UN resolution on Iraq

The consensus reached among Security Council members on the new resolution on Iraq is a welcome development. Aware of the hazards of going it alone, America this time seems to have realized the importance of taking all members of the UN council into confidence on the Iraqi situation.

One hopes this wisdom is not a one-time affair, and that Washington will continue to work in tandem with friends and allies - and not only on Iraq. The resolution stipulates an end to Iraq's occupation on June 30, and paves the way for the assumption of office by a "sovereign" Iraqi government.

The resolution, however, binds the new Iraqi government not to take any action affecting Iraq's destiny during the interim period, until elections are held. The most welcome feature of the resolution is that it gives the new Iraqi government the right to ask the US-led multinational force to leave the country.

In any case, the resolution stipulates that the multinational force will leave Iraq not later than January 30, 2006. Until then, the international force is authorized to maintain peace in the country.

The crucial question is how the Iraqi people react to the new resolution. Given the anarchy and chaos in that country, there is no way of knowing how the Iraqis look at it. But those who are today resisting the occupation - like Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr and Ayatollah Sistani - do not seem in a mood to cooperate with the new provisional government (PG).

The PG, like the Interim Governing Council (IGC), consists of men loyal to the US. They have been chosen, no doubt, by the IGC, but it is obvious that the PG will be run by men whom America trusts.

This could serve to alienate the Iraqi people from them. Whether such a team can win the confidence of the people, help rebuild the country's infrastructure, and reinforce Baghdad's writ over the entire country are big questions.

Absent in the resolution is a meaningful UN involvement in the steps leading to the holding of a general election. All that the resolution does is to authorize the world body to assist in convening a national conference to select a 100-man consultative council.

This body will help the PG in holding the elections, while retaining a veto over its policies. It is doubtful if such a set-up will be able to secure the cooperation of men like Army of Mahdi chief Moqtada Sadr and Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

For them, elections to the transitional assembly will be held by a government that takes orders from the US. This will make the electoral exercise suspect. Consequently, the elected government that is to take over after the general election in the winter of 2004-5 will lack legitimacy in the eyes of the Iraqis.

While hoping that the PG will be able to accomplish the mission it is charged with, one doubts if things will go the way the resolution visualizes. The ideal course would have been to place Iraq under a UN set-up, with the responsibility for peace lying with an international force coming from neutral countries.

Elections only under such a dispensation would be considered legitimate by the people of Iraq and the world at large. The resolution is a well- meaning document, and seeks to extricate America out of the Iraqi quagmire. But one doubts if the PG will be able to deliver what is expected of it.

Closure of NGO offices

Offices of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have remained closed in Balochistan for over a week now following threats by religious extremists.

These organizations have been threatened with suicide bombing if they do not wind up their operations in the province. Those issuing the threats have made it known that only those NGOs which have western aid workers will be targeted.

The closure would have dire consequences for many. Most of the foreign NGOs that are operating in Balochistan are either working among Afghan refugees who have been temporarily settled in the province or among people in rural areas desperately in need of help and assistance.

These are the most neglected sections of society. Large sections of these people do not receive any government help and rely almost entirely on the NGOs for food, health care and education.

As Pakistan's most backward province in terms of socio-economic development, there is a lot that needs to be done by the public and private sectors in Balochistan in providing people with the basic necessities.

A number of programmes on poverty alleviation, health care and primary education are currently being run by both local and foreign NGOs in collaboration with the government. It is important that these organizations resume their work and that no group, regardless of its affiliations or ideology, is allowed to disrupt the good work being done by them.

It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to the NGOs engaged in Balochistan and elsewhere in the country. Steps taken by the Balochistan government are encouraging but more needs to be done.

Apart from providing security to these NGOs, the government should also trace out those who held out threats to them and give them exemplary punishment.

Tackling potable water crisis

The United Nations Disaster Management team in Pakistan has offered to help the government in addressing water contamination problems in Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh. The offer has come in the wake of recent deaths and widespread incidence of gastroenteritis in that city and its adjoining areas caused by contaminated water supply.

The UN's resident coordinator has said that various UN agencies, including Unicef and WHO, are in the process of preparing a detailed technical review of the recent water crisis based on their study of the causes, effects and possible solutions of the problem.

It is expected that a long-term remedial programme put together by the UN team will be submitted to the federal and Sindh governments for their approval within the next 15 days.

This a welcome development and must be facilitated by all relevant departments and agencies whose failure to act promptly and effectively in dealing with the problem of water contamination has allowed it to assume disturbing proportions.

For their part, the federal and the provincial governments must do what they can to assist the UN in this endeavour. The reduced inflow of fresh water in the Indus river over the past decade or so has further compounded Sindh's water-related problems, whether it is water for agricultural use or for domestic consumption.

In the latter case, the result is that saline and untreated water is being supplied to large parts of the province. As the recent crisis in Hyderabad has shown, this can result in fatalities and outbreaks of contagious diseases such as hepatitis A and typhoid if left unaddressed.

Considering the critical importance of the UN's offer of help, the government must ensure that the long-term strategy to deal with the problem is implemented without any bureaucratic hurdles coming in its way.