long to shackle Abdul Aziz — the self-styled phony interpreter and ‘imposer’ of Islamic Shariah. And, what a shameful exit indeed it was at the end of his defiant fame of the past few months?
What could be more humiliating than the poor paper tiger (Ghazi, eh?) resorting to donning a Talibani burqa! But as we know, every traitor and false prophet has met with a fate quite similar to this for times known to the mankind.
Here was an ignorant and illiterate Mullah bossing over equally stupid teenage girls and boys and mysteriously arming his bandit clan with AK-47. But what astounded me most was the sheer zombie-like stupidity of the Pakistani public at large who watched in death-like silence the atrocities committed in the name of Islam as weeks and months dragged by.
I guess the fervour of ever-growing Talibanism is not confined to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border alone anymore. Instead of playing the comical charade of placating and threatening, only if the sensible elements of the so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan had looked just once at the Quranic injunction, they would have found an uncanny similitude to Lal Masjid episode during the time of Prophet Muhammad himself. Hence, they would have come across the solution as well to this thorny problem. They could have thus saved the world of Islam yet another episode of sordid embarrassment that came at the heel of the ‘terror by doctors’ plot in London and Glasgow.
An organisation, a structure, a movement or anything that resembles an embodiment of the cause of discord and disharmony in a Muslim community or elsewhere on this earth, should not be allowed to exist. By extension, the elements whose irresponsible intentions and actions are doing harm to Islam by their narrow interpretations of the Quranic teachings and those of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions must be stopped at any cost.
Neither the religion of Islam nor the Muslims are anybody’s inheritance. Let Muslims be united for once in being vociferous against the rising tide of blind fundamentalism that seems to have given a free reign to every bearded and turbaned amidst them to issue a decree at their own whims.
If Muslims can get agitated and enraged by the offensive writings of Salman Rushdie or deprecating cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in Dutch newspapers, they should also cultivate the sensitivity and develop the nerve to burn the effigy of Bin Laden, Al Zawahiri, Al Zarqawi, Ghazi and their likes, whose crimes are no less heinous – more so because they are using Islam's name to inflict terror, pain and death on the rest of humanity.
ABDUL MAJEED AZAD
University of ToledoToledo, OH
MASJID Haram at Makkah was seized by fanatics during 1979, and was controlled within a day by the Saudi government. Our army is not able to undo Lal Masjid seizure even after passing three days.
MUHAMMAD HAFEEZ BUTT
Lahore
THE Lal Masjid massacre is highly regrettable. The government, the opposition parties (including both the religious and the secular) and the brothers, Aziz and Rasheed, are equally to blame for the current tragedy. The ultimate responsibility, of course, is that of the US and Pakistan's ISI, who nurtured and raised the monster of Al Qaeda, in order to drive out the "Soviet infidels" from Afghanistan. Pakistan is also paying a heavy price to fight the so-called war on international terrorism.
JALAL SYED
Canada
WHAT a great day for peace enthusiasts! A new envoy to the Middle East has been appointed for the Quartet, and it is no other than the former British PM, Tony Blair. Mr Blair, the man who gave the Israelis the green light to flatten Beirut. He is the man who started an illegal war in Iraq; a man who, according to the Geneva Conventions, is to be held personally responsible for more than 700,000 dead in Iraq, for failing to 'protect civilian populations against certain consequences of war'; a man who is supposed to be charged with genocide at The Hague. A man who should spend his life behind bars is now becoming a peace envoy.
Maybe it isn't such a bad idea. Seemingly, his partner from Washington may have figured it all out. It is rather possible that when peace is at stake, it is actually the warmongers, the bloodthirsty criminals, the men who know no mercy and compassion who may provide the goods. At the end of the day, a rapist may know more about sex abuse than an innocent detached judge. We should never forget that for the Bushman, even Sharon, the mass killer from Sabra and Shatila, was nothing less than a 'Man of Peace'.
Who knows the truth of such complicated matters? It is rather possible that Bush is correct. It is feasible that pouring blood in such a vast quantity may have qualified Blair to be a peacemaker. Yet, there is a slight problem here. Just a marginal issue that should be addressed before Blair lands in Gaza international docks or Ramallah's busy heliport. The democratically-elected Hamas, the party which was voted by the Palestinian people, isn't really happy with the new envoy.
If I could have a word with him, I would say: "You see Mr Blair, as things stand it is actually Hamas you have to talk to. And what about the Lebanese, did you think about them, Mr Blair? Will they welcome to their country the man who just less than a year ago enthusiastically approved the total destruction of their country's infrastructure, capital and southern regions?
"Thus, I have a little suggestion for you, Mr Blair. Just before you become a dove, just on your way to your first peace mission, pop over to The Hague for a few days, put yourself on trail. Prove to us and our brothers in the region that you are indeed a man of harmony and peace. You shouldn't be too worried, you always believed in what you were doing. You always claimed to believe that liberating the Iraqi people was the right thing to do. You believed as well that destroying Lebanon's infrastructure would bring stability to the region. You believed that dismissing the democratically-elected Palestinian government was an act of humanism.
