A welcome pledge

THE Afghan interior minister’s visit to Pakistan seems to have ended on a positive note, with the two sides agreeing on a number of points. At a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Pakistan’s interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and his Afghan counterpart, Ali Ahmad Jalali, agreed that neither side would allow subversive elements to use its territory for creating trouble in the other’s. The agreement comes in the wake of a number of unpleasant incidents, including the attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, the anti-Pakistan demonstrations in a number of Afghan cities and the Hamid Karzai government’s own complaints against Islamabad. At the press conference, Mr Jalali claimed that some elements were using Pakistan territory to carry out raids into Afghan territory. On its part, Islamabad feels that there has been a menacing rise in anti-Pakistan activity since the Kabul government allowed India to establish consulates in cities close to Pakistan. Mr Jalali denied that India was involved in any anti-Pakistan activity, but given the state of Indo-Pakistan relations, Kabul must listen to Pakistan’s concerns. The proceedings of the press conference gave ample reason for all to believe that the two sides seem keen to sort out the differences and control the activities of those bent upon harming their bilateral relations.

The situation has been complicated by the fact that there are certain influential elements in the Afghan government who do not hold a very charitable view of Pakistan and its government. Some of them hold important positions in Mr Karzai’s administration and wield considerable influence in regions outside the capital. Especially hostile to Pakistan is the Panjsheri group, which has often tended to follow an independent line in foreign policy that goes not only against that of the Karzai administration but is also against the spirit of the Bonn accord. Mr Karzai, an ethnic Pashtoon, faces an extremely delicate situation, and he will have to take along all such elements within his own administration if any attempted rapprochement with Islamabad is to be successful.

Most Afghans will agree that two decades of foreign occupation and civil war have left Afghanistan desperately in need of peace and stability. Even if some Afghans think that foreign powers are meddling in their affairs, the ability of these powers to do all that they are accused of doing will be greatly reduced if there is unity and order inside their country. Islamabad, of course, does realize that no two countries are as closely linked to each other as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Conditions of anarchy in Afghanistan affect Pakistan sooner or later. The two countries are bound by many common ties, including those of culture, history, and economy. Pakistan is also well aware that, as part of its commitment to fighting terrorism, it has a special responsibility to ensure that those who wish to destabilize Afghanistan are not allowed to do so. Also, because of the close nexus that existed between the Taliban and many Pakistani extremist outfits, clamping down on these elements will have a positive impact on the situation at home. However, Kabul should understand Islamabad’s limitations in this regard given the length of the border between the two countries and the difficulty in effectively monitoring it. Meanwhile, Mr Jalali’s suggestion that Afghan refugees living in Pakistan be given special permits to travel freely across the border needs to be looked at cautiously because it could be easily misused by the very subversive elements the two countries want to stamp out.

The ghee crisis

THE countrywide strike by the ghee manufacturers following a dispute with the Central Board of Revenue over tax refunds is disquieting. Although the top-of-the-line ghee and edible oil manufacturers have kept away from the strike, the decision by the rest of the manufacturers to shut down has affected a vast majority of consumers. Already, as the news of the strike spread, ghee prices saw an appreciation of up to nearly one rupee per kg at the retail level. One does not know how long the strike will last, but if it continues there may be serious shortages of ghee and edible oil in the days to come. The irony is that while it is the government and the ghee manufacturers that are quarrelling, it is the consumers who have been made to bear the brunt of the crisis.

Ghee manufacturers have struck after the CBR refused to give them tax refunds for the outgoing fiscal year, citing irregularities and lack of proper audit on the part of the manufacturers. That this dispute should have resulted in the outright shutting down of a large number of ghee mills for an indefinite period should be cause for concern for the government. Obviously, the government’s strategy is flawed. The CBR is sticking to its point of view, with the finance minister saying he would rather import ghee to meet the shortfall in the market than succumb to the manufacturers’ pressure tactics. This in no way is a long-term solution, and will likely cost the treasury much more in import bills than what it stands to lose if it were to restore tax refunds to the manufacturers. The finance minister needs to think again; and so must the ghee manufacturers, who have refused to talk to the CBR. The CBR should offer the former a deal that both parties can live with — a compromise in which nobody would come out the loser.

A Pakistan fashion week

THE week-long India Fashion Week 2003 in Mumbai attracted close to 50,000 visitors. Fifty-eight designers showcased their ready-to-wear collections in the ‘by invitation only’ event, which also hosted interactive talks with leading business people from the industry. Unlike individual couture showings, which showcase one designer’s new collection, this fashion week was meant to be more trade-oriented as the clothes shown represented samples which could then be produced in larger quantities for sale at wider outlets, locally and globally.

Pakistan has much to learn from events like these. It needs to realize that fashion cannot be limited to a minuscule clientele who can afford five-digit prices. The alienation of the common consumer only restricts the market and hampers the development of fashion as an industry. Pakistan’s fashion designers need to work collectively and move towards getting recognition as an industry under the government’s new trade policy whose aim is to promote ‘industry clusters’. In 1996, the Export Promotion Bureau did well by setting up a fashion school in Lahore as it recognized that fashion had a substantial role to play in generating revenue. Pakistani fashion has a headstart, as it has some of the most talented designers creating innovative couture. The textile industry produces some of the finest cotton in the world, and the local apparel industry would benefit tremendously if designers lent their creativity to it. Apart from creating job opportunities and generating foreign exchange, Pakistani fashion will boost the country’s image in the global community. Fashion designers need to rise above personal differences and work together in setting up a fashion council whose objective should be to organize a Pakistan fashion week. By roping in textile industry heavyweights, corporations and government support, Pakistani fashion can find a niche on the global ramps.