Whatever happened to the daily horoscopes?

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/838456/whatever-happened-to-the-daily-horoscopes/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/838456-AnwerMoorajNew-1423932089-701-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>In India and Pakistan, lots of people believe in astrology which, throughout its history, was considered a scholarly tradition that goes back to the second millennium BC. It has been defined as one of the several pseudoscientific systems of divination based on the premise that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world. There was a time in Karachi when many individuals <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tribune.com.pk/story/387191/in-the-stars-34-pakistanis-read-horoscope-survey/&sa=U&ei=nqbfVPzVA8z7UPmbhPAG&ved=0CBYQFjAI&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGWk0Wy5Qt8Zt8AHtNf67RPKAZOlA">didn’t step out of their home unless they had consulted the horoscope</a> in their morning paper. This included besides businessmen, politicians, surgeons and sportsmen, and even a former governor of Sindh, who initially insisted in driving to work in his own car. These days, some of the dailies have dropped the forecasts, possibly due to financial constraints, forcing devotees to go on the net, or visit local astrologers, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tribune.com.pk/story/247924/palmistry-life-and-character-in-the-hand/&sa=U&ei=_aXfVJ3dBoK7Ub_sg6gL&ved=0CA8QFjAF&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGL1JX5IdMWP6Xzd3x2rJ6FrRXCZA">palmists</a> and tarot card readers.</p><br /><p>I understand most of the syndicated horoscopes are written by women with exotic names that hint at Romany ancestry, though I never quite understand how, after studying the effect of the sun, the planets, the moon and the stars on human beings, they could guide a Scottish housewife to change her hairdresser. In Europe, the incumbents in the tent at carnivals, dressed in gaudy apparel, their heads wrapped in folds of muslin, staring into huge crystal bowls, are invariably women. I confess that for a time I used to read the horoscopes, even though some of the predictions had the blushing sensibilities of a Jane Austen’s vicar’s widow, though I did have a bit of trouble trying to respond to the vibrations of the planets. And then one day, many years ago, the inevitable happened. In a library I discovered four morning newspapers printed in English which carried horoscopes.</p><br /><p><img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/223.jpg" /></p><br /><p>It was February and it happened to be my birthday, and wondered what the league of soothsayers had in store for me. This is what the first paper had to say. “Perhaps you will be feeling quite exhausted now. Certainly you have been pushing yourself extremely hard of late. It would be a good idea to slow down a bit. Postpone any important appointments until the following week.” As I had just returned from a relaxing holiday in the mountains, I tossed the paper aside and turned to the next daily. “Congratulations. Your boss will now grant you your hard-earned leave. You can take that trip into the mountains that you have been dreaming about. Take lots of warm clothes. Beware of foreign tourists who don’t carry cameras.” Paper number three was more specific. “Today is favourable for all creative and imaginative work. If you are currently engaged in the making of motion pictures being shot in the mountains, you will find many new and exciting ideas.” And finally, “unexpected financial gains are certain. Visitors are likely to drop in on Monday. Beware of salesmen selling toasters. You may start a new friendship with someone of the opposite sex. Travel on business may materialise. Avoid wearing blue on Saturday.”</p><br /><p>I admire these writers who make a living by churning out 12 terse messages day after day, year after year, with rote-like predictability in an endless variety of permutations offering advice on when to pop the question, when to sell a failing stock or when to visit the doctor for the pimple in the groin. It is a measured caricature perfected over the years, balancing hope with despair, positive statement with innuendo. I don’t believe in horoscopes, but if certain superstitious readers get a kick out of them, I say to the editors, bring them back and stick them in the sports section. Who knows, we might get a tip for the World Cup.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Whatever happened to the daily horoscopes?

In India and Pakistan, lots of people believe in astrology which, throughout its history, was considered a scholarly t...

Read more »

Our pitched battles

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/838466/our-pitched-battles/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/838466-FahdHusainNew-1423932386-249-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>You hear the constant rat-a-tat of machine gun fire as people crouch down and huddle together for safety. It’s a terrifying, gut-wrenching video shot on a cell phone by some braveheart as he stares possible death in the face. He holds the phone camera steady, catching the attacker barging into the mosque hallway, firing like a maniac, and then exploding himself in a bloody carnage of death and mayhem.</p><br /><p>This mobile footage of the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/837767/three-explosions-injure-four-near-passport-office-in-peshawar/">attack on the Peshawar imambargah</a> captures the horror of terrorism on tape like never before. But will a desensitised nation be moved?</p><br /><p>It’s <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/worldcup2015/">World Cup</a> fever here as Pakistan battles India today in a combustible blend of sport, politics and history. For the eight hours this rivalry plays out on the cricketing field, little else will matter for us. Explosions, killings, sectarian genocide, slaughter of innocents and the burning fires of hatred, bigotry and intolerance — all will fade into the background as ball collides with bat amidst rapturous roars of millions of crazed fans. Eight hours of unity will cement a fractured nation in unparalleled ecstasy of winning, or the unbearable pain of losing. Dormant emotions will snarl like a raging river, smashing through dulled senses and resigned indifference to electrify a nation shocked into paralysis. And then…</p><br /><p>Then it will end. The horrors will return and the nightmares will come back into focus. But only for a while. Yes, just for a bit, before the next match drags us back into a sea of cricketing passion.</p><br /><p>Something is not right. The brazen slaughter of men, women and children shocks us for no more than a few days — or perhaps a few weeks. Collective anger flashes, then subsides. Resolve tightens, then lightens. Perhaps such is life. It moves on. Time heals all wounds.</p><br /><p>“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” (Milan Kundera, author)</p><br /><p>The <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/808019/our-darkest-hour/">horror of December 16</a> is not yet two months old. The slaughter in Shikarpur is a wound still bleeding, and the death toll from the carnage in Hayatabad is still rising. We are at war. But could you have guessed?</p><br /><p>Life does indeed go on, even in the worst of times. During the decade-long civil war in Lebanon — where streets were little more than shooting galleries — people adjusted to the ravages of war by building walkways, shopping plazas and restaurants underground. Elevators in the hotels of Beirut even today have buttons that read B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, ‘B’ of course denoting ‘Basement’ floors.</p><br /><p>So yes, by all means let’s revel in the cricketing fever, let’s all dance with joy at every Pakistani success and weep tears of sorrow at the dismal performance (may it never come) — but — let’s not forget. Forgetfulness breeds apathy which leads to indifference and desensitisation. And when you have reluctant warriors as your leaders — men who would rather be shopping than leading this fight — then distractions like the World Cup can acquire an air of semi-permanence.</p><br /><p>Every horror, every slaughter, every barbarity just seems to raise the bar of what we can stomach. Like the frog in the water who keeps adjusting to the temperature as the water heats up on a stove, and the frog ends up boiling to death, we too seem to be improving our threshold of pain with every successive bloody blow. No more, we say, and then more happens. Never again, we promise, till it does — again. The page has been turned, we are told, except it’s the same as the last one. And so it goes, round and round, spinning on its familiar axis, sameness over and over and over again. The boom boom of the bombs becomes fainter, the wailing and shrieking of victims becomes duller and more distant, and the empty rhetoric of leaders turns to unrecognisable gibberish as words and actions dissolve into nothingness.</p><br /><p>Something is wrong here. Is it the guilt of enjoying the World Cup while brethren bury their dead? Is it the fakeness of solace in our humdrum routine while ‘other’ countrymen get slaughtered by terrorists? Or is it resigning to fate that things will just not change in Pakistan; that <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/837915/mice-in-the-chambers/">leaders will just not transform into statesmen</a>; that we will never learn — ever — to rise above and beyond our own petty interests and agendas unless it happens to us?</p><br /><p>Today then is a day of mixed emotions. Yes, we are all glued to our TVs, and perhaps no news, howsoever bad it is, will distract us from the Pakistan-India match. What resilience! What passion! What singularity of purpose and strength of resolve. Terror may strike, but we will not care. TV ratings will prove this if ever there is a doubt. No breaking news on any channel will snatch viewers away from the game. No sirs, that’s how the cookie crumbles; and that’s how we fight our monsters. Yep, with cricket.</p><br /><p>Am I being cynical? No, not at all. I love my cricket. But I love my country too. I want my team to crush India. I want my country to crush terror. I want Team Pakistan to win the World Cup. But more than that, I want our nation to win this existential war that we are supposed to be fighting. Sure I want my electricity and gas back, I want my petrol to stay cheap and inflation to keep under control. Indeed, I want all the good things that every government promises — but more than anything else, I want security of life and property. More than anything else, I want my kids to stay safe.</p><br /><p>So let us enjoy the game today, and let us hope we ground India into dust. But do not forget that revenge over India on the field pales into insignificance when compared with the revenge we want for the slaughter in Peshawar, Shikarpur, Hayatabad and all other cities awash with blood.</p><br /><p>Here’s to victory on both fronts.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Our pitched battles

