The grand shut-down cascade

Scanning through the news from Karachi just before the new year, it occurred to me how Pakistan resembles Microsoft Windows’ shut-down cascade: no matter how frantically we click the mouse, thump the CPU or tear at our hair, matters are out of our hands: there goes our half-typed report, this unfinished game, that partially complete email … “this programme has performed an illegal operation and will shut down.” When the show starts up again and the lights start blinking, all we’ll be able to salvage will be corrupted files and rows of gibberish. So too with Pakistan. Things have been headed towards a right royal mess for some time, thanks in no small measure to earlier military regimes in general and in particular the Musharraf-led dispensation that saw in a dictatorship the panacea to all ills. But 2007 was different: that was the year when things blew up – literally.

Consider the following news items received at the Karachi Metro desk on the evening of Dec 29, published on Dec 30: the civilian police professes itself helpless in face of the mobs and the army and the Rangers are called out in the city; fresh produce, dairy products and poultry stocks are running out; a milk crisis looms as producers are unable to transport supplies; petrol stocks are running out since carriers cannot make deliveries; road, rail and air transport is severely curtailed; hospital staff is severely thinned; the MQM closes all its offices for an indefinite period of time; the Karachi Press Club postpones its elections; educational institutions are shut indefinitely and the University of Karachi and the Board of Secondary Education postpone examinations for an indefinite period of time; the Sindh women’s development department indefinitely postpones written tests for appointments under the gender reform programme, and room occupancy in leading hotels drops below 20 per cent. These were just some of the reports received by one section of one newspaper on one day, while above all this loomed the fresh awfulness of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the fact that rampaging mobs were burning down whatever they came across.

Talk about an illegal operation! I’d have sent an error report if I thought anyone was listening. But from the antics of Mr Musharraf and his cohorts it is quite obvious that whatever their self-serving, self-constructed reality, it does not include the real Pakistan, whose citizenry is in collective and spontaneous mourning for ideals that are now truly lost, ideologies buried without requiem and hopes that the military dispensation has finally managed to shatter beyond repair.

Monumental victories

It is fitting that we mourn, for the ‘victories’ claimed by the Musharraf regime – particularly during 2007 – were monumental and their full effects will be played out over years, if not decades. The three vital focal points of change and power alternates – the judiciary, the media and mainstream political parties – were destroyed. A figure of immense importance in national politics was murdered on Mr Musharraf’s watch. It took the Musharraf government just a few months to demolish the cumulative achievements of a 20-year process of liberalisation.

The cost was heavy, true, but the fact is that the military now remains the only relatively unscathed entity left in the field – and that too in its corrupted, political garb because the news coming from the north tells us quite clearly that it is winning no battles there.

Pakistan mourns because it is now proved, once and for all, that public pressure, peaceful resistance or lobbying with political representatives no longer achieves anything in this benighted land. Over the past year, tens of thousands of people expressed their support for the deposed judges and the lawyers, made it patently clear that they opposed military meddling in politics and supported civilian politicians. In return, unarmed citizens were attacked, beaten and arrested by the very people who are supposed to their guardians, on the orders of the very people who are supposed to look out for their interests. No wonder, then, as M. Hanif of the BBC wrote recently, “For some vague historical reason when you see Pakistani police in close proximity, you feel the opposite of secure.”

As for lobbying with political representatives, forgive us for seeing much point given that even the civilian politicians are at the mercy of a dictator that denies them the right to live in the country of their citizenship, fails to protect their lives and engages in despicable mud-slinging campaigns that sully the dignity of high office.

During the year past, the Musharraf regime has proved without any doubt that it can, and happily will, ride rough-shod over any opposition, any dissent at all. Protest, and you will be charge-sheeted on trumped up charges. Say too much, and you’ll be shut up and shut down, detained at the sultan’s pleasure. Show support for the victims and you’ll become one of them. What Mr Musharraf and the military have between them achieved is robbing citizens of all hope, the unkindest cut of all.

Leading by example

By the same token, Musharraf’s government has led by example and taught the citizenry to seize power by the barrel of a gun, flout the law, renege on commitments, lie, cheat and be hypocritical. We must have the only leader in the world who glibly admits on international television screens that he committed an unconstitutional, illegal act, and then changes the law and constitution to make his actions ‘legal’. The government cuts off the water supply to chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s house in the effort to get him to vacate, but Mr Musharraf continues to occupy the Army House. Citizens holding a peaceful candle-light vigil are arrested from outside Justice Bhagwandas’ house (no doubt candles can be considered incendiary weapons) but condemned prisoners and gangsters bust their way out of jail with impunity.

