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| December 14, 2007 | Friday | Zilhaj 3, 1428 |
Corruption in education
Lawyers and boycott
Qualities of a ruler in an Islamic state
OTHER VOICES – Pushto Press
PAKISTAN’S energy crisis, it seems, is deepening by the day. After a brief respite, people are again experiencing power blackouts, and gas supply to scores of industries has been cut off. Oil reserves are also at an all-time low. President Pervez Musharraf’s government unabashedly touts the crisis as a sign of success of its economic policy. Really? If anything, the current energy shortages can be attributed to the lack of planning and foresight. We also know that the previous government managed the economy on a day-to-day basis. The biggest drawback of such ad hoc economic management is that the economy appears to be growing while it doesn’t really move forward.
That is precisely what has happened in Pakistan. The economy has expanded at an average six to seven per cent during this period, but it is now becoming difficult to sustain this growth. The previous government did little or nothing to fix the structural weakness in the economy. The real issues were conveniently swept under the carpet. As the economy grew much faster than expected on the back of a massive surge in foreign remittances and foreign investment in the services sector, particularly in banking and telecommunication, all warnings were shrugged off. The “imported growth” pushed consumer spending substantially, which made the macroeconomic fundamentals look up without any hard work on the part of the government. Crucial decisions — the acute energy crisis, weakening manufacturing base, agriculture supply side constraints, etc — were postponed. Now they are resurfacing as the economy slows down.
Large-scale manufacturing, especially the textile sector, is stagnant at seven to eight per cent for the last two years as is reflected by an insignificant growth in exports in the current fiscal. Trade deficit in the same period has swelled by over 32 per cent to $7.2bn and is expected to go up to $16bn by the year’s end. Inflation, particularly food inflation, is skyrocketing, and the government is finding it exceedingly difficult to control it despite its tightening of the money supply in the market at the expense of production sectors. Overall inflation rose to 8.67 per cent last month as food prices hiked by 14 per cent during the month. That makes it less likely for the government to reduce general inflation to the budgetary target of 6.5 per cent. Even if the economic managers succeed in bringing down inflation close to the target, trade deficit has the potential to make it difficult to contain fiscal and current account deficits when foreign investment too is diminishing.
The expected increase in the oil prices in line with its record high international rates over the next few weeks will fuel inflation further and put brakes on growth. It is inexcusable that the Shaukat Aziz government has left all these crucial decisions for the next political government to take. If the next government were to take such tough decisions it would do it at the risk of losing popular support. If it didn’t it would risk presiding over a weaker, slowing economy.
THE Asian Development Bank’s report identifying the flaws in Pakistan’s education sector should not surprise anyone. Although in recent years more funds have been pumped into education projects than before, accessibility and standards — especially at the school level — remain abysmal. The ADB therefore feels that the education millennium development goals will not be met in this country. The main factors for the weak performance of the education sector are said to be insufficient budget allocations and ineffective use of the resources due to corruption. As a result education in the public sector has failed to make an impact. Its quality has deteriorated so badly that many people — even from the low-income classes — are now turning to private institutions for educating their children. Those who find this beyond their means do not send their children to school at all. Hence, official statistics indicate that the enrolment in public sector schools has been on the decline over the years.
If one factor is to be singled out, corruption emerges as the main culprit. The large number of ghost schools — institutions that exist only on paper but eat up resources for non-existent staff — absentee teachers and financial embezzlement are indicators of how the funds are being drained away. This leakage can only be checked if an efficient and effective monitoring mechanism is instituted to keep an eye on the working of thousands of schools dispersed all over the country, especially in the remote rural areas. This is not an impossible task. There are NGOs that are running schools in villages and small towns and managing quite well with a limited staff and fewer funds at their disposal. By decentralising the system at every level and making the staff accountable to supervisors for service delivery and performance, the system can be improved tremendously.
The importance of addressing this issue cannot be overestimated. Good planning, perfect curricula and flawless textbooks will certainly work wonders. But they will fail to produce the desired results if corruption continues to gnaw at the vitals of the system. The destruction of public sector school education will in effect widen the chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Without good education no man or woman can aspire for upward social and economic mobility. And without good education that is accessible to the poor, it is impossible for them to pull themselves out of their poverty. It hardly needs to be pointed out that the government is the only agency that has the resources to provide good education that is free.