You hear the constant rat-a-tat of machine gun fire as people crouch down and huddle together for safety. It’s a terri...

Read more »

Female, divorced & Christian

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/837936/female-divorced-christian/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/837936-ShahidKhanNew-1423846867-566-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Christian marriage is thought to be an eternal bond. However, this institution is buffeted with all kinds of demands in the modern world. The marriage vows declared together on your wedding day can either turn out to be a joy or a pain. What happens if you choose the wrong person or circumstances pin you up against a brick wall? The less liked road to divorce is always fraught with heartaches and regret. However, in some cultures, even the mention of the word ‘divorce’ is frowned upon and it is regarded as a taboo, even more so in a Christian marriage, which is originally meant to be a life-long bond.<br /><br />I am not an advocate of divorce; however, it is essential to highlight the legal implications which Christian women in particular face and make the sad reality of a failed marriage even more miserable. The current Pakistani justice system puts Christian women in chains rather than offering them a reasonable solution to get out of a failed marriage. Last year, the federal government proposed reforms to the old British <a href="http://punjablaws.punjab.gov.pk/public/dr/CHRISTIAN%20MARRIAGE%20ACT,%201872.doc.pdf">Christian Marriage Law Act of 1872</a> and the <a href="http://www.sja.gos.pk/Statutes/Family%20Laws/Divorce%20Act%201869.html">Divorce Act of 1869</a>, which in the past have proved to be an endless albatross for Christian women, locked in dead-end marriages with few legal rights to protect themselves and regain their so-called ‘societal prestige’ in an already conservative and patriarchal society.</p><br /><p>Under Section 10 of the Christian Divorce Act, 1869, a man can seek divorce on the grounds of adultery while it is a lot more difficult for a woman to seek divorce on the same ground. The wife must provide evidence of adultery coupled with other reasons like bigamy, incest, sodomy, rape or bestiality, cruelty or she must prove desertion for a period of two or more years. In a society where the man in the house is an <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824417/he-will-change-right/">‘uncrowned prince’ while women already live in the shadows</a>, it can sometimes be impossible for a woman to stand up to her husband. The current state of affairs provides a lot of room for Christian men to abuse the divorce law. Men often bring false accusations of adultery against their wives in order to get a divorce. This gnawing legal gap, which gives more power to men over women, needs to be addressed.</p><br /><p><i>The Express Tribune</i> recently reported that a judge at the Lahore High Court termed the 1869 Christian Divorce Act as “<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/830455/christian-divorce-act-derogatory-to-women/">derogatory</a>” to women. He was hearing a petition from a Christian man, Ameen Masih, seeking divorce. Mr Masih is demanding separation from his wife since he feels he cannot live with her anymore but for that, he would have to declare her an ‘adulterer’. However, he does not want to accuse his wife of something she did not do, hence the complexity of getting a divorce becomes even more torturous.</p><br /><p>In addition to this, there is the negative cultural perception of divorce. In Pakistan, being a woman, Christian and divorced is a treble-tragedy. Women, who are already marginalised with few legal protections, are left in a precarious situation, which makes them soft targets for abuse, neglect and violence. A divorce for a Christian woman is regarded as an eternal stigma while men walk away with a clean track record both because of favourable laws, as well as because of the way Pakistani society functions. The right of self-determination is not given in the current Christian divorce system, in fact, it supports the culture of stigmatisation of women.</p><br /><p>Both the Christian Marriage Law and the Divorce Act are legacies of colonial times and have haunted countless women, while affecting tens and thousands of Christian families across the country. The Pakistani legal system is still stuck with the old laws while the British legal system has evolved with the passage of time. In British law, the dissolution of marriage was once the prerogative of men, which was as an expensive route available to the rich and those belonging to the royal family. Later in 1857, the <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMatrimonial_Causes_Act_1857&ei=G2HeVPWdK4rwaPPNgWg&usg=AFQjCNGTw0U5sFI3rP5oflV7_IYwsYAXRA&sig2=tItG4lkRlTLAkDG0BJLnQQ&bvm=bv.85970519,d.d2s">Matrimonial Clause Act</a> allowed common men the right to divorce as well. With time, British law also started allowing women the right of divorce if they could prove that their husbands had been unfaithful or if they were guilty of rape or incest. In 1923, a private member’s bill was proposed, which made the divorce procedure easier and in 1937, a few more stipulations were added that allowed the right of divorce if drunkenness, insanity or desertion could be proved. The most recent major change was made in 1969 when in case of only one spouse wanting a divorce, couples would have to be living separately for some years before a divorce could be possible. Divorces in Britain normally result in maintenance allowances being provided to the less wealthy spouse – usually the woman.</p><br /><p>The case of Ameen Masih in Lahore should set the tone for more legal rights to be provided to Christian women and men in Pakistan if they seek divorce. The current system demands that spouses defame each other. Further, the laws leave little or no chance for Christian women to liberate themselves from abusive marriages and leave them in endless misery. An amendment of the current Christian marriage and divorce laws in Pakistan is long overdue.</p><br /><p>Worldwide, recently, the Church has taken many strides to keep up with the times. The recent <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/827934/church-of-england-consecrates-first-female-bishop/">induction of Reverend Libby Lane</a> as the first woman bishop of the Church of England has been hailed as a massive step. The Church in Pakistan must stand up to protect the rights of women as well. Many Pakistani Christian women have withstood abuse both, at the hands of their families as well as the wider society. Now it is time that both the Church in Pakistan and the state provide justice and equality to Christian women so that they can lead their lives in a respectable manner both in the eyes of the law and society.</p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Female, divorced & Christian

Christian marriage is thought to be an eternal bond. However, this institution is buffeted with all kinds of demands i...

