UN chief in Pakistan

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit shed light on two important issues. First, the announcement by Mr Ban that the UN will set up an “independent commission of inquiry” to “uncover the facts about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto” means the government has achieved its long-stated goal of having the international body investigate the death of the former PPP chairperson. We welcome any credible investigation into Ms Bhutto’s death; however, 13 months since her death, there are question marks over what such an inquiry can actually achieve. From a forensic point of view, there appears little the UN commission can investigate: the crime scene has been scrubbed, the physical evidence gathered may not have been properly stored and secured, and Ms Bhutto’s body has been interred with little chance for exhumation to conduct an independent autopsy.

Nevertheless, while thanking Mr Ban for agreeing to set up the inquiry commission, President Zardari gave a clear indication of what the government hopes to achieve: it wants the commission to expose “the financiers, perpetrators, organisers, sponsors and conspirators of this terrorist act and bring them to justice”. The president’s formulation is remarkably similar to the language contained in UNSC Resolution 1595 which called for an independent investigation commission to identify “the perpetrators, sponsors, organisers and accomplices” of the act of terrorism that killed Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri in 2005. If the Hariri commission is indeed the template for the Bhutto commission, then it must be hoped that the latter will not carry on interminably like the former has. While there is speculation that the Bhutto commission may wrap up its task in six months, the real need is for an adequate time frame that does not compromise the thoroughness of the mission.

The other crucial issue that Mr Ban touched upon was the road ahead for Pakistan-India relations. Following the Mumbai attacks and a new US administration that has flirted with the idea of nudging along a Kashmir settlement, Mr Ban was quite expectedly asked about terrorism and South Asia’s flashpoint. In response, the secretary general plainly asked India and Pakistan to resume the composite dialogue and emphasised that the resolution of outstanding issues lay in bilateral discussions. This will have disappointed both countries: India because it is hoping for more pressure from the UN to make Pakistan act on the Mumbai dossier; Pakistan because it is hoping to rope in the international community to convince India to work on a Kashmir settlement.

New health policy

IT is encouraging to learn that the government is working on a new health policy as was confirmed by the federal health minister as well as the director general of health. But little is known about the government’s strategy and one can only hope that all stakeholders are consulted and taken on board. That alone will ensure the successful implementation of the new policy. So far the draft under consideration has not been put up on the health ministry’s website nor has it been sent to the Pakistan Medical Association. Thus the ministry may not benefit from the valuable advice of medical professionals and informed users. So far the tendency has been for governments to hoodwink the people into believing that the healthcare system in the country is being reformed, by announcing a new health policy every few years. None has been implemented and the crisis in the health sector has intensified. Although official surveys claim that there has been an improvement in health-related statistics, Pakistan continues to present a dismal picture when compared to other countries in South Asia, except Afghanistan. For instance, infant and child mortality rates in Pakistan are the highest in the region. The number of health facilities has actually declined over the years while the ratio of population per doctor, dentist and nurse has risen indicating the growing pressure on the limited health delivery system.

The last health policy that was framed in December 2001 is on paper only. However, it identified the major weaknesses in the health sector very well and could provide a starting point for policymakers. New health problems have now emerged but the basic flaws that need to be addressed have not changed. The health system is too urban oriented and neglects the bulk of the population that lives in the countryside. Financial allocations have been measly and do not provide much scope for expansion and upgrading. There is greater emphasis on tertiary medical facilities with primary health not receiving enough attention. There is no effective monitoring of the system while the private sector has been given a free rein with no regulatory controls in place, although its role has been growing. Above all, the preventive approach is limited to immunisation strategies with no concept of health being perceived as a sense of well-being rather than the absence of disease. This calls for linking health with a lifestyle that makes the government responsible for providing people with potable water, sanitation and a clean environment.

Obama’s concerns

WHILE he has approved the sending of three more brigades to Afghanistan — with an even larger ‘surge’ being talked about —President Barack Obama made it clear in a TV interview that nothing should be done that could destabilise Pakistan, “which has nuclear weapons”. The sources and forces that have destabilised this country and have the potential to do greater harm to Pakistan’s security are the rejuvenated remnants of the Mujahideen armed and funded by America for the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan. Today, the Taliban are perhaps better armed and better funded than they were when Ziaul Haq’s Pakistan acted as a conduit for the CIA’s overt and covert aid to what then were perceived as freedom fighters. Since the American attack on Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban have been the biggest source of instability for this country. At least 100,000 Pakistani troops are battling the Taliban, who have killed more civilians than soldiers and bombed civilian targets as much as they have attacked military installations. For tackling this major — though not the only — source of instability, Pakistan needs help from the international community, especially America.

