| November 20, 2007 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 09, 1428 |
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Elections, the miracle cure?
Accountability of the army
A lesson to learn
Punjab TV
Islamabad police
Value-added textile industry
The real story
Cricket woes
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
PRESIDENT Musharraf has, in his interview with a foreign TV channel, stated in justification of recent extra-constitutional measures that Pakistan was more important than democracy (Dawn, Nov 14).
There is no doubt that the continued viability and soundness of the state is an indispensable pre-requisite for the successful implementation of a democratic or any other system of government. There is no inherent contradiction, however, between the state interests of Pakistan and a democratic set-up.
The threat to the state’s stability and integrity, the safeguarding of which, as President Musharraf has rightly affirmed in the past, is the government’s overriding duty, comes not from civil society, involved in the struggle for democracy, but from the insurgency mounted by extremist militants. These militants have turned their smouldering anger at the neo-colonialist role in the tragedy of Islamic lands, including Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq, into a campaign to overthrow the established order in Pakistan and in the process to undo institutions of moderation and progress.
This insurgency, if sustained dialogue for reconciliation fails, would have to be suppressed with force. For this, however, extra-constitutional steps were not needed since the Constitution itself provides for emergency provisions to meet such situations. As urged by this writer in the past, the extra-constitutional measures impinging on civil society, involving freedom of the press, civil liberties, judicial independence and related matters would hopefully be rescinded at an early date, with the lifting of the emergency and ensuring of free and fair elections. Since President Musharraf has shown courage in the past to correct his course, one still sees light at the end of the tunnel.
It has been said that ‘democracy, like other voluntary associations, rests on a shared understanding of limits’. In our society, however, the concept of limits is conspicuous by its absence, which explains why institutions such as the judiciary and the media sometimes transgress their limits.
The electronic media became enamoured of, in fact obsessed with, the political infighting to the exclusion of other domestic and external considerations. The judiciary overestimated its reach and occasionally indulged in precipitous assertiveness. These transgressions, however, should have been handled by means other than the draconian measures taken under the proclamations of Nov 3.
It should be realised that even the lifting of the emergency would only be the first step towards resolution of the crisis unless efforts are made for a national consensus on burning issues facing the nation beginning with the holding of free and fair elections.
While the unprecedented crisis facing Pakistan has understandably raised serious apprehensions about the country’s prospects, it was nevertheless shocking to read a comment by your columnist Hajira Mumtaz in her piece captioned, ‘A nation born in tears’(Nov 15), where she ends her column with the heartless statement: “As Pakistan was born in tears so will it die”.
Those involved with or mindful of the marathon struggle for the establishment of Pakistan, the stupendous sacrifices this entailed and the innumerable vicissitudes through which Pakistan has passed, know that the people of Pakistan have overcome and emerged stronger after serious crises in the past and may be counted upon to do the same at the present juncture.
As Professor Ralph Braibanti, professor emeritus, Duke University, said in the Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies: “Pakistan has been pummeled by diverse events to a degree which no other state, established after the Second World War, has experienced. The enormity and persistence of the challenges faced by Pakistan and the resilience of the people in standing up to them evokes awe and admiration.”
MAHDI MASUD
Karachi
STATEMENTS from all and sundry in the political parties, civil society activists, media personalities and international governments are zealously propagating ‘free and fair elections’ as the miracle cure for all our ills, problems and sins. It is even more fascinating to hear such sermons from the twice democratically elected (and failed) politicians whose policies have brought us to the brink of multiple disasters. The political leaders run their own parties as a family enterprise. They are diehard democrats when not in power but are worst dictators when on the throne: wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Constant lectures and noises from the West on this issue top the list. History tells us that the West doesn’t want to see democracy in Pakistan or for that matter anywhere in the developing countries; it just wants its interests protected and policies pursued.
After governing Hong Kong for ages, when the time came to leave, Britain suddenly realised that the colony needs a democratic government before they depart. It had nothing to do with British love for Hong Kong or the Chinese, but to plant a thorn in the mainland China’s back. Fortunately, the Chinese were wise enough to realise the trap and managed the implications shrewdly.
In other Muslim countries where free and fair elections were held, the West did not allow democratically elected governments to govern their own affairs in accordance with the wishes of their people as is being propagated in Pakistan right now. Under western pressure, the Algerian army stepped in and deprived its people of their choice. All aid to freely, fairly and democratically elected Hamas government in Palestine was cut off, while food, fuel and medicine supplies were choked leading to countless innocent deaths.
Eventually, the Hamas government was sacked prompting inter-factional fights and daily killings. Since the people’s revolution, another democratically-elected government in Iran has been under threat for its defiance.
In its 60 years’ history, Pakistan’s own record of elected governments is dismal at best although the army cannot escape blame for its contribution to the disasters.
