Downing Street ‘hacked into BBC computer’

THERE is no doubt that the British democracy is among the oldest in the world and many Britons believe that their country is a democratic model. But last week the democratic spirit of this country was questioned when senior BBC journalist and famous British writer John Simpson accused Downing Street of hacking into the BBC computer system to influence news reports critical of the government.

John Simpson is among Britain’s few top journalists and the most powerful in the BBC. In his new book News From No-Man’s-Land, which is serialized in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Simpson says that on a number of occasions the BBC was telephoned by government officials in an attempt to persuade it to tone down reports before they had been broadcast. He said journalists in the BBC newsroom were not able to prove that the system had been hacked into but were “morally certain” that it had happened.

He claims that when one journalist wrote a script on his computer for the next news bulletin, “he would be rung up by Downing Street before it was broadcast and lobbied on a point or two”. He went on: “This didn’t happen just once or twice. Downing Street has also rung up at One programme to complain about the items it was planning to run.” Downing Street has dismissed the allegations as “complete rubbish” and “utter drivel”.

The Sunday Telegraph said senior BBC managers ordered an investigation after staff reported their concerns following Labour’s 1997 general election victory. The inquiry was said to have centred on former BBC employees who may still have known passwords and may have been able to gain access to the system.

Mr Simpson, in his book, says although no proof was found, the BBC newsroom shortly afterwards switched to a more secure computer system. He claimed that the tactics were part of a widespread attempt by the government to pressure the BBC and other broadcasters. The allegations are not only embarrassing for the Labour government but for the BBC which is avoiding commenting on the allegations.

LONG DROUGHT: A recent UN-sponsored study about a two-mile-thick cloud of ash, acids, aerosols and other particles in the South Asian region speaks of a serious threat the area’s economy, as well as to its ecology. First, as a result of this phenomenon a vast area of Pakistan, Afghanistan and other surrounding regions are not having rain for the last several years.

Known as “Asian Brown Cloud, it is said by scientists to have been caused by forest fires, the burning of agricultural wastes, dramatic increases in the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, industries and power stations.

If immediate steps are not taken to rectify the situation, the study warns, the region would suffer enormously. The affected area stretches from Sri Lanka to Afghanistan, with Pakistan lying right in the middle. Apart from drastically altering rainfall patterns, the cloud is making the rain acid, damaging crops and trees, and threatening hundreds of thousands of people with respiratory disease.

It has also been revealed that already up to two million people in South Asia were dying each year from atmospheric pollution.

Apart from what the world community and South Asian governments must do to reverse the situation, the two main countries of South Asia — India and Pakistan — should try to include ‘Asia Brown Cloud’ in any future talks between them. Meanwhile, the countries of the region can form a joint body to give serious consideration to the problem.

Fighting back manipulations

LARGE-SCALE administrative reshufflings have started the process of the general election. Ordinances too have been issued to not only block the return of party chiefs of the PPP and the PML (N) but also to focus on keeping intact the ‘devolution plan,’ the brain-child of the National Reconstruction Bureau.

Holding of the intra-party polls recently speaks volumes of how serious are the parties about contesting the election.

Meanwhile, the MQM’s move, perhaps well calculated, to make arrangements in Sindh’s selected districts for its chief Altaf Hussain to deliver speeches from London does carry weight and it sounds as if something is in the offing between the MQM and the power that matters.

Yes, Sindh is a province where the PPP and the MQM are the forces to reckon with. But both carry, in flashback, a history of bitter experiences of working together, and are pole apart in a situation where the government-sponsored PML (QA) is exerting itself for survival, coupled with the feeble efforts of the PML (N) being led in Sindh by Imdad Chandio from the Larkana district.

The induction of ministers into the Sindh cabinet and the making of former bureaucrat Imtiaz Shaikh all-powerful in the province at first led to large-scale transfers and postings involving favouritism and targeting elected Nazims. The non-elected ministers are still said to be targeting the elected Nazims, particularly those who enjoy the backing of the PPP. It is said that this is being done to assess the situation for the government before the upcoming polls.

As a result of this politicking, the situation lately became so tense that district Nazims Khursheed Junejo (Larkana), Faryal Talpur (Nawabshah) and Nafisa Shah (Khairpur) were summoned to Islamabad in response to their joint letter they had sent to the concerned authority.

Khursheed Junejo says that when a district Nazim is the head of his district, according to the Sindh Local Government Order 2001, there arises no need for others to poke their nose into the affairs of the district and upset its affairs by making transfers on a large scale without consulting the Nazim.