MR Aitzaz Ahsan’s decision to finally withdraw from the election seems to be in keeping with the legal community’s boycott of the Jan 8 vote. The lawyers’ stand is that those who are taking part in the general election are legitimising the Musharraf government. Mr Ahsan’s responsibility is the greater because he happens to be the chief of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and his participation in the polls would have meant going against the legal fraternity’s stand. He had tried to find a via media through that famous letter which required all would-be legislators to pledge themselves to a restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary. The lawyers’ stand against participating in the election stems from the series of constitutional measures taken by President Pervez Musharraf to legitimise the Oct 6 presidential election. Under the present conditions, the lawyers say, a fair election will not be possible even after the emergency is lifted because of the curbs on the media and the bias inherent in the interim government’s make-up.
The politicians have not shown unanimity on boycott. Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s decision to go for election has divided the MMA, and the boycott camp collapsed when the PML-N virtually defected to the other side. The boycott is now confined to the Jamaat-i-Islami, besides some small parties. The legal community’s principled stand against the president’s March 9 decision and the promulgation of the PCO will go down in history as unprecedented in terms of the sacrifices rendered. However, one often feels uncomfortable about the danger of the legal community getting politicised. By the very nature of the vital constitutional issues involved, every stand this way or that has to be political. But the danger in a prolonged struggle of this nature is that the community could get divided on political lines and thus undermine the current movement for the supremacy of the law.
THE world today faces the bane of military dictatorships and authoritarian rule in several countries. Protests are suppressed with brutal force. Legitimacy to hold office is put on the back burner while the general populace confronts poverty, starvation, homelessness and hopelessness.
Against this backdrop, it would be in order to study what Islam has to say as regards the qualities and role of a political leader or ruler.
The very essence of an Islamic state is that sovereignty belongs to God: “Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion; and He is Able to do all things.” (67: 01) The sovereignty exercised by a ruler in an Islamic state is a sacred trust bestowed on him by God: “Then We appointed you viceroys in the land after them that We might see how you behave.” (10: 14) The rulers are to practise and implement the commands of Allah which have been laid down in the Quran.
As all the affairs of an Islamic state must be transacted by counsel, the ruler or political leader of the state is also appointed through consultation: “And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and whose affairs are (decided) by counsel among themselves….” (42: 38) The most important example is the appointment of Caliph Abu Bakr, the first of the Pious Caliphs, by ijma or mutual consultation.
Once appointed, the leader has to manage all affairs by consulting those around him. Further, those who give advice are required to do so conscientiously and judiciously, or refrain from giving the same. Also, the view of the majority carries great weight in Islam and the ruler is bound to pay heed to it.
It is important to note that obedience to a leader is contingent on his imposition and enforcement of Islamic principles. Where the ruler deviates from the right path, he is no longer entitled to compliance by the people. In other words, if the government fulfils the requirements imposed by the Quran and the Sunnah, its claim to the allegiance of the people becomes absolute. The Prophet said: “A Muslim has to listen to and obey (the order of his ruler), whether he likes it or not, as long as his orders do not involve disobedience (to Allah). But if an act of disobedience (to Allah) is imposed, one should not listen to it or obey it.”
It also becomes evident that the accountability of the ruler or political leader of an Islamic state is twofold: (1) he is answerable to God, as power bestowed on him by God is a sacred trust; and (2) to the people who are his subjects. A leader should exercise wisdom and discernment; “He grants Hikmah to whom He wills, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good.” (2: 269) This is of the essence as he has many a time to take decisions keeping in view not only the need of the time but also its long term effects.
The Treaty of Hudaibiya illustrates the concept of long term benefits. Entered into with the Quraish of Makkah by the Holy Prophet, what prima facie seemed to be tilted in favour of the Quraish was actually beneficial to the Muslims and indeed set the stage for the expansion of Islam to the Arabian peninsula.
A political leader or ruler should have courage. History is replete with stories of ordinary men who became great leaders through show of valour that not everyone can muster. The story of Tariq Bin Ziyad serves as a classic example. As a young general, he was sent in 711 A.D by Musa bin Nusayr, the governor of Muslim North Africa to defeat the Spanish King Roderick who was known for his tyrannical ways. When the general reached Gibraltar by sea, his army of 12,000 soldiers faced 60,000 Spaniards. Though vastly outnumbered, Tariq ordered his men to burn their boats. He said; “We have not come here to return. Either we shall conquer and establish ourselves here or we will perish.”
A political leader must be morally upright and pious. The leader is not only accountable for his actions but also serves as an example to his subjects who more often than not tend to emulate him. The Holy Prophet’s honesty and integrity earned him the titles of Al-Amin (the trustworthy) and Al-Sadiq (the truthful) even before he received the first revelation. The four caliphs who represent the glorious period in Islam also put piety and moral uprightness on a high pedestal in all affairs.
