Highlights of the April 2005 issue
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Great Bulls On Fire
By F.R. Hussain
They all saw it coming but when it actually happened, no one could believe their eyes. On March 15, the Karachi stock market index shot off the charts and closed at 10,300 points, a historic day that few stockbrokers are likely to forget. But what many investors want to forget is the crash that followed and the subsequent death-trap that they found themselves caught in. The KSE 100 Index started to slump on March 16 and in just about a week’s time crash-landed at 7,900 points. Faced with the prospect of losing their life savings, the small investors rioted at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on March 24 and the police and rangers had to be called in to control the situation. Similar scenes were witnessed at the Lahore and Islamabad stock exchanges.The question is, what went wrong? Rioting broke out not just because investors were angry over the losses already incurred but because many of them stood to lose more. Firstly, trading in several key stocks such as the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) was automatically suspended when their falling prices prompted circuit breakers to lock down, a risk management mechanism that acts like the thermostat of an air-conditioner and suspends trading in a scrip if it falls five per cent or climbs more than 7.5 per cent. This denied investors a chance to offload their expensive portfolios.
Before The Fall
By F.R. Hussain
March 15, when the KSE 100 Index hit an all-time high of 10,300 points, took three years to come about. It all started with September 11, 2001, while the privatisation card brought in the winning hand. The real excitement started to build last year in October, when the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) was opened for trade on the KSE 100 Index. The index was hovering at about 5,200 points at the time. Because of OGDC’s market capitalisation – the total worth of its shares – it was given a 22 per cent weight on the KSE 100 Index, which is a benchmark for 100 out of 659 top companies one can trade in. This meant that a one-rupee hike in OGDC’s price would make the index go up by 19 points. The strength of the company itself and reports that the government may put a larger chunk of the company up for privatisation, sparked a buying spree that jacked OGDC’s share price from an initial 32 rupees to 189 rupees, thereby sending the KSE 100 Index through the roof.
Brothers With Arms
By Sarmad Abbas and Imtiaz Ali Taj
In Gilgit “sell your cow and buy a klashnikov” has become the slogan for young members of sectarian groups, who go around asking for donations to buy weapons in the predominantly Sunni districts of Diamer and Kohistan. This catch-phrase reflects the administration’s failure to maintain law and order and demonstrates how people have taken security into their own hands in a region where violence has escalated since January in the wake of several high-profile killings. As a result, Gilgit is sharply divided down Sunni-Shia sectarian lines that have infiltrated all aspects of life, from buying guns and groceries to discharging duty in police ranks.Close to three months after the assassination of top Shia scholar Agha Ziauddin Rizvi on January 8, Gilgit, the headquarters of the Northern Areas (NA), has yet to stabilise. On March 23, the recently removed inspector general of the NA police, Sakhiullah Tareen, 58, and four others were killed in an ambush at Jutal, some 30 kilometres north-east of Gilgit. Tareen was rushed to the 60CC military hospital but died there at around 8:30 p.m. Both his younger son Saifullah Tareen and his daughter-in-law were also critically injured. Tareen, who was removed from the his post a week earlier, apparently for his failure to maintain law and order, was attacked as he made his way to Gilgit in order to hand over charge to Sarmad Saeed, the newly transferred inspector general.
Between The Lines
By Idrees Bakhtiar
For whatever it was, the Dr Khalid episode took place in a God-forsaken corner of Balochistan from where news can travel only as fast as a tribesman on a camel’s back. So when the first whiff of the scandal reached the lowlands, no one knew exactly what had happened. Gradually, though, the story started to hog the headlines. It was a serious issue. A woman had been raped allegedly by a Pakistan Army captain and the authorities had attempted to hush up the matter. What happened subsequently is known to all and sundry.
