You are hereTake It Head-On (FreePakistan Newsletter # 101)

Take It Head-On (FreePakistan Newsletter # 101)

01 May 2009

Free Pakistan, a monthly newsletter, exists for the promotion of limited government, rule of law, protection of property rights, market economy, individual freedom, and private initiative. Its vision is a free and prosperous Pakistan; for only such a Pakistan can contribute positively to the creation of a free and prosperous world.

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PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERTY

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Download and install it. http://www.free-market.net/rd/321907219.html ; http://www.jonathangullible.com

TAKE IT HEAD-ON

By Dr. Khalil Ahmad

It’s no academic issue. We have no time to go into the details of its causes. No more history! No more psychology, please! We cannot afford a detailed discussion, in-depth analysis and study of the same.

It’s no time to blame others. Digging into the past and past mistakes whoever committed them may burry our future.

It’s no use letting time go by to make things clear. No more waiting and seeing! We have already wasted a lot on such quibbles.

It’s an urgent issue. It’s a matter of life and death for the people, nation, state and the country. It’s time to take the terror tangle head-on. Proactively, finally and terminally!

Words like these must have been written by others many a time in recent months, weeks and days. This article builds on them and makes a part of them. It may go unheeded like they have gone. But the time is crucial when these words are being written. It’s not in distant future that such words will be written again. It’s in near future that such words will not be repeated. Not sooner or later, but in months we will have other words to describe our state. Or may be we will have no words to describe our lot.

In order to take it head-on, the following resolutions are urgently needed:

First, let us revert to our constitution, the constitution of 1973 as the binding contract. As under the circumstances the need of a leader, savior, redeemer or a visionary is being desperately felt, we have the same already present amongst us. It’s the constitution. Ironically, our leaders, saviors, redeemers, and visionaries have tried to disfigure it, burry it, trash it, but it’s the word and it’s the idea that still lives on. Only the constitution can save the people, nation, state of Pakistan. It’s the rallying point.

The terrorists prove that. They know that they can kill people, but they cannot bomb the constitution. That is why they have tried to do that through a via media. It’s an illusion. They have been garbing it in various wrappings such as dialogue, peace, efficient and timely dispensation of justice. We have used the secular or secularized terms only. Their language is different and alluring. In the past their ‘silent’ partners tried to use the denotation of Hasba Bill. The Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. The present Nizam-e-Adl Regulation is another ploy to thwart the constitution.

Second, let us be clear on one thing: it’s the constitution that binds and weaves Pakistan into a whole. The institutions and offices that this constitution brings into existence must be working under it and must fulfill its purpose. No more deviations! It must mean that!

No going into the past and no blame game as said above! It’s because in actual life what matters is what people believe. It’s because they act in harmony with that. So it’s no time to seek the truth and then act on that. It doesn’t mean seeking truth is useless. It must be done in the first available opportunity. The point is seeking truth must not delay the action.

Third, the articles of the constitution, rules and laws of the land must strictly be implemented. The government must show resolve, will and determination to do it. The terror and its perpetrators must be seen and dealt with in the light of the provisions of the constitution and law of the land. Zero tolerance must be the policy to be pursued by all the organs and agencies of the state. The transgressors whoever they are must be brought to book.

Fourth, the terror and terrorists must be seen and dealt with as an indigenous problem. No external threat is a threat until and unless it has internal roots. Our problem is a problem created by ourselves. We should solve and resolve it on our own. Whoever comes to help in this must be welcomed. Who does not he needs not be blamed.

Fifth, a full scale war must be declared against terror and the perpetrators of terror regardless of the guises they use. All the resources must be deployed to root out the evil doers. Pakistan Army and its agencies must be made subservient both in letter and spirit to fight those who are encroaching upon the constitutional and lawful domains of the state of Pakistan.

Sixth, the writ of the government in FATA and certain areas of NWFP must be restored at any cost. The writ is not an end in itself. It is a means to a greater end: provision of protection of life, property, and the fundamental rights and freedoms to each and every individual citizen. How the citizens of Buner were abandoned by the provincial and federal governments on the one hand and NWFP Police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army on the other, and how they were left to be incarcerated by the perpetrators of terror is sheerly criminal.

Seventh, what happened or is happening in Buner must be taken as an example and must be made an example as well for all those who in whatever manner unleashed terror and coalesced with the perpetrators of terror. All of them who did not perform their constitutional and lawful duties, be they provincial and federal government functionaries or agencies or those who are trusted with the protection of the citizens of this land, must be booked under law and punished accordingly. This should make first step and a concrete one to reassert the writ of the government so that individual citizens of FATA and NWFP areas should be brought back under the protection of law, and their life, property, rights and freedoms be secured.

Until and unless the government sets upon this course of action and by taking people in confidence and announcing an all out war against terror and the perpetrators of terror controls them and wipes them out, it has no moral and constitutional justification to remain in power. If it keeps ceding this or that town or district to the perpetrators of terror under this or that pretext such as dialogue and peace, it means it is betraying the people. It is high time that government should come clean and declare that now there will be no more Buners!

SHAHBAZ SHARIF’S AVOIDABLE BLUNDER

By Dr Pervez Tahir

[The writer is a former chief economist of the Planning Commission. This article first appeared in Dawn on April 21, 2009.]

Most analysts cite Punjab’s Sasti Roti Scheme to supply the staple at Rs2 as a success story. There have been demands by people in other provinces for the same access to this basic need.

Even the prime minister has spoken of inter-provincial discussions on the scheme. While other governments weigh the cost of emulation, the khadim-i-ala of Punjab went a step further to announce a lower price of Rs1. There has been an uncharacteristic retraction since, portending a big blunder.

To ordinary folk, good governance effectively means affordable access to roti. In his famous letters written to Jinnah to convince him to return to India from England to lead the Muslim masses, Iqbal had talked about the worsening economic condition as roti ka masla. He knew that the masses understood the economic problem only in terms of roti. This was amply demonstrated, after Pakistan, by the demonstrations against Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin. Economic researchers of the period concluded that the major driver of inflation was the price of flour. The most effective public articulation of the problem was witnessed when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto mobilised millions around the slogan of roti, kapra aur makan. The real wages did not fall despite the highest-ever rates of inflation and the first oil shock.

But let it be said that what Mahbub ul Haq would have described as a "direct attack" on roti ka masla was launched by Mr Sharif in Punjab. The level of commitment came in the form of a strong reaction to the allegation by Governor Taseer that the scheme involved a subsidy of Rs6bn. The announcement to reduce the price to Rs1 after restoration was the next logical step. The subsequent backtracking, perhaps on the advice of IMF–World Bank types whose one mission is to eliminate subsidies and resultantly the poor rather than poverty, is sending out a signal so negative that the gains of the price at Rs2 will also be wiped out.

These gains have been enormous — social, economic and political. The scheme has alleviated poverty significantly in a short period. It has improved nutrition, prevented sickness and saved health costs. In its absence, the crime situation would have been worse.

If the people came out in droves during the long march, they were acting to protect their right to eat and survive. By first talking the scheme down and then taking a revisionist position, Governor Taseer had raised the spectre of starvation for those who find it hard to keep body and soul together.

So the people paid back in kind. People do not forgive and forget if the rulers are seen to be saying one thing and doing the other, when it comes to roti. No amount of economic or financial justification works in such cases. It would be a different matter if the announcement had not been made in the first place. Now it would only be perceived as the bureaucracy getting the better of a pro-people political leadership.

The news proves as much, e.g. the industries department prepared the summary under the directive of the chief minister without its ownership; the finance department finds it unfeasible; and that an inter-departmental committee has dumped it. The promise to begin in Ramazan adds insult to injury.

In the absence of credible numbers, it is not possible to say how high the poverty ratio is now. But there can be no hesitation in saying that the poor now constitute an enormous proportion of the population. Punjab holds this mass of the hapless in proportion to its population. At least 10 per cent of the population has nothing to live for. They are voiceless and have given up struggling for anything. Economists would argue that this is the target group to focus on. But in today’s dire economic straits, vulnerability extends well beyond the bottom 10 per cent. Access to roti is the best social safety net.

True, the provision of this safety net involves huge subsidies. The chief minister should ask those arguing against subsidy a few pertinent questions. Did they pay the full price of the plots allotted to them? Do they pay full rent for their official accommodation? Do they pay what is economically due as utilities? Who maintains their cars? It cannot be that the subsidies are feasible for the better-off and unfeasible for the poor.

The scheme is also dubbed a political programme. Compared to other political programmes, the scheme makes much more sense. Take the case of the MPAs Programme or the so-called Taameer-i-Punjab Programme. The purpose is to help the MPAs to maintain the confidence of their constituents. What better way to achieve this objective than to provide sasti roti?The money allocated to this programme and many others can be diverted. The MPAs should get involved in its effective implementation. Indeed, the chief minister has already made this a criterion for ministerial hopefuls. He should also not renege on the price. [Courtesy Dawn]

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF JUSTICE

By Tasneem Noorani

[The writer is a former federal secretary. This article first appeared in The News International on April 23, 2009. ]

Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, I have no words to describe what you have achieved for this country, through your grit and determination. In the last 60 odd years of our history, we have had a few good men on the bench, who have had the guts to differ with the powers that be. But most, to my memory, acted along the lines of the adage that 'discretion is the better part of valor'. Most conscientious objectors chose to sideline themselves rather than take the dictator head-on, like you did.

This act of yours and the subsequent successful struggle has not only given us the first good news in a long while, it has also set the bar for your successor who should (I hope) find it difficult to go lower than that.

My Lord, your defiance and determination, displayed over a period of two years has galvanized a noble profession i.e. the legal community into such a monolithic and upright force that we have now a new pillar in our scheme of things, which I'm sure will stand up and support any underdog in the future, who shows courage for a righteous cause like you did.

My Lord, like you the nation has to be eternally grateful to all the lawyers and the leaders who suffered but kept this movement alive until the ultimate victory, against all odds. In the process, they have written a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for the future generation to follow in case anyone attempts to roughshod the country again. Like an SOP had been developed for taking over this country by moving the 111 brigade and making a TV speech, you have now introduced the counter SOP on how to unseat and frustrate a usurper through non violent means.

My Lord, even though there have been critics who claimed that the lawyers movement had politicized you and therefore taken your high moral ground away, I'm of the contrary view. I think you conducted yourself impeccably honorably throughout and only spoke of the rule of law etc through the lawyers' convention, which was within the ambit of your duties.

My Lord, you have washed all the abominable black spots for our judiciary, of the past 60 years, starting from the buckling down of Justice Muneer, which had set a trend only to be broken by you. Your role model is even inspiring the bureaucracy, as evidenced by the refusal of the SP Gujranwala to obey orders, which according to his conscience were illegal and unethical.

For the final push to the movement we all have to be grateful to our second most popular political party, who not only helped in achieving the objectives of the lawyer's movement, but also helped themselves in popularity, in the process.

My Lord, having said this entire road ahead of you in extremely bumpy and winding. Expectations from you border on the unrealistic. While the poor and downtrodden are expecting individual relief, the more discerning expect you to punish the usurper, expose and take to task the mega corrupt and bring sanity to the arbitrary demeanor of the establishment.

But obviously you cannot bite more than you can chew. Regardless of the expectations of the public It will be prudent to proceed with caution. Your foremost challenge will be to put your own house in order, which has intentionally been filled with all sorts of people, in order to make your task difficult. In case you handle the matter in a cool and dispassionate manner, I can assure you, My Lord, that the reputation that you have built over the past 2 years will precede you and sort matters out for you.

In due course, after you have settled down, the usurpers and their abettors have to be held to account so that any future adventurer may be forced to think twice before striking.

At the operational level, your biggest challenge is going to be streamlining and rejuvenation the lower judiciary for which not only will the masses be eternally grateful to you ,but in the process we will prevent more Swats from happening.

My Lord, if in the process of achieving all this if you have to face arbitrariness once more ,fear not, because the public and the legal community will stand by you with greater determination again, because they know that there are no short cuts to coming out of the morass we are in.

[Courtesy The News]

Letters to FreePakistan

CAPITULATION TO THE OPPRESSORS

[Adnan Gill, Los Angeles, USA]

Please allow me to share my perturbation over the (reported) flogging of a 17 year old girl. The final straw for me turned to be the disappointing remarks widely circulating among the journalists’ forums. In short, their remarks toe the line Taliban and their apologists, the ANP have adopted on the deplorable episode. After reading their comments my conscious didn’t allow me stay quite anymore. At the risk of inviting wrath of many, I would like to state the following:

1. Please don’t label capitulation to the oppressors as the so-called ‘national interests’; as if allowing a state within a state merits to be called a state to begin with. Please don’t take refuge behind ‘national interests’ when it comes to chauvinism. Bravery doesn’t mean locking women (mothers, daughters, sisters or wives) behind 7 doors. A real man gouges the eyes out of a pervert who even dares to looks at them with malice. A man of his salt defends the weak and not incarcerates them.

2. Shoot the message and not the messenger. I was hoping to see a healthy debate on the subject from highly educated and esteemed journalists, but not personal attacks on Ms. Summar. What a shame!

3. Flagrant abuse of women’s rights at the hands of self-righteous Taliban isn’t actually a secret in an age of camera equipped cell phones. I am old enough to remember how Taliban slowly tightened their noose around women’s rights in Afghanistan. At the height of their rule, birthing mothers were allowed to die, over allowing them to be taken to hospital without a ‘mahrum’/male-escort. Others died because they were forbidden to seek medical help from male physicians. While the lady-doctors were not allowed to work altogether under the pretexts of: they can’t work in the same facilities where male counterparts worked too; and allegedly, there was no money to build or run schools and hospitals, exclusively for women. Bravo, what a justice system!

4. If the video is fake, then why did ANP minister Mian Iftikhar and the Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan earlier accepted the occurrence of incident? Didn’t they also allege that she was punished for illicit relationship with her father-in-law? They even had nerve to suggest, that she should have been thankful that she wasn’t stoned to death. Latter on, these men first launched attacks on Ms. Summar and then started to question the authenticity of the tape. I cringe to imagine how some people could even give a second thought to their doubletalk.

5. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because bloody and senseless war in Sawat was wrong, doesn’t mean abuse of women’s rights cannot be condemned either. Pacification of abuse of any sort should be condemned loudly, or it would bread even more severe abuse.

6. Can someone please enlighten me how many ANP politicians (along with their families) are currently residing in the Sawat Valley? What a brave trendsetting men they are!

7. If Talibanization is a just cause and has become all too real, then instead of going on defensive, shouldn’t they accept their actions with courage? I call them to stand up and be counted for condoning Talibanization!

8. If it was my daughter, starting with the man delivering lashes, I would have put a bullet through everyone’s eyes gathered there. At minimum, I would shoot her and I before becoming a spectacle for the (na-mehrum) perverts watching whole perverse episode.

I can’t stress enough, my disappoint with those defending the most deplorable, shameless, barbaric and un-Islamic actions of these self-righteous barbarians.

PAKISTANI MEDIA NEEDS TO BE FOR ALL PAKISTANIS

[Anwar Jalal]

Few days back more then 70 people were killed and well over100 injured in alleged suicide bomb blast in a Mosque at Jamurd. It was so a catastrophic an event which was stated as one of the terrible blast by the western media but Pakistani media give a little coverage. This Sunday the Chakwal blast which has killed 22 people in Imam Bara has engaged all the Pakistani TV channels. The people of pakhtunkhwa are equally grieved over such tragic blasts whoever it take place, however they do feel that the media give least importance to the those which occurred in Pakhtunkhwa while blasts in Punjab are most important news for them. This in turn naturally leading to a general perception among the people of Pakhtunkhwa that for media only Punjab is the real and whole Pakistan while people of other provinces are not much worthy. This discrimination policy is liable to have negative impacts for the national solidarity so the circles which are patriotic and Pakistani in their outlook in true sense must take it into serious consideration.

RE FIRST DROPS OF THE RAIN

[Shahzadah Mudassar Nazar, Secretary, Rotary Club, Jhang Saddar]

I congratulate u at continuous awareness raising Newsletter of ASI. I also share this issue to my other friends. May Allah bring prosperity in Pakistan and bless the team of ASI.

RE: FIRST DROPS OF THE RAIN

[M. Shahjahan Bhatti]

Congratulations on your successful campaign for the reinstatement of Chief Justice of Pakistan. Hope now judicial system in the country will deliver justice to ordinary people of Pakistan.

RE: MEDIA RELEASE: NEW WEBSITE OFFERS PATH TO PROSPERITY FOR PAKISTANIS

[Sanjay Jadhav, New Delhi, India]

It is terrifying thought that every week some armed attack takes place in Pakistan. This is sign of turning Pakistan into banana republic.

After all a person trained months for firing arm for killing can not go back to work in farm for Rs. 100/ day when society does not need to fire the arms. They will rather fire arms for contract murders. They would also murder for money, without any Islamic ideaology.

Contrary to the popular belief Indian students are not taught integration of Pakistan with India as sacred duty as was taught on West Germany. We are taught that politically stable Pakistan with military inside the barracks is good for conducive relations between 2 nations.

You may be interested in following PhD Thesis of German Students.

www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2003/rosseryc036/rosseryc036.pdf

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks for the concern! And also for the link, that seems a very good study.

RE: MEDIA RELEASE: NEW WEBSITE OFFERS PATH TO PROSPERITY FOR PAKISTANIS

[Sanjay Jadhav, India]

This is how one turns modern, Pakistan state, into banana republic and just as archaic as Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Afganistan. All the best to them.

RE: MEDIA RELEASE: NEW WEBSITE OFFERS PATH TO PROSPERITY FOR PAKISTANIS

[Ashok, India]

But then what is the difference.

Let us compare it with the situations that arising in our own India at times.
When people do not get justice and repeatedly feel cheated at the very hands of those who are suppose to be the custodians of society, law and order....

Do they not burn the Effigy of our Leaders . . . Do they not shout the names of big leaders followed by HAi Hai or MURDABAD MURDABAD ....

Have we not seen symbolic reflection of anger by ordinary people when they burn the Effigy of our so called Great leaders or throw Shoes banana skin / rotton tomatoss and or Chappals at our own leaders some of those who move in Z security cover...!.

What appears to be Talibanization is just normal reaction of decades of supression and opression of a set of people who have been at the worst end and forced to take all unpleasantness of life lying down...

In fact, majority of Indians also wish to see most stringent punishments for all the high ups including top political leaders and not only me but tens of millions of Indian would anytime agree that those who do not perform for perfect welfare of people need to be grilled...act vote to grill I

Reach out and touch someone with your Love & Gratitude..

REQUEST

[Anwar Jalal, Peshawar]

Hopefully all the patriotic political leaders, intellectuals, writers, columnists and opinion makers would play their role for granting provincial autonomy to the provinces as enunciated in the 73 constitution and also agreed by the main political parties in the Charter of democracy.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

[A J Khattak, Peshawar]

Pledge of Provincial Autonomy and Parliamentarians Many many cheers for Baluchistan assembly which has done a great job by passing a resolution asking for full provincial autonomy in the impending constitutional amendments ,Now the reaming provincial assemblies ,in particular Pashtukhwa( NWFP )and Sindh are being waited what course they adopt on this important matter .Soon it will be clear either they follow the laudable precedent of Baluchistan assembly or take on a lukewarm policy ,Most importantly soon the attitude and measures of both PPP and PML(N) will show that to what extent they are serious and sincere in the granting of provincial autonomy which they have pledged in the Charter of Democracy A sort of optimism is presently prevalent among the patriotic sections of the society that PML(N) leadership will pursue the matter of provincial autonomy with the same keenness and determination which they have for the repel of 17th amendment.

