Balochistan logjam

TUESDAY’s acts of sabotage in Balochistan coincided with some heated speeches in the provincial assembly about the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, with MPAs demanding a higher royalty for the province. In the words of opposition leader Kachkol Ali Baloch, the royalty should be in “billions of dollars” because the greater part of the pipeline will pass through Balochistan. The house later unanimously admitted a motion that seeks to debate the issue tomorrow. MPA Kachkol Ali perhaps caught the mood of the house when he said what was going on in the assembly was the same as outside the assembly — a struggle for Balochistan’s rights. He also alleged that the provincial government was not sufficiently involved in the issue and had not taken up the matter with the federal government, prompting the finance minister to say that it will continue to raise the royalty issue with Islamabad. As the house debated the pipeline issue, there were two acts of terrorism: part of a railway track was blown up near Dera Murad Jamali and saboteurs blew up a 20-inch pipeline near Sui, forcing the gas company to shut off the main compressor plant, thus suspending gas supply to parts of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.

During the debate, Mr Kachkol Ali refuted the general impression that the present trouble was the work of three sardars. Astonishing as it may sound, the opposition leader demanded Balochistan’s representation on the three-country pipeline talks, saying that there were issues that needed to be debated before the project was launched. He said prospects for the success of the project were bleak if Balochistan was kept out of the negotiations. No doubt Balochistan’s concerns about the pipeline need to be taken into account. Specifically, they boil down to two issues — a royalty that will satisfy the people of a province across which the strategic pipeline will pass; two, employment opportunities for the Baloch people in the project. These issues are part of the larger question relating to jobs for the Baloch not only in the Gwadar, Saindak, coastal highway and other ‘mega’ projects but also in the federal government. All these issues are in addition to the Baloch dissatisfaction with the quantum of provincial autonomy as enshrined in the 1973 Constitution and their complaint that even such provisions as have been guaranteed by the Basic Law are denied to them.

While the government needs to rely less on force and more on the political process to restore normality in the province, one would have serious reservations about MPA Ali’s demand about Balochistan’s representation on the Iran-Pakistan-India talks. Balochistan is a constitutent unit of the federation in which the Constitution assigns foreign affairs exclusively to the centre. No Pakistani province can enter into direct talks with a foreign power. If any province has any grievances about a certain deal with a foreign country or countries, it must try to address those concerns by utilising the opportunities available for the ventilation of grievances within the framework of the Constitution. The US is a federation in which its 50 constitutent units have their own flags and constitutions. But it is the senate representing the states that deals with treaties and external affairs. One wonders whether we can find an early solution to the Balochistan crisis, given, on the one hand, almost daily acts of terrorism and the hard-line adopted by some Baloch leaders and the government’s lack of sincerity about finding a negotiated settlement on the other.

Time to end human trafficking

THE trafficking of men, women and children is a bane Pakistan must firmly curb. This modern form of slavery, which entails the trading of people for sexual exploitation and forced servitude, has brought the country a bad name. The latest to raise a finger at Pakistan for being the source as well as the transit area of this deplorable crime is the US department of state which has just issued its 2006 report on human trafficking. There are other countries in the region which have also been identified as major traffickers and share with Pakistan the blame for this horrendous crime. The fact that this problem exists in the whole of South Asia underlines the common socio-cultural and economic characteristics and the weakness of governance in all these countries. Women and children, who are the worst sufferers, constitute the weakest section of our society. Poverty also makes them vulnerable to exploitation by vested interests. When the structures of government are weak and the implementation of laws ineffective, it is not unusual that crime and social evils such as human trafficking become rampant. This has been the case in Pakistan. Small wonder then that the state department report condemns the smuggling of men and women from here to neighbouring countries to be used as slave labour and for prostitution and little children being taken to the Gulf states for camel races.

The pity is that despite its best efforts, Islamabad has failed to stem the flood of trafficking. There are additionally other factors, such as unjust laws — the Hudood Ordinances being one — corruption and a general contempt for women and children, which make it easier for evil elements to carry on the slave trade with impunity. The report is appreciative of the Pakistan government for formulating a national plan of action to combat human trafficking and setting up a cell in the interior ministry to coordinate its efforts. One can only hope that the government will ensure the implementation of its national plan and that its good intentions will not vanish in thin air before the cupidity and unscrupulousness of those indulging in this immoral and inhumane trade. Many of the laws that facilitate this evil practice will have to be changed. The law enforcement machinery must also be spruced up to crack down on the gangs operating in this field.

