Highlights of the December 2005 issue
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The Challenge Ahead
By Intikhab Amir and Rishad Mahmood
The loaded truck was impounded at sight and within seconds, dozens of men were seen climbing to its top, fighting over goods stored in the vehicle’s rear, yelling uncontrollably, soon resembling vultures seeking out fresh meat. Since October 8 – when up to 90,000 people died as almost one-third of Pakistan was struck by the worst earthquake in the nation’s history – such scenes have become common in Chikar Valley, some 50 kilometres from Muzaffarabad. Indeed, the death and destruction caused by the disaster have been nerve-wracking for survivors and natives of the quake-hit territories. It doesn’t help that relief operations conducted in the area on an ad hoc basis have been chaotic, depriving thousands of essential, life-saving items. Almost two months after the calamity, the government and military authorities spearheading the relief operation insist that there is some semblance of order and attest that the survivors’ needs for relief items are being adequately addressed. But nothing could be further from the truth as complaints regarding the non-provision of tents, blankets, food and medicine are mounting with each passing day.
Off Centre
By Zaffar Abbas
South Asia is indeed an amazing region. It holds in its fold about one-fifth of humanity, with a high percentage living below the poverty line. As such, its member states have every reason to spend their energies on mutual cooperation and their resources on human development. And they probably do but at a snail’s pace.
Their doubts are not without reason. Over the decades, we have not made any sincere or serious effort to cleanse our system of corruption. Our political and non-political rulers have shamelessly amassed wealth, stealing from the public coffers. They have been so cruel in their lust for money that some of them even compromised the security of the country. A former naval chief Mansurul Haq, for instance, is alleged to have caused a loss of five billion rupees to the public exchequer. But he was released after paying less than 10 per cent – 457.5 million rupees to be precise – of the misappropriated money. Interestingly, the amount he paid is equivalent to the salary over 1,270 years of an admiral. Predictably, Haq was set free, clean of all corruption charges, instead of being tried for treason. Many others in high positions have pocketed as much public money as they could lay their hands on and got off scot-free. Some of them continue living in this country while maintaining offshore companies, trusts and foundations and their lifestyle is proof of their corruption.
Ostensibly, this arrangement gives the United States government an unfair advantage and allows it to potentially influence decisions regarding the administration of the internet. Most governments of the world are unhappy about the current set up, particularly those belonging to the European Union (EU), and are of the opinion that the United Nations should be responsible for the administration of the internet.
The Fortune Hunters
By Azmat Abbas
On the night of July 26, 2005, the Frontier Constabulary arrested five Pakistani nationals who were entering the country from Iran via an unfrequented route near Garook village in Balochistan. All the men were in their thirties and hailed from different villages of Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot districts in the Punjab. As they later told their interrogators, they had spent the preceding two years trying to cross over into Greece. In the process, they were bought and sold like animals by human traffickers and had served as bonded labourers for some Kurdish tribesmen.
Almost two months after the devastating earthquake, bigwigs within the electronic media industry continue to congratulate themselves on a job well done. “Since October 8, the media has played a tremendous role in voicing the concerns of the people,” says Quatrina Hosain, a consultant for news and current affairs at Pakistan Television (PTV). Similarly, a line producer at Geo Television says that the media was used as an information conduit during the relief effort, a role that has been publicly acknowledged and praised. Talat Hussain, the Islamabad-based bureau chief for Aaj Television puts it best: “For the first time in Pakistani history, the media has covered the true scale of a crisis and shown history as it was unfolding without being clouded over by government propaganda. Paradoxically, the nation’s saddest hour was the media’s finest.”
A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to stage a stand-up comedy routine in Karachi. In fact, the monologues delivered by the Gripps Theatre’s Jiala character were among the few examples of stand-up comedy in the city. But the late 1990s saw the return of foreign-educated youngsters who were willing to experiment on the stage. In 2002, for instance, Black Fish, Pakistan’s first improvisational comedy troupe, made a rare splash. Much like their counterparts in the pop music scene, original Black Fish members have recently launched solo careers. At two separate open mike sessions, funny men Saad Haroon and Sami Shah delivered short comic routines, much to the delight of amused audience members. Perhaps inspired by the response they received, Haroon and Shah generated good buzz in November by organising separate stand-up comedy shows.
Over the years, Pakistanis who live in New York City have been neatly categorised, much like accessories on separate floors of a department store or cuts of meat at a packaging plant. There’s the garrulous taxi driver, inevitably a cricket fan and self-proclaimed political commentator with a penchant for Bollywood soundtracks. Midtown, on the other hand, teems with upwardly mobile desis, bankers by day, bar-hoppers by night. And throughout the city, the proverbial convenience store owner slowly counts out change, urging you to have a nice day in an ever-familiar, sing-song accent. But in recent years, a new breed of Pakistani has come to stalk the city’s streets.