Off Centre
By Zaffar Abbas
So why am I fussing over the issue? Yes, everyone condemns what happened to Mukhtar Mai and supports her demand for bringing the rapists to justice. But there are also some who believe such things should be put under wraps lest they bring a bad name to the country. Our president General Pervez Musharraf is one of them. He believes that write-ups about other countries, especially India, tend to highlight the “positive” aspects of their societies. As such, he was extremely annoyed with an article in Time magazine last year highlighting the treatment meted out to Mukhtar. Since then, he has repeatedly criticised the author of the article and, while assuring Mukhtar Mai of the fullest support at the conference, he repeated his criticism in the presence of the rape victim.
Newspeak
By Aliahsan Halai
Addressing the parliament on March 25, General Musharraf reminded the lower house: “You are the people’s representatives and you must play your role as leaders to guide Pakistan towards the goal of a dynamic and a progressive Islamic state.” Spoken like a true dictator who does not represent the people’s will. To his credit, the general has had the best of intentions towards this country. But what he has failed to realise is the anathematic nature of his own self-appointed position in government. He requires legitimacy in the eyes of the global community as well as acceptance at home. The only way to achieve this is by appeasing the parties that stand in opposition to his rule and the foreign superpower that currently brandishes its own iron fist over the globe. Most of all, Musharraf cannot turn popular will without the tacit approval of the so-called religious parties.
Collateral Damage
By Ayesha Tammy Haq
More insidious than the occasional article in the New York Times or Newsweek is the huge impact Indian films have insomuch as they fuel misperceptions and fan fires that politicians light to keep the two countries polarised. Not many Indians manage to travel to Pakistan, at least not nearly as many as those who watch blockbuster films such as Veer-Zaara and Lakshya. The former film has a star-studded cast led by Shah Rukh Khan, a guarantee to make it a mega hit. It won a Film Fare award for best film, India’s version of an Oscar. It has all the usual ingredients and especially love in the face of opposition, only this time, with a twist. An Indian Hindu boy falls in love with a Pakistani Muslim girl from Lahore and the Line of Control comes between them. The film opened to packed cinema houses in India, the United Kingdom and the United States at the same time. The other fim Lakshya stars Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan, who seems to have decided that retirement is not an option. This film’s story is also based on the theme of ‘Them and Us’. If you concentrate and read between the lines, it’s not hard to spot what’s lurking under the surface.
Walking On Water
By Rasheed Channa
They seem frail, their complexions are sunburnt and their steps a little shaky. But their eyes beam with a healthy glow as they make their way from Karsaz on Karachi’s Shahra-e-Faisal to the Karachi Press Club, the last leg of a 750-kilometre long march that started in Sukkur a month ago. “Many of us have shed several kilos of weight during this month and we feel refreshed,” says Zahida Shaikh, general secretary of the Sindhiani Tehrik, the women’s wing of Rasool Bux Palijo’s Awami Tehrik (AT) party. “Besides, when we started off, some of the participants looked fairer than the others. But today we are all the same colour.”But health and fitness are just a by-product of this month-long walk. “We undertook the long march to mobilise support against the proposed Kalabagh dam and Thal canal projects and we have received a tremendous response throughout Sindh, from people across the political divide,” explains Shaikh. During the march, the AT leaders have also been raising the issue of provincial autonomy as a central theme of the party’s policy. “The centre may only retain four portfolios, namely currency, foreign affairs, interior and communications,” says Rasool Bux Palijo. “The rest of the powers should be handed over to the provinces. In addition, Sindh should be paid 800 billion rupees as compensation for the theft of its water during the last 20 years.”
Justice Under Fire
By Waseem Ahmad Shah
The March 3 judgement of the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Multan bench in the infamous Mukhtar Mai rape case has sent shock waves across the country. Five of the six accused, who were earlier sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court, have been acquitted on grounds of various lacunas in the prosecution’s case, including faulty police investigations. But given the high-profile nature of the case, the judgement continues to draw flak from human rights groups and the public at large. The question being raised is whether or not the courts should overlook inconsistencies in cases involving marginalised individuals such as Mukhtar Mai.Many believe that the circumstances of Mukhtar Mai’s case merited a new precedent in court rulings. “No doubt the law of evidence should have been applied strictly to ensure that the accused were given the best defence but the judge should not have been blind to ground realities,” argues Qazi Mohammad Jamil, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and former attorney general of Pakistan. “The details of Mukhtar Mai’s rape were common knowledge and a number of villagers had even witnessed the occurrence.”