Bettering the lot of the disabled

THE report carried by this newspaper some time ago that handicapped men and women in the NWFP are not getting their rightful two per cent share in government jobs comes as no surprise. It is merely a reflection of the utter marginalisation of the handicapped in society and the failure to provide them with an opportunity to become a part of the mainstream. This attitude prevails all over the country and it is a pity that the government has not tried to improve matters by actively encouraging handicapped people to apply for jobs in its institutions or even by building public facilities that would ease their problems. Instead, by disregarding their plight and bypassing the mandatory job quota for them, the government is sending out a negative message regarding their status. As a result, the general public has come to see handicapped men, women and children more as a burden and embarrassment than as a group who need extra care and attention.

In an environment where people are least bothered about the state of the disadvantaged, it is not likely that the government would take any measures to relieve the suffering of the handicapped. The pressure must come from the handicapped themselves, their care-givers and other concerned citizens who want to create an awareness of the needs of the disabled population. Interacting with the public through as many forums as possible, they can achieve this as they have done in the case of disabled athletes trained for the Special Olympics. Together, they can push for better educational and job opportunities, ramps in all public buildings, reserved seats in buses, special toilets — in fact all the facilities that would make public life more accessible to them. In the long run, such an effort would also eliminate the social stigma that the handicapped are forced to bear at the moment.

Will the budget promises be realised?

WHAT we have for 2006-07 is a true election year budget. President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have been making no bones about it in its preparation stage. They have been indicating in their statements that the budget is designed to win the 2007 elections, presidential as well as legislative.

The strategy is to give as much relief as possible to common people using the least possible amount of money and the effort is to win over as many large groups as possible and get their votes.

And in a year of high economic growth and higher tax revenues exceeding the projections it is easier to give several tax reliefs and additional concessions as the situation demands. But while the government reports an economic growth rate of 6.6 per cent in the current year, the Economic Survey released by the government says the growth rate of the developing countries in the current year is 8.6 per cent while it was 8.8 percent last year. China’s rate is 9.9 per cent, following deceleration of its growth to prevent overheating of the economy. The world GDP growth, the survey says, is 4.8 per cent

Although minister of state for finance Omer Ayub Khan, who presented the budget, did not mention the amount of foreign aid which was expected and instead repeatedly said that the “Kashkol” (begging bowl) has been smashed forever (as did Nawaz Sharif when he was prime minister), the fact remains that plenty of aid and other forms of external assistance will be available during the next financial year, beginning with the $6.5 billion package from the World Bank for the next 5 years. The Asian Development Bank is to give $4 billion for a two or three year programme. Japan is resuming its Yen loan of $500 million, which was suspended following 1998 nuclear tests, from the next financial year. Add to that the US aid of around $500 million.

Foreign investment expected next year, including the privatization proceeds are $4 billion and the anticipated inflow of remittances is $4 billion which will greatly negate the external account deficit of the same amount.

A part of the earthquake relief and reconstruction fund commitments of $6.2 billion will also be available next year. The government has earmarked Rs50 billion for the next year’s reconstruction work. Dubai’s ruling family has chosen Pakistan as their favourite country for investment and has many plans in this respect after PTCL and United Bank. As a result investment in Pakistan has risen to a record level of 20 per cent of the GDP from 17-18 per cent while the national savings is only 14.6 per cent of the GDP. The balance is made up by foreign investment. The rise in investment is a healthy sign and everything possible should be done to step it up.

The government has tried to help its employees and pensioners who may total about 6 to 7 million. It has raised the dearness allowance by 15 per cent and the pension for those who retired before 1977 on low pension has been raised by 20 per cent and that of those who retired after that by 15 per cent. But the issue is not only of raising the pension rates but paying them in time and not long after their agonising death, as the Sindh High court has observed. There is excessive corruption and lethargy in the pension departments which needs to be stamped out firmly. And to please a large number of workers in the private sector, their minimum wage has been raised from Rs3,000 to Rs4, 000. A number of other concessions have been given to government employees including those who die while on duty, for their daughters during their marriage and employment for sons of the deceased employees for two years.