NO SUBJECT

[A J Khattak, Peshawar]

When Punjab is hit all Tv Chennais, intellectuals, columnists etc cry so loudly and wildly. Pashtunkhwa is bleeding since long but none take it seriously. WHY?

COMMENT RE: NIZAM-E-ADL UNCONSTITUTIONAL

[Ahmad Sultan]

Thank you for bringing clarity to the issue of religious thugs. Your voice, Ayaz Meir, and MQM taking clear stand on this issue. Both Taliban leaders, father in law and son in law, already dreaming to control the Pakistan. ANP leader Mr Hoti is playing Mr Khothi in the hands of religious gangsters. If too afraid to die get out of the kitchen and let some else take them on. PML-N's greedy Shariefs are waiting and seeing how this plays out and then take the view point. Most of the time when asked about Taliban issues Nawaz Shariefer hides himself under drone attacks issue. This is very bad.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Thank you for sharing your opinion!

RE: NIZAM-E-ADL UNCONSTITUTIONAL

[Sajid Babar]

i very much agree with your article but what really confuses me is the Article 247 of our Constitution whereby,

247 (3) No Act of Parliament shall apply to any Federally Administered Tribal Area or to any part thereof, unless the President so directs,

247 (7) Neither the Supreme Court nor a High Court shall exercise any jurisdiction under the Constitution in relation to a Tribal Area, unless Parliament by law otherwise provides

i wish you use this article in your next article.

EDITORS’ NOTE: Thank you Sajid Babar Sahib!

Swat is a district of Malakand Division and is under the jurisdiction of the NWFP government. I hope this clears the confusion.

RE: NIZAM-E-ADL UNCONSTITUTIONAL

[Asaf Khan]

Assalam-o-Alaikum,

I read with great interest your article on the above subject that appeared in tht News of today. No one can deny that the Constitution of Pakistan is sacrosanct and that we must restore the 1973 Constitution. However, I respectfully beg to differ with your contention that the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 is unconstitutional. The argument of two parrallel judicial system and the inability of the High Court and Supreme Court to intervene is fallicious. In fact, the Dar-ul-Qaza (Apellate Court) is just like the High Court where Judicial officers (Qazis) would be posted from amongst the serving judges the High Court. Similarly, the Dar-ul Dar ul-Qaza would have Judges from the Supreme Court. By the grace of God all our judges of the superior judiciary are well versed in Islamic jurisprudence and would take decisions according to the laws of the land that are in conformity with the injunctions of Islam. please note that presently there are no un-Islamic laws and if there are any, the relevat institutions of the state are bound to rectify them under the 1973 constitution.

The unnecessary furor in the Senate over the remarks of Maulana Sufi Muhammad of TNSM in a public meeting in Mingora is an indicator of the double standards and hypocritical nature of exploiting Islam for ulterior motives. By criticizing the Maulana, we are endorsing the system that we all are so committed to change. The most vociferous opposition is coming from MQM which is known for its unflinching devotion to changing the system. Had state institutions been functioning according to the tenets of Islam, there would have been no need for changing the system. The Maulana has not challenged our faith as feared by Senator Babar Ghauri but said the obvious. As far as the functioning of the state organs is concerned, they all seem to be diseased and in dire need of reforms. How can we then call our institutions Islamic when they have failed to deliver? The recent successful struggle by the civil society that resulted in the installation of the Chief Justice and other Judges of the Superior Judiciary underscores the burning desire of the people for enforcing the rule of law rather than merely the restoration of the judges.

Of course we are all Muslims and do not need fatwa from any one to this affect but positive criticism of the system and its institutions, even calling them un-Islamic is no crime. Can we call their functioning Islamic or can we call a constitution sacrosanct that has been trampled under by dictators umpteen times? It would be far better to ignore Maulana’s anger and implement the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in letter and spirit. It is not a matter of pleasing the people of Swat but laying the foundation of judicial reforms long over due. As far as the constitutional implications of the Regulation are concerned, a close study reveals that there is less of law and that too non-controversial. Emphasis has been placed on administrative measures to expedite the delivery of justice.

Both the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 and the decisions taken in the meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), held under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, have the common objective of ensuring the provision of quick justice to the citizens of Pakistan. Access to speedy justice is the main barometer of a civilised society but is lacking in Pakistan. This decision of the Committee to declare the year 2009 as the "Year for Justice for all" underscores the importance of Justice especially in our decadent society and amply demonstrates the need for reforms in this vital sphere of state’s responsibility.

Among other things, the National Judicial Committee approved the strengthening of the mechanism to eradicate corruption and inefficiency from the judiciary. It was resolved that the High Courts would improve the present mechanism/procedure for initiating disciplinary proceedings against corrupt/inefficient judicial officers. The matter preferably would be taken by the Chief Justices of the High Courts in their own hand for prompt action against the corrupt/inefficient judges/court staff.

The members of the Bar and general public have been requested to submit complaints supported by credible evidence against corrupt judges for prompt action to the "Cell for eradication of corruption from judiciary", established under the supervision of the Registrar of the concerned High Court. A copy of the complaint is to be forwarded to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The existing process of initiating disciplinary action against corrupt and inefficient judicial officers and staff places too much reliance on complaints by the public and members of the Bar. However, the conditions prevailing in our society not only discourage complaints, especially if credible evidence is necessary. In many cases, the complainant prefers to remain anonymous because of the likely consequences of being a complainant. In the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009, there is no provision for making a complaint against a corrupt Qazi. In fact there is no mention of tackling corruption amongst Judicial and Administrative staff of Qazi Courts. The framers of the Regulation also seem to fight corruption administratively rather than through the provisions of the Regulation. Hopefully, the decisions of the NJPMC for eradication of corruption from judiciary would also be adopted and implemented by the proposed new judicial set up under the Regulation 2009.

Although the Islamic aspects of the "Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009" have been blown out of proportions, the most important element of the Regulation is the provision of speedy justice. The process of expediting decisions by putting a limit on the number of pending cases in courts and ensuring that a copy of the FIR is provided to the court on the same day and Challan with in 14 days are logical provided they are adhered to in letter and spirit. Our vast experience with the implementation of a myriad of laws and regulations does not support any optimism on this count.

To expedite cases in the courts, the Regulation also binds the Qazi Court courts to a time schedule of 4-6 months in case of criminal and civil matters and the Dar –ul- Qaza and Dar –ul-Darul-Qaza (Appellate Courts) to a 30 days period. If a Qazi is found guilty of delaying a case a case by his supervising officer, he will be issued a letter of displeasure. After three letters of displeasure in a year, there will be an adverse entry made in his service record after he is given the opportunity of hearing. By placing reliance on Annual Confidential Reports, civil servants and a Qazi have been equated as far inefficiency is concerned. We may well again ask ourselves whether the Bureaucracy is delivering what it should by sticking to the system of ACR’s?

As already stated, the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation places a lot of emphases on finalizing cases expeditiously. It will be worthwhile if the National Judicial Committee also consider implementing some of the provisions of the Regulation pertaining to the expeditious disposal of cases. No one can deny that the presiding officers of the Appellate Courts can monitor the performance of the subordinate courts. The time in which a case has been decided by the subordinate court and the quality of judgment are good indicators of efficiency. As such, in addition to deciding an appeal against the judgment of subordinate courts, the Appellate Court should also keep a tab on the judicial officers through their judgments. As far as penalties are concerned, those already provided in the Efficiency and Discipline Rules for Civil Servants would suffice. The success of our endeavors to provide speedy justice would, however, continue to hinge on strengthening of the monitoring process especially the role of the supervising officers to ensure that the specified time -frame is adhered to strictly.

The time is ripe for bringing a change from top to the bottom especially in the judiciary. In bringing this change, the Judges of the Superior Courts have to play a pivotal role. With the increase in the number of Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and manifold increase in their perks and privileges, scrutiny of the working of the subordinate courts would not be very difficult. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. It seems that at last the people of Pakistan would be able get access to speedy justice under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Pakistan who has been given a second opportunity to initiate this long overdue task. The people of Pakistan are impatiently waiting for justice to reign supreme in the land of the pure.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you Asif Khan Sahib for sharing your detailed response!

First, that the regulation is unconstitutional is my opinion. Second, of course it is for the Supreme Court to decide whether it is or it is not. Third, my focus is on the fundamental rights which form the core values of the constitution, and must be protected by any government. Fourth, it is the whole context that determines the meaning and significance of the regulation, and it is that which is important in this case.

Hope to take up the issues raised in your email at some other occasion.

IN RESPONSE TO YOUR ARTICLE

[Shabbir Hussain, Media for peace, Islamabad]

I have read your write-up in the paper and visited your institute's site. The name suggests that solution to the issues will be innovative and shed light in different perspective. But i could not see any alternate description rather the routinized stuff was there. There is some very useful material on the site and congratulate you but overall the slant and approach is traditional.

I am a media researcher and working on how media can peacefully resolve issues. I am also a TV producer in Samaa TV Islamabad. I am research paper is about to complete and will share it with you after completion. My topic is the pakisani media: Perspective on Taliban conflcit. Here i am sharing one of my articles with you that i got published in Dawn. please take some time off for the write-up.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Shabbir Sahib, thanks for visiting our website and sharing your views!

I am happy that you found some of the material on our website useful. I would like to invite you to see our mission statement, and our principles and values in the light of which we try to find out the alternate solutions. Our top priority is how to enhance choice availability to all the citizens in every department of life. Thanks again for writing,

IN RESPONSE TO YOUR ARTICLE

[Shabbir Hussain, Media for peace, Islamabad]

It was pleasure to here from you. I agree what you have said. I am looking for correspondence with your organization. It will definitely help me viewing and understanding things in a better way.

PEACE DEAL

[Sherry Rehman]

I read your article in the News with some interest.

I agree completely that the writ of the state is not an end in itself, and that it must be used to protect fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.

What about Article 227?

I am only asking because all of us who disagree with the principle and dynamics of this deal must be very clear about what we say. I would appreciate your views on it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you for writing!

First, that the regulation is unconstitutional is my opinion.

Second, it is for the supreme court to decide it is or not.

Third, as I think and wrote and you appreciated, fundamental rights must be protected. Do you see this regulation violates these rights?

Fourth, the whole context in which this regulation has been prepared, considered in the national assembly, signed by the president and then by the governor NWFP, makes it what it is. Who are the people behind this and what are their objectives? Its face value is not what should lead or mislead us.It's extremely important in this case. I mean as you say 'the principle and dynamics of this deal' must be given due weight.

Fifth, on your asking, I saw the article 227 again. Isn't it what should be discussed in the CII, a constitutional forum?

I hope this makes my position clearer!

CD-IDEAS FOR A FREE AND RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY

[Navin Vasudev, South Africa]

I came across information on your very interesting CD. Would it be possible to share this with me. My postal address is given below. I definitely promise to provide you with feedback.

HumorWise

ALO GUV'NOR

By Fasi Zaka

[The writer is a Rhodes scholar and former academic. This article first appeared in The News International on April 01, 2009.]

A conversation a day before the governor's rule is lifted in Punjab.

Wicked Plus: Morning President.

Grin Grin: Alo Guv'nor. Give me an update.

Wicked Plus: Well sir, everything looks rosy to me.

Grin Grin: Take off your sunglasses.

Wicked Plus: Oh. Yes, things do look different now.

Grin Grin: Of course they do, the great game has come undone.

Wicked Plus: Don't worry Sir; I am still here to advise you.

Grin Grin: What advice? Like the one where you said the long March wouldn't happen because Nawaz Sharif was stout and had the gout because of his fondness for starch he couldn't march?

Wicked Plus: Sorry, I wasn't aware at the time that there had been advances in medicine.

Grin Grin: Well, what about the time you told me that the PM was a goldfish who would be happy in his little bowl?

Wicked Plus: That's Darwin's fault. PM Gilani evolved to develop a set of gills so he could breathe under the water we tried to drown him in.

Grin Grin: I don't believe in evolution. Look at me as a prime example, everyone said I had changed after I got out of prison, but am still the same as I was in 88-90 and 93-96.

Wicked Plus: Yes Sir, I think people now see your Presidency as Intelligent Design. But Sir, also do not believe in any Indian women who may bear you a Hindu child who takes an interest in journalism.

Grin Grin: What are you on about?

Wicked Plus: I mean GEO of course.

Grin Grin: Oh yes, glad you warned me. Must take them off again when I have the chance.

Wicked Plus: Yes Sir, just like we did with Sherry. I always believe sherry must never be free, but corked in a bottle.

Grin Grin: Whatever. You have cost me a lot of support. What are you doing about the negative press?

Wicked Plus: Thanks to my tireless efforts one TV channel, and an English and Urdu newspaper are in your favour.

Grin Grin: You have good people skills.

Wicked Plus: Thank you. Not only is the media with you, but the whole nation is with you, all four parts of it, Asifa, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Aunty Sanam.

Grin Grin: Some good news at last. Where did you get with the Sri Lankan fiasco?

Wicked Plus: We are still following up on some leads.

Grin Grin: Why can't you get anything right?

Wicked Plus: Look at the bright side. At least we didn't lose the series.

Grin Grin: Whatever. But we did lose the battle to keep our own Justices.

Wicked Plus: You mean we will now play cricket at Lords?

Grin Grin: No, no, no. I mean the Supreme Court.

Wicked Plus: Can't we appeal to a third umpire?

Grin Grin: Are you serious? The USA is no longer against justice. Now it is only against integrity.

Wicked Plus: Good. At least there is still some common ground.

Grin Grin: What are you doing about security, things are bad.

Wicked Plus: Don't worry Sir; your securities are still earning top interest rates.

Grin Grin: Ok. What about Swat, FATA and the rest of the country?

Wicked Plus: Don't worry Sir; you won't have to visit those places.

Grin Grin: True. Let's send Gilani.

Wicked Plus: Sir I know there is pressure on you these days to remove the pious governor's rule. What will be my next assignment?

Grin Grin: Don't worry; there is always a place for people like you in Pakistani politics.

Wicked Plus: Can I be the next prime minister?

Grin Grin: Of course you can. Pakistan is a democratic country built for opportunity and opportunists.

Wicked Plus: We should give thanks to the Almighty.

Grin Grin: Yes. You remember what we have to say to the public and media.

Wicked Plus: Yes Sir. We ended pious governor's rule because we brought back real democracy. We brought back judges because we promised initially. We all back the betterment of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But we cannot bring back electricity. No need for enlightened people when leaders are already lightened.

Grin Grin: Good, very good.

Wicked Plus: But Sir, what about NRO and the new Justice who is actually an old Justice removed to make way for new Justice who is now the old Justice who would never have touched the NRO?

Silence. And for the first time, Grin Grin becomes Grim Grim. [Courtesy The News]

DEPRECIATION OF ASSETS

[Mir Tabassum Mairaj, Islamabad]

Defense minister has praised the president naming him as national asset and cashable product. Terminology used shows that he is a businessman and every one knows he is. But he forgot one point that assets depreciate with the passage of time and products become obsolete. Decision not to make him interim prime minister appears to be right. He appears to be best suited for a commerce minister or minister for industries. [The Frontier Post]

FOREVER RED

[Abdul Rauf, Fateh Jang]

In these uncertain times, the government should not do the favour of putting the police on 'red alert' after every unfortunate incident. Instead, they should continue in the 'red alert' mode all the time. [The Nation]

FOUNTAIN FOLLIES

[Editorial The News]

There is more bad news for Karachiites. The controversial Rs220 million fountain stolen from Oyster Rocks in October last year has re-appeared at the site, just as mysteriously as it had been whisked away. Reports say a truck returned the costly structure soon after the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly raised the issue of the audacious theft of what is said to be the second highest fountain in Asia. The Senate had also taken up the matter. There are insinuations that a 'powerful' institution was involved in taking away the fountain, installed on the orders of former president Pervez Musharraf – although it is unclear what use they intended to put it too.

Now that the fountain is back, the good people of Karachi can, one assumes, soon anticipate seeing it spew its jet of water into the air. As they do so, they can once again ponder upon the wisdom of investing so enormous a sum of money in a fountain which serves no practical purpose whatsoever. Many have questioned too its aesthetic purpose, arguing it adds nothing to the country's largest city. The saga of its theft simply adds another item to the list of bizarre events that take place from time to time in our country. We are unlikely to ever learn the full truth behind the manner in which it was dismantled and removed; far more important mysteries in our history have after all never been solved. Instead we must live with the structure that takes up a huge sum of money to run – and wonder at the wisdom of decision-makers in our country.

ANTI-FOUNTAIN FOLLIES

[Shariq Amin Farooqui, Manager public relations, KPT, Karachi]

In connection with your above-titled editorial (April 23), it is vehemently denied that the fountain built by the KPT was stolen. Some minor equipment was indeed stolen that the KPT has now replaced to make the fountain functional. The delay occurred as the proper software wasn’t available readily. [The News]

JOKES AND A JOLTING CAPITAL

By Abdul Vasiq Eqbal

[This article first appeared in The Frontier Post on April 06, 2009.]

In December I was in Islamabad with few friends. While moving towards Jinnah Super Avenue, a friend suddenly asked the driver if like other cities, incidents like cell snatching and car hijacking happens in this city or not? Talkative driver kick started his tongue to praise his hometown city. "No, no Islamabad is very secure and peaceful city, and you can see how disciplined it is as compared to other cities of the country so here is no crime at all". A friend from another city jokingly taunted him, "Yeah Yeah nothing like cell snatching, car hijacking happens here because these are minor crimes, it's the matter of their prestige so 'bad boys' do nothing less than blowing up Marriott to ashes". Loudest laughter of five people compelled the driver to be silent whose face was turning red due to embarrassment.

Saturday's blast in Islamabad reminded me of that joke. Calmness of the city, glooming lights and peace now appear to be departing from the capital, sound of explosions, darkness and terror have taken the place of its previous distinctions.

Recently I got an e-mail explaining the global economic crisis and recession in Desi way. Long and short of this story is that Siri Paye of Phajja in Lahore are very famous. Phajja started his work on credit; his business went on the track so people trusted him and gave every raw material on credit, at the end of the month when the long queue against Mr.Phajja's shop was about to disappear at the end of the his stock and day, a creditor came and demanded the cash, as Mr Phajja was doing entire business on the Verbal Trust so he couldn't pay. As this became word of every mouth, business of Phajja started to face gradual recession like global economy and ultimately his business collapsed entirely.

Conference of Friends of Pakistan was for financial aid, to get loan for the suffering economy. Pakistan is the country which is offering highest interest rate in the world, 22%. With this kind of security situation when the country's capital and major cities are being targeted with multiple techniques and tactics, without any discrimination among targets, who will think of investing even a single penny? Let's suppose that someone extremely avaricious gets trapped in the net of 22%, how and from where we would be able to pay back? Point to remember here is that people who gave everything to Phajja on credit, just demanded the capital amount or the real amount which was interest-free, even this caused total collapse of his business, then what would the 22% State Bank's offer would do to Pakistan? Won't it stake the sovereignty, territory and nuclear capability?

Closure of industry due to hourly blackouts, global recession, and corruption has made our country's economy like skin and bones, for breathing it needed the injection of IMF, but mis-medication can be much poisoned than no medication. We seek foreign investment thirstily, but when it comes to analyze the situation of the home, neither we find electrical energy to work, nor we can provide security even in the capital to foreigners. Only because of security reasons, tourism industry's revenue is at the lowest level of the history.

Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to the capital is a hometown of military. Former army chief-cum-president, GHQ and personnel of armed forces and ISI were targeted innumerably in that city which plays decisive role in the military and its affairs. Rawalpindi is capital of the country's army which is alone responsible for the entire security of the country. If the situation is this much deteriorating in the two most important and twin cities, then what could be the degree of other cities? Saturday night's explosion occurred outside the police diplomatic protection office in Islamabad's F-7 area, which is enough to raise one's eyebrow even after Marriott attack. Islamabad can still be targeted but why so? This is a question to be answered for so many civilian and non-civilian security agencies, intelligentsia of the state, all the entry and exit points surrounding Islamabad, and for the entire security setup of the federal capital. [Courtesy The Frontier Post]

A 'SLUR' ON THE POLICE

[Shakir Lakhani, Karachi]

Another conspiracy to defame and malign Pakistan has surfaced. This time, it's a news item according to which a police officer found gold and jewellery worth Rs225,000 and returned it to the owner. There are several things wrong with this story. The first, of course, is that the police in Pakistan are not trained to help the public. Most of the time they're on duty to protect the chosen few, like the VVIPs who periodically descend upon our cities and make our lives miserable. Secondly, even if a policeman ever finds anything, he thinks he's the owner ("finders keepers, losers weepers", as they say). It doesn't ever occur to him to return it to its owner. If there are such policemen in the country they should immediately be put under psychiatric treatment. Obviously, the whole story has been cooked up to make it appear that policemen in this country are mentally deficient and cannot be trusted. The CJP should immediately take suo motu notice of this incident and order the cop to appear before him. [The News]

WRATH OF ALLAH

[Inspector Qabacha, Lahore]

When Mongols conquered Baghdad in 1256 they ransacked the city and massacred thousands of innocent people. As Halaku Khan rode into the city on his horse, he came across an old man. "O Halaku! Fear the wrath of Allah". Halaku laughed and replied, "I am the wrath of Allah for you." [The Nation]

Issue of the Month: Resolving the terror tangle

STATE AND CITIZEN

[Editorial The News]

The relationship between a state and its citizens is an intricate one. Philosophers have, for centuries, expounded on it and what it means. But while the debate rages on, the one thing we can say for certain in that this relationship will change profoundly should the Taliban ever seize power in Pakistan. How will it change? In more ways than we can possibly imagine. The vision of the Taliban is a totalitarian one, encompassing every facet of public and private life. It would, for instance, decide how we dress, whom we meet, how we conduct ourselves in public and at least attempt even to decide how we think. This in effect means personal liberties we take for granted – like choosing what music we hear and when, or stepping out to buy a CD or a DVD, could vanish overnight. With them would go the right to privacy or a life lived outside the eye of those who rule. The freedom of speech, of artistic expression, of association and of belief would too be snatched away.

The Taliban have shown they have no regard for such fundamentals of civilized life. Girls would vanish from schools and sports fields, women from the public sphere. Against all this, can we even argue that a trade off under which the Taliban would possibly offer better justice and greater social equality is acceptable? The answer of course is 'no'. But it is astonishing how many people continue to delude themselves, insisting the Taliban could offer a better, more equitable society. The fact is that without a respect for the individual, his or her right to choose how to live, what line of thought to follow, a better society is impossible. This is a fact that needs to be emphasized as emphatically as possible. The media, our political leaders and others in positions of influence all need to play a part in this so we can cast away the confusion that is adding to the unrest running through our society.

WHEN WILL THEY WAKE UP?

[Editorial The Frontier Post]

For how long are the nation’s elites to keep living with silly charades and craps? For how many times has the president to keep harping that militants are using the cover of Islam to capture the government of Pakistan? Does he have a strategy or an action plan to frustrate their design or does he think that just by mumbling this mantra again and again he can defeat them? Now for more than a year his PPP is in rule; and as yet it is all prattle and vows, still having nothing concrete on its plate that could pass for even a semblance of strategy to combat terrorism or militancy. Only the other day, his anointed national security czar Rehman Malik was telling the senators that a national anti-terrorism policy was in the process of formulation. What is this? Why this leisureliness? For heaven’s sake, has nobody in Islamabad an idea of what a vicious monstrosity they are up against? Or, have they given to the thought of parcelling out the country to thuggish warlords to set up their fiefdoms, leaving their Islamabad throne alone for them to pose that it is they who hold the Pakistan government, not the militants?

There indeed is a strange kind of pusillanimity, indeed stark craftiness, to these elites’ entire act that simply boggles the mind. Can anyone beat in jiggery-pokery ANP boss Asfandyar Wali Khan who felt no qualms in venting the braggadocio unashamedly that he would let no one disturb peace in Karachi? Has this gladiator wrested out his bastion of the Frontier province from militant brigades’ and criminal gangs’ clutches and made it all such a peaceful place that he felt not the slightest shame in flaunting this tall talk? Leave aside Swat, Buner or Dir, which he has surrendered to Sufi Muhammad’s Sultanate of Malakand and his commander-in-chief Fazlullah. Even the provincial metropolis of Peshawar is no more a peaceful place to live in. The people are fleeing out in droves, even selling their homes and properties at throwaway prices, to settle down in Islamabad and other safer places. But Asfandyar wouldn’t know this. He no more lives there; nor does he visit it. For militant thugs’ fear, he lives mostly outside the country, of which he has become a non-resident national virtually.

It indeed is the time that the country’s elites become real, abandon their conceited talk, give up their pet charades and face up to hard realities. Their refrain of dialogue and political initiatives to give a stab to extremism is all right. But for their efficacy, right conditions have to be there. And those conditions can come about only if the state’s civil and military powers combine up to break the militants’ muscle power and wrench away from them their intimidation clout. The state should be in a position to lay down terms, not just be acquiescing, surrendering or retreating. A difficult task it is, no doubt; but that is how a creative and lasting reconciliation can come about. Otherwise, it could only be an agreement between the victor, the militants in this case, and the vanquished, the state in this case, as indeed it has been in Swat and as it was in North and South Waziristan.

Way back in 1990s, Chandrika Kumaratunga, outgoing Sri Lankan president, had offered Tamil Tigers a devolution plan, which though short of outright independence was more than autonomy. But they rejected it out of hand. They were then in a triumphal mood. With massive financial and military support coming to them from Tamil diaspora and Indian Tamils and Indian RAW spy agency, they were militarily on ascendancy in the face of a badly bruised Sri Lankan military. They rebuffed her peace pleas disdainfully. But once she hit them hard with a renewed military campaign, they agreed a long ceasefire and also to talks, which couldn’t come to a mutually-acceptable denouement, though no lesser for her own reservations, but primarily for Tamil Tigers’ use of the interregnum only to rebuild their damaged military prowess. They now stand cornered in a narrow patch of their erstwhile northern bastion in a war they have almost lost; and if the island state’s government and its Sinhalese majority wisely let the civil power work humanely to suck the Tamil minority in the mainstream respectably, Sri Lanka may see peace that has eluded it for three decades. But when will our own elites wake up to combine up the state’s civil and military powers to face up to horrid realities on our national landscape, getting increasingly complex and intractable visibly?

BEYOND THE FLOGGING

[Inamul Haq, Zhob]

Incidents such as the flogging of a teenage girl should not be taken in isolation. These should be tackled as the symptoms of a single disease, and the main focus should be to cure the disease itself. The causes of this incident are obvious. It is the result of the decades-long brainwashing of the people, first under the state patronage and then by the remnants of the volunteer movement, aimed at warding off the threat of the USSR. The tribal belt, being the camp of militancy, now bears the brunt. It is a bitter truth to accept that most of the people of these areas think such activities as legitimate because of their mindset. The support from the common people had caused to strengthen the cause of the militants.

People support Taliban because of their blind loyalty to the cause of Islam and due to the name given to these militants. The general perception is that these militants are Talib, originating from religious madressahs and carrying out the agenda to impose Shariah in the land. Now the question is what should be done to control this interminable militancy? Should the government just resort to the military solution of this issue? This has proved to be a failure as we have witnessed militancy increasing instead of decreasing, besides the prolonged war against terror. So concentrating solely on a military solution is no solution. The military solution of the issue has only aggravated the problem. In fact, bombing and killing by the government has led to more recruits into the camps of militants. They have been able to get people’s support and sympathy because of the operation by the government.

Besides this, the civilian casualties have caused people to trust the militants’ agenda more, in defiance of the government. The government should make sure to investigate into the matter thoroughly and punish anyone found guilty in this act of barbarism. The Supreme Court’s suo motu action is a welcome step in this direction. A different long-term strategy should be reconsidered in dealing with the militants. The most important of all is to change the mindset of the people. The version of Shariah in their minds needs a major overhaul. It should be made sure that the Nizam-i-Adal does not give dominating status to the Taliban version of Shariah. Practising justice should be completely free from the influence of militants (as it has been witnessed that militants are the real power players in the selection of judges and the process of justice). The deal should not mean a free hand to the militants in executing justice. The writ of the government is most important in these areas, which is unfortunately missing. Without this, how can the government ensure the safety of its citizens? [Dawn]

LAW AND ORDER IN PESHAWAR

[Dr Khurrum Shaukat Yusafzai, Peshawar]

Around 500 people were abducted in 2008 by criminals. Out of this total, 195 people were abducted from Peshawar in the month of January only. The federal government is not providing the NWFP government with extra security funds. Also, press reports suggest that FC personnel have been deployed in Punjab and Islamabad to provide security to VIPs. What is the federal government up to? [The News]

DISGRACING WOMEN THE TALIBAN WAY

[Mazhar Abbas]

This is apropos of the two articles of my former colleagues, Beena Sarwar and Zohra Yusuf (April 12), regarding the alleged flogging incident of a young woman in Swat. The video horrified everyone here and abroad. Whether TV channels should have aired it or not is also a debatable point. Should the Taliban be solely held responsible for disgracing women or should we blame society at large? What about the women who have been disgraced at the hands of the feudals of Sindh, Chaudhries of Punjab, Sardars of Balochistan, Khans of the Frontier and by many others who are immersed in the same mentality in the urban areas of the country. Have we forgotten the incident of the ‘naked parade’ of a woman by the Chaudhries of Nawabpur in the 80s? We could not have even aired the video of that incident, followed by series of many such incidents in the 80s. However, there was no a hue and cry in the West on these incidents.

Those were the days when these Talibs like Mujahideen were the ‘darlings of the West’. Disgracing women in such a way was not a threat to the US or the West, but to Pakistani society alone. The anger today in the West is not against the disgrace to women but against the Taliban for political reasons. Perhaps we all have to pay the price today for turning these Talibs (students) into militants. Let’s not blame the students but their teachers that comprise the Americans, our own establishment and the political leadership which calls itself ‘secular liberal’, the PPP. How can we forget what happened to a Pashtun girl in Karachi and how the couple left the country? Was the culprit who was responsible for burying five women alive ever punished? Have the government and Parliament taken any action or even condemned the senator in the parliament? Also, a federal minister, enjoying a high profile position, was allegedly responsible for disgracing a minor girl, though he denied it.

There is a kind of people in this society who do not believe in printing the name of the bride even on her wedding card and, mind it, such people not only claim themselves to be ‘liberal’ but also ‘secular.’ The incident should remind the highly acclaimed journalists of a sitting ambassador who today claims to be a very liberal and against the Taliban, but introduced the same kind of law at the Karachi University in the 80s. A high -profile woman was disgraced when hundreds of her pictures with the former US president were dropped from an aircraft. Times have changed and so has politics. Yesterday’s extremists have become liberal today, enjoying high-profile positions, and the liberals of yesterday died as martyrs and as Islamic clerics (there are quite a few examples). Yes, the Taliban have their own definition of Islam and they have their own way of implementing it, which is not even acceptable to many religious parties in the country, what to talk of liberals. It’s very important that we should all observe the making of the Talib blossoming into the creation of the Taliban, the political dynamics and repercussions and the threats that ensue in our corrupt society.

From public flogging to naked parades taking place, from selling minor girls to settling disputes, getting women married to the Holy Quran or burning them in domestic violence: women in our society still struggle to get respect. And it’s not confined to Pakistan only; research will show how women are ill-treated in rural areas of India as well. [Dawn]

TALIBAN AND THE ARMY

[Azhar N Hussain, Kissimmee, FL, US]

Hamza Arshad in his letter titled "Taliban and the army" on March 29 asks: "But one thing which is untenable was her (Lisa Curtis's) accusation that the Pakistan army was maintaining links with the Taliban. How can this be the case if the military is suffering a heavy loss of life at the hands of the Taliban?" One need not be a political scientist to ask this question. A case in point is Swat. How come our strong army has not been able to check the terrorist activities there? Our government has sadly capitulated to these terrorists and I as a citizen am concerned about it. [The News]

FALL OF SWAT

[Rafid Siddiki, Lahore]

As far as the enforcement of Sharia is concerned, I don’t think that there are many in Pakistan who oppose it. The problem, however, is with the manner in which the Sharia is interpreted. If Sharia is all about flogging women who refuse to bow before desperate hedonist men cloaked in the garb of Islam, then there is no way that women and pluralistic societies would have survived during the reign of the Righteous Caliphs. I salute the MQM for taking a stand for the sake of Muslims of this nation and what comes as a relief is the party’s national approach to such serious issues. I must assert that the Taliban fail to understand Allah’s hikma and want people to submit to their will. Show me a man who was forced by the Taliban to follow Islam, and I’ll show you a hypocrite who worships the Taliban and not God of Islam. As our lawmakers have placed their trust in the Taliban, it is binding on them to send their daughters and sisters to Swat so that they can feel the pain that has wrecked our lives. [Dawn]

A GIRL'S FLOGGING AND THE ART OF OBFUSCATION

[Mrs Talat Farooq, Executive editor, Criterion Quarterly, Islamabad]

According to Ansar Abbasi (April 6), the NWFP chief minister, while questioning the authenticity of the video, asked that how a 17-year-old could walk away from the flogging without any sign of pain. A psychiatrist explained the phenomenon calling it 'denial of pain'. To cope with unbearable physical pain mixed with intense emotions the body produces chemicals that numb painful physical sensations. As a result the very mental perception of pain is altered. During events involving intense grief or humiliation strong emotions take precedence over physical sensation. In this regard one can cite the example of what happens to mourners during an Ashura procession as they use chains and knives on their bodies to commemorate Imam Husain's sacrifice. Since strong sentiments accompany the practice the wounded can usually walk away or rejoin the mourning procession without showing signs of pain or fainting.

The NWFP chief minister was also quoted as saying that the video was shot somewhere else and is being used to derail the Swat peace deal. Sir, questions of premise and the identity of the victim do not in any way undermine the suffering of a hapless female at the hands of psychopaths so vividly caught on video. It is a chilling reminder of the Taliban brutality that was unleashed on the women of Afghanistan who were denied the right to education or access to medical care under male doctors even in emergency. The anti-woman practices of the Taliban in Afghanistan were neither fake nor a figment of liberal imagination but are indeed recorded historical facts. The Swat peace deal, if signed, would be anything but peaceful for the women of Swat. It is amazing how pro-Taliban elements in politics and the media hasten to churn out conspiracy theories to justify violence in the name of Islam but remain deaf and dumb when they are asked to condemn suicide bombings.

[The News]

NIZAM-I-ADL IN SWAT

[Mohammad Yamin, Karachi]

The recently-signed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by the President of Pakistan, howsoever controversial it may be, is now a reality. Let the qazis work and let the citizenry see how incorruptible, fair and God-fearing they are. To start with, let them take a suo motu action against the hoodlums of the Taliban who were on rampage in Swat for their cold-blooded savagery, brutality and killings. Nizam-i-Adl should order the arrest of the culprits and behead them publicly after a summary trial. These criminals cannot be allowed to go scot-free after committing loathsome crimes. This and this alone will establish the credibility of qazi courts to the enraged citizens of Pakistan. Let us fear Allah and not the atrocious Taliban. [Dawn]

SAMAR MINALLAH IS GETTING DEATH THREATS, MR MINISTER

[Ghazala Minallah, Law lecturer, Islamabad]

Regardless of the authenticity of the Swat flogging video or when it was filmed, there is absolutely no legal or moral justification for a senior politician to make baseless allegations against someone who happens to be genuinely concerned about the issue and is not playing the tune he would like to hear. The ANP information minister, Iftikhar Hussain, rushed off to Swat to hold a press conference in which he singled out human rights activist and internationally acclaimed documentary maker Samar Minallah for mentioning the incident on a television talk show, and circulating the video that she had received via email from Swat.

His allegation that she was out to sabotage the 'peace deal' was obviously designed to divert attention from the real issue. For the last fifteen years Samar has been highlighting human rights violations through her documentaries, much to the embarrassment of various governments and their administrations. It was an opportunity to once and for all shut her up by initiating a vicious smear campaign through the internet. It is pathetic that rather than admit that the government has lost its writ in Swat, they resorted to such underhand tactics. Mr Hussain's mala fide intention is obvious from the fact that he also lashed out at Athar Minallah, her brother, who had nothing to do with this matter, and accused both of them of working according to an 'agenda'. As a result of the statement, Samar is receiving threatening emails. All one needs to do is to go online and check her credentials, and they are the kind that no smear campaign can wipe out.

I would like to inform the information minister, and in fact the entire ANP leadership, that he has put Samar's, Athar's and our entire family's life at risk at the hands of forces who now only see her as a hurdle in the fulfilment of their 'agenda'. I demand a public apology and a retraction of that damaging statement in a press conference immediately. The lawyers' movement has taught us many lessons, one of them being that the truth can never be suppressed. Every effort was made to malign those involved but to no avail. I will continue with my demand for as long as it takes. [The News]

SILENCE OF WOMEN MNAS

[Fauzia Yazdani]

An enormous amount of international donor money and government money has gone into "women empowerment and awareness raising", more so for their political empowerment which was considered by all as a prelude to their socio-economic empowerment. A woman was flogged, another’s nose was chopped off and there is silence in the parliament and provincial and respective local councils. It is unfortunate to note now that Nizam Adl, which talks about Islam and the Sharia of Sufi Muhammad, was validated by parliament and no woman stood up and said ‘no’ to it, not even one. Even if they all stood up against it, it would have been passed but at least the protest would be registered. They falsely believe that a woman is neither allowed to step out nor be educated. However, Prophet Muhammad’s wife was educated and a business lady. The Prophet told the Muslims, both men and women, to focus on education, even if they have to travel to China.

All women empowerment programmes must stop immediately if the empowered elitist women can’t raise a voice, forget about others. All kudos and bravado for Ayaz Amir and the MQM but shame on elected women and political parties whose manifesto talked about upholding of women’s dignity i.e. PML(Q), PPP, PML(N), ANP, and here they allowed their own country to be taken for ransom. [Dawn]

DISAPPOINTED IN ANP

[Nasar Ahmad, Lahore]

I have always admired the ANP for its support of smaller provinces and basic human rights. It was always a party of secular values except for one incident when it supported the second amendment. However, I was shocked to see it supporting the Taliban and try to malign and discredit people fighting for secular cause and basic rights. What has happened to Bacha Khan's political successors? He must be turning in his grave. I request Asfandyar Wali not to destroy the party and his own family's tradition -- the ANP was never a religious party and should not become one now.

[The News]

SUFI’S WORLD

[S. Khalid Husain, Karachi]

THIS is apropos of your editorial, "Sufi’s world" (April 22). You are right in stating that we did not vote for barbarity in the garb of religiosity. Between them, the two supposedly secular parties, the PPP and the ANP, are leading the country down the tube, ready to deliver it to a band of savages. This must have made ZAB, BB, Badasha Khan and Wali Khan turn in their graves. As you rightly said, the TNSM and the rest of their cohorts are acting less for religion and entirely using religion as subterfuge to gain power. The PPP and the ANP pandering to the bigots and the barbarians is nothing but a last-ditch attempt by either of them to retain power in areas not ceded to the Taliban, not ceded as yet that is. We also did not vote for a president who, far from representing the ‘unity of the Republic’, as the Constitution states, represents his personal interests first, his party’s, of which he is co-chairman, next, with ‘unity of the Republic’ coming in a poor third. We voted for a parliament which would be supreme, not for one which would function under the guidance of the party supremo who is also president of the country. We voted for a parliament which would not, as aptly put by a reader, turn into a ‘pointless white cube of a parliament on Constitution Ave.