Part of the American aid flowing into Pakistan since 9/11 has come in the form of military hardware, including electronic gadgetry to monitor the militants’ movements. There has also been a belated realisation that reliance on force alone cannot end the insurgency, and there must be greater efforts to improve the quality of life for the tribesmen. The Biden-Lugar bill, whose revival is being sought, seeks to give Pakistan $1.5bn over a decade and puts emphasis on the socio-economic side of America’s aid policy.

There are other sources of instability which are of our own making — like the mess in Balochistan, the absence of economic development commensurate with Pakistan’s potential, and the neglect of the social sector. However, what the Obama administration should note is the concern which its drone attacks in Fata are causing. The change in the White House has made no difference to Washington’s Fata policy, and drones often miss the target and cause collateral damage. While Obama’s concerns about Pakistan’s stability need to be welcomed, his administration — like the previous one — has yet to realise the negative consequences of American attacks in Fata. These violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty create sympathy for the militants, strengthen the pro-Taliban lobby in the country and serve to destabilise Pakistan by undermining the democratic government.

OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press

Wahdat, Peshawar

Sovereignty and civilian military resolve

A MEETING of the three armed forces was held in Rawalpindi on Saturday. The meeting was presided over by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman Gen Tariq Majeed and attended by all the three chiefs including Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nauman Bashir, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, DG ISI and others.

According to military sources peace and security matters were discussed and it was unanimously decided to combat every internal and external threat with an iron fist. The same day the defence minister, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, while talking to journalists ... made it abundantly clear that Pakistan would not tolerate drone attacks in its tribal belt. The minister added that the issue had been discussed with Nato and they agreed on working in their respective spheres without compromising Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Such pledges from the civilian and military leadership are tantamount to acknowledging the demands of the masses. Pakistan has been doing more in the ‘war against terror’ than any other country but how is it being repaid? In the form of drone attacks and accusations of involvement in the Indian terror attacks. If Pakistan had adopted the right strategy from the start, America would not have dared to violate Pakistan’s sovereignty so blatantly. The bright side of the picture is that now we are seeing in our military establishment and elected government a realisation of [the need to] defend our sovereignty. The nation supports this stance and is determined to remain united no matter what crisis it has to undergo.

At the same time, it is significant to care for both internal and external sovereignty. The writ lost to the extremist forces must immediately be restored without damage to the civilian population. In order to retain the integrity of this country, it is crucial to win back the writ of the state lost to non-state actors. — (Feb 1)

— Selected and translated by Khadim Hussain and M. Arif

Arrogance and a diseased mind

IF we look around ourselves today, we will find many individuals afflicted with the disease of arrogance. The difference is only that there are varying degrees of the disorder; some suffer from it to a large extent, others betray only traces of it.

The wise have long diagnosed arrogance as a disease. People who are afflicted are usually the types who are insecure or those suffering from some sort of inferiority complex. It is the display of pride which costs them dearly in this world and the next. Such people, Allah says, are most disliked among His beings, even if they harbour an atom of pride in their hearts.

Islam sees arrogance as among the most despised of attributes because the essence of its teachings delves into utmost humility in mankind. The Prophet (PBUH) is quoted on pride: “One who possesses half a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart shall not be granted admission to paradise; and one who possesses half a mustard seed of faith shall not enter eternal Fire.” History is replete with examples of personalities infested with the ills of arrogance. History also provides us valuable lessons as evident in the stories of Satan, Nimrod, Pharaoh and the likes of Abu Jahl. They all came to a devastating end simply because they considered themselves worthy of all praise, and took pride in their power, pelf and position.

On another occasion, the Prophet is reported to have said, “Whoever has an atom of pride in his heart will not enter paradise.” The extent to which Allah despises pride is evident from the fact that He did not consider the long prayers of Iblis when the latter refused to bow in front of Adam. Iblis’s pride was based on his assertion that he was created from fire while Adam was created from clay, and that fire was superior to clay. He was punished and denied Allah’s mercy for all times to come.

It is clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran, “Allah will put the proud to disgrace and ill-repute (dishonour) in the hereafter.” We have examples in front of us where Allah and his messengers have despised even an atom of conceit. Then why as Muslims are we plagued with this menace is the question that begs an answer. Why can’t we follow in the footsteps of revered personalities, such as the Prophet and his companions, who despite having power and position never let an iota of vanity cross their hearts?

Unfortunately, we have distanced ourselves from the lofty attributes of humility enjoined by Islam. We are unaware of the joy of completing our tasks ourselves; we consider it demeaning to run our own errands. The Prophet used to wash his own clothes, cook his own food and even clean his own house, and had no qualms about it; nor did he ever complain of hardship in life.