Read more »

Upholding the Kashmir cause

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/837930/upholding-the-kashmir-cause/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/837930-ShamshadAhmadNew-1423846589-740-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Every year on February 5, we observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day with great <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833681/kashmir-solidarity-day-rallies-demand-forceful-diplomacy-for-kashmir/">zeal and fervour</a>, showing Pakistan’s full support and unity with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir and their ongoing freedom struggle while also paying homage to Kashmiri martyrs who lost their lives fighting for Kashmir’s freedom. For decades, however, we have been observing this annual occasion as a ritual only with a countrywide public holiday and sporadic protest rallies and gatherings with no practical expression of solidarity for the legitimate freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people. As a nation, we just walk through the ritual, enjoying the holiday mostly sitting at home without even realising what it is all about.</p><br /><p>The day is usually marked by public processions, special prayers in mosques for the liberation of Kashmir and protests against the Indian oppression in Kashmir. In practice, however, other than the familiar spectacle of a <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833846/show-of-support-human-chain-formed-at-kohala-bridge/">human chain</a> with people standing in rows clasping each other’s hands on all major crossings into AJK from Pakistan, one doesn’t see any other public demonstration of solidarity in our major cities to reassure Kashmiris that they are not alone in their struggle. This year, for a change, one witnessed special fervour and passion on Kashmir Day at all levels in the country showing support and solidarity for the Kashmir cause.</p><br /><p>Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif specially went to Muzaffarabad to <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833841/kashmir-solidarity-day-india-not-sincere-in-talks-with-pakistan-nawaz/">address the joint session of the AJK Legislative Assembly</a> and the Kashmir Council and reiterated that Pakistan would continue its moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle for the right of self-determination and that no decision against their will would be accepted. “There is no solution to the Kashmir issue except a plebiscite. I make it clear to the entire world that durable peace in South Asia is linked to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” he declared. This was a timely message to his Indian counterpart who misread Nawaz Sharif’s gesture of goodwill last year when he attended Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony in Delhi.</p><br /><p>What should be clear to Modi is that by putting up an arrogant face, you cannot change realities. Besides representing the key unfinished agenda of the June 3, 1947 Partition Plan, Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, which has been on the UN agenda for over six decades. In accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, the question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan was to be decided through a free and fair plebiscite under UN auspices. All those resolutions remain unimplemented, denying the Kashmiri people of their inalienable right of self-determination.</p><br /><p>On their independence, India and Pakistan inherited many problems, but the Kashmir dispute was the mother of all. The Kashmir clash in 1948, the 1965 war, the Siachen dispute, the Kargil crisis, a volatile Line of Control with frequent violent eruptions, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/830073/border-violation-2-women-injured-as-pakistan-india-continue-to-trade-fire/">recurring skirmishes</a> at the Working Boundary, frequent war-like military deployments and resultant tensions, water disputes, and mutual suspicions and accusations are all directly related to Kashmir. Even today, the two countries remain locked in a confrontational mode. While all other issues are amenable to easy solutions, the Kashmir dispute invokes intense feelings among the peoples of India, Pakistan and Kashmir.</p><br /><p>It is not a ‘real estate’ issue or a question of ‘re-demarcation’ of geographical boundaries. It is a question involving the fundamental right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people, pledged to them by the international community through solemn UN Security Council resolutions. The setting aside of UN resolutions is one thing, the discarding of the principle they embodied is quite another. The underlying cardinal principle of self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter and reaffirmed in the <a href="http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm">Millennium Declaration</a> cannot be ignored. The Kashmir settlement has to be in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, impartially ascertained under no coercion or intimidation.</p><br /><p>As one of the oldest unresolved international conflicts, Kashmir is today a sombre reminder to the world that it cannot continue to ignore the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people. They want nothing but freedom from Indian occupation. The indigenous Kashmiri struggle goes on undeterred with thousands of Kashmiris already laying down their lives. No amount of atrocities and humiliations can stop them from pursuing their legitimate cause. The Kashmiri people continue to experience untold hardships, including human rights violations. This is the crux of the Kashmir situation. India will do itself good by seeing the writing on the wall.</p><br /><p>India’s efforts to obfuscate the Kashmir dispute as an issue of terrorism will not succeed. Popular movements cannot be suppressed. Brutal military force brings no relief to anyone. Stark lessons are there to be learnt from history. Even the world’s sole superpower today owes its existence to a long war of independence. Modi cannot deny the history of his own country. It was the 1857 War of Independence that laid the road to India’s liberation as an independent state. India is forcibly hanging on to Kashmir when the Kashmiris don’t want to have anything to do with India. They want their right of self-determination.</p><br /><p>Today, the voice of the Kashmiris is that of a wronged and forcibly subjugated people challenging India’s and the world’s conscience. For India, it is time to revert to the path of justice and fair play, and to heed to sanity and legality. On our part too, it is time to come out of our ostrich-like mode of total apathy and indifference to the Kashmir cause. Pro forma gestures of ritualistic solidarity are no service to the people of Kashmir. While India never showed the slightest change in its position, our rulers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks gave wrong signals through their self-serving gestures of unilateral flexibility.</p><br /><p>What they don’t understand is that beyond UN resolutions, there is no compact formula or tailor-made solution available for addressing the Kashmir issue. A free and fair <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834121/plebiscite-in-kashmir/">plebiscite</a> under UN auspices remains the only solution to which both India and Pakistan had committed themselves in terms of those resolutions. Our commitment to the Kashmir cause is rooted in this legal and moral reality and cannot be given up by our rulers merely as gestures of goodwill or as a confidence-building measure in pursuit of a peace that will never come by giving up on our principled position. Until then, we must continue to extend full political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmir cause and keep upholding the Kashmiris’ right of self-determination in every international forum.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Upholding the Kashmir cause

Every year on February 5, we observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day with great zeal and fervour , showing Pakistan’s full ...

Read more »