Significantly, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, there is growing talk of the dismemberment of the country, of it falling apart at the seams. This is frightening, for what has always remained unquestioned during past crises is the ideology of the nation. Despite the events in ’71, there was never any doubt that Pakistan existed as a nation state in peoples’ minds. Today, even that is in doubt: the notions of being Pakistani and what the country represents have taken too severe a beating. Even that ideal is now lost.

The newspapers tell us that 60 suicide bombings took place across the country during 2007, as opposed to six in 2006. Nearly 2,000 people died in what the government refers to as “terrorist” attacks across the country, and this figure does not include the unnamed and uncounted souls killed by our own forces, whether by mistake or by design. Wana, which was rarely, if ever, in the news a few years ago, has been reduced to a war zone and Swat, where one used to spend the summer holidays, is no better. In the past one week in Karachi alone, there have been bomb scares at the airport, the stock exchange and a school. The citizenry is scared, frustrated and feels utterly helpless.

A man asked, recently, whether all the gloom and doom in the country was actually real, i.e. whether things really were as bad as people appeared to be thinking. The reply he got was chilling in its implications: that it is immaterial whether or not things are really so bad — what is important is that millions upon millions of people believe that they are. When so many are united in such a manner, matters can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

“May you live in interesting times,” says an old Chinese curse. It may have been formulated specifically for Pakistan, born in tears as it was and apparently fated to experience little else. I’d like to live in boring times for a change.

Post script: Going around on the SMSvine: Iss waqt pooray mulk main badamani aur hungama aarai ho rahi hai. Agar aap apne mulk main aman dekhna chahtay hain, to iss ka sirf aik hi tareeqa hai: pee tee vee dekhain.

— hmumtaz@dawn.com

Pride in defiance

Over the past few months, while driving around on Karachi roads, I’ve started to notice an increasing number of cars without any number plates. They are especially visible around the Defence-Clifton areas. And they are especially likely to be large SUVs or imported sedans.

Earlier, we had become used to seeing number plates with the ‘AFR’ (Applied For Registration) letters or fancy, personalised ones, both of which are illegal according to the Excise and Taxation Department.

Last year the home department, traffic police and excise and taxation department announced that they were launching a campaign against such plates and would punish owners with various types of fines, the cancellation of registration and the confiscation of vehicles. Yet we kept seeing ‘AFR 2006’ plates all around town in 2007 and I suspect the ‘AFR 2007’ plates will be with us well into 2008 as well.

Now we have car owners who have done away with any pretence of acknowledging the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance or the presence of traffic police supposedly enforcing these rules on the roads. They don’t even bother to display a temporary sign to pretend that the registration of their vehicle is in process and that one day, they may affix the proper, legal registration number in its place.

Last night I saw a white Corolla with a gold-rimmed, oval plaque bearing the word ‘Zehri’ prominently displayed at the rear of the car – not above, below, or to one side of the number plate, but defiantly occupying the blank space where the registration number ought to have been.

I myself am the owner of a new car -- about two weeks old -- and can testify to the efficiency of the various government departments in charge of registering and processing the vehicle. I could drive home the car with a proper registration plate attached in a matter of days, so neither the cost nor the duration of the process could possibly deter anyone from undertaking it. Of course owners of unregistered vehicles don’t have to pay any vehicle tax and are untraceable in the event of being involved in any road accident or other criminal act. Yet the defiantly blank rears of these luxury vehicles seem to signify an even higher level of disregard for the laws of the land. Flouting the rules and getting away with it is a status symbol here in Karachi as elsewhere. —FM

Are you scared?

Yes, incidents of violence occurring one after another and then the series of shocking threats and rumours do make you feel that. Some unscrupulous elements are evidently out to disrupt the city’s trembling peace. As soon as Karachians try to bear the systematic damage done to the very fabric of society, they are faced with another tragedy or rumour of such an incident is spread.

The first such rumour was spread on the first day of the current year. It was in the air that the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement at Nine Zero had been attacked. Several areas of the city shut down as the misinformation spread.

Then the Stock Exchange received a call from an unknown person threatening that the share market would be targeted within an hour last week. The call proved to be a scare only as the bomb disposal squad scanned the building and found no explosives. However, trading remained suspended for over an hour.

