Ties with Washington

THE Iraqi crisis seems to have highlighted the delicate nature of Pakistan’s relations with the United States. Even though the focus of world attention has moved away from Afghanistan, Pakistan still remains America’s key ally in the war on terror. The Taliban regime might have ended, but the Al Qaeda network still exists. The level of its operational capability in Pakistan, especially in the tribal areas, may be open to speculation, but its ability to mount terror attacks has not disappeared or dropped to a level where the US-led coalition could feel unworried. For that reason, the close political and military cooperation that has characterized the US-Pakistan relations since 9/11 must continue. That in the current Iraqi crisis Washington continues to attach importance to its commitments to Pakistan is evident in more ways than one.

On Friday, President Bush rang up and talked to President Musharraf on the Iraqi situation, and the two agreed that Baghdad should fully comply with all UN resolutions on disarmament. Bush also acknowledged Pakistan’s “important contribution to the global war on terror.” The two leaders also promised to remain in close touch with each other on the Iraqi situation. Last week, Pakistan and American officials exchanged views on security and non-proliferation issues, besides the situation in South Asia. The US side offered to help in strengthening the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets. Even though Pakistan has repeatedly made it clear that its nuclear assets are secure and there is no possibility that they could fall into wrong hands, America nevertheless remains concerned. Pakistan would do well to address these concerns.

Of particular importance is Secretary of State Colin Powell’s remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirming the Bush administration’s keenness to lift the remaining sanctions against Pakistan. The US has already waived several sets of sanctions against Pakistan, including those imposed in the wake of Islamabad’s nuclear tests in May 1998 in response to New Delhi’s and the “democracy sanctions” slammed in 1999. Washington needs to ensure that Congress does not re-impose the “democracy sanctions” in the 2003 budget. This apart, there are quite a few irritants in bilateral relations that call for attention. Of special concern to Pakistan are US media reports linking Islamabad to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. Normally, such reports and comments in a democracy should not cause much concern. But it is now confirmed that some of these speculative reports were the result of deliberate official leaks. There were also reports alleging an offer by Pakistan’s top nuclear experts to help Iraq in its nuclear programme. Such allegations are baseless, because Islamabad never had close political or technical equations with Baghdad. A spate of such insinuations has naturally caused serious concerns in Pakistan. There is thus greater need for Washington and Islamabad to sort out these irritants that often tend to cause misunderstandings on both sides. Above all, Pakistan expects America to play a more active role in defusing tension in South Asia. The main obstacle is India repeatedly turning down Pakistan’s offer of a dialogue to solve all their disputes and differences. Given the growing friendship between Washington and New Delhi, Pakistan hopes that the US will use its influence with the Indian government to make it realize that talks are the only sensible way of solving disputes and removing the threat to peace in the subcontinent.

A fiendish act

THE repeated beating by his schoolteachers of Mohammad Aamir, an 11-year-old boy from Haripur district in the NWFP, was nothing if not a fiendish act of cruelty. This sustained torture drove the desperate boy to set himself alight, causing 65 per cent burn injuries all over his body. Aamir had resorted to this extreme act after he failed to convince his teachers that he had not stolen a muffler belonging to one of them. Giving a heart-rending account of his ordeal to the police, as he lay struggling for life in a Rawalpindi hospital, the boy said the teachers involved beat him up repeatedly with “fists, kicks and sticks for three days”. Doctors say the boy’s chances of survival are not very good. The police have registered a case against the accused teachers on the complaint of the boy’s mother.

This is not the first time that a cruel case of corporal punishment, that is routinely meted out to children in our schools and madressahs, has come to light. Teachers and instructors are known to use severe forms of corporal punishment, including those causing bleeding or internal injuries and tying them up in chains in the name of disciplining them. What is worse is that these abusers are seldom called to account for their cruel deeds. All this forms part of a wider malaise in society where adults are sometimes prone to venting their frustrations and bitterness on innocent children in thoughtless and even cruel ways. Need one say that such conduct clearly constitutes child abuse of the worst kind, and schools and madressahs should be the last places for it to be practised.

Corporal punishment needs to be declared a punishable offence so that those administering it in schools and madressahs can be brought to book. Parents, for their part, must also act more responsibly and report incidents of violence against their children to the authorities concerned so that prompt and appropriate remedial action is taken against the perpetrators. As for the tormentors of Mohammad Aamir, the authorities needs to vigorously pursue this case to its logical conclusion. Exemplary punishment must be meted out to the offenders in a swift and timely manner so as to deter other teachers similarly inclined from torturing children.

Funds for Shish Mahal

A UNESCO grant of $900,000 for renovating Shah Jahan’s Shish Mahal and establishing a drainage system for Lahore Fort will hopefully stem the deterioration of these classic Mughal monuments. Though much more cash had been promised, the aid is timely because the interior of the structure had developed cracks and because the Fort badly needed a drainage system to prevent damage from rain and standing water inside its premises. Since the amount is less than what the government was expecting, a decision to build a museum in the Shish Mahal’s basement has been put on hold. This is a shame because the museum would have provided visitors a fascinating glimpse into our rich past. While the UNESCO funds are welcome, it is a shame that the government has to rely solely on outside assistance for preserving what is a magnificent piece of our architectural heritage. It reflects the low priority attached by successive governments to conservation and archaeological preservation. Hopefully, the amount given by UNESCO will be used wisely and in such a way that the renovation retains the Shish Mahal’s unique period architecture and its decorative elements. However, it is highly regrettable that the government should postpone the construction of the museum just because UNESCO could not provide more funding. Surely, when it comes to preserving our historical treasures we should be able to find enough resources within the country to fund such a worthy venture. If the government is unable to set aside funds for the museum, it should explore the possibility of financial help from the private corporate sector in the country.