Pakistan’s future — fraught with perilous possibilities

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/837353/pakistans-future-fraught-with-perilous-possibilities/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/837353-RazaRumiNewNew-1423759126-911-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Nearly two months after the Peshawar attack, it is unclear if Pakistan’s direction has changed. The unprecedented grief and anger over the tragedy has now given way to business as usual. Bureaucrats undertaking the routine round-up exercises, platitudes by the politicians and the ‘firm’ image by the military leadership. Sections of civil society that defied the taboos of entering Islamabad’s no-go area i.e., Lal Masjid, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836071/finding-hope-amidst-pain-suffering/">ignited some hope</a> that there was going to be a mass-scale mobilisation of Pakistanis against extremism and its violent manifestations. But the last rounds of activism attracted lesser numbers and apathy – a cornerstone of Pakistan’s mainstream culture.</p><br /><p>What could be the greatest example of this syndrome than the muted response of the state and society over the massacre of 61 worshippers in Shikarpur. The National Action Plan is under implementation and apparently, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836073/over-2000-clerics-arrested-for-misusing-loudspeakers/">thousands have been rounded up</a> without a plan in place as to how they will be prosecuted in a court of law. The end result will not be different from the past record. Courts will bail them out sooner than later. Military courts are being operationalised and many Pakistanis view them as a panacea for the long-term failures of the judicial system. But there are many stages before they will become effective and deliver the kind of results that are needed to combat terrorism.</p><br /><p>The prime minister had announced that all violent militias would be banned and proceeded against. But there are many which are free to mobilise. One day, the Jamatud Dawa is banned, the other day it is not. The ASWJ rallied in Karachi and the seminaries that are the backbone of these organisations remain fully functional. Admittedly, it is not possible to tackle them immediately but is there a strategy to handle three decades of mess that is growing messier? The answer to this question is in the negative.</p><br /><p>When the Senate questioned the Punjab Police about foreign funding to seminaries, the initial response was denial-as-usual. Senator Tahir Mashhadi reportedly said that substantive evidence confirmed the “involvement of foreign-funded seminaries which were involved in promoting militancy in Pakistan”. The Saudi Embassy clearly said that whatever support was extended to welfare seminaries, mosques and charity organisations materialised with the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835883/rare-rebuttal-riyadh-denies-funding-extremist-mindsets/">express consent of the government</a>. This has exposed the hollowness of the government’s commitments to address this key issue. Pakistan simply cannot be a playground for imported ideologies and allow sectarian battles to further bleed society.</p><br /><p>Evidently, the military is leading the counterterrorism efforts. The provincial apex committees that met earlier have been steered by the military leadership. While this is a welcome development to achieve coordination, the role of Nacta as the key agency is once again unclear. Shortly after coming to power, the Nawaz Administration reconstituted the Defence Committee of the Cabinet and renamed it the Cabinet Committee on National Security (CCNS). The CCNS was meant to formulate an umbrella national security policy that would guide the country’s internal and external security. The turbulence during much of 2014 meant that the civilian government lost its grip over power and therefore could not assert its mandate to re-fashion the security policy.</p><br /><p>Had the political instability not been there, would the civilian government have taken the initiative? It seems unclear given the manner in which the federal government is being run. Even in areas where it has autonomy, the performance remains far from optimal.</p><br /><p>Recognising how foreign policy impacts internal security, the army chief has been talking to Afghanistan, the UK, the US and China. Mending fences with the new Afghan government is a welcome step. However, the regional security calculus will not change until Pakistan decides to engage with India and not be driven by old demons. Nawaz Sharif was the ideal candidate for such a re-engagement but his wings have been clipped. The question is: how is Pakistan going to handle this? <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836127/pakistans-unique-relations-with-china/">Alignment with China is not enough</a> as Sino-Indian economic cooperation has grown over the years and China at best could help to only manage a potential conflict.</p><br /><p>Pakistan simply cannot afford to turn a blind eye to private militias anymore. Their network has grown exponentially in the past two decades and is now getting embedded into societal networks. Crackdowns and police actions are not going to work unless there is a cohesive strategy to deal with the thousands of radicalised (and some armed) men, who comprise the ideologically integrated jihad industry. Sadly, the kind of thinking necessary to address this challenge is missing.</p><br /><p>Even more alarming is the fact that provincial governments mandated to manage police forces have not launched much-needed reforms. Raising additional forces is a short-gap measure and without reforming the institutional culture and incentives, no results can be expected. Similarly, the prosecution services need an overhaul as judges cannot deliver verdicts when cases presented before them are weak. On their part, superior courts in the provinces have not fully sensed the public mood on their inability to deliver justice. The popular decision to set up military courts (currently under judicial review) is a clear show of no-confidence in their performance. The very least the high courts can do is to see how they can improve the adjudication of terrorism-related cases in light of their earlier judgments. This is why the military appears to be the only institution moving forward. And herein lies the paradox of Pakistan: the institution that has been at the helm of designing controversial security doctrines seems to be the only one that can deliver.</p><br /><p>Finally, why have the federal or Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments not set up inquiry commissions? Yes, these commissions have been useless in the past but at least there needs to be some process of accountability. After all, someone must be responsible for the security lapses of December 16, 2014. The issue of accountability has been bypassed in public debates. Even good-hearted members of civil society are more concerned with getting this cleric arrested and that mosque shut down. That will be a good symbolic gesture but nothing beyond tokenism.</p><br /><p>State accountability is fundamental to the crisis that has engulfed Pakistan. Until its powerful institutions are not checked and made answerable, they will continue to make mistakes thus making the citizenry more and more disengaged and apathetic. Such a breakdown of the citizen-state relationship is dangerous for Pakistan’s future. Whether the civil-military elite are cognisant of this stark reality remains an open question. This is why Pakistan’s future trajectory appears to be fraught with perilous possibilities.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Pakistan’s future — fraught with perilous possibilities

Nearly two months after the Peshawar attack, it is unclear if Pakistan’s direction has changed. The unprecedented grie...

Read more »

Five Pakistani trends to watch in 2015

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836760/five-pakistani-trends-to-watch-in-2015/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/836760-MBilalLakhaninew-1423673092-874-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>With most of our attention focused on breaking news and headlines of the day, sometimes we miss the trend lines in society shifting significantly. Here’s a list of five trend lines to watch in 2015.</p><br /><p><strong>Firstly, Pakistan’s (informal) economy will boom:</strong> everyone and their mother-in-law are making the case for why Pakistan’s economy is on the brink of collapse and mismanagement. This makes a sensational news story for ratings but the truth is more nuanced. With oil and electricity prices steadily declining, disposable incomes will rise and a consumption-centric culture will fuel a boom. Put your finger on the pulse of <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/826092/govt-slow-in-implementing-economic-agenda/">Pakistan’s informal economy</a> and you’ll feel the full force of the boom to come. For example, restaurants aren’t just packed but have waiting lists for over an hour (on a weekday and outside defence), gleaming new cinemas are seemingly popping out of nowhere and lines for parking outside shopping malls are stretching over a kilometre long. Unlike the last major consumption boom, fuelled by cheap credit in the Musharraf years, this one has a stronger footing (as long as fuel prices hold). This is not to say that there aren’t real imbalances or problems in Pakistan’s formal economy but the economy that the ordinary Pakistani consumer experiences should brace itself for a real boom.</p><br /><p><strong>Secondly, security is no longer a public good: </strong>we’re at a tipping point for how middle and upper class Pakistanis view personal security. We have precedence for how public goods turn into private goods. Our parents studied in public schools, we studied in private schools. After accepting a few hours of load-shedding, our parents did a cost-benefit analysis on buying generators. We view generators as a necessity of life in Pakistan. How will this trajectory move forward in personal security? Those who can afford it will hire private guards, move into gated communities or leave Pakistan. None of this is new but we should expect more security experts talking about personal security on the media, hosting workshops, and communities and neighbourhoods taking charge of their own personal security. Every man (and minority) for himself.</p><br /><p><strong>Thirdly, Pakistan’s start-up culture will come of age:</strong> imagine a marriage between Pakistan’s signature entrepreneurial spirit and Silicon Valley inspired cutting edge best practices on entrepreneurship. This is a marriage made in heaven (and Pakistan). Take the example of the car pooling application Tripda, led by Ahmed Usman Sheikh, which has the potential to up-end how we imagine urban and inter-city transportation in Pakistan. With established interests not allowing any transformational changes to Pakistan’s public transport status quo, upstarts like Tripda can create the space and conversations needed to trigger a virtuous cycle of change. While most Pakistanis would never have done business with a <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834003/food-panda-takes-over-eat-oye/">technology start-up</a> in their lives, this will begin to change this year as start-ups and the infrastructure around them (incubators, funding, and technology) come of age.</p><br /><p><strong>Fourthly, a do or die year for Pakistani cricket: </strong>I might not be very popular saying this right before the World Cup but the one thing we still really celebrate about Pakistani cricket is its unpredictability. This is really a nice way to say we lose more often than we win, but the spectacular, unpredictable wins are worth the wait. This masks a subtle but steady downwards trajectory for popular interest in cricket. If Pakistan marks an early exit from the World Cup this year, we may see the visible beginning of the end of Pakistan’s love affair with cricket. But then again, this is exactly the type of pressure situation that delivers Pakistan at its best. Let’s just say this trend’s a bit unpredictable (I’ll let you figure out if the pun is intended).</p><br /><p><strong>Lastly, the rise of the Pakistani people standing up for what’s right: </strong>the flip side of the institutional failures hurting Pakistan is the rise of individuals trying to do the right thing, at great personal sacrifice and risk. Take <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833400/civil-society-protesters-led-by-jibran-nasir-arrested-during-sit-in-outside-cm-house/">Jibran Nasir</a>, in many ways, Pakistan’s last man standing against extremism. His organic movement to reclaim mosques by asking imams to condemn the Peshawar attack was particularly inspiring; a direct confrontation of clerics at the Lal Masjid by unarmed civil society activists was unimaginable just a few months ago. Another anecdotal example, a group of concerned Pakistanis in Switzerland coming together, attempting to fund education for underprivileged children thousands of kilometres away in Gadani through The Citizens Foundation. Away from the spotlight of the headlines, Pakistanis will rise to Pakistan’s rescue in 2015.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Five Pakistani trends to watch in 2015