At times the army was encouraged to become part of the game whereas on other occasions generals found the situation ripe for their own adventures. Power-hungry politicians, generals, warlords, feudals, sardars and the elite ruling class have only one common agenda, i.e. to grab and retain power at all costs. Why else would the politicians spend billions of their own to buy votes and reach the throne?
Our political maturity ends with an election defeat: elections are termed farce and rigged if the opponent happens to be the winner whereas a favorable outcome is hailed as a testament to free and fair elections. Those deprived (or defeated) urge donors (their masters) to cut off all aid to the country, choke its economic lifeline and encourage the enemy to instigate border skirmishes.
Let us be honest once and accept that a western style of election and democracy alone cannot solve Pakistan’s current problems of extremism, intolerance, bigotry, loot, plunder and exploitation. Constant confrontation will lead us nowhere; the situation demands wisdom, prudence, compromises and astuteness from all parties, a new breed of politicians, patriot generals, independent yet fair judiciary and an impartial media.
Western-style democracy may be good for educated and responsible individuals but for a nation of 160 million ill-disciplined and uneducated individuals, most of whom still living in stone ages, this is nothing more than a farce: one size does not fit all.
Q. KAZMI
Sharjah, UAE
DAWN’s report of Nov 15, quoting the annual assets declarations by members of parliament, has brought into focus the issues of transparency and accountability of different segments of society.
The MPs are required to annually declare their assets that are also made public. Civilian officers in pay scales 17 and above also submit every year declarations of assets to their respective departments.
Theirdeclarations, however, are confidential and are not made public. The presumption is that these are scrutinised by the establishment division and notice taken of any unusual increase in a government servant’s assets.
But what about the military officers? On Sept 19, 2003, I asked a question in the Senate, “Whether the practice of assets declaration by army officers before the Central Officers Record Office is still being continued or has been discontinued, and if discontinued, why?” After three months on Dec 19, I received this reply: “The chairman, Senate, has been pleased to hold the question to be inadmissible under rule 47(xvii) (d) and 47(xvii) (a), of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988”.
A month later on Oct 17, 2003 I moved a resolution that said: “This house resolves that as in the case of legislators all the judges of the superior courts, the one-, two-, three- and four- star generals, and members of civil bureaucracy in BS 21 and above should also be required to annually submit a statement of their assets and liabilities and such statements should be made public.”
Two months later, I was informed that my resolution “does not deal with one definite issue.
The chairman, Senate, has, therefore, been pleased to hold the resolution to be inadmissible under rule 121(3) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988” Several moths later and after exchanging correspondence protesting over the arbitrariness, I repeated the resolution on May 6, 2004 calling for the declaration of assets, among others, by the generals of army and equivalent ranks of air force and navy (one-to-four stars) and that such declarations be also published.
It was again disallowed on the ground that since it had previously been rejected, it had, therefore, now become inadmissible under another rule 121(3). Some MPs may be richer than others, but in the absence of transparency and accountability who knows who is the richest?
FARHATULLAH BABAR
Former senator, Islamabad
THE Jamaat-i-Islami’s student wing’s manhandling of Imran Khan and subsequent handover to the police was a despicable and highly condemnable act. Nevertheless, there is a lesson here for Mr Khan as well.
Imran has consistently allied himself with the religious right and failed to acknowledge their weaknesses. In 2002, he voted for Fazlur Rehman, and not Jamali. In 2006, he refused to support the much-needed Women Protection Bill. When asked about the growing radicalisation of our society on talk shows, he waffles and changes the subject.
I hope he decides otherwise now, but it is my suspicion that won’t happen. Earlier this year, he spoke at the London School of Economics and at the end of the lecture, he mentioned the word’s ‘liberal and secular’ with a sheepish grin, as if he wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by them.
If I were to choose a burgeoning small party to cast my vote in Pakistan, then I would opt for the Pakistan Labour Party over Tehrik-i-Insaf any day. Its leader, Farooq Tariq, may not be Oxford-educated, may not have vacationed in the south of France or dated blonde bombshells, but when it comes to women’s rights and condemnation of extremism, his support is absolute and courageous.
AYESHA IJAZ KHAN
London, UK
I WANT to suggest to the authorities concerned that Pakistan Television should be renamed as ‘Punjab Television’ as more than 70 per cent of the government advertisements are about the colossal accomplishments of the departing Punjab chief minister. After every third commercial, Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi pops in as if he were a national hero.
The state-owned TV channel should provide every outgoing chief minister with the same amount of airtime so that they do not feel sidelined by the Chaudhry of Gujrat.
RAZIA RAHEEM
Karachi
MORE than two weeks have passed since my brand new car (Suzuki Mehran 2007 Model, Registration No. ICT LS 960, white colour) was stolen from the posh area of F-6 Markaz, Super Market, on the eve of Oct 30.
I was returning home from office and stopped for offering my Isha prayers. I parked my car in front of a shop and went to the mosque just across the road. On my return, I found my car was gone. I committed the mistake of calling 15 which conveniently took 20 minutes to reach the spot.