We voted for a party that was committed to restore the deposed judges, not for one that reneged on pledges and promises, and had to be humbled into doing so. We voted for a party that would most vigorously, and briskly, investigate Benazir Bhutto’s murder and bring to trial those behind it. Not for a party that would employ tactics under guises that make little sense to delay the investigation. The list of what we did not vote for goes on — we did not vote for a party whose government would be run by discredited, and unelected, former cronies and hangers-on, now running the affairs of the state as key advisers with ranks of cabinet ministers, or higher. Behind the sorry story of the country under the present government lies a sorry tale of broken pledges and promises, and duplicity in political and public dealings. Who will have the last laugh is a matter of conjecture, but it would certainly not be the present lot of duplicitous ‘geniuses’ who pass for rulers. [Dawn]

'EXPERTS' ON TERRORISM

[Afghan Mal Wazir, Islamabad]

The media in Pakistan seems to be intentionally or unintentionally supporting and promoting the terrorist worldview. For instance, whenever there is any instance of terrorism in Pakhtunkhwa, TV channels approach people like General (r) Hamid Gul, Brig (r) Mehmood Shah, Rahimullah Yousufzai or Rustam Shah Mohmand for expert opinion. These gentlemen seem to, on the basis of their arguments and what they say, supporters or at least sympathisers of the Taliban. Is there no one else for 'expert' opinion? [The News]

SWAT PEACE DEAL

[Aqeela Murtaza, Karachi]

THER are many days to mourn in the history of Pakistan, but April 13 will be remembered as the darkest day in the annals of Pakistan’s history. This is when collectively, except for a few brave lawmakers, the nation through its representatives chose to surrender before the army of marauders, barbarians and to those who have a very narrow interpretation of Islam, its values and the teachings of our Holy Prophet. This is in line with our famous ‘Doctrine of Necessity’, when we simply put our heads in the sand. This is in line with our 62 years of history of ad hocism, accepted by our civil services, and now even by our legislature. The so-called champions of democracy didn’t even think for a second that the essence of democracy which means the will of the people has been compromised. Nobody ever thought it prudent to ask as to what is the will of the people of Malakand and Swat, who are constantly living in fear. Some even chose to migrate in this land of the pure for safer locations.

But instead they chose to thrust upon the people of Swat and Malakand the regulation, without their consent and will, assuming that this will bring peace to the other parts of the country. This is simply done because all our institutions, in totality, have failed to thwart the menace of extremism and terrorism, due to their false agenda of national security and complete inefficiency and ineffectiveness in dealing with this menace. The Swat peace deal accord simply surrenders a part of the country and its living inhabitants to the gallows of religious bigotry, narrow-mindedness and hatred in the name of Islam. On top of it, the narrowest interpretation is astounding when there is punishment to the citizens of the valley under the qazi courts, but when it comes to punishment for crimes committed by their own militants, they enjoy immunity under the Islamic law. [Dawn]

TALK THE TALK, WALK THE WALK

[M S Hasan, Karachi]

According to reports, while addressing a formation commanders' conference in Rawalpindi the army chief said that the army was ready to meet the current emerging (rampant, I should say) 'internal and external threats'. Very good -- but we have heard this many a time in the past -- and now it does not frankly provide any level of comfort and confidence to the nation at large. The question is that when the army will get down to real, concerted and determined action against the extremists in our midst who are threatening the very existence of our nation? The nation is waiting for the army not only to talk the talk but also to walk the walk. [The News]

SWAT PEACE DEAL

[Jaffar Naqvi, Lahore]

THE recent surrender in Swat and the signing up of Nizam-i-Adl speaks volumes about the erosion of the writ and authority of the state. Today it is Swat, tomorrow it will be Haripur and very soon the capital of Islamabad. We must wake up now to ascertain the realities around us, otherwise it will be too late. We must fight the Taliban and the lead role must be taken by our Army. They have taken the oath to protect the country from internal as well as from external threats. Surrendering now would be a disservice to the many who laid their lives while protecting this country from the Taliban. [Dawn]

TALIBANISM NOT A NEW PHENOMENON

[Muhammed Islam, Lahore]

Talibanism is not a result of American intervention in Afghanistan. This poisonous ideology was nurtured by our ISI in the 80s and the 90s. The killings of Shias and the links between the various anti-Shia organisations and the Taliban are known to everyone. This was happening a decade before 9/11. If you want to glorify murderers and criminals, that is your choice. But don't mutilate facts in your (by now) thoroughly discredited arguments in defence of savagery and barbarism. [The News]

THE WILL TO FIGHT

[Maria Azhar, Karachi]

I fully agree with your editorial on the will to fight terror. (April 2) While the United States and other allies can pump in billions of dollars and supply us with the latest weaponry, we cannot defeat terrorism unless we actually consider it a threat and have the collective national will to fight it. All nations, while under threat, come together, despite domestic differences, for the greater cause. But a scan of the ‘pulse of the nation’ through the media reveals that we are not showing such will. It is because of this ambivalence and confusion towards terrorism that we are failing to stabilise our country. It is the job of the politicians and the media to ensure that the public realises this threat; and this will not take place if we continue to look for conspiracy theories instead of facts. We cannot wait any longer; the time to unite and fight terrorism is now. And if those responsible for shaping and guiding public opinion do not do the right thing, all could be lost. [Daily Times]

GHOST OF MILITANCY

[Maryam Mirza, Islamabad]

As I write this letter, I can still hear the sirens after the blast in Jinnah Supermarket. Day after day, we read that our intelligence agencies have acquired information about yet another group of suicide bombers planning to strike their targets. Despite the plethora of information, the blasts keep on increasing and the bodies keep piling up. I fail to understand why our agencies, despite all the information that they have, do not take any action against these wretched extremists. Jawans from the armed forces are losing their lives everyday fighting against an enemy whose strength we are still unsure of. Is this what they are sacrificing their lives for? So that the situation in this country goes from bad to worse? So that every citizen of this country has to think twice before they step out of their houses, not knowing whether they will return home or not? The irony of the attack of April 4 is that it took place in a high security zone. More than anything, it goes to show just how bad the security situation in the country is. The government needs to step up and focus all their attention on this monster of extremism threatening to consume the spirit of this country. May God help us all! [The News]

ANTI-TALIBAN PROTESTS

[Sohaib Shahid, Karachi]

On Saturday, protests were held in Lahore and Karachi against the Taliban and their flogging of a teenaged girl in Swat. These were led by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other notable civil society organisations, as well as common citizens. The turnout was great; and it sent a strong statement to everyone that there are still people in this country who do not sympathise with the barbaric Taliban and will not sit silently as the Taliban destroy the lives of the people of Swat and the tribal areas. More such protests should be held, and given the same amount of coverage as given to other protests like the Long March. The media should not shy away now; this is the time to stand up and be counted. I am proud of my fellow citizens who came out against the Taliban.

[Daily Times]

JUSTICE AT GUN-POINT IN SWAT?

[A Q Anjum, Rawalpindi]

Quite frankly I am puzzled by what has happened vis-a-vis he Nazim-e-Adl regulation passed by the National Assembly and signed by the president. The reason I say this is because parliament has decided for a change in the justice system of an area which is very much within the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and hence it needs to be governed in accordance with laws that are in line with the Constitution. It also means that any changes to this system or bringing an altogether new system would require an amendment to the Constitution for which a two-thirds majority of the total electoral college is required. What the government has done is that it has brought a change in this system through the force of militancy and terrorism. The provincial ANP government is mainly to blame for this – I am equally puzzled by how Malakand, which is a part of PATA, even comes under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly. [The News]

TRAITORS

[Hassan Kilde Bajwa, Lahore]

This is in response to the demands that are being voiced by religious parties that Swat-type shariat be enforced in the rest of the country. The reason presented for this is the "peace" that has resulted after the shameful capitulation of the provincial and federal government to the demands of the Taliban and the TNSM. The argument runs that the implementation of sharia will improve the law and order situation in the rest of the country, just like it has in the Malakand division. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. The only reason there is a relative peace (ignoring the lashings, beheadings, kidnappings and other violence perpetrated against those whom the Taliban do not approve of) is that previously the Taliban used to fight and kill people, whereas now they do not. Likewise the only reason the law and order situation in the rest of the country will improve, if shariat is imposed, is because the Taliban will stop their suicide squads from killing any more innocent people.

This is not peace; it is blackmail. They will keep killing innocent people until the government gives in. It is bad enough that these murderers make these demands, but now we have bona-fide politicians who further legitimise the violence of the Taliban by echoing their demands and their claim to have "brought peace to the area". These politicians are traitors to Pakistan, to democracy and to the dreams of our founding fathers. I am a Pakistani Muslim and I do not want the Taliban’s medieval interpretation of sharia law imposed on my life. I do not want them to deprive my sisters of their right to an education and their chance to live out their potential. I do not want them to brainwash my children into throwing their lives away as suicide bombers, so they can claim "victory" from their hiding holes in the mountains. I do not want them setting their vile feet in my house to tell me how I must live. I do not want them polluting our society with violence and anger. I do not want them or their creed of hatred, violence and bloodshed in my country. But most of all I would like to be able to call myself a Pakistani Muslim without the shame that the Taliban bring to my religion and to my country. [Daily Times]

SWAT -- APPEASEMENT OR REAL PEACE?

[Abu Abdul Muez Advocate, Islamabad]

According to Article 247 of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the governor of a province, with the prior approval of the president, may make regulations for the peace and good governance of a Provincially Administered Tribal Area or any of its part situated in the province. However, the Nizam-e-Adl regulation was conveyed to the National Assembly by the president and after a favourable vote by the house, it was signed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. The procedure followed does not find any existence in the constitution or any other law. The assembly should have opened debate on the contents of the legislative enactment, but the formalities were done away with -- probably for two reasons; the MPs were in fear of being targeted by the militants in case of opposition and the ruling party did not want to annoy the ANP.

The unnecessary haste in promulgation of the regulation without its due consideration has resulted in constitutionally absurd and legally defective legislation as the regulation is not different from the earlier two regulations, promulgated in 1994 and 1999, in its intent and content, except that many of the provisions of the regulation are in violation of express provisions of the constitution. First, the seat of the of the superior judiciary, that is, the Supreme Court and the High Court, is determined by constitution, and any change in place of seating of the courts or their nomenclature warrants a constitutional amendment. Second, to ensure permanent independence of the judiciary, pursuant to the dictum of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Sharaf Faridi case in line with the constitutional provisions, particularly, Article 175, the judiciary was completely separated from the executive. This new regulation has not only revived the erstwhile and much objectionable executive magistracy but has given judicial powers to the executive in the garb of Sharia -- this is bound to affect the independence and working of district judiciary in the whole of Malakand Division.

Notwithstanding the political expediencies, our legislators should have at the very least bothered to look into the contents, intents and future implications of any legislative enactment, prior to its promulgation, to reflect and respond to the popular aspirations and established legal norms, otherwise the existence of our these institutions at the public expense is useless. [The News]

DISAPPOINTING PARLIAMENT

[Bilal Shah, Islamabad]

It is very disappointing that the parliament, without much debate or consideration, has rubber-stamped the Nizam-e Adl Regulation, which effectively legitimises the Taliban’s stranglehold on Swat. The people of Swat have no been officially condemned to be at the terrorists’ mercy. This move by the parliament came after the Taliban had threatened that any MNA that votes against or expresses opposition to the Nizam-e Adl would be considered an apostate. And apart from the MQM, every party decided to bow down to the Taliban’s bullying. The people of Pakistan have been let down badly by parliament. There are many in the media who are celebrating this peace deal; but this is a moment of defeat. We must rise up and defeat the Taliban, not bow down to them.

[Daily Times]

CAN WE SAVE OURSELVES -- YET?

[R Matif, London]

How did the Pakistani society get here? This seems to be the recurring, underlying question in recent letters on this page. Part of the answer to this question was provided in a thoughtful analysis by Nosheen Ali titled "The long road to Talibanisation" (April 7). There is one aspect that is often overlooked in quest to answer the above question, i.e., the unquestioning reverence towards anything with the label of Islam on it. The provenance of who sticks this label to further their own political or financial or other self-indulgent aims does not seem to matter very much but it seems to put the matter beyond debate. An example of this was on display in a recent news report where TNSM leaders declared anyone against their version of the Sharia (Nizam-e-Adl) bill as an apostate. The underlying implication is obvious to all who know the punishment for apostasy in Islam (and as has been plastered on the pages and screens, recently, the TNSM and their cohorts have not shied away from handing out worse for lesser crimes). But who gave the leaders of the TNSM this authority to go around declaring others apostate? And if they were not armed and ruthless in killing and maiming, would anyone, other than their lackeys, a tiny minority of Malakand, follow them in any way?

An example of the murdering criminals exploiting unquestioning reverence of Islam by the gullible is given by Ahmed Rashid in his book "Taliban" and describes a pivotal moment in the brutal regime that took hold of Afghanistan in the 1990s. When the notorious and elusive Mullah Omar's leadership comes under scrutiny in 1996 and he finds himself in a tight spot, he pulls a trick to allay the fears of his band of bandits and recapture their allegiance by visiting the shrine of the 'Cloak of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)' in Kandahar. He is then reported to have appeared in front of a sceptical crowd, who upon seeing him donning the sacred cloak not only fall into line but also accept his declaration that he is the Amirul Momineen. This type of exploitation of belief of others is not novel and seems to prove the adage that you can indeed fool some of the people, some of the time. The medieval monarchs of England also used this trick to great effect.

To the ignorant destroyers of the Buddhas of Bamiyan and the shrine of Rehman Baba history and context are irrelevant and literal meaning of the Holy Book according to their limited understanding is everything. But to the rest of the humanity, and particularly in relation to Pakistan, history and context matter. It is important to remember that the creation of Pakistan was a triumph of ideas, argument and debate. The tactics of the founding fathers of Pakistan was not suicide bombs, indiscriminate violence towards and floggings of their fellow men. Pakistan's idea was conceived by Sir Mohammed Iqbal, a philosopher and poet and its movement led by men of words such as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali and Liaquat Ali Khan, all lawyers, who would be turning in their graves at the maligning of their vision and labour and the silent, almost uncritical submission of their heirs.

The swift and near universal condemnation of the flogging of a child by the Taliban demonstrates that Pakistanis do not consider the Taliban to be their representatives or that of their religion. With the signing of the Nizam-e-Adl bill by the president, the NWFP government and the federal government (which inherited rather than created this monster) have concluded, each perhaps for their own reasons, that for the moment, it is not possible to surgically remove the disease and some parts of the nation have to live with it. This is regrettable. They seem to think that this is a way of stopping the cancer spreading to other parts of the country or halting the bloodshed. Only time will tell if their reasoning and this strategy is successful. The long-term antidote to this disease however is in the minds of each thinking Pakistani. They can fight this cancer by reviving the legacy of critical thought, argument and debate of their founding fathers and more importantly by questioning.

[The News]

NO CLARITY

[Frustrated, Lahore]

Let me begin by welcoming the MQM press conference that was held on April 16, 2009. I may not agree with their political views, but I do laud the clarity with which they declared they will do everything they can to stop the Talibanisation of Pakistan. The public needs to know the stance of other political parties; we need unequivocal statements. This brings us to the matter that compelled me to write this letter. Our public discourse on terrorism in Pakistan (as discussed on television, analysed in newspapers and articulated in drawing-room discussions) is shrouded in confusion. Islam, Talibanisation, shariat and anti-imperialism seem to have been gelled into one bloc; while secular, pro-West, liberal, and anti-Islam and anti-Muslim elements are being considered a coherent opposing bloc. Educated, urban professionals fear speaking out against the atrocities being carried out by the Taliban because they cannot differentiate between Islam and the Taliban. By the same token, those wanting a secular Pakistan are accused of supporting the US and the Western way of life.

If this is not idiocy, what is? How are we to engage in any debate on this pressing matter when no one is clear on what is being discussed? This is exactly why, despite having a welter of TV channels and freedom of media, we have still not established a coherent and collective front against the Taliban. [Daily Times]

SERVING OUR NATIONAL INTEREST

[Umar Beg, Islamabad]

I have noticed some letters by retired army officers appearing on these pages of late, extolling the virtues of the Taliban and how these murderous thugs are apparently the best thing invented since apple pie. The reverse indoctrination rampant within our military during the last two decades has taken a heavy toll on our soldiers and intelligence officers. There are regular reports of ex-army personnel joining ranks of the LeT and fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan – as reported in the case of an interrogation of a retired major who was instrument in the kidnapping of Satish Anand.

To make matters worse, according to one of your reporters, the TNSM has a number of ex-army officers serving on its executive shura. Such people have clearly been brainwashed by the Taliban ideologues. I'm furious to hear such people say that they think highly of the murderous Taliban – especially since it is clearly at the expense of our country. While this batch of former members of the army and intelligence agencies led by the likes of General Hamid Gul and Khalid Khawaja are clearly beyond rehabilitation, the army officers and soldiers currently serving must recognise the insidious nature of the repressive doctrine practised by the Taliban, and the dangers this doctrine poses to our collective identity as a nation.

Unfortunately to complicate matters, hawkish strategists sympathetic to or part of the establishment continue to portray the Taliban as a strategic asset despite the havoc wreaked by these criminals. I'd like to give these hawks a reality check. I'm sure they would agree that a key national interest of ours is to protect and preserve our nuclear capability. The quickest way to ensure the destruction of our nuclear arsenal would be to let the Taliban thugs overrun the government. If the Taliban take over, the US and its allied forces will be forced to take all necessary measures to destroy our nuclear weapons. Do we really want to put ourselves in that situation? The establishment has a choice: defeat the Taliban terrorists or end up losing our nuclear capability. The military establishment must accept the fact that our national interest is only served by pounding these thugs into submission, not coddling them. [The News]

STAND UP FOR PAKISTAN

[Jibran Malik, Islamabad]

This is with reference to reports in the media that the Taliban in Swat have rejected the peace deal struck with the NWFP, under which the Nizam-e Adl was imposed on Swat and Malakand. The Taliban have said that they are not "bound to honour the peace accord between the government and Sufi Muhammad." This is a most worrying development, but not really surprising. Many had warned of the dangers of negotiating with this band of terrorists given that the government was negotiating from a position of weakness, and past experience of cutting deals with the terrorists was entirely negative. Instead of surrendering to these terrorists, the state should have intensified the fight and liberated our territory from them. With this capitulation, instead of bringing these areas back under the state’s writ, we have simply given the terrorists greater confidence to extend their nefarious activities to the rest of Pakistan.

Despite the many voices in the media confusing the people on this issue, the lines are now absolutely clear. The terrorists are against the people of Pakistan, the state of Pakistan, our judiciary, our democracy and our values. They have vowed to destroy all this. We must vow to protect it, united in the fight to save Pakistan. [Daily Times]

TO THE PEOPLE OF BUNER

[A concerned Buneri, Karachi]

We the people of Buner have a very civilised and proud heritage. We have been peaceful for decades, we have never indulged in any sort of unlawful or inhumane activity. We are passing through a critical period now in our entire history -- with the Taliban knocking on our doorstep. It is critical because our district is developing, it is peaceful and because we have developed a strong faith in women's emancipation and rights. The Taliban, if they succeed and have their way, will clearly change all of that. Our forefathers were progressive: they never denied us our culture, which includes art, poetry and all other essential aspects of what makes a civilisation human and alive. I can still remember those sweet reverberating sounds of dolkay (drums) at our hujras, on the occasions of our marriages. Our elders never kept women in the four walls of their houses -- after all who can deny that our villages have 'gudhars' (a place where women would go and fetch water for the household). Also, we all remember 'talona' (seesaws) in our graveyards, where young girls would go during Eid.