Meanwhile, the Sindh PPP president, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, has accused the Sindh government of setting up what he called a ‘rigging cell’ in the Governor House. From Larkana alone, 48 officers — of grades 16 to 20 including DCO, DPO, executive district officers (health, revenue) — were transferred. The interference was so widespread that the Chief Election Commissioner had to issue a notification stopping the transfers.

The question being asked by the people today is, would these administrative changes promote “good governance”?

Moreover, it was quite surprising to listen to Sindh minister Muqeem Khan Khoso saying at the circuit house here that he saw no popular party in Pakistan. What a self-deception?

Perhaps all these moves aim at a single-point agenda: to break the PPP by extending support to all anti-PPP groups and conglomerates in Larkana. The efforts can be seen when the Larkana Democratic Alliance is formed at Mumtaz Bhutto’s Larkana residence where the SDA’s supporters, with former MPA Altaf Unnar, agreed to go ahead jointly.

But the differences were apparent when Amir Bakhsh Bhutto, son of Mumtaz Bhutto, evaded the question in the presence of Imtiaz Shaikh whether he would choose to contest from the SNF’s platform or SDA’s?

And now Qurban Abbasi, son of Maulvi Jan Mohammad Abbasi, a former mayor of Larkana, has parted ways with the SDA. It is a fact that anti-PPP forces are getting together to make a dent in its popularity, if not to defeat it, in its Larkana stronghold. Although a careful study shows a decline in the PPP vote bank in its strongholds, it does not mean that others have grown so strong and so popular as to encroach upon its standing here.

Although the absence of Benazir Bhutto has contributed to reduced party activities, the fresh exercise of intra-party polls, coupled with the election momentum, may compensate, to some extent, for the damage.

Thus it goes to the credit of the pro-PPP district Nazims of Larkana, Khairpur and Nawabshah — who were lately called to Islamabad — that they forcefully defended their stand before the people who matter. These Nazims tried to apprise them of the interference coming from the newly-inducted batch of ministers in the Sindh cabinet. A long meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner proved fruitful when a bar came on transfers and postings. And this was exactly what they had wanted, and succeeded in convincing the concerned quarters.

The PPP is worried in Larkana about the duties of the polling staff for most of them come from the education department. The opponents’ influence under the obtaining conditions on the “duties of choice” could not be ruled out, a PPP leader commented but in the same breath added: “We are fully prepared to foil our opponents’ designs by participating on a large-scale in the elections.”

Devolution plan incomplete after a year

Nothing could have better signified the prevailing anarchy on the final day of the first year of the City District Government in Karachi set up under General Naqvi’s much-trumpeted devolution plan as the broad daylight killing of two alleged robbers by the Rangers. Even though the Rangers claim had many holes, the Karachi police force was quick to accept their version. In the absence of independent witnesses or magistracy, they obviously had few options.

Devolution of power meant statutory transfer of authority as well as responsibility to the lower levels of governance. However most of the people of this country, political leadership, and legal community see the present government’s devolution exercise maligned with deceit and manipulation. After more than two years of slogan mongering nothing has been devolved from federal government to the provinces neither any devolution has taken place from provinces to the district level.

Though Karachi now has a District government, 18 Town Municipal Offices and 178 Union Councils yet the crumbling city remains as fragmented and disjointed as ever. Heaps of garbage appear to be everywhere over mostly darkened and cracking streets. Large chunks of city land remains under the control of numerous federal and provincial agencies, societies and authorities like Cantonment Boards, Port Trust, Defence Housing Authority and Railways.

The sub-section (I) of Section 14 of SLGO 2001 reads “On the commencement of this ordinance, the administrative and financial authority for the management of the offices of the government specified in part A of the first schedule set up in a district shall stand decentralized to the district government of that district”. Except for education and health that actually mean massive liabilities no other provincial department specified in Part-A of the ordinance including environment, land revenue, civil defence, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forest, labour, cooperatives, social welfare, basic and rural health, excise and taxation, housing and public health engineering, out of a list of 31 has been decentralized to the CDGK.

Even the salaries of the employees of education and health are still being dispensed by AGPR. The moneymaking Karachi Building Control Authority that provides officialdom subtle link to the builders mafia still thrives as a part of GOS. A retired brigadier who does not even fulfil the basic requirement of holding a civil engineering degree has been posted as chief controller.