After listening to the whole incident, the constable asked me to wait as he wired his duty officer the whole incident. The duty officer, to whom I had to narrate the whole story again, arrived with his protocol and ‘yes men’, after another 20 minutes, as the constable was only there to verify the genuineness of my complaint. The duty officer came out with nothing plausible but the traditional investigation of What? When? Why? Where? How?
After I was given the assurance of full cooperation from the police, my car number was wired wrong twice to various checkposts, despite my incessant corrections. I then accompanied the duty officer to Kohsar Police Station (F-7 Jinnah Supermarket) where I had to wait for half an hour for the duty officer to brief me about the next steps and the uncountable measures they would take to recover my car.
While leaving the police station with false hopes, I was caught by one of the police constables who showed mercy on me and dragged me on the side to tell me that all the police force is deployed at Rawalpindi because of the bomb blasts and only the outskirts of Islamabad are being patrolled.
It was only luck that I would get my car back and by this time my car would have either crossed the Turnol intersection on its way to the NWFP or reached Pindi to be dismantled. The next day I went to the police station to register an FIR and was bluntly refused by everyone, including the duty officer, who was nowhere to be found except on the mobile.
When I approached the SHO, he simply referred me to the duty officer for the registration of an FIR as he was busy getting ready for his due presence at the Supreme Court.
Crest-fallen and worried, I just wandered from one room to another. At 9pm, I was finally able to pressure the SHO from ‘higher-ups’ to register a FIR. At 11.30pm, I left the police station with the final copy of the FIR never to return and nothing to expect.
I would request the higher authorities to hold accountable the police officials concerned for negligence as this would open floodgates to nuisance and create a chilling effect on the citizens of Islamabad. “Society inevitably degenerates towards a police station!”
AGHA YASIR
Islamabad
THE government may appoint as many foreign or local experts as it likes and make all sorts of strategies but the value-added textile industry cannot do well unless the spinners stopped exploiting the situation to earn unlimited profits.
During the four decades of my association with the textile industry, I have never found the spinners satisfied or happy with their profits. Although more than half a century has passed after the creation of Pakistan and investment of billions and billions of rupees in the shape of loans and subsidies have been granted by the government, the result is that neither the quality of yarn has been maintained nor its prices stabilised at any time.
In the last two years, the government took a wise step to grant research and development (R&D) facility to boost the VAT but immediately after the spinning industry became sick and demanded R&D facility. However, on the government’s refusal to do so, the spinners raised the price of yarn by 15 to 20 per cent. On account of this rise, the value-added textile was back to square one, rather minus one as the support given by the government was siphoned off by the spinners.
Spinners have never cooperated with their biggest buyers (local market) and have rather taken them for a ride because of dependence of local textile units on them.
I would advise Aptma not to play its game by changing the name to Apta. They should come openly and name this body as All Pakistan Spinning Mills Association.
I have no complaints against those composite textile mills which are producing value-added apparel, cloth and supplying good quality yarn to the local export-oriented industries.
S. M. A. RIZVI
Karachi
BEING a Lyarite and observing all the violence, I would like to ask as to where is the writ of the government?
It’s not just a protest against the government for detaining Benazir Bhutto, but a gang war and free-handedness of the outlaws.
The outlaws recently ransacked a petrol pump and several shops. Is this protest? Not really. There is the reign of fear among people who are helpless and cannot take any action against outlaws.
I just want to ask as to where is the government? What’s the conspiracy that these outlaws are actually exercising power over the people of Lyari? What’s our fault? Is there anyone to answer?
A LYARIITE
Karachi
CRICKET is a sport that is very close to the heart of all Pakistanis. Being an avid fan and well-wisher of the Pakistani cricket team, I am very disheartened by the lacklustre and inconsistent performance that this team has given since the past year. After a dismal show in the cricket World Cup 2007, Pakistan has lost both the test and ODI series against South Africa at home, and now the one-day series against India as well. I have some questions for the Pakistan Cricket Board and our national team which I hope they could answer.
1. Why are we continuously experimenting with openers and why cannot we settle with one pair? Are we preparing for a very important series or a World Cup (considering the fact that we have lost all this year)?
2. Why is the wicket-keeper, who is always dropping chances and cannot bat, not being replaced by a more deserving player?
3. If Shoaib Akhter cannot bowl fast and is not fit, why was he selected for the series against India? Is he a match winner or a liability for the team?
4. Why is Shahid Afridi being tried in every match if his batting and bowling are even worse than the passionate young cricketers that play in the streets?
5. Does the captain that the PCB has appointed have the energy and the ability to be one, and does he even deserve to be in the playing XI?
6. Does Muhammad Yousuf play for the team, or for his personal statistics?
7. Last but not the least, when will our cricketers start learning from their mistakes?
A CONCERNED PAKISTANI
Karachi
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