Once, during the time of the Holy Prophet, a Muslim, supported by his tribe falsely accused a Jew of theft. The Prophet decided against the Muslim. At a time when help was sorely needed for the defence of Islam, a verdict against a man supported by his tribe meant a loss of alliance with that tribe. But such considerations carried no weight with the Prophet who cleared the Jew of all charge.
It is widely agreed that this incident occasioned the revelation of the following verse; “Surely, We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Quran) in truth that you might judge between men by that which Allah has shown you (i.e. has taught you through Divine Revelation), so be not a pleader for the treacherous.” (4: 105)
A political leader or ruler is expected to exercise both patience and endurance as he may face trying circumstances. The Prophet and his followers endured brutal opposition from the Quraish of Makkah yet they persevered. The incident that took place at Taif serves to further elucidate the point. The Prophet, dejected by the opposition at Makkah, visited Taif to invite its residents to the fold of Islam.
Yet, not only did they refuse to listen to him but set the hooligans after him who pelted him with stones. Rather than asking the angel of the mountains to bury the town as suggested by the Hazrat Jibrael, he fervently hoped that the children of that town would some day accept Islam as their faith.
Also, a political leader should be committed to a point where he does not abstain from making personal sacrifices. It has been reported that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq gave up his own business on becoming the first Caliph. Therefore, he took a small amount from the Bait-ul Maal to support his family. Considering this to be a loan, on his deathbed, he instructed his family to turn over all his possessions to the Bait-ul-Maal.
A political leader in Islam, though elected by consent, can be held accountable if he transgresses the injunctions contained in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
Opposition’s poll boycott
SEVERAL opposition parties are still undecided about participation or non-participation in the upcoming elections. There are some who believe that opposition parties must boycott elections till the restoration of the deposed judges while others think that leaving the field open for the cronies of General (retd) Musharraf would be a big mistake. The Tehrik-i-Insaf of Imran Khan, PMAP of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Jamaat-i-Islami of Qazi Hussain Ahmed seem to have decided so far to boycott the elections. Benazir Bhutto’s People’s Party, Asfandyar Wali Khan’s ANP, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI and recently Mian Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N have decided to contest elections.
If the PML-N boycotts elections in the NWFP, the JUI and ANP might get the benefit of an open field. If Mian Nawaz Sharif decides to keep away from the polling booths in Punjab, probably the PML-Q might take away the support of the voters. In Sindh and Balochistan, a boycott by the PML-N would again benefit the PML-Q.
The opposition parties seem to be more divided as the election draws nearer. It will be prudent on the part of Mian Nawaz Sharif to convince the opposition parties to take part in elections and interact with the masses on the basis of their manifestos.
The decision to boycott might put the opposition parties in more disarray. They will be out of the race for parliament for the next five years on the one hand and will be damaged politically on the other. The boycott may give a free hand to the supporters of the present regime and this may be instrumental in strengthening the regime. Mian Nawaz Sharif has to play a pivotal role in convincing the opposition parties to contest the upcoming elections. — (Dec 10)
Hevad (Peshawar)
Keeping province in the dark
A BUSINESSMAN of Afghan origin has decided to invest in Nangrahar … This good news of heavy investment in the power sector comes after a long time for a province in western Afghanistan. The investment is to be used for the generation of 120MW of power in Nangrahar and the investor is Haji Noora Jan who is presently based in Saudi Arabia.
It seems the power ministry intends to divert the investment to some northern province. According to the head of the Centre for Business Expansion in western provinces, Engineer Mohammad Qasim Yousufi, the investment pledge was made possible by the centre’s relentless efforts over three years.
The big hurdle is said to be Engineer Mohammad Siddique Eshan, adviser to the ministry of power. Yousufi has been reported by the Pajwak news agency as saying that Eshan believes the project will take off only if the investment is diverted to a northern province. It is to be recalled that instead of constructing dams, the power ministry under Ismail Khan bought old generators from Iran. These generators are now rusting and out of use.
Besides the Taliban and Al Qaeda, several people in the present regime are responsible for the present crisis. The fire of conflict is burning in Afghanistan in which hapless innocent people have to suffer, due mostly to such unjustified acts. Some of the ministers in the present regime trample the basic principle of governance in Afghanistan.
One may compare the power facilities available in Herat with that of the western provinces mostly inhabited by Pushtuns. This is not to say that Herat should be kept dark but Nangrahar has the same right to power and electricity. — (Dec 7)
Tolafghan (Kabul)
— Selected and translated by Khadim Hussain.