With most of our attention focused on breaking news and headlines of the day, sometimes we miss the trend lines in soc...

Read more »

Partnering with Pakistan to empower women

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836767/partnering-with-pakistan-to-empower-women/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/836767-PeterHeywardNew-1423673112-991-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Today on National Women’s Day, we are reminded of the many personal and economic challenges facing women across the globe, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight Australia’s steadfast and ongoing commitment to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across Pakistan.</p><br /><p>Australia’s aid programme to Pakistan promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment by promoting women’s voice in decision-making, leadership and peace-building, women’s economic empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls.</p><br /><p>Australia has zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, both in Australia and internationally, and recognises that it has a responsibility to contribute to international efforts to improve the safety of, and opportunities for, women and girls globally. I am pleased to highlight a new AU$ 7.5 million aid programme we are implementing in partnership with Troicare to work towards the elimination of violence against women in Pakistan. The programme provides support services for women and their children, as well as innovative approaches to engaging with men, women, and religious and community leaders to challenge attitudes and behaviours that tolerate violence against women. Ending violence against women and girls is crucial to ensuring women’s full participation in their communities and enabling economies to maximise growth.</p><br /><p>The Australian government is also committed to promoting women’s leadership, and recognising that expanding women’s participation and access to opportunities is central to sustained economic and social development. Australia is supportive of the excellent advocacy work undertaken by the <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncsw.gov.pk%2F&ei=-MrbVMagLZPvaKuhgugJ&usg=AFQjCNGtNL9BEcHwxolO5pox_nvDSr-c3A&sig2=Bg6dNAt-gnPN5x9ORgpsKA">Pakistan National Commission on the Status of Women</a>. Like Australia, the Commission is committed to promoting women’s leadership, women’s economic empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls. I believe that improving gender diversity in leadership and decision-making roles is a shared challenge for Australia and Pakistan. Evidence shows women’s leadership is fundamental for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty, and women’s leadership, economic independence and status within families and communities are closely connected.</p><br /><p>Australia also believes that women’s empowerment is one of the most effective methods for promoting economic growth and achieving lasting peace and security. Australia provided AU$ 6 million to the World Food Programme to provide life-saving and empowering humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in response to varied humanitarian crises in Pakistan over the last year. This support has helped deliver emergency food relief and life-saving nutritional support to internally displaced people in Pakistan, including more than 69,000 families displaced from North Waziristan, almost three quarters of whom are women and children.</p><br /><p>While improving women’s empowerment is a challenge for all of us, Australia believes that facilitating women’s economic empowerment is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. Australia invests in key health, education and agricultural development programmes in Pakistan to address genuine development need and to stimulate economic growth and employment opportunities. Australian aid investments in agriculture enabled approximately 8,000 women farmers to access new agricultural technologies and management practices in 2013-14. In addition, 1,100 women’s small businesses were established or restored their operations.</p><br /><p>Australia’s AU$ 10 million aid investment in <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.srsp.org.pk%2Fsrsp_new1%2Fhome%2F47-holistic-programmes-statistics%2F101-lsp&ei=5svbVMnvF4Prat2hgIgN&usg=AFQjCNEez0VV97MOlnkgXzckS4q6qKEYEw&sig2=YRJB3V-gYtZgNNU_wdMXEA&bvm=bv.85761416,d.d2s">Livelihood Strengthening Programme in Border Districts</a>, implemented by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has built the capacity of women to gain skills and opportunities for earning, and enabled women to access microfinance through community investment funds. Such participation in the formal economy improves women’s status in the household and community, enabling achievement of more balanced representation of women in key policy, legislation and other decision-making roles.</p><br /><p>In line with the government of Pakistan’s Vision 2025 commitment to improving nutrition in Pakistan, Australia has partnered with the World Bank to establish AU$ 41 million <a href="http://www.pakistanmdtf.org/">Multi-Donor Trust Fund</a> to support nutritional needs of mothers and children across Pakistan. We hope this new investment will provide life-saving and empowering nutritional support to women and children across Pakistan, and in turn increase life opportunities.</p><br /><p>Australia also recognises that child, early and forced, marriage constitutes a violation of human rights and we will continue to advocate internationally for an end to these practices. Child, early and forced, marriage continues to be an impediment to not only the economic, legal, health and social status of women and girls, but also to the development of a community as a whole.</p><br /><p>Australia congratulates Pakistan on its Vision 2025 commitment to the empowerment of women, and looks forward to the opportunity to continue working together to advance the gender equality agenda in Pakistan. <em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Partnering with Pakistan to empower women

Today on National Women’s Day, we are reminded of the many personal and economic challenges facing women across the gl...

Read more »

Is the Saudi connection the main problem?