Dozens of ambulances of different charity organisations rushed to the Sindh High Court on Thursday after they came to know that there had been a blast on the SHC premises. They were turned back by the security staff since there had been no explosion or bomb threat.

The same day, another bomb scare caused panic in the airport area. Subsequently, the airport terminal and a nearby hotel had to be vacated. The whole area was scanned by the bomb disposal squad. Some fire tenders and ambulances also reached the spot to meet an emergency situation that turned out to be a hoax.

However, the very same day’s news about a blast in Landhi industrial area was not at all a hoax. Ten people died and several others injured when a bomb planted in a motorbike exploded near a factory.

After shocking scares at various government buildings and sensitive installations, a bomb threat was delivered to one of the city’s boarding schools, Prince Ali Boys and Muhammadi Girls Secondary School, on Friday. It turned out to be a hoax when the bomb disposal squad combed the area after getting it vacated. However, the scare did make the management think wisely and they sent the 300 boarders back to their homes in different parts of the country.

And if this cycle of violence and rumours continues, Karachians may be in dire need of psychological counselling. As for now, let us keep our heads cool, mouths shut and eyes open.—HA

Silent observers

It was 5.30pm and I pulled over my car at the red signal on Korangi Road at Khyaban-i-Ittehad bifurcation on Jan 2. As I brought the car to a halt I saw this youngish man, clad in trousers and a dress shirt, rush toward me from the Defence View side.

As he came closer I saw him take out a TT hidden under his belt. He came straight to me and signalled me to roll down the window glass. As I was surrounded by cars from all sides, I couldn’t move my car.

The only choice I had was to listen to him. As soon as I rolled down the window glass he ordered in an offensive tone, “Give me all your valuables right away,” and put the gun to my head. Scared at the sight of the gun, I tore my gold bracelet, took off my two gold rings and handed them over to him. He ordered again, “give me the watch”.

The watch was an expensive one and a dear gift from my brother. So I pleaded sheepishly, “This is a cheap one, will not get you much money.”

Such utterance ignited his fury and he started using foul language and tapped my head with the gun. At this I quickly gave him the watch as well. He did not stop and shouted, “give me the mobile.” At this I reacted and screamed back at him, “I don’t have one.” Looking at my reaction he quickly turned around and ran back towards Defence View. It took him only 90 seconds to rob me of my valuables.

People in their vehicles around me and the coconut seller standing right in front of my car watched the whole episode silently.—Tazeen Erum

Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali

Email: karachian@dawn.com

Dividing the thorns and the flowers equally

Relax. Get into bed. This period of rest is a gift from Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) or Wapda for the people of Pakistan’s capital city. The trickle-down effect has at last reached the seat of power. The poor in the far towns of the republic have no need now to resent the absence of loadshedding in the capital while the rest of the country lies in darkness.

The respite is also welcome as it comes in winter when it is bearable to have no electricity. Darkness is welcome in the warmth of the bed but a torture when in summer one wakes up under a pitiless fan and in the nearby bungalow the generator turns on with a start. It is then one curses the planners, the bankers from abroad and their local advisers.

In summer last year, the consumers faced power breakdowns of two to three hours a day. The coming summer is going to be worse. If gas is already short in winter when demand is low, what is going to happen when it goes up exponentially increasing the gap between supply and generation. The power transmission system trips without notice to leave one suffocating for breath.

Of course the system has increased manifold but so should have the projects. It is here that a planner with a vision is needed. In summer last year, the government’s chief economic spokesman Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan and the then Water and Power secretary Ashfaq Hassan had called a press conference to dispel the reports of energy shortages when the loadshedding was at its peak.

They had said that load management would be in place just for a few days because of an emergency shut down of some units due to technical problems. Both were telling a lie. They knew very well what awaited the nation.

When a questioner asked why the connections in the far-flung areas were being provided on political grounds rather than on the basis of commercial viability, the response was that it would be unfair to deprive part of the population of the facility to ensure uninterrupted supply in urban cities.

So impressive was the answer from the perspective of equitable economic policy, nobody could challenge that. But there was no answer when asked why the people in Islamabad in general and its posh sectors in particular never come under loadshedding like the citizens in Faisalabad, Vehari, Sukkur, Hyderabad or even Rawalpindi, a few kilometres away.

