American ‘tilt’

WITH the tension along the Indo-Pakistan borders showing no signs of easing, one hopes Colin Powell’s visit would be able to make a difference. So far, all attempts by Pakistan to lessen tension have floundered on the rock of Indian obduracy. What aim India precisely has is difficult to gauge. But it is obvious that it has, as a matter of policy, refused to take any steps that would lead to de-escalation. At Kathmandu, President Musharraf’s handshake was a unilateral peace gesture. Mr Vajpayee refused to reciprocate — both at the Nepalese capital and later on his return to New Delhi. Their foreign ministers, too, met for nearly ninety minutes, but India kept on denying that there was any such meeting. It is obvious, thus, that India is very keen to perpetuate a very high level of nerve-racking tension.

While India is behaving the way it always has, the cause for concern is the attitude of the leaders of the US-led world coalition. If not dubious, it is enigmatic. The whole world knows who has created the present crisis on the borders. Yet no western leader has found it fit to utter one word to indicate who he thinks is the guilty party. Given the help which Pakistan has rendered the world coalition in its military operations, Islamabad had expected America to show an understanding of Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and call a spade a spade. Pakistan might even have stomached it if Washington and London had done a tight rope walking between Islamabad and New Delhi in the hope that this would help end the eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation. However, much to the Pakistani people’s chagrin, this has not happened. Instead, one is shocked to realize that Anglo-American diplomacy has shown a tendency to tilt toward India.

All along this crisis, Washington and London have either urged both Pakistan and India to exercise restraint or been pressuring President Musharraf to do more by way of a crackdown on religious extremists. Neither has criticized India for refusing to talk to Pakistan, much less rap it on its Kashmir policy and its gross human rights violations in the valley. And this at a time when the operations against the Al-Qaeda are still continuing and American soldiers are still operating from Pakistani soil. One can imagine what the western attitude would be in a few weeks’ or months’ time, when American military operations come to an end.

It is time the government asked Washington whether its current balancing act did not amount to a tilt on India’s side and whether its stand conformed to the assurances it had given to Islamabad before the military operations against the Taliban began. New Delhi has correctly read Anglo-American reluctance to annoy it. No wonder, it feels encouraged in its intransigence and may well be tempted to take extreme measures against Pakistan. If there are any behind-the-scenes assurances given to Pakistan, then it is time the government took the people into confidence, since the American attitude is causing a lot of misgivings. In fact, people who had supported the government’s decision to go the whole hog with the US in the anti-Taliban operations are now wondering whether this was worth it.

Kashmir committee

IT has become patently clear in recent weeks that Pakistan has lost the propaganda war over Kashmir, despite the strength of its case. Recent events reflect this depressing reality. India’s relentless attempts to depict the tragedy of Kashmir as simply a problem of terrorism is now beginning to echo in most influential western capitals and beyond. It is in this backdrop that one must view the constitution on Wednesday of a Kashmir National Committee headed by the veteran Azad Kashmir leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum. While the government’s decision to create such a body is laudable, the committee must avoid repeating the mistakes made by similar bodies in the past. Pakistan’s previous attempts at pleading Kashmir’s case were balefully inadequate. What is required in the wholly new global environment is a fresh, more dynamic approach. For one, it would be a good idea not to select members for the committee simply for political reasons or reasons of expediency, as in the past. Kashmir is too important a subject to be handed over to troublesome politicians who can be appeased by being sent off on endless junkets. It is also meaningless to fill in the slots according to some predetermined quota. What is required is the best minds and the most eloquent speakers to advocate the cause. The case should not be too difficult to make.

Here is a region whose people were denied their basic right to decide their fate more than fifty years ago despite UN resolutions to the effect. For the last 12 years, the people have been subjected to unimaginable suffering at the hands of the Indian forces. Thousands of people have been slaughtered, been tortured or have ‘disappeared’, and countless women have been raped during this period. India needs to be put on the defensive over its appalling human rights record by the international community and world press, which has to be convinced that the Kashmir struggle is more than just about cross=border terrorism. That India has managed to drown out such forceful arguments against its policies in Kashmir is a terrible indictment of Pakistan’s public relations machinery.

Ticketing system

THE ticketing system introduced in Lahore and other major cities of Punjab on Wednesday aims at improving a stricter enforcement of traffic rules for safer roads. Fines up to Rs 300 have been prescribed for various violations ranging from speeding and reckless driving to overloading and driving without a fitness certificate. It gives the violator 10 days to deposit the necessary amount in any NBP branch for retrieving his documents. This will save the offending drivers the trouble of going to courts to get back their driving licences and registration papers. Often, this is a time-consuming process resulting in a waste of valuable court time and undue inconvenience to the people. There was also much scope for corruption under the traditional challan system. Police officials succumbed to bribery and pressures of influence and status, denying the government revenue and encouraging a disregard of traffic rules.

Whether the ticketing system would help reduce corruption and promote respect for the law remains to be seen. Corruption, particularly, cannot be ruled out in view of the discretionary authority placed in police hands under the new system. Offences include such violations as exceeding permissible speed limits, negligent or reckless driving, obstructing traffic, and parking violations. There are hardly any road signs to warn drivers of permissible speed limits in the cities. Similarly, there are no clear parking spaces or signboards for one-way traffic. The requirement of fitness certificates for vehicles is important in our context, but it is not clear whether this rule applies to all or mostly old automobiles and bulk carriers. Prompt punishment of traffic offenders is necessary, but it is also important to check the misuse of power by police. At the same time, given the fact that most drivers are illiterate, it is essential to create awareness of the traffic rules to minimize traffic violations.