“Don't cave in, Mr ex-PM, you can have your two closest friends beside you. You will probably appoint Lord Goldsmith to fight your legal battle. He'd be on your side, when it comes down to it, he was the man who gave you the legal approval to start your 'little' illegal war. You shouldn't worry about money either. Lord Levy, your No 1 fundraiser will take care of the costs. Now when your new Labour's under-the-table trading with those giving loans so that they could be nominated peers has become public knowledge, there is nothing to be afraid of."
I am sure that by the time our dearly beloved, newly-born dove will be vindicated by the International Court of Justice, he will be far more effective as a peacemaker. He may even be the first to bridge the gap between the foes in the region. This is an opportunity we cannot miss and even if he fails, this shouldn't be a major concern, Baba Bush can always appoint him as the new Iraqi prime minister. I do not think Blair will be missed but he will be remembered.
S. KAZIM SHAH KAZMI
Islamabad
THERE is talk these days of the dissolution of the National Assembly this month and the continuation of the provincial assemblies till the presidential elections. Reportedly this has been proposed by none other than Chaudhry Shujaat himself.
This is surely a very bad piece of advice as it would totally discredit the presidential elections and the general elections as well. Mr Shujaat is on record for saying that anyone who opposes the army deserves to be shot. I am not sure if he meant to imply that anyone who opposes the president in uniform during the presidential elections or who stands as a contender against him in the said elections also deserves to be shot.
The president must see through vested interests of the ruling coalition and distance himself from moves which affect his credibility and that of the electoral process. If the provincial assemblies are not dissolved along with the National Assembly, the provincial administration would not be in a position to stay neutral during the period preceding the general elections.
In all probability the government machinery would be used for promoting the interests of political parties ruling the provinces. Further, to neutral observers it would appear that the president has manipulated the electoral process to give himself an advantage over other contenders for the presidential elections. This is totally contradictory to national interest and no such move should be endorsed by the president as it would not serve him or the country in the long run.
A bogus presidential election is a worse alternative than a bogus referendum. The Election Commission has already objected to the president addressing political rallies. Why draw more fire from the said commission by not dissolving the provincial assemblies along with the National Assembly?
PIR SHABBIR AHMAD
Islamabad
ALTHOUGH the lands of Karak are not fertile, God has gifted it with fertile minds.
It abounds in natural resources like gas, oil, coal, salt, uranium and other minerals. The education ratio is above 60 per cent, yet it is one of the poorest districts of the NWFP.
The district government has presented a Rs1 billion budget for the fiscal year 2007-08, out of which Rs862 million has been allocated for non-development and over Rs100 million for development schemes. The budget has lessened the development expenditure while the allocation for the non-development expenditure has been increased.
A sum of Rs 14 million has been allocated for CCBs but 70 per cent of the CCBs in
Karak are not present on the ground. They are mostly ghost entities.
This amount is meant to be utilised only as a 'political gift'. The people of Karak are in misery — the greatest problem being the shortage of water. Women fetch water from as far away as three kilometres, which is an injustice to them. A majority of the villages are without roads. The people living in the southeastern mountainous region of the Kandokhel area and Banda Daud Shah tehsil are facing tremendous hardships due to lack of roads.
There is a shortage of doctors in the whole of the district. In the education sector the situation is not good either. The attendance ratio of teachers is very low. A majority of them remain absent without leave and run their own private schools. There is a lack of basic facilities in government schools.
About 40 villages are still without electricity, and low voltage is a headache for the consumers.
The new budget is not fruitful for Karak. I request the district government to do away with discrimination and bring harmony among the Khattaks and ask the federal government to announce special grant for the progress and development of the district.
ZAINULLAH KHATTAK
Latamber
PAKISTAN’s economy has grown at an average rate of almost seven per cent per annum during the last five years. This rapid pace of expansion on a sustained basis has enabled Pakistan to position itself as one of the fastest-growing economies of the Asian region. But due to concentration of economic growth in a few hands, the monetary planners have failed to translate this boon to trim down poverty.
The country is entangled in the heavy debt trap of $38.86 billion that has hampered national economy. Splashing of national treasure on political gang-shag and luxurious activities of the men in the driving seat has further upset the applecart.
Corruption is acting as a blight to ruin our monetary system. Even black money garnered through black economy and bribery is transferred to the foreign banks and not invested in the country.
Energy is necessary to fuel the power-hungry industry. Pakistan is passing through an energy crisis because no major dam has been built for more than 30 years to tap the country’s hydroelectric potential.
During this summer, the situation has so worsened that the gap between supply and demand has touched 3,000 megawatts.