We should never let this great culture of our ancestors go away off our hands and we should show zero tolerance against all those who try to grab this great culture from us under the garb of implementing Sharia. We can and will succeed if we remain firm and united in our resolve to fight off these monsters. However, if we remain divided on this then we will have to face horrible consequences -- and proof of this is what happening in our neighbouring district Swat. [The News]

TALIBAN AND THE MINORITIES

[Emmanuel Yousaf, Lahore]

This is with reference to the recent acts of violence and intimidation aimed at the minorities in Pakistan, especially the Christian community. Minorities’ legislators walked out of a session of the National Assembly recently to protest the burning of three churches in Karachi. According to reports, over a hundred armed persons ransacked these churches, and also disgraced the Holy Bible and the Cross. Later, these militants attacked the Christian population of the area, killing three and injuring many others. The other day, graffiti like "Taliban Zindabad" was written on the walls of these churches. This incident came after reports that the Taliban in Orakzai have demanded jiziya (tax) from Sikh families living in the agency. According to the Taliban, the Sikhs are a minority and are liable to pay tax for living in the area in accordance with sharia. Our government and the political leadership, especially the minister for minorities affairs, should take serious notice of this situation and protect the minorities instead of turning a blind eye to the terrorism of the Taliban. [Daily Times]

CAPITULATION

[Dr Mervyn Hosein, Karachi]

Without a whimper and with the singular, documented, exception of Ayaz Amir, the entire parliament of my beloved principled, progressive, nuclear-powered, nation that otherwise has the empty bluster and bravado to tell the world what to do with itself, capitulated. Of the women legislators, the less said the better. As for our brave men, whose honour otherwise resides in their pagris, they proved well their irrelevance to the concept of nationhood and the aspiration of our founding fathers. The MQM made much sound against the Taliban, venting its fury against them, but then conveniently abstained from the vote. Much of my life is spent dealing with oral cancer and teaching generations of aspiring health professionals that cancer kills unless it is caught early and treated radically before it gets out of control. Today, my parliamentarians have taught me that cancer is beneficial to life and needs to be loved and nurtured even as it destroys us deep in our vitals.

On Feb 20, 2006, a Canadian, Paul Marek wrote an article titled, "Why the peaceful majority is irrelevant" (http://cjunk.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-peaceful-majority-is-irrelevant.html). An excerpt is worth repeating: "History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by the fanatics. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Bosnians, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others, have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life." I think history will record that we too will see this day. [The News]

COME TOGETHER

[Basit Javed, Karachi]

We have studied numerous histories of nations that came together and fought united against whatever enemies they faced. These are the nations that survived and left their mark on human history. Pakistan, too, faces a serious threat from the Taliban, who are threatening to take over the entire country. Yet in the face if this extremely dangerous threat, our nation seems more divided than ever. It has become clear through their own statements that the Taliban are not going to stop in Swat, not going to respect the peace deal, and will impose their way of life on the Pakistani people. It is time to wake up! We need to stop living in denial, or it will be too late to save our country. It has been clear for years who really wants to destroy Pakistan; so let us please leave behind ridiculous conspiracy theories and instead unite to confront and defeat the Taliban. [Daily Times]

NO TO BARBARISM

[Juma Khan Sufi, Peshawar]

The Swat deal happened because the military establishment could not bring itself to fighting the Taliban -- for reasons best known to it. Unlike the restoration of the judiciary, where the pressure was coming from the masses, the enforcement of a so-called peace deal in Swat is because of the pressure of a small but aggressive minority. I see a long chain of tragic events soon overtaking the whole of the country, just like the Mongol hordes did under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Unless we all act together and unite to counter this threat, the collapse will happen sooner than later. [The News]

TALIBAN THREAT TO GILGIT

[R A Somairi, Lahore]

Most do not grasp the gravity of the threat posed by the Taliban. It is a pity that few people in this country seem to understand what the rise of Taliban means for this country and the region. The Taliban may open a new front in Gilgit soon if they wrest control of the strategic Karakoram Highway. Shias and Ismailis are the majority in Gilgit, and they depend solely on the state of Pakistan for their security. But there is a real fear among the people of Gilgit that they will be left to the mercy of the Taliban much like the people of Swat. The people of Gilgit are doubly detestable to the Taliban: they are non-Pashtun and follow a different sect of Islam. Further, we have bitter memories of 1988 when these very tribals assaulted Gilgit to purge the region of the ‘infidels’ — read Shias and Ismailis. Villages were pillaged, houses were burnt and women were dishonoured as the state remained a silent spectator.

Any movement of the Taliban towards the northern areas, or any action by their allies (there are many in Gilgit), will be the starting point of yet another battle. It is difficult to understand why the government is not taking decisive action against this barbaric non-state terrorist force. The concessions that are being made are harmful to the state and the people, and further fuel the ideological zeal of the terrorists. The people of Pakistan must raise their voices against the Taliban, and the security forces and the government must act against them. [Daily Times]

NO TO BARBARISM

[Asmat Jamal, Peshawar]

The British imperialists left us (Pashtuns) with good infrastructure, education system, electricity, jobs and a tolerant society. After independence the naive leadership and greedy establishment replaced our schools with madressahs, took pens from our children and gave them Kalashnikov, threw us in every war from Afghanistan to Kashmir, sold our blood for dollars and it still continues. So what do you expect now? You wanted to see Pashtuns destroyed. You are successful. Today we stand destroyed. You wanted to earn money through the sale of our blood. You stand successful. You got billions of dollars -- what did we get? Your job is being done by the Taliban. We have conceded defeat. You should now face the music as well. We are now too weak to stand up to the monster that you created. [The News]

NO RIGHT TO DEMAND TAXES!

[Syed Hussain Abbas, Karachi]

It was shameful to read that unknown individuals have started threatening co-educational institutes in Karachi. More disheartening was the advice by some security officials, when informed about the threat, to make "burqa" mandatory for female students. This is typical of the incompetence of our country’s security apparatus which itself is partly responsible for bringing us to this point. Instead of making efforts to identify these terrorists, they are trying to please them by recommending that "burqas" be made compulsory. What’s next? Force boys to grow beards? Stop listening to music? As we have seen, the terrorists make never-ending demands. The state and the government are systematically failing to provide safety to the citizens, especially the tax-paying citizens. When the state cannot provide basic security and citizens are left to defend themselves against terrorists then such state has no right to demand taxes. [Daily Times]

O POLITICIANS AND GENERALS, WAKE UP!

[M S Hasan, Karachi]

The storm of Talibanisation, like an unstoppable twister, is on the rampage. The civil administration, local police, law-enforcement apparatus and district courts have been dismantled and replaced by gun-toting murderers. The semi-literate and bigoted mullahs are in-charge of the areas under their control. The writ of the government is nowhere to be seen. Yet our president, the incompetent federal government and the passive military leadership continue to make statements such as "terrorism will be wiped out", that the "government will not allow the creation of a state within a state", or that the "armed forces are prepared and ready to defend the country" even as the terrorists and Al Qaeda proxies sweep across the country with complete immunity and impunity taking town after town under their control. It is all talk and no action from all of our inept leadership, civilian and military alike, without exception. To put it quite bluntly, this rhetoric from our incompetent leadership is bull crap.

When they hear such empty and meaningless statements from our leaders, the likes of Baitullah Mehsud, Fazalullah, Mullah Omar, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden must be laughing their heads off. The current PPP-led government is afflicted with utter confusion, lethargy, incompetence and inaction and the intellectually bankrupt administration does not know what to do and how to tackle the rampaging Taliban. For the past over 60 years, the armed forces have been consuming the biggest chunk of the national budget, but not once have they given a reasonable level of confidence to the nation that the defence of the country was in safe hands. The nation has always been left to lick the wounds and fend for itself after every military defeat. Perhaps it is time for us to seriously consider 'out-sourcing' the defence of the country to other groups who would be willing to take on these terrorists. The silence of the Taliban apologists, the likes of Imran Khan, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, people like Hamid Mir, Ehteshamul Haq and the holier-than-thou Ansar Abbasi, who is perhaps vying for the post of the Taliban's foreign minister, is both appalling. These individuals always talk of the drone attacks but utter a word against attacks on the civilian population by the Taliban murderers. [The News]

DANGEROUS GAME

[Mohammad Khan, Mohmand]

If the Sri Lankan army, far less resourceful, can destroy Tamil Tigers, how come Pakistani military is so easily defeated by the Taliban? The government of Pakistan and the military are playing a very dangerous game to extract more money from the US. In the unchecked corruption process they will destroy Pakistan and the Pakhtun nation as well. Wake up Pakhtuns, the Punjabi dominated government and our pukhtun non-leaders are selling you for few dollars. Perhaps Pakhtuns are better off with Taliban in control then these 'vultures' who are at the helm in the Pak land.

[The Frontier Post]

LONG MARCH AGAINST THE TALIBAN?

[Irum Ahmad, Lahore]

Reading the articles by Zafar Hilaly, Ikram Sehgal, Ayaz Amir, Shafqat Mahmood and others I realise that I am not wrong to panic and worry over the future of my country. They have written eloquently and far better than I could about our dire situation and the need to finally wake up. Even Hilary Clinton is asking why there isn't a greater outrage from the Pakistanis. Sufi Mohammad's speech and acts have left no doubts about the Taliban's intentions, but we refuse to budge and unite as a nation! The fundamental reason is that in our heart of hearts we like the utopian idea of the Taliban arriving and providing 'true' Islam and a cure for all ills. Men do not dislike the vision of having total command over females and even females are saying that the girls of today are "out of control" and do not obey their fathers, mothers or mothers-in-law and it will be good to have them checked and put in place. Our educated as well as uneducated populace does not realise that the invasion will be such that our homes will be invaded and taken possession of. Our land and cattle will be theirs, they will own all our natural resources and all our industry.

Our sons will be forced to join the barbaric hordes of the Taliban, or beheaded on the pretext of having committed a misdeed, our daughters will be raped. We will be cut off from the rest of the world without any internet, phones, media or written material. Life as we know it now will end. The crucial and most important role can only be played by the media. Why are they not showing documentaries of what the Taliban rule will actually be like? Why do they hesitate to educate people about the menace that is approaching? The Taliban will curtail rights of men even more than of women. The best way is to make attention-grabbing visuals and show these on entertainment channels instead of cooking shows. The majority does not watch their boring talk shows. Those of us who are in a panic see no direction or leadership under which to unite. We discuss the situation endlessly and lose sleep over it but have no common forum to unite under. What should we do to protest? Where should we go? Where is the long march against the Taliban? [The News]

DEPORTING MILITANTS

[Mahabat Khan Bangash, Peshawar]

It is ridiculous that two Afghan militants, who confessed to have been involved in militancy in Pakistan and carried out life attempt on provincial minister Bashir Bilour, are being deported to Afghanistan without taking any legal action in the local court of law. I fail to understand whether this government is so foolish or then it is making fool of the people, when during the ongoing war on terror, these militants, who admitted their crime on the soil of this country, are being safely handed over to Afghan authorities, who can very easily return to Pakistan within no time to continue terrorist activities? [The Frontier Post]

MONSTERS IN OUR MIDST

[Ezzam Ali Khan, Rawalpindi]

I would like to express my deepest sympathies and condolence with the people of Pakistan and swat in particular on the sad demise of our parliament which passed away the day Nizam-e-Adl was passed without any strong objection or even an argument. It was shameless to see our National Assembly succumbing to the Taliban. If the National Assembly is there just to toe the line of the presidency then I think there is no need to put a burden on our national exchequer by having this mammoth assembly and paying these spineless members a hefty amount of perks and privileges for just sitting idle in the assembly. We should get rid of this parliamentary system if they ask us the people of Pakistan that if you have any other option let us know; if that is to be done by the people themselves then again there is no need for you people to claim yourself as the representative of the people of Pakistan.

It is a disgrace for our country to have such sort of coward members sitting in the assembly and deciding our fate and future. It was sad or rather hilarious to see the opposition leader of the assembly rather taking a stand against the Taliban was seen taking a stand against the US – sir, that is not the time for you to go on your usual anti-American rant and Musharraf-bashing; that is the time to hear the plea and cry of the people of Swat. The main justification of the ANP, and now parliament, is that this was the demand of the people of Swat. However, the comments I read in your newspaper everyday from the citizens of Swat clearly tell us all they demand. They want the protection of the state, which both the provincial and federal governments have surrendered shamelessly to the TNSM and the Swat Taliban.

The question which needs to be addressed right away is why the state failed in carrying out its primary responsibility and why the army failed to counter the Taliban in Swat. This collective failure and collective surrender is because parliament is sitting idle, ignoring the grave, serious threat to our national security. The army comes up with the justification that we are not trained to fight a counterinsurgency and if that argument is indeed accepted then why doesn't the government ask the army to train its soldiers in counterinsurgency operations? Surely, that is the biggest need for the country, not training in conventional warfare.

Postscript: to the Taliban: Jinnah's Pakistan is lost forever, but the people of Pakistan will not and cannot be silenced by your gun and will not be petrified by your arms, we will fight till our last drop of blood. [The News]

DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT

[Takreem Gul, Lahore]

I read a news report ending on the following sentence, "Militant attacks in all parts of the world have been investigated and solved, but Pakistan is yet to solve even one out of the hundreds of attacks it has suffered since the 1980s." The dozens of investigation agencies under the federal interior and defence ministries as well as the home departments of all the four provinces have failed to track, locate and bust even a single den where these suicide bombers are assembled. Can any other country compete with our investigating agencies? [The Post]

CAPITULATION IN SWAT

[M S, Swat]

While comparing the justice system of the state of Swat with the courts established under Sharia Regulation 1994, the supporters of NAR 2009 ignore the fact that Dir and Chitral were separate states and they were not included in the state of Swat. The state of Dir in particular had no proper justice system at all before its merger in Pakistan in 1969. Whereas Swat was being run through Rewajnama Swat, however the justice system was working properly, ignoring the comparison of number of pending cases between the courts of that time with the present courts. After the merger, PATA Regulation 1975 was introduced for the whole of Malakand Division and Kohistan (Hazara). According to which all criminal and civil courts were to be presided over by the executive magistrates. A jirga was required to be constituted in civil cases just after the submission of written statement (jawab daawa) by the defendant. The jirga was required to submit its award before the court for decision. But it usually met with failure due to non-cooperation of the party interested in delay and thus the cases were lingering on. I was told by a judicial officer that he found no award of jirga in any of the case transferred to his court from the PATA Court. But it is very sad to say that no one in the print or electronic media has ever pointed out these two decades of the PATA Regulation while comparing the justice system of state of Swat with the courts established after 1994.

Secondly, the Swat situation has nothing to do with the enforcement of Sharia — because the people having the same ideas are in full control of all the eight agencies of FATA, but they have never demanded the repeal of FCR 1901, which is perhaps the most un-Islamic and the blackest law of the world. The Swat militants have also ignored the directives of Sufi Mohammad for disarmament and he has little control over them. As far as the TNSM is concerned, it emerged in the 1990s with the support of certain bureaucrats whose powers were to be curtailed with the repeal of the PATA regulation. Regular courts were established but their jurisdiction could not be extended to Malakand division due to the TNSM’s movement and in response to that the Sharia regulation of 1994 was introduced. Sufi Mohammad has again been brought by the same people with the commissioner of Malakand as their leader and this time they have managed to occupy courts of executive magistrates re-established under the Nizam-e-Adl regulation — they will hear criminal cases with punishments up to three years. This is complete violation of the principle of separation of powers set by the Supreme Court in the Sharaf Faridi case (PLD 1994 SC 105). [The News]

EXPENSES ON LAW & ORDER

[Mahabat Khan Bangash, Peshawar]

Federal Minister Amin Fahim has said that despite spending 35 billion dollars, the law and order situation could not be controlled fully in the country. Sir, this I don't believe, because after spending $ 35 billion, which make about Rs 2800 billion, the fate of law and order situation should have been changed. I have doubts about the spending of these funds and would request the minister to probe the matter, as to how much has been spent on the security agencies and how much went into the pockets of his "brothers"? Because we still see the law enforcing personnel with the same old outdated weapons, old vehicles and shabby uniforms, atill serving at the same old pay scales. In this regard he can make use of the services of the Secretary Interior, who has sufficient experience of law and order during his tenure in Karachi (full of blasts) plus the arrests of judges. He is still available in service under extension, granted to him by Gen. Musharraf. [The Frontier Post]

TALIBANISTAN

[Noor Khan, From Swat (and currently in Islamabad)]

If the government of Pakistan is still all-powerful in Swat, then why hasn't a single murderer been punished even though Muslim Khan gloatingly accepted responsibility for slaughtering Pakistani soldiers and policemen on TV and even said the Taliban recited the Kalima over them while slaughtering them? Instead, in a one-sided keeping with a peace deal broken blatantly by the Taliban time and again, our government has released the few Taliban who were arrested. If the sovereignty of Pakistan still prevails in Swat, then how can the militants restrict army movement or demand their removal? The Pakistan army is not camped in India, surely they have every right to be sent and go anywhere in Pakistan. Then why has a border been drawn in Swat and no-go areas established for the army by the Taliban? Recently four soldiers were captured in Khwazakhela on suspicion of spying for the government. Who gave them that authority and what is being done about it?

According to the Taliban, the property of most of the landlords in Swat is 'privatised and now belongs to the government of Swat'. Since the government of Pakistan maintains there is no parallel government in Swat, is it the federal or the provincial government that our property now belongs to? You might say the people of Swat wanted the NAR. It is not easy to remain seated in your shop when armed murderers tell you to go to a rally. You are not given a choice when you are ordered to stage a protest, because your home is not the sanctuary it used to be and you know the army, the police and the government won't step in to protect you when the people of Pakistan are being plunged into further denial by their own government.

Peace deals are an annual event in Swat. Every winter when leaves are shed, cover is poor and the Taliban scattered or diminished in numbers, they become amenable to peace. Come summer they are replenished with men freshly recruited during the winter, more sons from more families in Swat, resulting in greater support and more places of sanctuary. Their fighters are released by the government; the army is withdrawn and consequently must fight all over again for areas they controlled last season. This time, the 'peace deal' has allowed the Taliban to advance to Buner, Shangla, and Dir lower and upper, with stirrings in Nowshera and Mardan. They are also recruiting men from those districts, locals who cannot be sent back to Swat.

We are Muslims but we do not want the Taliban's version of Sharia, the one that allows the murder of Muslims and innocent human beings, theft of their property and oppression of the worst kind. During the crusades, Muslims wore crosses around their necks in order to escape persecution at the hands of Christians. Now, Muslims wear beards in order to escape persecution at the hands of creatures who call themselves Muslim. This is happening in a state within a state; it used to be called Swat. Now, its whispered name is Talibanistan, and its new ruler is an illiterate cart-driver who has brought the Pakistan government to heel and cowed our mighty army. [The News]

HOMEGROWN MONSTER

[Muhammed Islam, Lahore]

To the Taliban apologists in the media who say that the current wave of terrorism is a result of Pakistan's support of the Americans after 2001, I say have you forgotten the sectarian killings of the 1990s in which hundreds of innocent Pakistanis were killed? All sectarian organizations operating in Pakistan have close links with the Taliban and are indistinguishable from them. The only difference is that before 2001 they only targeted Shias; now they attack all symbols of the Pakistani state. If some self-styled analysts want to live in denial about the threat posed by Taliban terrorism, that is their choice. But their pernicious propaganda has to be forcefully rebutted. [The Nation]

TALIBANISATION

[Nabiha Khattak, Islamabad]

I am crying while I am writing this. What is going to happen to Pakistan? These Taliban are not Muslims. They are not even Pakistanis. They are animals because humans don't behave the way they do. Why are our government and army not fighting them? Why are they letting them advance and take over country's territory everyday? [The News]

THE STATE HAS GIVEN UP...