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836766/is-the-saudi-connection-the-main-problem/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/836766-AyeshaSiddiqaNews-1423673106-571-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>It almost seems that we have awakened to Saudi Arabia’s role in Pakistan. Or perhaps, we have found the strength and space to question an old relationship that was a boon for some and a bane for others. Suddenly, every media group seems to be scrambling to report <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835536/saudi-royal-on-houbara-bustard-hunting-spree-in-balochistan/">Saudis hunting</a> in Sindh and Balochistan. In one particular programme, a guest speaker was reminded of threats to Pakistan’s sovereignty posed by the visitors. Needless to say, the discussion was comical as the anchor and guests all pretended as if the hunting was happening for the first time. As usual, many are looking at the political government with accusatory eyes. Surprisingly, no one seems to mention that Riyadh paid $ 500 million to the US for the F-16s in the PAF or that it bailed out the Pervez Musharraf regime by taking responsibility for Nawaz Sharif’s exile. This certainly does not give any authority to the Saudis to plunder our resources or conduct illegal activities, but it is vital to remember the context.</p><br /><p>The Saudis are partly right when they claim that they gave money to Pakistani religious groups <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835883/rare-rebuttal-riyadh-denies-funding-extremist-mindsets/">with the Pakistan government’s consent</a>. If people could be reminded, Saudi Arabia did more than give money. It also helped with some of the groups, like negotiating with the leader of one of the terrorist outfits and paying him on our behalf to calm him down. But it is also a fact that there were occasions when Riyadh paid militants without Islamabad’s permission. If the Saudi authorities think hard, they will remember 2011-12 when the PPP government requested it to withdraw the ambassador who was caught dishing out money to militants.</p><br /><p>Personally, I have just one question: why this sudden hue and cry? I remember a time a few years ago when an information ministry consultant informed me that my remarks about Saudi Arabia were expunged from proceedings of a discussion in Islamabad as it would be harmful for my interests. How does one explain this sudden openness?</p><br /><p>It is possible that someone has realised that with oil wealth reducing, Saudis may not remain generous patrons and, therefore, are expendable. Perhaps, as some like to argue, since the military wants to eliminate terrorism, it is quietly creating space for people to speak up. After all, why would a federal minister suddenly feel the urge to <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/830211/foreign-funding-of-madrassahs-in-senate-proceedings-sparks-uproar/">criticise Riyadh’s role?</a> However, many would consider the criticism as Pakistan crossing the Rubicon and abandoning burdensome relations. There is certainly a movement, but it also tends to hide much more that is there. For instance, is Saudi Arabia the only culprit when it comes to funding? What about others, like Qatar, the UAE and South Africa? Rulers of the Gulf States have huge palaces in southern Punjab where they come for hunting, from birds to homo sapiens. We were always happy to provide them services in return for small change. Interestingly, South Africa, which does not even have a palace, has emerged as an important source for private financing of militants. Of course, the difference is that Pretoria is not officially linked with this business. The country is a favourite destination for specific groups whose leaders and workers travel regularly to raise resources.</p><br /><p>The right to protest the Saudi role notwithstanding, the entire conversation tends to hide more than it reveals. Suddenly, the army of anchors has drawn attention away from other sources of funding, including internal ones. Talk to any of the safe militant groups and they will tell you that Karachi is one of the major collection points followed by Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot. Ask any reasonable terrorism expert in town and he/she will tell you how <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/829653/funding-seminaries/">voluntary contributions added to militants’ resources</a>. The entire land mafia in the country is linked with one militant group or the other, which play a central role in landgrabbing. For over a couple of decades, the smaller power centres in every city and neighbourhood sought help from militants to strengthen themselves vis-a-vis their opponents. Religion and violence were central to power re-negotiation. The Pakistani diaspora is another source of financing. The bulk of the money does not even come through official channels but is shipped home from abroad by jet-setting clerics. And thank the stars for <i>hawala</i> operations.</p><br /><p>The combination of unaccountable madrassas and friendly militants will only perpetuate the problem. Why should we imagine that an announcement of change in policy would clean society of radicalism that forms the basis of militancy? We have shied away from addressing the madrassa issue. Notwithstanding the fact that not all seminaries are linked with militancy, these are ideological warehouses that market a certain ideology and are used to attract funds most of the time. Why would anyone object to philanthropic causes of financing educational institutions allegedly meant for the poor? Not all madrassas cater to the poor. There are those in larger urban centres that even offer air-conditioned accommodation to those who can pay for it.</p><br /><p>Let me make it very clear that I am not suggesting closing down or banning madrassas. The entire private sector education area must be regulated properly because militant organisations have penetrated into the private English-medium school system as well. Madrassas, in fact, should be taken away from the ministry of religious affairs or the interior and should be put under the education ministry and treated like other educational ventures. In madrassas, the issue is not the lack of English or the <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F812306%2Fneed-of-the-hour-youth-parliament-chalks-out-strategy-for-madrassa-reforms%2F&ei=x8XbVKmaCIjqaL-ngeAB&usg=AFQjCNFvO2WdK0qGmIhSYV7LxMxu0zsFdg&sig2=9eZb_iTpZauuhlJxs_mRDA&bvm=bv.85761416,d.d2s">curriculum</a> but the manner in which things are taught. Also, they are used to raise funds with little accountability regarding expenditure.</p><br /><p>It will be worthwhile remembering that we are talking about over three decades of radicalism that has taken roots in society. The social factors that created this remain unchanged. The alternative plans are few and far between. Unfortunately, the state will have to take a lead role in changing the scene as the civil society is fairly weak despite the claims we make about its strength. The majority of people wait for a cue from the state as they have done in the case of Saudi Arabia. Only with the nod from certain quarters have people begun to speak about what they always knew.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Is the Saudi connection the main problem?

It almost seems that we have awakened to Saudi Arabia’s role in Pakistan. Or perhaps, we have found the strength and s...

Read more »

A closed system

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836161/a-closed-system/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/836161-RasulBakhshRaisNewagain-1423586971-212-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Democracy and authoritarianism are two opposite political orders. Democracy is open, while authoritarianism is closed, unfree and oppressive when it faces resistance, challenge and fierce opposition. However, these two extremes have many shades of colours from very pale to a very solid bright. Pakistan’s struggling democracy has <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/831753/defining-democracy/">democratic features</a> and a strong mix of authoritarian elements. When it comes to freedom of expression, right of association, political participation and fundamental rights, our democracy has come to acquire some strengths. Overall, compared with the barren political <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tribune.com.pk/story/737534/the-muslim-world-medusas-wreck/&sa=U&ei=o2vaVNnwHZK0uASUvYDgBQ&ved=0CBMQFjAHOAo&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNF_N95EmLO25lRuINj0G_nWAMrDyA">landscape of Muslim societies</a>, Pakistan is the most free. That is of course good, but that is not all that matters in the democratic development of a society. At best, you may take it as meeting basic requirements, but then we have stuck at fundamentals for a long time.</p><br /><p>The authoritarian, closed bit of Pakistan’s political order remains very dominant and casts a very heavy shadow over the democratic future of the country. It will be a partial view to associate authoritarianism with military rule alone. There is no doubt that it has played a consequential role in fostering an authoritarian political culture. The social roots of authoritarianism in Pakistan are deep in landownership patterns, the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828541/less-cribbing-more-movement/">feudal dynamics of the country</a>, in the caste system and in the tribal structures and religious world view. These elements have played an equally big role in assisting and sustaining military rule in the country. Pakistan has been in democratic transition for quite some time now. Its power, widely defined as economic, political and social, remains confined to a narrow band of elite.</p><br /><p>It is owing to elite politics and power that Pakistan’s democratic transition remains incomplete and its consolidation quite uncertain and shaky. However, authoritarianism, narrowly defined here as a closed system of decision-making within the party organisations, is very much exercised without any qualm or question by non-elite parties — regional, ethnic and religious. The ‘great’ leader speaks for all, his is the most certain voice, and he controls the distribution of political goods within his power and privilege. The people surrounding the ‘great’ party bosses are either close family members or trusted friends that have served their ends of stealing public monies. The rest, even the elected members of legislatures, otherwise very respectable and from elite families, are kept at some distance.</p><br /><p>In a closed system like ours, economic and political power circulates within a limited section of society. The fledging market system that we have, when compared with the stale political order, is robust and has many windows open for ambitious entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. What keeps them shackled, and largely our economy, too, is the heavy shadow of narrow political interests of the dominant political families.</p><br /><p>The system is essentially closed in terms of recruitment of new political elite, as politics, since independence, has circulated within the elite family with the exception of some ethnic and religious parties. Even they have adopted a closed-door policy, only of their own kind and only with the blessings of the ‘great’ leader can they make an entry to the ranks of the party and may survive and flourish as long as the leader is pleased.</p><br /><p>The rising middle class that has skills, education and ideas to move Pakistan forward cannot get space in the party system that we have, with a very undemocratic, authoritarian culture. The PTI does represent this class, but we have yet to see whether or not its middle class ranks will make the transition from waving flags to becoming electoral candidates.</p><br /><p>Being closed, the system remains exclusive, outdated and devoid of any vision — politics circulating within iron rings.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