Throbbing pains of mounting inflation are deeply felt by all and sundry. Inflation, according to the Economic Survey 2006-7, is as high as 7.9 per cent, well in excess of the 6.5 per cent target. What is particularly nerve-racking is the considerable growth in food inflation. While everyone in the commercial food chain, i.e., growers, livestock owners, wholesalers and retailers can tailor their priorities to inflationary pressures, no such alternative or method is available to the pitiable and the stipulated income groups.
Political stability is must for economic stability. Pakistan has failed in its quest to emerge as a developed country on the economic map of the world due to uninterrupted political precariousness. Frequent changes of the government and abrogation of the Constitution have wrecked the establishment of democracy that can act as springboard to provide viable hope for social strength, political steadiness and economic vibrancy.
There must be fair distribution of resources and uplifting the socio-economic status of the off-scorings of humanity to ensure their full contribution to national productiveness. A host of remedial measures like fair collection and distribution of zakat, true empowerment of women to guarantee their significant involvement in various institutions, replacement of interest-based economy with Islamic monetary system, provision of technical education and micro-credit facilities to the unemployed, redistribution of land among landless farmers through land reforms, mobilisation of domestic resources, easy availability of loans to the peasants, formulation of effective programmes with poverty cutback at their heart, and socio-economic reforms at national level to diminish insolvency can reduce the widening gulf between the prosperous and the poor by making the national economy more vibrant.
A sound and long-term economic policy is the crying necessity of time. It is mandatory to develop indigenous goods self-sufficiency, which is vital to ensuring pulsating economic independence.
Foreign aid should be utilised for beefing up native industrial base instead of time and again getting into the ribs of the donors. Economic self-reliance can liberate our financial system from the tentacles of donor agencies that always have their own axe to grind. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for 66 per cent of our population. It accounts for 20.9 per cent of the GDP and employs 43.4 per cent of the total workforce. It is the backbone of our economy. This segment faces numerous bottlenecks that must be removed.
The law and order situation must be improved to ensure considerable foreign investment and to magnetise tourists. Alternative energy resources must be tapped to fuel the power-starving industry. Those involved in hoarding, tax evasion and grafting should be dealt with sternly by establishing impartial and powerful accountability institutions. The media should play a constructive role to indoctrinate patriotism and pride of performance in the public.
DR TANVIR HUSSAIN BHATTI
Lahore
AFTER “distance learning” (in which people can learn by sharing, imparting or receiving knowledge by communicating over long distances), Americans can lay claim to another innovation perfected by them for use in warfare, which may be called “distance fighting”.
Its application is simple: you keep yourself as distant from the enemy as possible. Why risk one’s life? From a safe distance (ideally from far above in the safety of a fast-moving aircraft), you unleash terrible rocket and missile barrage in the approximate direction of where you think the enemy is.
This way you are not hurt and the war goes on. If there is no enemy there and the ammunition is wasted, no matter. There is more where that came from and it will come in less time than it takes to say “Captain Courageous”.
If civilians are killed instead of enemy soldiers and if civilian structures housing people, schools and hospitals are also destroyed in the process, it is too bad. These things happen. What can anyone do about collateral damage? The most important thing for the sole superpower (next to capturing world energy sources and doing Israel’s bidding) is to bring back “our brave fighters” safely home.
WAJID NAEEMUDDIN
Karachi
THE article, ‘Prerequisites for democracy’ (June 25), by Shahid M. Amin was an exercise in futility. At a time when the real face of democracy had been exposed to the world, preaching prerequisites for it amounts to sidetracking the issue. Pakistan needs an Islamic revolution instead of a so-called democracy, which is in fact dictatorship of the elite.
Why can’t we try to understand that Pakistan is not like other countries of the world nor can we become America or India? Pakistan was created to show an Islamic model of freedom, fraternity and equality to the world.
India proved to be a democratic country as it had planned during the freedom movement. We made Pakistan for nawabs and seths and used the name of Islam, now we want a status quo and use the label of democracy. Let us do away with the prevailing feudal/ capitalist system as was done in India in order to practise democracy.
SARDAR AWAN
Lahore
DEFORESTATION is a great dilemma for the resident of Islamabad as it has created many hazards.
The beautiful capital was once known for its environmental beauty but it has now become a nightmare. The Capital Development Authority has brutally cut down thousands of trees in the name of development in the area.
They have destroyed the green belts which were necessary for keeping the atmosphere free of pollution. No planning in this accord has been taken into consideration to maintain a favourable number of trees which are indispensable for good health. One can see debris and dust in every nook and corner of the city.
What is interesting is that this year is being celebrated as “Visit Pakistan 2007”. Tourists will be welcomed to this city by dust and unpaved roads.
The authorities concerned should delve into the issue and look for a suitable solution. Development is not a bad thing but decency is more important to execute this development. All these things are occurring due to the inefficient people at key posts who are not suitable for these ranks.
Nepotism and hierarchy is the main ingredient for all this ill planning.
FARRUKH SHAHZAD
Islamabad
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