Will the increase in the emoluments of the government employees result in raising efficiency of the government departments and reduce the red tape? Such increases in the past, one may recall, did not lead to any improvement in the working of the departments.

The defence budget has been raised by Rs25 billion to a total of Rs250 billion and Rs415 million has been earmarked for the Public Sector Development programme with its mega projects. Education has received considerable attention from the government. The teachers are to get an allowance of Rs500 to Rs1,000 according to their qualification. In case of death of a government employee a one-time grant has been raised from two lakhs rupees to one million according to the grade.

Profits of all savings schemes and prize bonds have been raised by 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

Following a fall in the growth of agriculture this year to 2.5 per cent from 6.7 per cent last year, the government is giving considerable attention to the sector and is allocating Rs22.259 billion for its expansion. The assistance will cover the food sector, forestry, fisheries and livestock and diary sector. Rs2.5 billion has been allocated for research, but most of this money will be spent on salaries and too little on research. One billion rupees is to be spent on poultry and Rs5 billion on subsidised fertilisers which will enable the stores to sell a bag of fertilisers at Rs500 instead of Rs 1000.

One billion rupees will be spent on drip irrigation along with sprinklers and sales tax on diary projects has been abolished. Livestock and diary farm development are to receive Rs3.6 billion. Tax on equipment for fisheries is to be reduced to five per cent and customs duty on refrigerated vans has been brought down from 60 per cent to 30 per cent.

No major structural change is to be brought in the land owning system although the World Bank has been advocating distribution of land to the tillers of the soil. In recent times suggestions have been made for awarding surplus government land to the tillers. The government is not anxious to act quickly on such recommendations. The question now is how to make the vast spending on agriculture effective and productive. In rural areas, official oversight is slack and waste is too common.

Do the intended beneficiaries get the funds and the technical assistance? New technologies can be wasted on them unless well guided and vigilantly assisted. In these good times for the rich and the enterprising, a good many initiatives could have been taken by the Central Board of Revenue to earn more revenues from the affluent. But only modest measures have been taken to raise an additional Rs25 billion as tax. Out of that Rs14 billion more is to come from sales tax and Rs10.8 billion more as income tax.

A two per cent capital value tax has been levied on real estate although it can afford to pay a far larger amount, but overnight millionaires in this sector have been spared.

The governments honeymoon with the computer appears to be coming to an end as sales tax has been levied on the computer hardware.

Mr Shaukat Aziz has unfolded partly his vision of a far improved supply system. He wants to double the number of utility stores in the country and also begin mobile stores scheme in addition to starting a bank-sponsored programme to launch the utility stores franchises in the private sector. He wants price magistrates to be appointed and have more than one magistrate in a district to ensure fair prices.

We have been told that the defence budget would be discussed. It is not clear whether the standing committee on defence would discuss it or the parliament itself. But as the defence budget keeps on expanding, it has become imperative for the public representatives to examine it and express their views.

The final piece of the election winning strategy is the employment programme which is being initiated next month and which would focus on self-employment, benefiting some two million people over the next four years.

While some of the concepts outlined are good in principle, it has to be seen how well they are implemented and how much the masses truly benefit from that and the Rs109 billion earmarked for relief and subsidies.

The revered king

MOST monarchies lost their divine status centuries ago and are now little more than titular figureheads. In Thailand the reverse is happening. For even though it officially became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch who is celebrating his diamond jubilee, is fast becoming a demigod.

Elevation to a celestial plane should contradict democratic norms. But not in Thailand. King Bhumibol is so revered he only has to comment on an issue for everyone to obsequiously follow his every instruction. This was demonstrated in April when he ordered the courts to resolve a crisis and lethargic judges became icons of energy overnight.

King Bhumibol, 78, was not born into this enviable position. The jazz-loving yachtsman who speaks four foreign languages fluently has worked extremely hard to earn the Thai people’s adulation. The king has always looked out for the disadvantaged — whether it is the hill tribes of the northern forests or the people of the predominantly Muslim south in what is otherwise a Buddhist-dominated country. He has also initiated scores of economic projects to revitalise deprived areas.

All this has been done with humility. While traditional bureaucrats try to shield him from his subjects, King Bhumibol has constantly tried to break down the barriers, most notably when he ordered criticism of him to be encouraged rather than punished with imprisonment.

—The Guardian, London