The cause of vainglory is embedded in assuming superior knowledge, wealth, physical attractiveness, piety, family lineage, status, position and power on one’s part. All these attributes are meaningless to Allah, for He will judge a man or a woman on their character and conduct. One’s wealth, health, colour, caste and creed will be utterly irrelevant on the day of resurrection; only our deeds shall speak for us.

Allah has said, “Perish man! How thankless he is! Of what did He create him? Of a sperm-drop. He created him and determined him, and then made the way easy for him. Then He makes him die, buries him, and then, when He wills, raises him.” The verse distinctly states the weakness of man, as he is brought into this world from nothingness by the glory of the Almighty, and subsequent to his transition from non-existence into existence.

Allah grants mankind all the blessings in this world and then eventually man returns to a state of nothingness by the will of Allah, to be raised again on the Day of Judgment. The entire cycle depicts the sheer helplessness of mankind. No power except divine resolve can alter this inevitability. It makes one wonder as to what then a sense of vanity is all about.

azizsirajuddin@gmail.com

Database of art

TENS of thousands of Buddhist manuscripts, paintings and other treasures scattered around the world have been brought together in probably the world’s largest computer database of its kind.

The International Dunhuang Project, based at the British Library in London, is an ever-growing digital assemblage that makes it possible to study online around 160,000 images of 80,000 objects dug up in the deserts of Chinese central Asia and now in institutions across Europe, Asia and North America.

More than a third of the artefacts are in British collections, having been taken — some would say plundered — by the Hungarian-born British explorer and archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein who travelled the Silk Road in the first decade of the 20th century.

The IDP has centres in China, Russia, Japan and Germany as well as its London base, and early next year the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris will become a partner when its collection of 10,000 treasures goes online. This will make available the vast hoard of manuscripts discovered by Stein’s French contemporary Paul Pelliot in the Dunhuang Library Cave — this includes many secular texts, forming a basis for the development of economic, social and legal history of medieval China. There are also plans for the Institute of Korean Culture in Seoul to become a partner later in 2009.

Each centre maintains images from their collections on their own servers. “Keeping their own images on their servers while having everything in one place on the web makes people less anxious about their own data. There are no issues with copyright, with digitisation centres in each institution having read-write access to other data on the database,” said the IDP’s director, Susan Whitfield, who has been with the project since it was founded in 1994 and oversaw its launch online in 1998.

The Dunhuang cave complex on the edge of the Gobi desert is the most famous archaeological site in the region, from which Stein took a vast array of treasures including manuscripts in Chinese, Sanskrit, Tibetan and even Judaeo-Persian, as well as in obscure central Asian languages such as Sogdian and Tocharian.

But the IDP does not focus only on Dunhuang, and it includes artefacts from around 200 sites in the far west of China, where more treasures are being discovered all the time.

Among the most remarkable items in IDP’s database is a coloured star-map in the British Library dating back to about AD 700, which the project’s website notes is “almost certainly the oldest extant manuscript star-chart from any civilisation”. The scroll can be viewed in great detail on the website, together with Stein’s original map of the Dunhuang caves.

Whitfield said the project, which has about 10 staff in London and around 20 in the other centres, does not rely on outside technical consultants. All staff were expected to have a reasonable level of technical skills as well expertise in their own specialist subjects, ranging from early Chinese Buddhism to the history of paper making.

“Technical skills are part of our remit,” said Whitfield, who has a doctorate in Tang dynasty historiography. “Outsourcing technical aspects leads to people not understanding what is going on ... It doesn’t work for projects like ours with a large technical element.”

The IDP believes in making its technical standards transparent and uniform and local staff are trained so that quality and consistency of data and images are maintained.

A Chinese version of the database was developed in 2001-02, and the database was redeveloped in 2005 involving the use of XML based on the TEI standard for the cataloguing and bibliographical data. These are stored in 4D and accessed using a 4D XML plug-in. Active 4D is used to serve the website and database.

The website, which is in English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and German, has also been continually redesigned to include more functionality and data. It is now displayed in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and current projects include plans to implement map layers for Google Earth.

Photographing delicate manuscripts and textiles is a slow and painstaking process, but by 2015 the project aims to have catalogued, digitised and made freely available online 90 per cent of the Dunhuang collections. The IDP has a budget of around £350,000 a year, which Whitfield said is “fairly modest” given the size of the project.

Whitfield said one of her chief aims was to get the National Museum of India on board. The museum in Delhi has around 11,000 items, mainly Buddhist paintings obtained by Stein, few of which have been published.

The IDP has been in talks with the Indian authorities for the past 10 years, but has met with countless bureaucratic obstacles. “I am sure we will reach an agreement eventually,” she added.

— The Guardian, London