One year down the road, the loadshedding has also reached Islamabad but without the promised. The residences of government functionaries — starting from the president and the caretaker prime minister to the ministers and perhaps some more selected few — are seldom without electricity and even if they are on the national grid, the alternative sources to keep them illuminated are too costly and are paid out of funds provided by poor fellows in taxes who at the time stay in darkness.

In fact, inequality even in the availability of a basic necessity is perhaps the only thing we have, showing clear signs of trickle down not of economic growth but of lack of vision.

Rural populations like in Azad Kashmir or little outside the federal capital have to face uninterrupted darkness for up to 18 hours per day to minimise the sufferings of countrymen in the cities.

And it surprises many when the caretaker prime minister, believed to be a banker, asks the general public to avoid private transport to overcome energy shortage.

The call for long walks to reach offices and businesses would have been more convincing from a health point of view but not an appeal against private vehicles in a country where public transport system is practically non- existent and the one which is there consumes diesel rather than petrol or domestic gas in private vehicles.

He should have been told by his energy advisers that it is the killer diesel oil that is imported at international rates, causing damage to the economy and environment and not the petrol that is a domestic product and gas which is cheaper and environment-friendly.

And such appeals get sympathetic response when it starts from the top. The people on roads very quickly forget such messages when heavy convoys of fuel guzzling motorcade roams around cities carrying the caretaker prime minister himself in four provincial capitals and can see themselves like in May last year when the government announced energy conservation measures but a big rally outside the President’s House and the Parliament was flooded like white silver with heavy lights.

A photo carried by most of the newspapers showing Gordon Brown queue up at a rail station just a few days before he became prime minister last year could be a source of inspiration for us.

Abke hum sab gulshanwale apna hissa poora lenge

Kantoon ko taxim karenge, phooloon ko taxim karenge.

Saudis want Sharifs to soften stance

The current political chaos in Pakistan is on global radar screens. And whatever takes place on the political chessboard, it is becoming clear that the most important political moves are being orchestrated from foreign capitals.

The world continues to pull strings, with major parties ensuring their interests are taken care of. When Benazir Bhutto landed in Karachi on Oct 18, many felt she had the blessings of the major global powers. Her removal from the scene has not changed that belief.

When President Bush landed in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Pakistan was on the agenda.

More important, the influential foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, at a press conference, urged all political groups in Pakistan to ‘unify their ranks’ for the sake of security and stability.

Interestingly, during his exile in Saudi Arabia, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family once lived in a house that belonged to Prince Saud al-Faisal.

During the press conference, Prince Saud al-Faisal also called on the international community ‘to support Pakistan and its stability and refrain from putting any pressure on it in these circumstances’.

However, just a few days before the arrival of President Bush in Riyadh, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz head Shahbaz Sharif dashed to Islamabad and held meetings not only with an aide of President Pervez Musharraf, but also with the Saudi ambassador and a former bureaucrat.

These meetings could be seen in the light of Pakistan cropping up in the meeting between King Abdullah and President Bush, too.

According to media reports, the Saudi ambassador in Islamabad, Ali Awadh Al-Asseri, during the meeting with the younger Sharif, said: “Before making your opinion take into consideration the prevailing situation in Pakistan and the PPP’s consent to the proposed (unity) set-up.”

Analysts in Riyadh indicate that Saudis have been trying to make the Sharifs acceptable to Washington, especially in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Saudi Arabia appears investing heavily in the Sharifs, analysts feel.

Since the assassination of Ms Bhutto, it has also been reported that Saudis have agreed to provide and arrange for all the security for Nawaz Sharif. And over the last few days, there seems to be some mellowing down too.

Shahbaz Sharif, while talking to BBC in London, for the first time hinted at sitting down with President Musharraf provided he acts as a “neutral” in party politics.Are the Sharifs finally giving in to the requests of their benefactors and returning some of their favours – by mellowing down their rhetoric? It is a million dollar question with no immediate answer.

Nevertheless that seems probable now, especially if one starts making two plus two.

Cancelled events, postponed tours present one side of story: Mixed fortunes for Pakistan sports in 2007

Terrorism has been a global issue for quite a few years now, particularly since 9/11 rocked the United States seven years ago. Like all other aspects of life, terrorism has affected the sports too, not to a great extent maybe, but definitely to a certain level that has made a number of nations more cautious and, at times, a bit uncomfortable in holding large scale sporting events.