[Editorial Daily Times]

President Asif Ali Zardari has "ordered an inquiry" into the public flogging of a 17-year-old girl in Swat, and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has taken his famous suo moto notice by asking the IGP NWFP to produce the girl in court. But we all know nothing can be done against the Taliban who did the evil deed, and that the girl will not come to the court unless the Taliban allow it. More likely, she may be killed instead of being allowed to attend the CJ’s court. As for the ANP government, it had better look after Peshawar because it is once again under siege from the Khyber warlord.

What if the girl can actually be brought to the court? What will follow may embarrass us further. There is nothing anyone can do against the deeds of those who rule Swat. Sufi Muhammad is more offended with Islamabad for not signing the sharia deal and less worried about the flogging of the girl. His son-in-law Fazlullah, whose men do the beheadings and the floggings, has actually returned to Imam Dheri and was in the madrassa right after the Friday sermon of the Sufi. He has made his comeback to the place after two years. Things are going well for the Taliban.

The nation has literally shrieked in protest, but the TV channels were not as united as they were when the Long March was taking place. As a majority showed the national outrage, some actually took the line that the video that showed the girl being flogged was "cooked up" somewhere outside Pakistan and released through a lackey NGO to sabotage the peace in Swat. The "liberals" were roundly abused and — and this is new — action was recommended against them because they were "disloyal to Pakistan" and its ideology. One said: "How could she have walked away after the flogging?" The suppressed desire was that the flogging should have been tougher.

The Barelvis spoke out from among the clergy. It was the usually "tight" conservative Mufti Munibur Rehman who said that the flogging was un-Islamic because the punisher did not have recourse to a properly state-backed court. The Sunni Tehreek, which was massacred by Deobandi terrorists in 2006 in Karachi, spoke out too, saying Islam did not tolerate such debasement of women. But the spokesman of the Taliban said it was an old video and the punishment was deserved. Our top Islamic intellectual Javed Ghamidi condemned the flogging but he carries no gun and therefore his opinion carries no weight.

The ANP government spokesman can’t be blamed for being defensive. The Peshawar government knows that over 5000 Swat Taliban have just defeated a 20,000-strong army force there and Islamabad is still interested more in worrying about and fighting India than the terrorists. And Peshawar concentrates blamelessly on getting the Swatis back in Swat plying their trades as of old. It is no longer important who rules and who does what to the people after that. Whether the girl was flogged a fortnight ago or nine months ago, the fact is that the people who commit these crimes are the ones who will possibly rule from now on.

There is impotence peeping out from the fury of the editorials. One paper opined: "You members of the softly-spoken majority have a choice to make. Either you continue to speak but have your words drowned by those who would publicly whip your sisters, mothers, daughters and wives for whatever petty gossip is purveyed by jealous or malicious neighbours; or you raise your voices loud in protest". Sadly, the time to raise voices is past. The state has to fight back to save itself from dying. But it seems that it plans to surrender quietly simply because its army is more interested in fighting the highly exaggerated "external" enemies on the borders. More dangerously, the nation is divided between those who are scared and those who want the Taliban order to prevail simply because it is "Islamic". The Taliban were "mis-described" when they ruled in Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda has never been accepted as a real and present danger to Pakistan. And to keep the world out while we succumb, our rulers lean on the guaranteed UN myth of "state sovereignty."

TELL YOUR POLITICIANS, TELL THE MILITARY

[Farhan Raza, Karachi]

I don't understand why people are still trying to debate whether the Swat girl's flogging video was fake or genuine or that they are doing things that the poor would want of the government. The fact is that there should be no ambiguity over the fact that the Taliban indulge in violent and brutal acts and that such acts are well-documented. Also, they enforce their terror on the masses at large and this means, by and large, the poor. Their slogan is simple: 'Join us or die'. And hence even if many people are present at their rallies, as was the case in Mingora on April 19, that is not a true measurement of their popularity. The question is not if the Swat incident happened or not but that how we are to confront the Taliban and their nefarious and violence-driven agenda. The first step is to condemn their system. We should highlight the fact that the Taliban have flogged many men and women in the past, and that tomorrow we all could expect to be flogged if we did not comply with their orders.

We also need to highlight the fact that Sharia as defined by the Taliban is anathema to most Pakistanis. They do not want to have such a Sharia imposed on them at any cost, and they need to drive this message to their political leaders and, equally if not more importantly, to the leadership of the Pakistan army – because the latter is the one institution which can fight the Taliban and bring them to heel. Also, I might add, there is an increasing perception that the military establishment is dithering simply because it wants to warn America of what could happen to Pakistan if America interferes too much in our domestic affairs or if it begins to take sides with India. Also, the government and the military establishment need to realise that there is no such thing as 'good Taliban' and 'bad Taliban.' [The News]

WHAT THE TALIBAN IDEOLOGY MEANS

[Editorial Dawn]

The footage recently made public showing the flogging of a girl in Swat and the execution of a man and woman in their 40s reportedly in the Hangu district must have sickened anyone with respect for human rights and dignity. As such, these videos constitute a graphic reminder of the fact that behind the rhetoric of religion, the real face of the Taliban is one of unmixed brutality and murderousness. This should come as no surprise. Since the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s and in Pakistan more recently, there has been ample evidence that the otherwise harmless moniker — which means ‘students’ — is a mask worn by an ideologically united group that uses tactics of violence, fear and gross coercion to get its way.

Given this, it is alarming that Pakistan’s state and society continue to bury their heads in the sand and resort to denial of either specific acts of brutality or the threat in general posed by the Taliban. The most recent example of this approach is an investigation team’s conclusion that the video depicting the whipping of the young woman in Swat was "fake and false", as indicated by Interior Secretary Kamal Shah. He quoted the final report as saying that that no such incident took place since the girl in question denied it and the area’s residents also expressed their ignorance. Yet anyone who has suffered such an act of barbarity, and who continues to live under the shadow of his or her persecutors, is unlikely to risk inducing their ire further.

More dangerous, however, is the reduction of the issue to a debate over whether or not the video was ‘real’ and when exactly the incident took place. This constitutes yet another example of the manner in which the Pakistani state and its citizenry live in denial of the clear and present danger to their personal freedoms. It is precisely this attitude that has allowed the Taliban and others of their ilk to make such deep inroads. Even if this particular video was faked, there is ample evidence otherwise of the Taliban’s brutality. Reports of beheadings, shootings and the coercion of people — who are citizens of Pakistan and residents of Swat — are made public practically everyday.

For the survival of values pertaining to freedom, democracy and citizens’ rights, the threat posed by the Taliban must be combated not only militarily but also by taking up positions on the ideological battleground from where they fire the salvos. For this to happen, the grotesqueness of the Taliban worldview must first be recognised and then rejected wholesale. The Swati girl’s ordeal sparked outrage across the country; but such graphic footage ought not to be necessary to convince the citizenry of the Taliban’s real face. Living in denial is a luxury that is no longer available to us.

RECLAIM YOUR COUNTRY, YOUR RELIGION

[R Matif, London]

There has been heartfelt outrage at the goings-on in Swat. The outrage and anger were and are necessary. A bunch of self-appointed mullahs forcing their will by an orgy of lethal violence on their own countrymen warrants repulsion. Thus the opprobrium is entirely deserved on those on which it is heaped. Talibanisation is no longer an abstract concept for Pakistanis, the self-proclaimed 'soldiers of religion', retained by deluded policy makers for 'strategic depth' and continuously flirted with by the religio-political class are proving to be as oppressive and brutal as their Afghan predecessors. Barring the Taliban sympathisers (JI, PTI et al), and the oddity of the PPP and ANP, self-proclaimed secularists, signing off on the deal, the condemnation has been universal. The president, the prime minister, the army chief, the judiciary, civil society, the MQM and even from the PML-N chief.

There is much breast-beating and punditry and parading of the same old excuses of foreign hands and one of the three As that is omnipresent as a reason. (Although one has to ask why would India or Russia wish to have a Caliphate installed in Pakistan?) If the readers of this newspaper and other media outlets are in anyway representative, than it appears that it has finally dawned on the population that there is a serious threat, not only to their way of life but very lives from these gangsters. It also indicates that, at least this constituency does not believe in Mr Sufi Mohammad's version of the religion. A line appears to have been drawn. On one side are obscurantist, violence and demagoguery (and their apologists who have never won their argument in a fair election). On the other side is the rest of Pakistan. All this could prove to be a catalyst for building a consensus about what kind of Pakistan should emerge, after the immediate crisis is diffused. Women have always suffered oppression in Pakistani society, but a vast majority seems to be saying, this far and no further; not even when you invoke religion to falsely justify such oppression. The brave stance of the Women Action Forum, in this regard, should be applauded.

The ideology of obscurantism thrives as others defer because the label of the religion is used as a political tool of subjugation. It is time that this stopped and the monopolisation of religion by all comers in the naked pursuit of power be challenged, without equivocation. At least in the minds of the thinking Pakistanis there should be absolutely no sympathy for this type of violence simply because the perpetrators associate themselves to religion. Similarly, apologists who claim one reason or another to rationalise wanton violence in pursuit of power must also be contested. A favourite argument of the apologists is always that it was the US that created these monsters or that this is the reaction of drone attacks and thus somehow justified. The former is akin to cutting your nose to spite your face and the latter highly dubious, in the case of the TNSM, and inherently perverse. Secondly, it is also important that those on side of humanity, tolerance and believers in the creed of live and let live do not allow the pursuit of the perfect to be the enemy of the good. This means that there has to be a consensus amongst those attempting to combat religious extremism and some compromise on the personal and political differences amongst them.

The government certainly should do more. For starters they should lay out and communicate what is the broad strategy for dealing with the current crisis? What exactly has been promised to the TNSM and how is it to be implemented? If there is no will or possibility of enforcing its writ in Swat and Malakand, the least the government should do is to negotiate a safe passage of refugees and help in their settlement in other parts of the country. The most important thing the government can do to strengthen tolerance and rule of law is to fulfil its manifesto promises of revival of the 1973 constitution and implementation of the charter of democracy. The reason regressive forces appear successful is because progressive elements of society can't seem to distinguish the wood from the trees and are too busy indulging in pursuit of the unobtainable at the cost of relinquishing the achievable. The fight against obscurantism may yet require force but a more important battle is that of the minds. That is why it is important for the silent, peaceful majority of Pakistanis on the right side of the argument to set their differences aside and make their voices heard to reclaim their country and their religion from the regressive and obscurantist forces. [The News]

Issue of the Month: Monetizing the perks of the bureaucracy

MONETIZING PERKS!

By Nadeem Ul Haque

[The writer is a former vice chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). This article first appeared in The Nation on April 07, 2009.]

A new Pay and Pensions committee (PPC) is being formed. I fervently hope that it will be different from the past in seeking a far-reaching reform of an extremely outmoded system.

I do hope that the government will constitute a committee of technically competent and reform-minded people. I also hope that the process of this committee will be open to include public hearings and culminate in a public debate based on a full publication of all findings and views of all members of the committee. All civilised countries conduct such committees on such principles. Pakistan should stop being an exception.

We are facing a deep crisis primarily because we avoid reform of any kind and want to keep all privilege alive. The PPC offers us a good occasion to initiate a much needed reform of our civil service system.

Government bureaucracy (i.e., all functionaries paid for by the taxpayer) is now fully maintaining all rent-seeking games - ranging from outright corruption to various subsidised land deals. This group has a deep vested interest in maintaining the current system that gives it a wealth transfer.

To my mind, the key to civil service reform lies in.

? Opening out and breaking up of the monolithic structure to merit and external competition. For most appointments should be subject to external competition.

? Incentives for the civil service must be changed up front so that they side with the reform.

Life in the public sector especially at senior levels is great because of perks. They have the best housing in town; the most prestigious spots are preserved for them in every city from Karachi to Peshawar. Their bills are taken care of. Cars are available free. Some servants are thrown in. They also have rent-seeking opportunities ranging from outright corruption to subsidised land in various governments operated housing schemes. And they do accumulate a lot and end up very rich.

This system of perks has many drawbacks and exists nowhere except in the most backward developing countries.

? It creates an infrastructure for the maintenance of housing and cars which at its best is inefficient and at its worst both inefficient and corrupt. Tax resources are wasted as a result.

? It insulates public servants who are in charge of policy from the realities of life such as renting houses, paying bills, paying for cars etc.

? Protection of the perks/rent-seeking game becomes a priority of the incumbents since their comforts and cash income comes from there. Ethical standards decline as more and more dodgy schemes are introduced to increase their cash flows. Soon corruption is not regarded with any sense of moral outrage. The incumbents get more united in their common goal - the protection of the rent-seeking regime.

? Such a regime selects out the more honest and competent who may not wish to participate in the corruption and perks game. Such people would also be the more competent professionals who have a market worth outside the government. This means the more competent exit the government leaving behind not only the less productive people but also those with a greater proclivity towards corruption.

? Land development has become hostage to this system of compensation. It is not a commercial activity as it should be but a rentseeking opportunity involving all in power from the army to the judiciary. Accumulation of wealth should not depend on public handouts of land but on genuine savings through hard work and use of talent and knowledge.

An important and critical reform would be a simple "one stroke" policy - monetize all perks and open every senior position to external competition. To begin with the salary could be fixed by monetizing all perks on very generous terms. To this monetized value could be added a premium to sweeten the offer. It should be generous and attractive to make the reform successful. Annual increases could be based on the rate of inflation and knowledge of what is happening in the market that could be obtained from market surveys. Dismantle the system of occasional pay commissions.

Consider the advantages.

? With better salaries and open competition, we will be able to attract better talent into the government and encourage more mobility to and from the government. Officials need not protect their positions since there would be a good salary with no perks and privileges.

? By letting the secretary or minister not live in protected enclaves with rent paid by government, they will participate in the housing, car and financial markets as ordinary consumers learning how the ordinary people live. They will be more sensitised to the impact of their policy designs.

? The government will get out of the wasteful housing and car maintenance business. Not only will waste be eliminated but large tracts of city centres will be available for investment, hence opening out investment possibilities.

? By bringing in a better crop of people into government, increasing mobility in and out of government and shifting their focus to careers based on realistic salaries, they will be better focused on economic development policies. Wasteful activities like complicated regulation for bribe or perk extraction will be eliminated. The premium on housing schemes to get plots will be reduced. And so on and so forth.

? Maybe then we would be able to eliminate all government land development which is currently done only to provide subsidised plots to bureaucrats and army officials. Land development should be purely a private sector, for profit activity.

Eliminating perks has the additional advantage of breaking the colonial mindset that permeates the public sector. The symbols of colonialism lie in the perks. Since all his needs are taken care of by the public sector, he is automatically put in a welfare mindset which guides his policymaking. The public servant is humanised to our level if he gets a straight salary and then operates like an ordinary citizen, feeling the pain of policy not being sheltered from it though perks.

How do we finance such a scheme? Three means available.

? Privatisation of the perks, especially the urban land will certainly finance a large portion of the cost.

? The rest can come from clearly linking productivity in each department to the salary increase or decrease in each department thus motivating further reform for productivity.

? Finally donor resources are easily available for such a reform.

So let us not hold back because of the lack of resources!

This crucial reform if implemented will shake up the system enough to cascade other reforms that we have been talking about for so many years. With good salaries and a more talented reform minded group moving into key positions looking for public sector productivity, the pace of reform should accelerate. The archaic system of competition and recruitment to the civil service has held us back for a long time. No developed country has a closed civil service system with compensation based on perks, rent-seeking and favourable land awards. Why do we keep these wasteful activities and continue to look for fiscal balance and growth? [Courtesy The Nation]

ANOTHER PAY COMMISSION?

By Shahid Kardar

[The writer is a former finance minister of Punjab. This article first appeared in The News International on April 09, 2009.]

As there is an urgent need to reform the compensation structures for government employees we should welcome the setting up of another Pay Commission. Unfortunately, if history is any guide, the report of the commission is not likely to be made public, let alone the holding of public hearings of its deliberations. Moreover, the recommendations, as in the past, will be marked by secrecy, obfuscation and failure to tackle the fundamental questions head-on. The commission is likely to undertake a cursory, not comprehensive, review of the compensation structure. As the structure exists today, it buries a number of privileges under various budget and off-budget heads, many of which are not costed to enable taxpayers to know in a transparent manner the "price" that they have to pay for the services of a civil servant. True to tradition, it will be selective in its approach, mention but not the complete set of perks, and propose some percentage increase in salaries leaving the key issues unattended for some future commission to address.

The foremost issue that has bedevilled budgetary allocations and systems is lack of transparency. The technique adopted ensures opaqueness, concealment of information from the hapless taxpayer on what a senior bureaucrat like a Secretary actually costs the government. The most useless data in the public domain pertains to pay scales -- the portion of the salary paid in cash, which on the face of it, suggests that those in Grade 19 and above, considering the scope of responsibilities delegated to them, are grossly underpaid. But this information hides more than it reveals. The compensation system conveniently fails to value the following benefits and perquisites to which say a Secretary is entitled:

a) The furnished residence provided to him in a prime location of the city, whose maintenance and periodic renovation is shown respectively under operations of public buildings and under the much-celebrated term "development expenditure";

b) The cost of residential utilities like electricity, gas and telephone borne by the government;

c) The use of an official car for private use as well (including the cost of petrol). In fact, most Secretaries of Federal Ministries or provincial departments that have set up public-sector agencies have at least an additional car at the disposal of their families whose running costs are financed by one of these para-statals, that are also more than likely to be bearing the cost of his cell phone;

d) The costs of medical treatment of him/herself and his/her family;

e) A host of allowances, like entertainment, special pay at 15 percent of basic salary as is the case in Punjab, qualification pay, senior post, etc.

Almost all Secretaries also get a heavily subsidised, if not allotted (free of cost), a residential plot on retirement, apart from being entitled to retain (free of rent) for two years after retirement the official residence that they were occupying on the date of retirement.

They are also entitled to forms of social protection, both pension and non-pension in nature, such as life insurance, provident fund. Each of these benefits is briefly described below. An understanding of the pension system is important since average life-expectancy is rising and government functionaries as a group are likely to live longer than the rest of the population, which will push up the future pension payment bill even further.

Civil servants are entitled to a monthly pension payment after 25 years of service, which is linked to the salary drawn at the time of retirement and the number of years of service. This amount is then revised periodically to adjust for inflation. Under the pension entitlement rules they can "commute" 40 percent (reduced from 50 percent in 2001) of their gross pension in lump sum at the time of retirement. This is a generous benefit, since the amount paid as commuted pension is not discounted to arrive at the present value of this payment in advance that the retiree would have received as monthly pension over several years in the future. Family pension is also payable to the spouse or dependent children after the death of the civil servant, although at a reduced rate of 50 percent.

On retirement, civil servants are also paid a gratuity, equal to 40 times the last drawn salary. Under the current pension system, existing civil servants are not required to make any contribution to their eventual pension or gratuity benefit. This cost is borne entirely by the government.