Though Karachi Water and Sewage Board has been clubbed with CDGK yet it remains an independent entity. The mandarins of chopped and desecrated provincial governments all over the country, point in disdain at the quality and material of the local governments, claiming that the elected representatives were far from the maturity level required to digest any more than what is already on their platters.

One of the very senior bureaucrats in Sindh pointed out that there was literally no coordination between the City district government and Karachi’s City council that has barely completed few of the mandatory requirements. Ironically during last twelve months Nazim-i-Ala has graced six foreign countries including USA, China, Saudi Arabia and UAE yet he could only attend two of the fifty council sessions. Even the District Coordination Officer and his Executive District Officers refrained from attending additional sessions. The bureaucrats however claim that most of those sessions were held in July and August to fulfil a mandatory requirement of the ordinance.

One of the important tasks for the government was to prepare proposals especially regarding taxation for city council’s deliberation and approvals but none was submitted nor deliberated during the last year. The overall performance of the city government has been so dismal that even its Annual Development Plan that was to be presented by CDGK for approval at the time of the budget has not been presented till date.

On the other hand only four of the 27 non-intrusive committees of the council established as per section 39 sub- section E of SLGO 2001 to monitor the performance of CDGK departments has submitted single quarterly reports during the last year.

Interestingly neither devolution plan nor SLGO 2001 provides little or no authority for council or its elected members over district government. The response of the CDGK officials heightens a perception of contempt towards the elected members. The last sessions of the city council during August almost turned into mud slinging matches against the CDGK bureaucracy.

The worst barrage towards the council ostensibly came from the Nazim-i-Ala himself. The elected representatives of the city were shocked when on his return from USA, Nazim-i-Ala who continues to live over a dug-up street himself, claimed the government had spent a billion rupees for maintenance of roads and plans to spend 1.5 billion more over next twelve months.

Nazim-i-Ala created another ruckus by announcing a tax of 50 paisas per litre of fuel as road usage charge instead of Motor Vehicle Tax. While petroleum marketing companies took serious exception towards the unilateral and unauthorized announcement, the excise department went into motor vehicle tax collection frenzy.

For now open rebellion may have been averted due to Jamaat’s tight control over the city council and some tacit understanding with Awam Dost (PPP) leaders of the opposition.

The provincial government has also not refrained from contributing to the prevailing anarchy. The “Rules for conduct of business for local councils” were initially issued on Dec 5 last year but later quickly withdrawn on Jan 5. After full one year they have yet to be reissued.

With no financial autonomy devolution continues to be a joke. No one knows the ultimate fate, if any, of Provincial Finance Commissions. The retiring senior judge of the Lahore High Court most aptly remarked last week that the incumbents are so weak that the government cannot uphold what it has legislated even itself. Yet the future military regimes shall hold the political government formed in October squarely responsible for this mess.

Islam as a unifying force

THE history of religions shows that in ancient times religion had a national complexion as one could see in the case of Egyptians, Greeks and Iranians. Later, it became racial as was the case with the Jews. Christianity focussed on religion as an individual and private affair.

It was Islam which, for the first time, gave the message to mankind that religion was neither national and racial, nor individual and private, and that its purpose was to unite and organize mankind on the basis of monotheism despite all natural distinctions.

Undoubtedly Islam as a polity is a practical means of making Tauhid, i.e. monotheism, a living factor in the life of mankind. It demands loyalty to God, not to thrones. And since God is the ultimate spiritual basis of all life, loyalty to God virtually amounts to man’s loyalty to his own ideal nature.

The ultimate spiritual basis of all life, as conceived by Islam, is eternal and reveals itself in variety and change.

The principle of dynamic notion in Islam is styled “Ijtehad” which, in the terminology of Islamic law, means to exert with reasoning with a view to form an opinion on a legal question not specifically stated in the Quran and Sunnah, most in keeping with the spirit of the Shariah and the needs of society. The ideal had its origin in a well known verse of the Quran — “Man will have nothing but that which he strives for; that the result of his striving shall soon be known.” (53:43,44)

This is most clearly adumbrated in a tradition (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) when Ma’az bin Jabal was appointed Governor of Yemen, the Prophet is reported to have asked him as to how he would decide the cases coming up before him.

“I will judge matters according to the Book of Allah”, said Ma’az. “But if you do not get any guidance even in that,” asked the Prophet. “Then I will exert to form my own judgment to solve the question.” The Prophet is said to have been pleased with these answers and praised Allah for having placed amongst his followers men of the ingenuity of Ma’az bin Jabal who could take independent decisions in respect of a problem that comes up for solution.

