Tackling Wana sensibly

The situation in Wana does not seem to be showing any signs of improvement. The military operations have now gone on for nearly four months but there are no indications that the security forces are anywhere near their goal.

Nek Mohammad surrendered to the authorities at Shakai on April 24 and came to an understanding with the government with regard to foreign militants. He later claimed that he had merely surrendered and promised to live peacefully but that there was no agreement on turning in foreign militants.

On June 17, he was killed in an air strike by the security forces. Since then, the military operations have intensified, and the number of casualties on both sides has gone up.

Now the government has again presented a list of 200 wanted men to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen, asking them to hand over those men. The list does not contain the name of any foreigners; it consists of the names of tribesmen supposed to have links with foreign militants. Mercifully, the government has not set a deadline for the surrender. This should give the tribal elders time to think and act.

That there are foreign militants in the area cannot be denied. Getting them to surrender peacefully has now become a big challenge for the government. The tribesmen are on the horns of a dilemma.

On the one hand, under the British-drafted 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulation, they are bound to hand over the wanted men to the authorities. On the other hand, they have their tribal code of honour under which they cannot betray those whom they provide refuge.

Not all tribesmen are necessarily unsympathetic to the government's point of view. But the authorities' handling of the situation often seems to alienate even the moderate elders.

The economic blockade of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribes is now three months old. Obviously, this is hurting them badly, without necessarily producing results for the government.

It would be much better if the authorities were to rely less on the military option and more on a conciliatory approach. To begin with, the economic blockade should be eased if not fully lifted.

Second, MNAs and Senators from the tribal area should be involved more meaningfully in talks with the Wazir tribesmen. Third, the government must talk to the MMA for obtaining its cooperation in defusing the Wana situation.

Both sides should not view the problem in the context of their differences over other issues, such as President Musharraf's uniform. The government should know that it is not the MMA alone which is opposed to its Wana operation. The PPP and the PML-N too have serious reservations about the way the situation in South Waziristan is being handled.

Terrorism is something that must be rooted out. But the government's handling of the problem gives an impression as if it is toeing the American line and responding to Washington's pressure "to do more".

The government should know that it can achieve more in lesser time by pursuing a more persuasive and less abrasive course of action in South Waziristan. It is regrettable that the authorities should have stopped a fact-finding Peshawar High Court Bar Association delegation from visiting Wana. Its contact with the tribesmen could have helped rather than hinder the flushing out process.

Visa liberalization

The easing of the visa regime by India for certain categories of Pakistani travellers will be widely welcomed. New Delhi announced the latest confidence-building measure on the eve of the beginning of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to New York, where he is scheduled to meet President Musharraf on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

The move will facilitate Pakistani senior citizens, academics, doctors and journalists by issuing them multiple entry visas for visiting up to 12 cities in India - as against the current three for the regular-category visitors - exempt from police reporting.

It will also help promote people-to-people contacts that the two countries agreed on at last January's summit meeting in Islamabad. Announcing the new visa regime in New Delhi on Saturday, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson expressed the hope that Pakistan would reciprocate the gesture, which is only a fair expectation.

The general public, especially those with close relatives living on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, has long been the victim of visa restrictions between the two countries.

Complaints abound about long delays and other hardships faced by women and the elderly in particular, many of whom have to travel long distances to appear in person at the respective high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi to acquire visa.

The rejection of applications far outnumber those accepted for consideration, making the whole process expensive, time-consuming and painful. The recent thaw in relations between our two countries presents a ray of hope for many of the intending travellers who anxiously await the easing up of travel restrictions.

While it is expected that long-standing political disputes between India and Pakistan will take their time to get resolved, it is positive measures such as these that must continue to form part of the normalization process. The reopening of consular services by the two countries in Karachi and Mumbai, for instance, will also go a long way in facilitating the general public.

Well done Inzamam

Cricket captain Inzamamul Haq has become only the second person ever and the first from Pakistan to score 10,000 runs in the one-day cricket. In reaching this major milestone, he has achieved what most professional cricketers dream of doing.

In addition, the Pakistan captain also holds the record for the most number of fifties - 70 - in one-dayers. Arguably the finest fast bowling player of his generation, Inzamam broke into the cricketing scene when he took Pakistan into the final of the 1992 World Cup, hitting a rapid-fire 60 off just 37 balls. He played this memorable innings barely four months after his international debut and it was a sure sign of things to come.

Over the years, followers of Pakistan cricket have come to expect only the best from this explosive batsman. However, it would be fair to say that his attacking flair is not all without calculation and the man has perhaps one of the finest temperaments in the game which is why he has delivered so often for his team in crisis situations.

At the same time, he has proved to be an excellent catcher in the slips cordon. What makes his feat especially remarkable is that it came in a crucial match, perhaps one of Pakistan's most important fixtures since the World Cup final last year, and helped set up a famous win over arch rivals India.

Now that the team has several promising young players, a captain like Inzamam could have a significant calming influence on what may be called the team's mercurial trait.

As one who leads by example, his presence should be good for the team's fortunes. While on the subject, a word about the new coach Bob Woolmer, who has had more than his fair share of criticism, would be in order.

Afridi's use as an attacking bowler and as a lower-order batsman, using Rana Naveed for the new ball and keeping Shoaib Akhtar as the first change bowler, are all welcome, in that they were crucial in the team's win on Sunday.