Periodic convulsions and cancellation of functions
KARACHI has become a casualty of terrorism again. It has now become a periodic event, which makes the shutdown of major social events essential or wiser. In the past, such mourning and shutdown used to be the outcome of local terrorist elements with political objectives. After September 11, the lasting shutdown was the outcome of international terrorism in New York and Washington, and Pakistan suddenly became a frontline state in that horrible war. Not only were most of the social activities abruptly cancelled, but also several major roads were closed for several months, and the wives of diplomats and of the chiefs of many companies were sent back home. In fact, in many cases, as in the case of Japanese and European companies, their executives, too, were sent back. They began trickling back only recently, one by one, and there were quite a few happy welcome parties for them arranged by their friends and colleagues. But now the whole process has turned the full circle, and the wives have gone back home and business visitors have stopped coming. In the case of the US, for example, Pakistan appears to have become a non-family station for its diplomats. In fact, Mrs John Bauman, wife of the US Consul-General who made a brief visit to the city from the Czech republic, was asked to hurry back home, and she did after some technical dilly dallying.
The US ambassador, Wendy Chamberlin, herself has requested that she be transferred to take care of her two teenaged daughters who had to leave Islamabad following the terrorist attack on the church in the diplomatic enclave.
Mr John Bauman says Pakistan is likely to become a permanent non-family station for US diplomats for some time. That means some of the best diplomats may choose not to come to Pakistan. This may be particularly so after the attack on the church in Islamabad and the killing of eleven French submarine engineers and injuries to fourteen more in Karachi.
The attack on the Frenchmen was,indeed, very extraordinary. Muslims in Pakistan and the Arab world know the French policy is quiet different from the American. The French have been striving for peace in the region and even more so in Palestine. The French are strongly for a Palestinian state and express themselves quite forcefully.
The French are a major irritant to George Bush in his European and Middle East policy, and are a force in efforts to unify the Europeans in favour of a fair deal for the Palestinians. That the engineers of such a country should be killed so savagely in Pakistan, which has an excellent relationship with France, and in such large numbers was, indeed, horrifying and totally unexpected.
The attack on the French has dented further the efforts for attracting foreign investment and their efforts in making foreigners participate in our privatization process profitably for us.
British Council
WHILE the French cultural centre Alliance Francaise continues to remain open though not with its usual frantic activities, British Council has shut down as it did long after September 11. Also shut down is its Business Management Centre set up in collaboration with I.C.I.
The British council’s significance is far more than that of a library, a video-lending service and a computer facility. It holds ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations, in which many thousands of students are involved. While these scheduled exams are continuing, many are wondering when the British Council itself will open for its other multifarious activities. The British Council had, in recent times, expanded and diversified its activities under its new director, Mr Charlie Walker. It had opted for more Urdu programmes to get closer to the masses, instead of staying close to the classes. And it had even organized street theatre movement in the name of ‘Natural Theatre Company’. Charlie Walker also gave a reception to launch the movement which proved to be very popular.
He also held English-to-Urdu translation workshop, which was conducted by Raza Ali Abidi. And Ameena Saiyid of Oxford University Press had come with an Urdu translation of the famous Harry Potter and The philosophers Stone translated by Darakshanda Asghar Khokar, who received one thousand pounds for translating it. The function was also marked by the reading of the book by Fatima Suriya Bajia. The British Council had also resumed its one-day seminars on business topics which included ‘Training of the trainers’ with Wali Zahid as the course leader. In fact, many of its seminars these days are led by Pakistanis, may be because the foreigners do not want to risk coming to Karachi in these turbulent times, or the British Council found that it is more economical and more relevant to ask Pakistanis to conduct the workshops.
German Frigate
IT IS rare that a German naval ship comes to Pakistan, but this time not one but two frigates came — frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and frigate Rheinland-Pfalz. And the Germans tried to make the best of that. The German Ambassador, Dr Chirstoph Brummer, the Consul-General, Ingmar Brentle and the commander of the German task group, S.G. Throsten Kahler, held a reception on board the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and invited the elite of the city. Heads of German companies and European diplomats were all there. So were prominent Pakistanis doing business with Germany. The politicians were not missing either. And commanders of the Pakistan Navy were among the notables. Thorsten Kahler held a press conference on board the frigate, and explained the main features of the frigates and the significance of their visit. Soon after their visit, the tragedy of the attack on the French personnel came, making further visits by European naval frigates unlikely for quite sometime.
Hotels
LEADING hotels have been hit hard by the cancellation of parties and other functions in the city and that is happening to them time and again, and each period of blight lasts far longer than the previous one. The hotels were recovering to some extent from the blight that followed September 11, and now, the second social drought has hit them hard. Many of them are finding it tough to service or repay their bank loans. They also have to hold up their expansion plans. Tourists are not coming and there are no foreign investors. The number of diplomatic visitors have also dwindled. Internal travel by high-spenders has also become far less because of the contraction of social activities. Weddings have also become far less because of summer. Their only salvation is the marriages where food is now permitted to be served. They hope and pray that this concession will not be withdrawn.
Japanese Consul-General
THE first major diplomatic function to be cancelled immediately after the attack on the French engineers was the introductory party by the Japanese Consul-General, Kanji Hanagata.
He arrived six weeks ago, and was hoping to meet a good many of the friends of Japan at his party for which he had sent out invitations. But since the Japanese would prefer to err on the side of caution then on the side of daring, he cancelled the reception.
He would have had an opportunity to meet a large number of friends of Japan together if the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations had between the two countries been held in Karachi. Instead, that was done in Islamabad, where a top official VIP had come from Tokyo.
Celebrating the event in Islamabad meant the president of the Pak-Japan Business Council, Aziz Memon, and other office-bearers had to fly to the capital. They were able to meet many ministers at the function, which they may not have been able to do if the function was held in Karachi.
But, one hopes, the Pakistani members of the Pak-Japan Business Council, inclusive of its Secretary General Majyd Aziz, should be able to take the lead soon in celebrating the event here colourfully.
KARACHI has become a casualty of terrorism again. It has now become a periodic event, which makes the shutdown of major social events essential or wiser. In the past, such mourning and shutdown used to be the outcome of local terrorist elements with political objectives. After September 11, the lasting shutdown was the outcome of international terrorism in New York and Washington, and Pakistan suddenly became a frontline state in that horrible war. Not only were most of the social activities abruptly cancelled, but also several major roads were closed for several months, and the wives of diplomats and of the chiefs of many companies were sent back home. In fact, in many cases, as in the case of Japanese and European companies, their executives, too, were sent back. They began trickling back only recently, one by one, and there were quite a few happy welcome parties for them arranged by their friends and colleagues. But now the whole process has turned the full circle, and the wives have gone back home and business visitors have stopped coming. In the case of the US, for example, Pakistan appears to have become a non-family station for its diplomats. In fact, Mrs John Bauman, wife of the US Consul-General who made a brief visit to the city from the Czech republic, was asked to hurry back home, and she did after some technical dilly dallying.