But it may be pointed out that there are three degrees of Ijtehad: (1) Complete authority in legislation (2) Relative authority (3) Special authority which related to the law determining the law applicable to particular case left undetermined by the founders.

Discussing the first degree of Ijtehad only, i.e. complete authority in legislation, Allama Iqbal says: “The theoretical possibility of the degree of Ijtehad is admitted by the Sunnis, but in practice it has been denied ever since the establishment of the schools, in as much as the ideal of complete Ijtehad is hedged round by conditions which are well-nigh impossible of realisation in a single individual. Such an attitude seems exceedingly strange in a system of law based mainly on the groundwork provided by the Quran which embodies an essentially dynamic outlook on life.”

There is an imperative need for an international Muslim brotherhood on the pattern of present United Nations. It cannot be denied that for the present every Muslim nation must sink into its deeper self, temporarily focus its vision on itself alone, until all are strong and powerful to form a living family or republics. A true and living unity, according to the nationalist thinkers, is not so easy as to be achieved by a merely symbolic overlordship. It is truly manifested in a multiplicity of free independent units whose racial rivalries are adjusted and harmonised by the unifying bond of common spiritual aspiration.

The Quran has also laid emphasis on this aspect of life: “We have made you in groups and tribes only for recognition” which clearly thrashes bare the idea that the national and tribal divisions of humanity are for recognition and distinction and not based on Machiavellian and Lutheran theory of nationalism which divides humanity into water-tight compartments.

In order to create a really effective political unity of Islam, all Muslim countries must first become economically, socially, industrially and politically self-sufficient and independent and then in their totality they should range themselves under a federation or commonwealth and lay the foundations of a workable modern Islamic state. In the international community the weak find no place, power alone deserves respect and honour.

What then is to be done now by the Muslim Ummah? The question evokes in the mind a background of long discussion and debate of discontent with present conditions, of a continuing search for a way out, culminating in an urgent, insistent, impatient demand for action. Something has to be done to free the spirit of the East, to shatter the shackles imposed by the West. The contemporary world crisis is dominated by two gigantic struggles.

The most outstanding problem is the struggle of the nations of Asia and Africa against the political domination and economic exploitation of the West, under the garb of democracy and human rights minus equity and justice.

The Muslim Ummah must realise its destiny to meet the modern challenges by acquiring knowledge as the most powerful weapon. Not long ago there was hardly any science of which the Muslims did not make themselves masters. In chemistry, astronomy, mathematics and medicine, and many other branches of natural philosophy, the Muslims excelled.

The foundation of what is termed physical science was thus laid, and the gate of investigation of the marvels of creation was flung wide open. By unravelling the mysteries of nature and widening the scope of knowledge, they introduced such blessings of comfort and happiness as were unknown before in the world.

The whole world of creation is full of materials that await man’s exertion for their development and utilisation. There are millions of things in the Universe, in the realm of the stars and in the bowels of the earth and the ocean that have been created for man’s use. All these have yet to be harnessed in order to meet the increased requirements of human society. The glorious Qu’ran repeatedly speaks of their subservience to man:-

“Assuredly in the creation of the heights and of the surfaces and in the alternation of night and day and in the ships which pass through the seas with what is useful to man; and in the rain which Allah sendeth down from above, giving life to the Earth after its death and scattering over it all kind of cattle; and in the change of winds and in the clouds that are made to do service between the heights and the surface are signs for those who understand.” (2:159).

Real world democracy, which signifies an equality of status for all human beings as such can be attained only through Islam.

It possesses such a mighty spiritual influence that as soon as a man joins this order, he feels himself raised to a high level when all distinctions of race, colour, caste and rank disappear as if by a magic wand. Islam possesses this spiritual power even today, as has been aptly stated by Prof H.A.R. Gibb in “Whither Islam”:

“But Islam has yet a further service to render to the cause of humanity... No other society has such a record of success, in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavour, so many and so various races of mankind.

“The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small Muslim communities in China and the still smaller community in Japan show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and West is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition.”

It is most imperative for Muslim Ummah now to chalk out an integrated programme of action.

Top priority should be assigned to set up a common market, joint defence, and industry, scientific and technological research centres, institutions of religious, professional, technical and scientific education to produce a rich band of highly qualified persons with well-stocked libraries and other attendant facilities to back up and transform this treasure into a power house for progress.

With the revival of real faith (Iman) the Muslims are bound to become the leaders of the men and nations as assured by Allah the Almighty in the Quran.