A closed system

Democracy and authoritarianism are two opposite political orders. Democracy is open, while authoritarianism is closed,...

Read more »

Pakistan’s unique relations with China

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/836127/pakistans-unique-relations-with-china/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/836127-TalatMasoodNew-1423587022-706-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>The news that the president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, will be the chief guest at the March parade this year has been warmly received in Pakistan. President Barack <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828374/video-obama-quotes-shah-rukh-khan-in-ddlj-during-address-in-india/">Obama’s presence in New Delhi on India’s Republic Day parade</a> and the heavy tilt of Narendra Modi towards aligning his country’s policies with Washington created unease both in China and Pakistan. President Xi’s visit will be reassuring and will provide good optics reflecting the strong bonds that exist between the two countries who have stood the vagaries of time. More recently, the extreme warm reception that General Raheel Sharif was accorded in Beijing and the strong statements made by the Chinese military leadership reiterating full support to Pakistan were also expressions of the same policy.</p><br /><p>Sino-Pakistan relations, since the early 1950s, have been consistent, multi-faceted and span strategic defence, political, economic and diplomatic ties. China considers Pakistan useful in countering India, values its geostrategic position and considers it an important ally in the Muslim world.</p><br /><p>In the field of defence, China has extended invaluable cooperation that extends to all three services. It has not only provided weapons and equipment but has also assisted Pakistan in developing a strong a defence industrial capability. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Heavy Industries Taxila, several factories and production lines in the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, maritime projects for the navy and missile factories have been set up with Chinese assistance. In the 1970s and the 1980s, China set up major industrial units like the Heavy Mechanical Complex and the Heavy Forge Factory that helped build Pakistan’s intrinsic technological and industrial base.</p><br /><p>The proposed $ 45 billion Pakistan-China <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/820961/change-in-economic-corridor-route-k-p-balochistan-senators-threaten-to-stage-sit-in/">Economic Corridor</a>, which has strategic connotations when implemented, should provide a huge boost in transforming Pakistan’s economic landscape by linking south, central and western Asia. Development of the economic corridor and the Gwadar port as an energy hub by China are mutually beneficial projects. It will provide China access to the Straits of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The economic corridor will link Kashgar in China with Gwadar and open up enormous economic opportunities for both countries.</p><br /><p>China today is clearly Pakistan’s <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tribune.com.pk/story/522807/sipri-report-pakistan-is-biggest-chinese-arms-buyer/&sa=U&ei=Q1HaVMONJ8-5uASmoYAg&ved=0CAoQFjAC&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHyRGaM7bgvJD21EbmPluG314gF_Q">top arms supplier</a>, a position until recently held by the US. Chinese and Pakistani militaries carry out joint exercises and there is continuous exchange of high-level visits demonstrating that relations are robust. The PLA’s training establishments are major destinations for the Pakistan military. In September 2014, a flotilla of the PLA Navy ships made a friendly visit to Karachi. These were followed by several other visits of naval ships. At the diplomatic level, both countries cooperate closely at the bilateral and multilateral levels, and take common positions on global and regional issues.</p><br /><p>China has, however, genuine concerns regarding growing radicalism in Pakistan. First, for its impact on Pakistan’s own stability and more importantly, its influence on the restive northwestern autonomous Chinese region of <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/807410/joining-the-ranks-about-300-chinese-fight-alongside-isis/">Xinjiang</a> that has a significant majority of Muslim Uighurs and other minorities. While Pakistan is undertaking serious measures to ensure that dissident Chinese groups do not find sanctuaries in the tribal region, it remains a constant challenge to prevent their infiltration due to the porous nature of the border and the support they receive from different militant groups. If militants were to make major gains in Pakistan, Beijing would be very concerned of the impact and could review its policy.</p><br /><p>While assessing Pakistan-China relations, one has to factor the latter’s current global interests and how these will play out in the long-term. Beijing’s economic and commercial links with the US are so closely intertwined that it is difficult for either country to disassociate itself from the other. China owes much of its phenomenal economic rise to the opportunity that the American market offered. No other country’s consumer market could absorb China’s huge manufacturing base. Moreover, China realises American power and its economic and political clout, and would like to retain a cooperative relationship.</p><br /><p>Despite the border dispute and current tensions arising out of the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828336/obama-says-us-and-india-can-be-best-partners/">US-Indian strategic alliance</a>, China’s leadership has opted for maintaining good working relations with India. It has a growing economic and commercial relationship and trade between the two countries has reached $ 70 billion and is fast growing. Beijing understands the fallout of an adversarial relation with India on its economy. Its primary focus is on domestic development. China has always taken a position that time is on its side and it has shown extraordinary foresight in handling foreign relations with regional and global powers.</p><br /><p>Pakistan will have to factor in China’s global perspective while formulating its future policy and expectations. There is also a lot that our leaders need to learn from the sophistication of China’s foreign policy. Despite US strategic convergence and growing support to India’s role at the regional and global level, China remains unruffled and poised. As President Obama stated, the “scope of our cooperation with China is unprecedented, even as we remain alert to China’s military modernization” while unveiling the US national security strategy of 2015.</p><br /><p>Because of the very complex nature of its relations with India, Beijing is uncomfortable when India- Pakistan tensions aggravate. Clearly, China would remain supportive of Pakistan but would like it to manage relations with its adversary more subtly to retain an environment whereby it is not forced to take sides, especially when the two countries have growing economic and commercial interests, despite their strategic incongruence. Surely, the age of zero-sum diplomacy is over and China, like other world powers, would want to be on the winning side so as not to create problems for itself. On Kashmir, it would like Islamabad to take a more pragmatic attitude in its expectations. It has demonstrated great patience and maturity in dealing with the question of Taiwan and when it comes to the border dispute with India. Most striking in China’s foreign policy conduct is the balancing between economic, political and strategic interests.</p><br /><p>China-Pakistan relations that are based on mutuality of interests seem destined to grow. Pakistan should, however, remain sensitive to the complexities that surround this relationship and factor these in.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Pakistan’s unique relations with China

The news that the president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, will be the chief guest at the March parade...