Power Games
By Azmat Abbas
With the provincial governments seeking to appoint administrators in place of nazims before the local bodies elections, can the spirit of General Musharraf’s local government system survive?By the end of January, nazims from various districts started to protest the proposed appointment of district coordination officers as administrators. Interestingly, it was a member of the ruling party and head of the NRB Danyal Aziz who apparently brought together nazims from Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP on one platform to raise their concerns.
All that the nazims are asking, says Khairpur district nazim Nafeesa Shah, is that the government should stick to the law. “According to the LGO 2001, there is no provision for administrators and any such act would be illegal. And if a provision is created through an amendment, it would go completely against the spirit of the local government system.”
Brick Kilns Using Rubber As Fuel Pollute Peshawar
By Intikhab Amir
Peshawar — Understaffed environment authorities have been unable to stop the 400 or so brick kilns in the NWFP from using illegal car tyres as fuel even though they emit poisonous sulphur dioxide when burned. The rubber tyres are used on the sly to produce yellow bricks that are much in demand.The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) only surveys the Phandu Road area where some 40 kilns are located. The rest are spread out across the outskirts of Peshawar. With just four inspectors at its disposal, the EPA is simply not equipped to monitor all the kilns. As a result, the ones that escape regulation are using tyres instead of coal as fuel, a clear violation of section 17 of the Environmental Protection Act 1997. “The only solution to the problem lies in putting the violators behind bars because issuing notices will not serve the purpose,” says one EPA official.
Army Personnel Beat Up Journalist In Skardu
By Farman Ali
According to details gathered by the Herald, AKRSP was holding a ceremony at the union council hall in the Astana neighbourhood of Skardu when the army personnel disrupted the function. “We had just distributed some sewing machines and basic equipment for barbers and carpenters. when two low-ranking military officials walked in and said we were holding an illegal assembly,” says one AKRSP official. Abbas, who had finished filming the ceremony for Geo TV and had packed up, spoke to the officials. “He told them that several notables and elected representatives were present and also that the ceremony was being held inside the four walls of the compound where section 144 does not extend,” he says. The officials walked out but came back after a while and asked Abbas to step outside since their officer wanted to speak to him.
Peshawar City Government Clamps Down On Ngos For Sex Education Project
Peshawar — In a bid to protect “moral values”, the MMA-led Peshawar City District Government sent a circular to 1,250 public schools on March 2, saying that they could not allow any NGO to carry out projects on campus without the permission of the executive district officer (EDO) education. The circular comes in response to a recent complaint that a multinational organisation was imparting sex and hygiene education in an Aids and HIV awareness project at a public school.EDO Education Mohammad Haleem Shirazi, who issued the circular, says NGO activities in schools are not banned but they now have to obtain official permission for any activities, lectures or projects. Any material NGOs discuss or distribute in schools has to be screened by the government. He claims that NGOs doing “good work” would be allowed to carry on since they are internationally recognised as the helping hand of the government.