Civil servants are also entitled to a General Provident (GP) Fund, to which only do they contribute, but on which, until 2001, they were a paid an interest rate that was 30 percent higher than the market rate (the current rate is 12 percent per annum).

Employees also contribute 2 percent of their basic salary to a benevolent fund, the benefit under which translates to 35 percent of wages for premature death or disability up to the age of 70.

There is also a life insurance cover under a Group Insurance Policy under which the benefit is roughly 2.5 times the annual salary--ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs1 million.

Civil servants are also entitled to four days a month as leave that they can accumulate equivalent to one year's vacation with pay, of which six months can be encashed.

The discussion above has hopefully made out the case for the monetistion of the vast array of perks by costing the entire set of handouts listed above. This shift will make the compensation package more transparent and understandable while giving the officer the choice to say spend more on the education of his child as opposed to living in a palatial house. It will also help release prime commercial land, presently used for providing residential accommodation to these officers, that the provincial/federal government can use/sell to mobilise additional resources and meet the additional cash expenditures arising from the monetisation of the benefits, along with the money that will be saved on a recurrent basis for not having to maintain these properties and motor vehicles funded from the public purse. [Courtesy The News]

LIVES OF CIVIL SERVANTS

[Sonia Zafar, Multan]

This is with reference to Shahid Kardar's article titled "Another pay commission" published on April 13. The learned writer has delved deep into the pay structure and other perks of senior civil servants. While his assessment of monetary rewards for federal secretaries of Grade 22 may be correct, what he needs to be reminded of is the abysmal conditions in which lower level civil servants in Grades 17 and 18 live. There is a pressing need to revise the pay structure of civil servants in order to improve delivery of service and attract good talent.

Recently, the government substantially raised salaries of judicial officers, so much so that a civil judge now gets around Rs60,000 a month. On the other hand, a CSS officer of Grade 17 gets about Rs15,000 with accommodation or some other perks. Then there are anomalies within the different cadres of civil services. These discrepancies need to be removed if the objective is to improve governance. [The News]

Issue of the Month: Marching along

COLLATERAL GAINS OF LAWYERS’ MOVEMENT

[SKH, Karachi]

Besides the undoing of a wrong by a dictator, there were some useful and basic collateral gains for the country of the lawyers’ movement. Despite the poor governance of the country, and its aftermath of increasing terrorist activity, and all the other very evident ills, the lawyers’ movement has created a global appreciation that Pakistan, where a peaceful and disciplined campaign for rule of law was launched by a few, and which succeeded, despite a dictator’s and, bizarrely, a democratic civil government’s best efforts to thwart it, cannot downright be a failing state. The movement has also shown that in pursuit of higher national objectives, rather than the narrow and more personal objectives of their politicians, and ably led, not driven or herded, Pakistanis can be purposeful and disciplined.

By taking on a dictator, by sustaining itself for over two years against a hostile democratic civil government, and against all its ruses to end or derail the movement, the lawyers’ movement has brought hope to the people that law will remain less, and less, the hand maiden of rulers, and that justice will become less selective. Here the judiciary has to deliver, for on this essentially rests the answer whether Pakistan, in truth, is in process of rediscovering itself. The people now look more upon the restored judges, or the independent judiciary, than on politicians and political parties, for relief against unjust, unfeeling, corrupt or incompetent governance. It will not be easy for the politicians, and political parties, to break the people’s new-found equation with the judiciary and re-establish it with themselves. To do so, for first time ever in their lives, Pakistani politicians, and political parties, will have to work harder than ever before, and deliver. [Dawn]

TAKE ACTION!

[Subramanyam Sridharan, India]

The tenacious movement that ultimately restored the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry did a lot to enhance the reputation of Pakistan. However, neither Pakistani society nor the judiciary can simply rest on its laurels now. The Supreme Court has demanded the flogged girl from Swat be produced in court by April 6, and has not been able to proceed further in the matter. The TNSM’s Sufi Muhammad wants to appoint his own selection of judges to the proposed qazi courts in Malakand and claims to have sent a list of names to the government. The judiciary must come down heavily on these issues to sustain its enhanced reputation. The world is watching closely the performance of every pillar of the Pakistani state, especially the judiciary. [Daily Times]

INCONGRUOUS DISPENSATION OF JUSTICE

[Saifuddin E. Contractor, Karachi]

According to the Islamic calendar my age is 77 years. My property case has been vacillating for the last 15 years in the Sindh High Court. And I have faced almost all the judges of the said court. This case was ultimately fixed for recording of evidence. For months the matter has not gone through the process. Reasons: on various occasions before my case is called the time is over being 1.30pm and the judge retires to his chamber leaving the remaining cases dismissed for date in office. Subsequently, the cases would be listed after almost three weeks by the office, causing disenchantment. Lately, on April 2, my case was listed at no. 23 before Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. As the cases proceeded to no. 21, time was over and the judge had to retire to his chamber. I had reached the court at 8.30am and was there up to the rising of the court. This is a mental agony, specifically for old persons.

Apparently it also leads to psychosomatic condition which affects the human mind and body causing multitudinous ailments and even culminating at times in premature deaths. Who could recompense such an unredeemable loss. As a remedial measure to the situation, it is humbly suggested to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, all the chief justices of provincial courts and the sitting judges of the various courts to ensure that the pending cases after a judge retires to his chamber (due to lack of time) should not be dismissed but instead such cases should be ordered to be fixed for the next day followed by other cases. This would thus ostracise the tribulations suffered by the old-age litigants at large. Otherwise it is palpable that the ends of justice would never be met in one’s lifetime. It is time our judges rose to the occasion and exuviate the practice of the ages bygone. [Dawn]

CJ OUR LAST HOPE

[Raja Shafaatullah, Islamabad]

In August 2007, the CJ was quoted to have asked federal government to control the rising trend in prices of consumer goods with special emphasis on the evaluation of cost of medicines manufactured in Pakistan by the foreign and local pharmaceutical companies to remove the disparity in rates of the two. The buck was probably passed on by the federal government to provincial governments. These directives seem to have been consigned to the dustbins of lower government functionaries. The prices of everything continue to soar unabated due to the connivance of businessman and the concerned government departments. That was all right when the country was being governed by a fake façade that represented a dictator. But the newly elected government came into power in April 2008, with tall claims of giving good governance to the people.

The people also felt a change would come and the sufferings of masses would be lessened. But no serious and concrete effort seems to have been made by the people's government for the betterment of masses. The result is that prices of essential and consumer goods have been increased by unimaginable proportions by the collusion of the government functionaries with the industrialists and traders. As things stand, the prices of medicines are unaffordable even for the upper-middle class (if any exists) in this country. Low quality, substandard medicines are in abundance in the markets that don't cure any diseases but only enrich the chemists and manufacturing companies. The CJ needs to assert his authority on this issue. [The Nation]

LAWYERS’ MOVEMENT AND NATIONAL QUESTION

[Abdul Khalique Junejo, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Karachi]

THE recent movement of lawyers had, on the one hand, emerged from within society and, on the other hand, it stirred and spurred society unprecedently. Where it influenced and impacted almost all sections of Pakistani society, it also touched, in one way or the other, very vital and basic issues confronting this society and brought to the fore many aspects of these issues hitherto not realised and recognised properly and correctly. The ‘national question’ has been a crucial one agitating the Pakistani polity throughout. So much so that it proved to be the root-cause for the creation of Bangladesh and has been the pivotal problem behind all the political hustle and bustle in Sindh (and Balochistan). The ‘other party’ in the struggle for national rights has been Punjab. So whenever there was mention of national rights, the name of Punjab would automatically come to the fore. In return, Sindhis (and the Baloch) would be lablled as ‘chauvinists’, ‘narrow nationalists’, ‘reactionaries’, etc, etc.

After Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was removed unceremoniously and, while going to the court hearing, treated roughly, his first activity was a visit to the Rawalpindi Bar Association. The event saw charged and angry lawyers but nothing extraordinary happened. The next item on the chief justice’s schedule was his journey by road from Sukkur to Hyderabad. It was here that the things took a different turn. People of Sindh came out instantaneously in large numbers on both sides of the road from wherever he passed to accord him a hero’s welcome. It was from here that the leaders of the lawyers’ community realised that the cause of restoration of the chief justice could be turned into a mass movement. And then what followed is just the recent history. It proved that Sindhis were real democrats and didn’t believe in ethnicity.

It is a fact that in the past Punjab had generally supported the dictators. This time the lawyers (and the assertive middle class) from Punjab, due to different reasons, not only opposed but challenged the act of a dictator and played a pivotal and vigorous role in leading the movement. Hence the centre of the movement shifted to Punjab, particularly Lahore. The lawyers (and the people in general) from Sindh showed no hesitation and/or reservation in supporting them. This demonstrated that Sindhis were not ‘anti-Punjabis’ nor ‘narrow-nationalists.’ Rather they were rightful people. Their support for or opposition to any idea, scheme, cause or people was based on principles of justice and righteousness. The ‘success’ of the movement proved another point vis-a-vis the national question in Pakistan.

It was for the first time after 1971 that the ‘real rulers’ retreated in the face of popular pressure. Though, during this period, we have witnessed many struggles and movements for national and/or democratic rights in Sindh and Balochistan but all those were met with an ‘iron hand.’ It proved that the status and standing of Punjab in the state structure of Pakistan is different from that of others. And this difference in the position and power of different units has been the real issue the nationalists of Sindh and Balochistan have been agitating against all along and demanding and trying to restructure the state where status of all the peoples is equal and all the ‘constituent units’ are ‘sovereign and autonomous.’ [Dawn]

Issue of the month:Strengthening the establishment PPP style

BHUTTOISM VS ESTABLISHMENT

[Khurshid Anwer, Lahore]

Dr Farid Malik has waxed forth on the boon of Bhuttoism when actually it has been the bane of the country. Certainly Bhutto took on the establishment of which he had been a part of for nine long years, but how did he do it? He did it by playing upon the sentiments of the students, the workers and the people at large, promising them "no work" and "all playâ," thereby ruining the educational institutions (in perpetuation), the industry (I have first hand experience) and the public sector organisations (just visit Sui Northern head office). The following two examples will suffice to show what I mean.

The share market was at its highest when the first PPP government came into power. I had a bet on with my colleagues in the Attock Oil Company that the shares would now tumble. Most of them disagreed, now that the people’s own government had come in and the robber barons had been made to flee, industry would come into its own. I sold my considerable number of shares bought at Rs 10 each, for around Rs 200 each for a neat profit. My colleagues who held on to their shares were later seen making daily rounds of ICP to try and unload their worthless shares. Consequently I sell any shares I may have every time a PPP government comes in and tell every one within hearing to do the same. I have never been proved wrong. An engineer friend was appointed MD of an engineering concern, courtesy the finance minister Dr Mobashir Hasan who had been our professor at the engineering college. Within a few months my friend was forced to employ Jiyalas by the hundreds over his protests (the same unproductive employment that is taking place today on a mass scale).

When the balance sheet went into red, he was asked to fudge the figures as industry had to be shown making profits under the PPP government. My friend became a nervous wreck, developed high blood pressure and resigned his job. Just extrapolate this over the whole country and see what a crippling blow the industry of Pakistan had been struck. Can Dr Farid Malik explain why the number of people below the poverty line increases every time after the tenure of the PPP governments. Today the world economy is in recession, there is news of thousands being laid off by major corporations around the world, but Pakistan is the only country going ahead employing thousands in entities already running in the red like PIA, in the name of Bhuttoism. In addition to the unproductive employments, industry and agriculture are being deprived of power and water. This is another negative aspect of Bhuttoism, once a Bhutto says no to anything, all the Piplyas from Lahore to Larkana also say no, without even thinking out the pros and cons. Bhuttoism has cost the country very dearly.

The infatuation with Bhutto was transferred to Benazir Bhutto who became prime minister without having a day’s experience of running even a school "tuk" shop, and the same infatuation has now been transferred to Zardari, who is being called Nelson Mandela, God be praised. Wali Khan had it right. When released by Gen Zia from Bhutto’s jail, he had thanked the military dictator (having been against military rule all his life) and asked him to eradicate Bhuttoism, "The country can never progress until Bhuttoism is uprooted completely." Truer words were never spoken.

[The Frontier Post]

CURBING LAVISH SPENDING

[Nazim F. Haji, Karachi]

WHILE complimenting Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani for assuring the nation that "despite the current financial crunch, the government would ensure that all requirements of the armed forces were fully met to prepare them to accomplish their mission", I would like to appeal to the PM to also assure the people of Pakistan that the government would ensure that all their basic needs such as education, health, housing and employment would be fully met so that they could contribute to the strengthening of the country internally. To achieve both the above objectives in view of resource constraints, the only way out would be to promote and practise austerity and avoid wasteful expenditure. The charter of democracy section B, paragraph 20, states as under: "Governance will be improved to help the common citizen, by giving access to quality social services like education, health, job generation, curbing price hike, combating illegal redundancies and curbing lavish spendings in civil and military establishments as ostentatious living causes great resentment amongst the teeming millions. We pledge to practise simplicity, at all levels." [Dawn]

SPARE US VIEWERS, PLEASE

[Naeem Rashid, Doha, Qatar]

This is with regard to the letters by Tehmina Afridi (March 28) and Rehana Rahman (March 31) about the questionable etiquette and obnoxious behaviour of PPP's new information secretary, Fauzia Wahab. I believe that the PPP high command has intentionally placed her in this position because being a woman she probably thinks she can take the liberty to become aggressive without much fear of male opponents paying her back in the same coin. Mostly, guests invited from the PML-N and the PML-Q are men and it would be considered rude if they shouted back at a woman on TV.

Sherry Rehman was too graceful to indulge in something of the sort. After she resigned, PPP high-ups saw the opportunity to bring in someone like Fauzia Wahab who is apparently devoid of etiquette of discussing serious issues in a civilised manner, but is good at shouting, rolling her eyes and making everyone lose their focus on the subject. Firdaus Ashiq Awan also falls in the same category but it seems that the job went to Fauzia Wahab as she is a little more presentable than Ms Awan. It is not only women who apparently have been assigned this role by the PPP. People like Imtiaz Safdar Warraich also seem to be doing an excellent job of shouting and causing a commotion in TV programmes. [The News]

RAISE IN THE PERKS OF LAWMAKERS

[S. Shahnawaz Shah, Canada]

ISN’T it sad that while the president of the country was on a world tour to convince ‘Friends of Pakistan’ for urgent financial assistance to boost the country’s ailing economy, a bill was presented in the Sindh Assembly proposing record enhancement in the pays and allowances of its members as reported in Dawn, ‘Astronomical pay raise for the lawmakers on the cards’ (April 17)? When the country is passing through a grave economic crisis, hundreds of thousands of workers have been rendered jobless and inflation is forcing the poor to either commit suicide or sell their children for a paltry sum, demanding huge increase in emoluments and benefits in the salaries and perquisites of ministers, advisers and legislators is extremely unjustified.

Unfortunately when the media reached a lawmaker for his views [‘Minister defends pay rise’ (April 18)], he not only defended the unfair and unwarranted raise, he drew the media man’s attention to Singapore where lawmakers are getting $100,000 per annum. The minister has, however, failed to appreciate that Singapore is one of the richest countries of the world whose per capita income is $30,000 whereas the per capita income of Pakistan, an underdeveloped/developing state, during 2008 was just $875. At the time when Sindh is passing through a serious financial crunch, burdening its treasury with enormous expenditure to be paid to the lawmakers in the shape of huge extra perks will be a great injustice to the people of this poor province. It is also against the express directions of the prime minister who, in his maiden address, declared austerity derive before the parliament and as a first step ordered forthwith reduction of PM’s House expenditure by 40 per cent. I sincerely hope that our lawmakers would also understand the seriousness of the economic crisis the country and the province of Sindh are passing through and put off their demands of extra perks for better times in future. [Dawn]

AN ART FESTIVAL AND AN FIR

[Salim Hosein, Karachi]

Several disturbing incidents in the recent past have brought to light the fact that major political parties, while claiming in their manifestos to stand for the rule of law and respect for others, exhibit behaviour quite to the contrary. Take the case of the recent attack on the Shanakht Festival by PPP "sympathizers" which was not only implicitly condoned by several provincial party leaders, but also no action has been taken so far against the miscreants despite their identities being clearly visible in press coverage. What is even more outrageous is that an FIR has been registered against the organisers at the behest of local PPP leaders! The senior PPP leadership must take note of this and get the FIR cancelled.

The other incident was a little reported happening at the inauguration of the Environmental Park in Attock which was supposed to be done by the federal minister for environment. He was to be accompanied by a former state minister. However, the PML-N MNA of the area got there first and inaugurated it in honour of Nawaz Sharif while his supporters fired in the air. Suffice is to say that the local law enforcement personnel meekly looked on when they should have been rounding up and arresting each of those ruffians.

Finally, an event I personally witnessed. It happened on Sharea Faisal on the night of April 10 when I saw a rashly-driven Corolla with government number plates and bearing a PPP flag followed by an even more rashly-driven Hilux filled with rude policemen. Both vehicles, especially the Hilux, were driving so dangerously that they almost hit several cars. It seems as if the "leader" in the Corolla could not bear waiting a couple of minutes — obviously patience is a virtue better left to the plebs! Our political parties must curb these occurrences done ostensibly by over-zealous workers seeking unwarranted glory. Just because a party is in power does not and should not mean that it, and its activists, can flout the law and act like apes. If that is in fact what our government is implying, they should resign or rest assured that they have no moral ground to expect citizens to abide by the law. [The News]

GLORY FOR LOOTERS

[K B Leghari, Quetta]

Who is responsible for the worst ever law, order and security situation during past one year and especially since Sri Lankan team sad event? It is NRO,the rampant corruption , incompetence, misgovernance, unbridled lust for unlimited power and wealth destroying our institutional infrastructure; judiciary, parliament, executive, constitution subservient to one man, partisan president of country and his sycophant coteries. The economy, financial well being, national debts get redder every day, poverty lines deepen and ninety percent poor worst ever stressed due to the non chalance of PPP-Z government who must celebrate in all pomp and grandeur the anniversaries of their demised leaders to exploit their names and hoodwink their gross engineered failures. Hundreds of percent increases in grocery, vegetable, mutton, pulses, rice, wheat, sugar, ghee and unbearable rates of electricity, water, gas, oil etc devastating the nation are not their any concern.

The sun should shine an all glories on the putrefied corrupt elites, stock, estate,commodity satabazs,traders ,estate developers, bank loan waivers etc who must plunder billions next morning no matter country burns in terrorist acts in Munawan, Chakwal, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar, FATA, Swat. For them media interviews, TV cameras, conferences, bogus pontifications on national solidarity, unity, national reconciliation are good enough to fool the nation by lies, deceptions, and breachers of national pledges. [Pakistan Observer]

DISCIPLINE IS MUST

[Khurshid Anwer, Lahore]

The major criticism of Bhuttoism is the indiscipline that it breeds. To build up the vote bank, the students, the workers and the common people were given a free hand to do as they would with the government looking on. When I once said, "Pakistanis have been given freedom too soon," there were a number of raised eyebrows, I clarified, "I don’t mean 1947, I mean 1971." Maqsood Ahmed was one of the commentators at an international cricket match at the Pindi Club grounds. When a boundary was hit a young boy ran on to the ground towards the batsman. A policeman grabbed the boy and pushed him out of the playing area. Maqsood Ahmed said, it is the people’s government now, the police must behave, they cannot manhandle the people.

