Coming ashore, at last

THE National Assembly elected on October 10 has finally been summoned to meet on Saturday, six weeks after it came into being. It was first expected to convene on November 8, but the expected inaugural session was put off amidst conflicting reports about which party had actually suggested a postponement. It turned out that it was after all the pro-government PML(Q) that had sought the delay. It was argued that more time was needed to sort out issues relating to government formation and develop a consensus on the prime ministership. In between, we have lived in a constitutional and legal grey area and treated to the spectacle of a flagrant abuse of democratic propriety, with the administration making changes in the law of the land to suit its own convenience and its changing political compulsions. It is earnestly to be hoped that there will be no more delays, and that in the few remaining days before the elected legislators gather in Islamabad for the inaugural session, no further manipulation will be attempted. Already the military has been guilty of much the same wheeling and dealing that it is fond of blaming on politicians.

Has the time gained by the PML(Q) been productive? The initial moves to seek agreement on a broad-based government of national consensus appear to have fizzled out. There were signs that the People’s Party was keen on the idea and that the military itself, mindful of the need to balance out the MMA, was in favour of some form of PPP participation. But apparently a mutually satisfactory deal could not be worked out between the PPP and the PML(Q) and between the PPP and the military. The PPP leadership confused principles with the purely personal demands of its leadership. Thereafter, the sequence of events has been quite muddled, but it seems that at some point it was realized that you could not both run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. A choice had to be made, and the vote now looks like being in favour of an alliance that groups the MMA and the Grand National Alliance, of which the PML(Q) is really the main component. It is said that talks between the two and with the government have resulted in a meeting of minds on most elements of the Legal Framework Order. If President Pervez Musharraf can actually be persuaded to drop the idea of a National Security Council or substantially limit its role, modify Section 58(2)(B), and shed his military uniform — the paradigm within which current negotiations are reportedly being held — it will be a definite gain for democracy. From the next government’s point of view, it will have the added advantage of defanging in advance the opposition, which is likely to be dominated by the PPP and the Nawaz League.

But the situation was still fluid till yesterday. The important thing is that all concerned, including General Musharraf, must make the most sincere attempt to ensure that transfer of power to the elected government is meaningful and unfettered. Despite pre-poll moves and manoeuvres to influence the election outcome, the statistics are clear that parties that were against a continuing role for the military in politics won a majority. The popular will, as reflected in parliament, should be respected by those who form the next government.

Iraq’s correct decision

IRAQ has shown realism and common sense by accepting the Security Council Resolution 1441 passed unanimously last Friday. Even though the contents of the acceptance letter delivered to the UN secretary-general’s office are not known, Iraq’s envoy to the world body said Baghdad’s response was “positive.” China’s ambassador to the UN, who is president of the Security Council for this month, rightly observed that Baghdad’s decision was “correct” and that the world body wanted to see Resolution 1441 fully implemented. Baghdad’s acceptance of the resolution means that the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (Unmovic) will resume its work in Iraq within 45 days of the passage of the resolution. As Unmovic chief Hans Blix said, he hopes to have an advance team in Iraq by Monday. The team is going with enhanced powers, and the wording of the resolution is tough. In fact, it is so comprehensive, visceral and so outlandishly worded that the hawks in the Bush administration can find any number of chinks in it to accuse Baghdad of being in “material breach” of the resolution, making it liable for punishment. For instance, the resolution asks Iraq to provide to Unmovic “immediate, unimpeded, unconditional and unrestricted access to any and all, including underground, areas, facilities, buildings, equipment, records, and means of transport” as well as “immediate, unimpeded, unrestricted, and private access to all officials.” The resolution also asks Iraq to disclose the locations and work of all of its research, development and production units, besides all programmes related to weapons of mass destruction, including any research “not related to weapon production.”

The truth is that the Iraqi acceptance of the resolution may have delayed but not altogether eliminated possibilities of a US-led war against Iraq altogether. Washington’s aim is not merely the elimination of the WMDs purportedly in possession of Iraq but a regime change. This the US seems determined to achieve even if it means unleashing war on Iraq unilaterally. One hopes Baghdad will cooperate fully with Unmovic and will not give any pretext for the hawks in the Bush administration to launch a military strike.

Twin city crime

THERE has been a spate of robberies in recent days in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. On Tuesday, robbers struck at six places in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. All the three robberies in Islamabad were carried out at gunpoint. One of these was a burglary in the I-8 residential sector which took place when the man of the house was away for ‘tarawih’ prayers. Thankfully, no one was injured but valuables and cash were taken away. In the other two incidents, a taxi and a van were snatched from their drivers at gunpoint. One incident took place right in the commercial heart of the capital in the Blue Area and the other near Shakarparian Garden. While the police are on a constant lookout for terrorists, they also ought to keep a close watch on daily crime, particularly during the month of Ramazan and during the Eid holidays when many families leave their homes unattended as they visit their native villages and towns.

In addition to stepping up their campaign against criminals, the police should treat the unfortunate victims of robberies and burglaries with greater sympathy. A man who was robbed of a sizable amount of cash right in front of a bank in Aabpara last week suffered a heart attack while he was talking to police officers at the police station and died later in hospital. Apparently, the poor man had been visiting the police station practically every day since the theft, trying to get the police to pursue his case in earnest. The police should realize that for the victims, especially the middle-aged and the elderly, the loss of hard-earned money and valuable possessions is a traumatic experience, and the police should be gentle and consoling in their attitude.