UN Award-Winning Woman Leaves Behind Shackles Of Bonded Labour
By M. Hashim Shar
Mirpurkhas — After receiving a UN award certificate for global micro-entrepreneurship and 300 dollars in November, Meni Bai, her husband Channo Ram and their children, are living in a 1,300-square foot plot in a camp established by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). Meni Bai belongs to one of 15 families that have borrowed money for the prevention of family indebtedness from the Microfinance and Related Services Project. These families continue to pay back money they have borrowed even after temporarily moving away from the project area. Meni belongs to district Umerkot of Sindh and had spent eight years working as a tenant sharecropper for Ali Gul Banglani, a landlord in Deh Hiral, Taluka Samaro.Meni Bai and her family borrowed small amounts of money from their landlord in order to purchase medicines, food and household commodities. Repayment of these loans was hindered by a poor harvest for two consecutive seasons as well as by the exorbitant amounts of compounded interest that they were charged. To further complicate matters, Banglani placed Meni’s family under constant surveillance and refused them monetary wages, insisting that they work in exchange for food. With the exception of her then four-year-old son Hari, Meni’s entire family, which includes her husband, daughter and two elder sons, was forced to work in the fields from sunrise to sunset.
Living With Sin
By Huma Yusuf
Asiya, who volunteers at a Saarc-sponsored fertility clinic in Lyari’s Naya Abad area, can no longer wear high-heeled shoes. “When I leave the house, I wear flat shoes so that in case gangsters start firing, I can run away without tripping. But now all my pretty shoes are gathering dust in the closet.” She also admits that she has made her younger brother quit his job as a shoe salesman because she was afraid he’d be shot. “Someone my brother knew got involved with a gang. In Lyari, death-by-association is an everyday thing. If he was out of the house and I heard firing, I’d assume he was dead. The tension was killing me.” Her friend Hafiza criticises Asiya for taking on the fiscal responsibility of her three unmarried sisters, elderly mother and brother. But Asiya finds that her fear clouds any rational thought. In this handicap, she is not unlike Lyari’s million-odd residents whose lives have been marred by the gang wars raging in their neighbourhood.Walking through Baghdadi, one cannot help but notice a crowd of children playing with plastic guns, re-enacting the turf war that plagues their families. Laughing off this unsettling sight, Sohail, a teacher at a nearby coaching centre, compares life in Lyari to the plot of a bad Bollywood thriller. One can’t blame him. After all, gang leaders with the menacing aliases Rahman Dakait and Arshad Pappu have been vying for control of the locality for over two years. The stakes are high and include big takings from bhatta as well as profits from the sale of drugs, arms and smuggled goods.
For Whom The Bells Toll
By Syed Shoaib Hasan
More than anything else, the recent killings of gang members in Lyari by law-enforcement personnel indicate desperation in top police echelons. “The current police team has been brought in with one purpose only,” says a senior police official, “and that is to use all means necessary to deal with the situation.” The question is, how have such circumstances come to pass?Lyari has never been a particularly law-abiding neighbourhood. In fact, it has always been one of the two main centres for the trafficking and sale of narcotics in Karachi, the other being Sohrab Goth. In recent years, it has also become the premier base for professional kidnappers who ply their trade all over the city. Lyari’s extortion, gambling and land-grabbing rackets have also multiplied over the past few years. But none of this is extraordinary, given that similar activities have been flourishing in other parts of the city as well.
It is certainly an inadequate explanation for the fact that Lyari has suddenly become the focus of an operation that is well on its way to becoming a miniature version of the one conducted against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in 1995.
Omar Kureishi 1927-2005
By Nusrat Nasarullah
Ironically, despite his gift for writing and speaking, in everyday dealings Kureishi was a man of few words. Throughout his life, he focused his energies on a few chosen interests to the exclusion of everything else. Cricket, of course, was a passion and his forte. But to restrict him to the field of cricket alone would be an injustice. Kureishi was a man of many parts and it was the sum total of his personality that made those who knew him value him so much. He wrote his first book Black Moods in 1955 when he was 28 years old. In the preface, he writes: “If I am known at all, it is as a cricket commentator. To a lesser extent, also as a sports columnist. There is, however, no special mention of cricket in this, my first book. The omission is deliberate. Cricket is something that I enjoy very much and is something in which I find much that is inspiring and lovely. The subjects that I have tackled in this book are not so. They are if anything depressing and poignant reminders that the idealism of Pakistan has been adulterated by a callousness in attitude and laziness in approach to what are fundamental problems.” To me, these words mirror many of the concerns that he lived with all his life. His love for Pakistan was always intense and, despite the less than ideal conditions which have prevailed, his patriotism never wavered. He wrote steadily on what he described as “fundamental problems”, whether it was for his columns in the Times of Karachi in the 1950s or the Dawn in the 1980s. He continued writing for Dawn until he passed away on the afternoon of March 14.