Not many countries, however, have been dented as much by the changing scenario as Pakistan which incidentally, has been at the receiving end of quite a few cancelled tours following the frequent refusal of some nations to play on its soil due to security concerns.

The shifting of the Champions Trophy world hockey tournament from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur late last year was a major blow that deprived the fans of some high class game from the international outfits.

Three nations — Australia, Spain and South Korea — pulled out one after the other from the prestigious event which was to take place at its birthplace. The FIH conceded to their demands by shifting the event for a second time from Lahore in six years. The 2001 Champions Trophy was also shifted from Lahore to Rotterdam after the European teams refused to travel to Pakistan due to security fears.

Earlier, the Pakistan Open ITTF Juniors and Cadet Circuit table tennis tournament slated to run from Sept 4-7, 2007 at Islamabad, was another big event which slipped from Pakistan’s grip after a good number of foreign teams opted to stay away citing security concerns.

In cricket, the fate of the forthcoming tour of world champions Australia hangs in balance in the aftermath of ex-premiere Benazir Bhutto’s death. To set the record straight here, the second and third ODIs of the Nat West Challenge between cricket’s oldest rivals — England and Australia — were staged at Lord’s and The Oval amid several bomb attacks on July 7, 2005. So Ricky Ponting’s men have no real excuse to decline the Pakistan tour scheduled for March.

Then, the women’s cricket World Cup qualifiers were moved out of Pakistan last year while staging of the Asia Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy is pretty much in the doldrums.

But contrary to the negative impression created by such cancelled assignments and postponed tours due to security concerns about the country, one can quote examples of many trouble-free sporting events held in the year 2007 alone which should restore other nations’ faith on Pakistan.

The Pakistan-South Africa home cricket series — comprising two Tests and five ODIs — progressed smoothly in September with only slight adjustments made to the original itinerary that saw two venues — Peshawar and Rawalpindi — excluded from the tour.

Pakistan also played hosts to Australia ‘A’ and Bangladesh U-19 during the year. The arrival of Aussies was preceded by a visit of their security sleuths to oversee the arrangements.

In other disciplines, Pakistan successfully staged the 23rd Asian Snooker in Karachi which saw cueists from 14 nations vying for glory.

Besides hosting the third AFC President’s Cup at Lahore, teams from Singapore, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain visited the country to play the 29th Olympic Games qualifiers against the hosts. However, the Singapore-Pakistan match was shifted from Peshawar to Lahore on the request of the foreign team.

Besides, a German soccer coach Monica Stabb also visited the country on a coaching assignment to groom women players.

Neighboring India permitted its cueists, spikers, tennis players and shufflers among others to visit Pakistan in the year. But at the same time they pulled out from the Tour-de-Pakistan cycle race for reasons best known to them.

The sport buffs enjoyed the Indo-Pak volleyball and tennis series in addition to the the ITF juniors tournament held in Karachi and the ITF Futures event at Islamabad and Lahore wherein the Sri Lankans and the Indian players also competed.

Egypt’s world No 11 Karim Darvish won the eighth Chief of the Naval Staff Squash Championship in Karachi in the company of local and foreign players. Likewise, some foreign players also took part in the Chief of the Army Staff Squash Championship in Islamabad.

Then there was the 13th Tour de Pakistan cycle race from Karachi to Khyber which ended in a blaze of glory for New Zealander Robin Read.

The city of Lahore sent positive signals by staging the third international Lahore Marathon in a befitting manner in which the Ethiopians swept the men’s and women’s titles.

Also, the Indian shufflers claimed the Open team event in the 14th Asia and Middle East Bridge Championship in the port city.

The visit of cricketing minnow Zimbabwe has greeted the year 2008 for Pakistan sports and one can only hope for things to get better from hereon.

Another thing which needs mention here is that the 2007 Cricket World Cup went on unhindered in the Caribbeans despite Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer’s death in mysterious circumstances. Imagine the hue and cry British media would have made if the incident had occurred in Pakistan.

One feels that the other nations, particularly in the West, need to be more realistic about the situation in this region. So many international events have been staged in Germany since the Munich Olympics disaster in 1972 and teams from all over the world have not shown any reservations whatsoever in visiting the European country.

No country on earth is said to be hundred per cent safe today so why set a separate criteria for Pakistan?

Countries all over the world must ensure that sporting events are held on schedule and the challenges are met regularly which will go a long way in giving a clear message to the handful of miscreants who are bent upon disturbing the peace.