For crying out aloud, I shuddered, seeing as how we were in for big trouble now? I wanted to tell Maqsood that the boy would have been dealt with exactly in the same manner, or even more severely, at Lords or at the Oval in London, home of the oldest democracy in the world. We should not convert democracy into lawlessness. But that is what has exactly been done in all PPP tenures. I was forced to leave half way when PPP rowdies took to throwing cigarette butts at some of us dressed differently to them. There was so much rowdism wherever the Jiyalas gathered, we stopped going to public places until the Jiyalas had had their fill of 'freedom' while the country went to rot. [The Frontier Post]

AN ART FESTIVAL AND AN FIR

[Hafsa Khawaja, Lahore]

This is with regard to the Shanakht Festival disrupted in Karachi last week by PPP workers because they reportedly found one of the exhibits offensive. I have seen the said exhibit online and I am afraid that I found it offensive as well. Yes there is something called freedom of expression but surely the artist should have known that depicting Benazir Bhutto in the manner that had been done would be controversial to say the least. Also, freedom of expression is not absolute — anywhere in the world — and the artist in question should have realised that. [The News]

TWIN TOWERS FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICES

[Dr Mushtaque Ahmed Qureshi, Islamabad]

As reported in a section of the press, the Sindh government has, with the support of the federal government, envisaged an ambitious plan of constructing two highrise towers on a 151-acre plot after removing all old structures surrounding the Sindh High Court and the Provincial Assembly building, the most thickly populated area of the metropolis. The idea is that all federal and provincial offices will be relocated in these towers. It has been reported that the president in his recent visit has already approved this grand plan, to be completed within two years at an estimated initial cost of Rs3,285 million. The scheme is that leaving aside some buildings of historic significance, such as Sindh High Court, Provincial Assembly, Board of Revenue, National Museum, and S. M Law College, all other edifices which also include 12-storey Income Tax Building, Sindh Secretariat (Tughlaq House) and its new blocks, MPA hostel and passport offices, etc, will be demolished.

The proposed scheme is justifiable in order to house more offices, create parking space and develop a park in view of the ever increasing population. However, demolishing landmark buildings such as the 12-storey Income Tax House (recently refurbished at the cost of billions of rupees), four multistorey blocks of the Sindh Secretariat or other structures of equal consequence will be highly imprudent. All these buildings are architecturally so elegant, with strong structures, as well that they can withstand the rigours of time for another 100 years or even more. I would suggest that only time-worn old barracks flanking the high court and those located behind it may be dismantled for constructing the proposed twin towers and the park. This will not only save lots of funds, which can be diverted to some other urgently required project of national importance, but will also save the people coming from all over the country from extreme inconveniences during at least two years, the period which construction is going to take as envisaged in the scheme.

Moreover, since these twin towers will be located in the vicinity of a number of historical and majestic buildings, measures should be adopted by architects to ensure that beauty and grandeur of the old buildings is not compromised. I also urge the authorities not to compromise on the quality of construction at any cost as these buildings are being built with the poor man’s money and are suppose to last for 100 years as envisaged in the scheme. [Dawn]

ZERO-TRUST

[A. Zaheer Hussein, Hyderabad]

The nation is sinking in the quagmire of trust deficit. Nation no longer trust the present NROed, PPP-Zardari government has proven itself incompetent. They cleverly misused opposition in the name of â€˜reconciliationâ€™ etc but acted all opposite and machiavellian to consolidate their rule. Democracy has now worn civil uniform and it is virtually one man rule. What is happening in FATA, Swat, Buner. US, UK, India, drones are attacking us. New caretaker set up seems inevitable to elect new government immediately to get out of present quagmire which is sinking us deeper and deeper. [The Frontier Post]

From the National Press

CREDIBILITY CRISIS

[Shahzad Khalil, Sialkot]

Billions of dollars given in aid as loans and grants to Pakistan since 1958, have yet to be accounted for in full. The nation is under heavy mounting debt, with bulk of these loans for development having been siphoned off by corrupt bureacrats and members of civil or uniformed ruling establishment. Pakistan which is a product of a democratic struggle waged by polticians and lawyers of repute, all men of integrity, is today facing a crisis of credibilty, when foreign donors are seem hesitant, to give aid without any credible accounting for money spent. A State that was supposed to be a welfare State for its millions of citizens has become a welfare State for the paid civil and khaki establishment and corrupt politicians, none of whom have ever been held accountable. In a country where the poorest of the poor, does not receive any welfare benefits from the State, has the audacity to dole out luxurious bungalows to few elite paid uniformed employees , alongwith scores of residential plots and agriculture land at subsidised price.

The blatant oppression by the few with connivance of law enforcement agencies, has led to massive frustration, with no hope of justice. People having lost all hopes from a judiciary tainted with allegations of corruption, have turned to non-state actors for help, with dangerous consequences. While the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar is a welcome improvement, it has happened quite late in the day. The elected democratic set-up has to restore the credibility of the State both within and outside the country. This can only be done if every paisa spent is fully accounted for and blatant abuse of State funds for personal luxurious life style must cease, since this country under heavy debt cannot afford all this waste. Pakistan’s scarce resources should not be squandered by the few and the State cannot be hostage to any institution, nor can any institution including Parliament absolve the corrupt for robbing this country. [Pakistan Observer]

KEEP THE STRINGS ATTACHED!

[Dr Meekal Aziz Ahmed, United States]

There is a great deal of discussion these days, including in your paper, on whether the prospective aid to Pakistan from "Friends" or the United States, military and civilian, should be conditional or not. Our experience with non-conditional aid has been an unmitigated disaster. Regarded as a "free lunch", there is no incentive to spend it well. Three-quarters of the aid never reaches the intended beneficiaries because it is siphoned off through corruption. Most of the rest is spent on importing SUVs and doing up the office (and residence) of the project director. With no accountability and no oversight, such an outcome is pre-ordained. Aid, from whatever source, should be tied to certain conditions that the recipient must meet. Of course, these conditions should not be onerous or unreasonable, nor seen to be imposed. We should "own" the conditions as being good for us and a safeguard against waste. Without conditions, the money will be frittered away, there will be no impact, and Pakistan would have lost yet another opportunity to put its economic house in order. [Daily Times]

'ANTI-PEOPLE' NEPRA RULES

[Editorial Business Recorder]

Those unhappy over periodic tariff increases by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), can draw some satisfaction from what the federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Babar Awan, had to say on the subject in the National Assembly on Thursday. Responding to a question about the criteria and rules under which the regulatory authority determined electricity tariff, Dr Awan declared, "these laws and rules are anti-people", which is a pretty harsh criticism. All the more so considering that one of Nepra's principal functions is to determine tariff for electricity distribution in a transparent and judicious manner. Different stakeholders, including government, Wapda, independent power producers, distribution companies, and civil society representatives participate in its proceedings. But as the minister pointed out the devil is in the legal detail. Participants of tariff determination proceedings, of course, can present their respective cases only within the ambit of the relevant rules and regulations.

According to Dr Awan, he was shocked to read the details of the "ludicrous rules", which give Nepra sweeping powers to do what he termed as fleecing of the consumers on one or the other pretext. For example, under the rubric of "customers needs" expenditures such as purchase of vehicles and furniture, payment of mobile phone bills, etc, are used to justify tariff increase. Consumers are hence forced to pay for impertinent, even fake, expense lists. Additionally, they have to bear the cost of Wapda's notoriously inefficient distribution system in which line losses, as per the concerned officials' occasional admissions, account for more than a quarter of the total production. As a consequence of inflated costs, distribution inefficiency, and non-payment of bills by certain government departments as well as influential individuals, electricity rates in this country are among the world's highest, which, aside from adding to the woes of domestic consumers, keep raising the cost of doing business in all areas of economic activity, from production to export sectors.

These flaws are too serious to be treated lightly. The minister said he has sought the "details of these hostile laws against the masses whose primary aim is to loot the people." It means the people can expect the government to undertake remedial measures. That though may be easier said than done. It is plain from the existence of 'ludicrous rules' that favour parties other than the consumers that they are there at the behest of powerful players in the field. It remains to be seen if the government has the will to remove the 'ludicrous rules' in order to replace them with truly judicious ones.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

[Fatima Ilyas, Rawalpindi]

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Freedom of the press is a vital ingredient for the progress of any country. During the 60s and 80s, Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq used extensive powers to muzzle the press. During Ayub’s government the Press and Publications Ordinance (PPO) 1963 laid authoritarian checks on the freedom of the press. The press had to face similar situation during the rule of Ziaul Haq when "press advice" became the norm to keep tabs on the press. The defamation law passed in 2002 by the previous government is another example of curtailment of press freedom. Restrictions were imposed on the media on November 3, 2007, when amendments were made to the draconian PEMRA Ordinance. It is expected of the present government to protect the rights of the print and the electronic media. Some responsibility also rests with the media to show a true picture of the government and society, a task that the media has largely done justice with till now.

[The Post]

A MILITARY INSTITUTION

[Col (Retd) R.M. Akhtar, Lahore]

Canteen Services started functioning during the World War-II. Serving only the defence personnel and their families, they were run on the basis of no-profit-no-loss. The motto back then was quality and not quantity. They did a good job before the civil population also started using this facility and rush at the CSD started increasing. Now we hear that CSDs are open for all and sundry and the motto now has changed to quantity, not quality. A shop that shows profit in the books gets commendation from the high command. Previously our ladies could visit these shops without an escort. Now they are hesitant to go there because they don't wish to rub shoulders with all sorts of people coming in. We wonder why this change was allowed? [The Nation]

MURDERS IN BALOCHISTAN

[Waqas Sagheer, Karachi]

The murder of three Baloch leaders in Turbat is a most disturbing development. Violence erupted across Balochistan and in Karachi as a result; and this has further worsened relations between the troubled province and the federation, with many Baloch leaders blaming intelligence agencies for the murders. While we are dealing with insurgency and terrorism emanating from the tribal areas and the NWFP, we must also address the concerns of the Baloch people, as many of them are being swayed by the rhetoric of secessionist elements. Further, some scholars have claimed recently that some neighbouring countries are also stoking these flames of discontent. Therefore, the government must deal with this situation immediately, and should ensure that the perpetrators of these murders are brought to justice. We cannot afford further turmoil and further destabilisation of Pakistan.

[Daily Times]

WHITHER OUR POLICE?

[Ikram Khan, Lahore Cantt]

I am horrified to read the gruesome incident of police torture (‘Whither our police?’, April 9) in which the sexual organ of a young man was cut off. Who will bring the culprits to justice? Perhaps the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. There is no denying the fact that our police have become the most corrupt and inefficient government department. There is a general feeling amongst the public that our police are a source of crime and corruption rather than a security outfit or service to the public. That’s why when a crime is committed, many people tend to settle the score with the accused/criminals themselves instead of referring the case to the police. To register a case/FIR one needs reference of a big gun or has to give a huge bribe. Moreover, to bring a criminal to book, there is a long and cumbersome process requiring a lot of money and time. At times to catch an accused the police normally show their helplessness unless the complainant gives bribe or takes the police to the door of the accused in his own transport.

Moreover, the suffering party has only two options: either to take law into its own hands and settle the issue themselves or relax and forget about it. Due to corrupt practices the police have become totally inefficient. Criminals can strike any time at any place and get away, as happened recently at Liberty Market, Lahore, adjacent to a police station at day time. After attack on the Sri Lankan team’s bus, the firing continued for about an hour by a group of 10 to12 criminals in the area but the police were not able to injure or even catch anyone. A similar drama was repeated at the Police Academy. It has caused a lot of frustration and disappointment in our society. In view of the above, I feel that our police need a major overhaul. For this I would suggest that a committee of experts be instituted and within an year the police department should be restructured on the lines of the British police. [Dawn]

FIRING IN THE AIR BY POLICE

[Shakir Lakhani,Karachi]

I wonder why no one has criticised the obvious violations of the law which took place after the police captured the alleged terrorist(s) at the Police Training Centre in Lahore. The cops fired many bullets in the air in jubilation, completely oblivious of the fact that such bullets, obeying the law of gravity, can hit someone with full force while falling to the ground. Such cases are frequently reported in the press. Also, after one of the attackers was arrested, the cops beat him mercilessly. This could have resulted in the death of the militant and they would never have been able to get any information out of him. All this reflects badly on our police training methods. [Dawn]

SAVE PAPER!

[Humaira Khan, Islamabad]

Tons of paper is wasted in various establishments in Pakistan, from schools and universities to offices and factories. Tens of millions of rupees are spent on acquiring this paper, and there are further problems down the line as far as the disposal of this paper is concerned. Not to mention the many trees that have to be cut to produce all this paper. Further, Pakistan does not have a proper recycling infrastructure. This is one issue where the economic and environmental interests intersect, therefore, all organisations and enterprises that use papers in copiers and printers and spent millions on it should convert to a paperless environment. This involves using electronic documents wherever possible to reduce the amount of paper used. Most of the organisations that use copiers and printers also have computers, so implementing a paperless environment should not be too difficult. This strategy has been employed across the world, and has proved very successful. There is no reason why similar success cannot be achieved in Pakistan. This will not only help the environment by reducing the consumption of paper, and thus saving forests, but will also save organisations a lot of money, which cannot be a bad thing in these times of economic hardship! [Daily Times]

SYED MUHAMMAD TAQI: A FORGOTTEN HERO

[Imran Muhammad, Lecturer agri-economics, College of Agriculture, Dera Ghazi Khan]

I was browsing through the Internet when a name caught my attention: Syed Muhammad Taqi, a renowned Pakistani philosopher. As I read more about him, I was astonished to know that during his time wherever serious dialogue on knowledge was done, he was called on as chairperson. Moreover in an international conference on philosophy held at Mexico in the 1990’s, Syed Muhammad Taqi was invited to preside over the conference. Apart from this, a delegate of Nobel Prize winner scientists arranged a meeting with him to validate their theories with the art of philosophy. Furthermore, he wrote a number of globally accredited books and out of them he wrote, "Tarikh aur Kainat: Mera Nazriya" which he considered as the soul of his work. Unfortunately, when I searched that book, I came to know that it has not been republished since its first publication in 1974.

I somehow managed to find that book in LUMS library but it was shocking to find that a book which is the soul of such a revolutionary writer was issued for the first time, since it reached the library in 1982. Finally on behalf of this newspaper I request to the authorities that not only to introduce our heroes with the nation but also to promote them or else we will have to travel centuries to hunt for a hero. The first step in this regard could be to republish this book with due promotion through media. [Dawn]

SYED MUHAMMAD TAQI’S WORK

[Ali Shamim, Karachi]

This is apropos of the letters, ‘Syed Muhammad Taqi: a forgotten hero’ (April 10) and ‘Syed Muhammad Taqi’s work’ (April 14). The writers have called him a forgotten hero: yet he is not forgotten completely. In his magnum opus, Taarikh aur Taainat – mera nazaria, he designed a coherent philosophical system which is raised on rationality both in the human mind and in society. Three more of his books on philosophy — mostly comprising his very popular articles in a major Urdu newspaper — Rooh aur Falsafa, Mantiq, Falsafa aur Science, and Essays in Philosophy (in English), have been widely acclaimed around the world. Thus he can be regarded as a rare philosopher who popularised philosophy and also the first and only philosopher writing in Urdu, expounding a system of philosophy. By participating regularly in international philosophical conferences, he also put Pakistan on the world map.

These conferences have been held every four years in Europe and North America. On one of his trips he went to meet Bertrand Russell, his favourite philosopher, and the Nobel Prize winning physicist Chandra Shekhar. His book, Hindustan — Pasmanzar o peshmanzar, was very well received and earned him the prestigious Adamjee Prize. His translations of great books included Karl Marx’s Das Kapital (at the behest of Dr Maulvi Abdul Haq), Sir James Jeans’s Mysterious Universe, and Arthur Eddington’s Signs and Philosophy. His books have recently generated a strong demand. Surprisingly, the second edition of the translation of Das Kapital has been published by Darul Shaur in Lahore, the first edition of which was published by Anjuman-i-Taraqqi-i-Urdu. His philosophical books mentioned above have also been published by the Welcome Bookport. All his life, Syed Muhammad Taqi took it upon himself to propagate reasoning and logic and always took a stand to expound the merits of Arab logicians. His writings should be brought into limelight to propagate the virtues of logic and reasoning that were so valued in our past but have been long forgotten, letting intolerance and bigotry to set in. [Dawn]

CSR VIEW & NEWS

THE VITAL ROLE OF CSR

[Editorial Business Recorder]

Quoting the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), a Recorder news report states that in addition to providing foreign direct investment (FDI), employment opportunities and contribution to tax receipts, members of the OICCI are significantly involved in the uplift and development of the country with their corporate social initiatives, contribution on this count amounting to over Rs 2,194 million.

Most OICCI member companies have CSR departments functioning alongside their routine business activities. Given the largely unconsolidated social landscape of Pakistan, interventions by the private sector in the form of donations, sponsorships, public-private partnerships and expertise have now been documented in a manner that appropriately reflects their contribution.

Notably, the CSR Report has been described as an attempt to consolidate these initiatives by presenting an outline of the good corporate citizenship programmes embarked upon by its members, on whose behalf it has elaborated upon their performance and programmes through a collective demonstration. Significantly, mention among its aims has also been made of the organisation's focus on facilitating the transfer of best practices from member companies to all corporate entities in Pakistan.

Of course, the CSR report as now issued can be seen as demonstrating foreign investors' commitment to overall development of the communities they work in, though not limited to their area of operations, as a number of member companies also partner with social sector organisations to expand the geographical scope of improvement in the living conditions of the less privileged members of society.

Needless to point out, all this may give rise to some kind of confusion as to what CSR is all about, and how it differs from other approaches. Considerably in practice though in the West, CSR needs be deeply contemplated in developing economies, such as Pakistan, for its socially beneficial manifestations.

Not to be mistaken with corporate philanthropy, which is just as good as putting something back into the community from which the business makes profits, maybe, from a rather veiled approach of charity though. As against this, CSR, which is a voluntary initiative, can be seen as carrying a premium as a management tool, thus deemed advisable for prioritised adoption.

For, basically an obligation, working for the benefit of social good, alongside profit maximisation, it refers to business's decisions and actions, as partially beyond the firm's direct economic and technical interests. However, as arguments for and against the concept of CSR cannot be ruled out, it can best be justified as a matter of enlightened self-interest, emanating from the realisation that the business ultimately helps itself, by helping in resolving the social problems.

In so far as its manifestations in this country are concerned, apart from others, mention may specifically be made of Engro Chemical Pakistan Limited receiving the Fifth Asian CSR Award in Manila, Philippines, in 2006, attended by some 500 delegates from 24 countries and 321 organisations.

In a very strong competition between 178 entries from 98 national and multinational companies operating world-wide with their headquarters based in 14 countries, its Project Hope - Telemedicine Project was deemed the most outstanding in the Concern for Health category.

Started in August 2005, Project Hope links rural spokes via video-conferencing to the hub in Karachi, where specialist doctors' access x-rays, ECGs and other diagnostics in real time. More to this, Attock Group's history of nearly 100 years carries a number of CSR initiatives too.

Their activities are distinguished from others due their innovative and sustainable nature of initiatives - socially, economically and environmentally. These encompass priority areas of health, education, women and youth development, environment, provision of potable water and poverty alleviation. All in all, inspired by the urges, aspirations and performances of the OICCI, our national trade bodies would do well to emulate the example it has set.

Edited and prepared by

Khalil Ahmad

Email: khalilkf@yahoo.com khalil@asinstitute.org

[FreePakistan Newsletter, among other things, is a compilation of views and news taken from the national newspapers’ print and online editions. It is not possible to mention the source of every piece of news or view made use of herein; but as a matter of policy, where possible the source is mentioned with due thanks. However, no opinion expressed here should necessarily be taken as reflecting the view of Free Pakistan Newsletter.]

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