The Conscience Behind The Camera
By Huma Yusuf
In the manner of a well-constructed novel or cleverly symbolic poem, Shireen Pasha’s house accurately reflects her mulit-faceted personality. Ask Lahoris to describe it and they’ll use the same words for the home as they do for the woman: it’s a “little out of the way” but “interesting” and “distinctive”, despite having a simple façade of yellow brick. The interior bears a similar resemblance to its owner. One half is immaculately conceived: stained glass windows, carved Sindhi woodwork and old painted furniture echo the charm of a haveli. The other half comprises Shireen’s workshop, which betrays a fervent yet incomplete attempt at organisation.A spiffy cubicle is awash with scribbled-on papers and flyers for “Uss Paar”, Shireen’s latest project for PTV, a docudrama starring Sania Saeed, promoting education for the children of farmers. Paintings of Rajasthani women adorn the walls, albeit at a tilt, while dusty books on subjects such as Africa’s ambiguous cultural identity are piled high on available surfaces. A canvas is propped up against one wall with oil paints strewn all around it. The sound of a film’s dialogue blares through the house but only one segment is being repeated. No doubt, Shireen is editing in her
Against All Odds
By Saad Sayeed
Is the Test Series in India a sign of great things to come for this fast emerging Pakistan team? The ball looped up after hitting the pads, four close-in fielders rushed to take the catch, with Younis Khan finally clutching it. The umpire’s finger rose to Danish Kaneria’s vociferous appeal. LBW was the decision and Lakshmipathy Balaji was sent back to the pavilion, accompanied by the dejected Anil Kumble. The Pakistanis celebrated as though they had claimed a historic series victory, not a levelling Test win. But their mirth is with good reason. This could well be the beginning of something extraordinary.Pakistan was expected to capitulate when confronted by the mighty Indian batting line-up, especially given the absence of Shoaib Akhtar. The depleted bowling attack and inexperienced batting order were expected to be no match for one of the game’s strongest and most well-balanced Test sides. But this Pakistan team appears to be made of sterner stuff than the glory hounds who comprised the side in the 1990s.
“My funda is very simple: your natural game will take you places” — Virender Sehwag
Hailing from a nondescript town on the outskirts of Delhi, Virender Sehwag has gone on to become an opening batsman unlike any other in the history of the game. Initially stereotyped as a one-day slogger, Sehwag recently became the quickest Indian to score 3,000 runs and boasts an astonishing record of 10 centuries from 34 Tests. Pakistan felt his full force in Multan last year, where he made 309 runs, and again at Mohali and Bangalore in the current series, where he romped to 173 and 201, respectively. A soft-spoken individual who is far more at ease terrorising bowlers than speaking into a microphone, Sehwag opens up in an exclusive chat with the Herald.Q. Ten centuries in 34 Tests and bowlers are finding out just how good you are. Did you ever think you would enjoy such success?
A. To be honest, I never thought that I would have 10 centuries, including the one on debut. For me, playing for the country was my only goal. Once I achieved that, I tried to do my best. I go in, put in my best effort, enjoy the cricket and let the results take care of themselves.
Q. That first Test innings at Bloemfontein batting with Sachin Tendulkar. How important was it for you that he was at the other end?
A. It was great to have my role model at the other end when I went in to bat as India was struggling then. The ball was swinging and seaming on that pitch and Sachin’s experience was handy. Having said that, he was not there for long and I batted mostly with Deep Dasgupta. Still, it was great to bat with him in the initial stages.