Read more »

Hunting games

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835639/hunting-games/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/835639-houbarabustard-1423516528-654-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>It is hunting season. Foreign ‘dignitaries’ (primarily Arab princes or heads of state) descend upon our land with pomp in their private jets to partake in the quintessential Arab sport of falconry. They are escorted to designated camps, from where they carry onwards to <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835536/saudi-royal-on-houbara-bustard-hunting-spree-in-balochistan/">hunt a favourite and rare quarry</a> — the Asian Houbara Bustard, a migratory bird that finds its way down to Balochistan from the Central Asian steppe. Federal ministers, provincial representatives and bureaucrats stand in waiting to receive princely state guests travelling on such expeditions from the Arabian Gulf.</p><br /><p>A manifestation of soft diplomacy in response to the petro-dollars, development projects and international backing lent by old and reliable friends, you may conjecture. But then you pause and wonder: isn’t the Houbara Bustard listed as a “<a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22733562/0">vulnerable species</a>” of bird by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN)? Isn’t hunting and trade in the bird prohibited under international conventions to which Pakistan is signatory, domestic legislation, and pronouncements of the superior courts of the country? Pakistan is signatory to the Bonn Convention of 1979 and as such is obligated to undertake all measures to prevent a migratory species from becoming endangered.</p><br /><p>The Balochistan legislature appears cognisant of the gravity of danger confronting the Houbara. The <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pabalochistan.gov.pk%2Fuploads%2Facts%2F2014%2FAct152014.pdf&ei=diTZVLPVGc7oaKiygLAP&usg=AFQjCNF5Se1tuPg2JOlxQj03XHy0DAPJ6g&sig2=oQbkFhCKGLxuEcoMpGix5Q&bvm=bv.85464276,d.d2s">Balochistan (Wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act of 2014</a> promulgated last year by the provincial legislature declared the Houbara Bustard a “protected animal”, which shall not be “hunted, killed, trapped, captured, traded, possessed or kept as [a] pet”. In obvious contradiction of such declaration, the Act authorises the Balochistan government the allotment of hunting licences in “exceptional cases” at a grand fee of Rs10 million per dignitary. A problematic loophole then exists in the law, highlighting the half-hearted commitment of the provincial government to conservationist concerns.</p><br /><p>Interestingly, however, the 29 permits issued for Houbara hunting in Balochistan in 2014 were granted by the Foreign Office. The Balochistan High Court, in November last year, unequivocally declared the allotment of these licences by the federal government as without jurisdiction, illegal and of no binding effect. In view of the provisions of the Bonn Convention and the Act, the issuance of these licences was equivalent to a “deviation from law” and a “compromise on the sovereignty” of Pakistan. It also amounted to an encroachment upon what is now the legislative domain of the province. Following the promulgation of the Eighteenth Amendment, environment and ecology (including wildlife) are now a provincial subject and wild animals found within the territorial jurisdiction of Balochistan are, pursuant to the 2014 Act, deemed to be the property of the provincial government.</p><br /><p>In complete disregard of the court verdict, the Foreign Office continues to facilitate the hunting of the Houbara in Balochistan, going so far as sending members of the federal cabinet to the Dalbandin airport last week to receive the hunting party of Prince Fahad of Saudi Arabia. Punjab presents a similar tale of state indifference to the law. Despite the suspension of Houbara hunting licences by the Lahore High Court earlier last year, the federal government has recently issued fresh permits for the sport in Punjab for 2014-15. The federal government’s indulgence is often justified as an exceptional practice to oblige Arab dignitaries who graciously participate in welfare and development projects in the allotted hunting areas. Their logic is simple: there is no such thing as a free meal. We have to pay for the goodies coming in from the Arab Gulf. Questions of legality and ethics remain irrelevant to this cost-benefit equation.</p><br /><p>The grand hunting event underway in Balochistan, sanctioned by the Foreign Office, is then not a benign game of diplomatic reciprocity. It, instead, represents a grave and swift surrender of the sovereign commitments made by Pakistan, a blatant violation of our laws and a complete disregard of our ecological heritage. It is the price we pay for our economic desperation and moral ambivalence.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Hunting games

It is hunting season. Foreign ‘dignitaries’ (primarily Arab princes or heads of state) descend upon our land with pomp...

Read more »

The petrol crisis & ministerial responsibility

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835597/the-petrol-crisis-ministerial-responsibility/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/835597-TariqMahmudNew-1423501823-956-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Business at gas stations in Punjab is back to normal after one of the more <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/822478/petrol-shortage-no-fuel-for-miles/">dreadful runs</a> — as far as petrol availability is concerned — in the history of the country. This happened at a time when world oil prices were tumbling, which provided the opportunity for a country like Pakistan to build up petrol stocks as more financial space opened up. What actually happened was the other way round. Was this an operational failure or a policy failure? Or both? This is a point we seriously need to ponder.</p><br /><p><a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/823628/a-tale-of-two-energy-supply-chains/">Causes for this crisis</a> have been listed, with one interlinked with the other. With falling oil prices, an increase in demand, as claimed, was neither foreseen nor built into the calculus. In addition, there was the failure of cash-strapped PSO to recover its receivables to manage the supply line, the refusal of banks to sustain the credit line in view of the defaults, the delay in the timely arrival of PNSC vessels at the Karachi port, the failure of the regulator to ensure that the mandatory stock requirement was adhered to, and the dithering of the finance division on the written requests made by the petroleum ministry to manage cash flows on an emergent basis.</p><br /><p>Regarding the unaccounted rise in the demand of oil, even an average student of economics will know that the falling price effect entailed the substitution effect as well, more so when the supply of CNG was closed at gas stations. The petroleum minister made a statement on record that he would <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824482/fuel-shortages-petroleum-minister-accepts-blame-for-crisis/">tender his resignation if found guilty</a> of being involved in the petrol shortage crisis. Since he was never found guilty, he remains very much in the saddle. The finance minister came out clean too, claiming that the finance division had no role in the crisis and that this was all a conspiracy against the government. The minister, however, overlooked the fact that as chairman of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), he had a more wide-ranging and onerous responsibility than just defending his turf. The main point is this: what was the ECC doing during December when the crisis had just begun to rear its head? It is probable that while the petroleum ministry was knocking at the door of the finance division, the latter had been jealously guarding the magic sum of $ 15 billion in foreign reserves in order to stay on the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833859/conceding-islamabads-demand-imf-agrees-to-scale-down-tax-target-by-rs119b/">IMF’s right side</a>.</p><br /><p>A two-member probe committee has come up with a catalogue of factors while holding the ministry officials and the regulator responsible, without of course, touching on ministerial responsibility. Reasons listed out by the probe committee are mere symptoms of a deeper malaise of inter-ministerial disconnect — the stakeholders could not see beyond their narrow domains. Anyone familiar with the business processes at the federal level will know that the inter-ministerial consultative process has been lacking in sense of timing. Under the rules of business, the minister in charge has the primary responsibility to keep the prime minister informed of all important matters. On matters involving more than one division, the minister in charge is to consult and obtain views of all divisions. In case of disagreement, the minister in charge can submit a proposal to the prime minister. If, for example, the finance ministry does not take a decision on a certain matter and drags its feet, nothing can stop the minister in charge to seek a direct recourse from the prime minister. Most such matters are invariably resolved in the ECC, a useful forum created in the mid-1960s. On several occasions, the ECC was chaired by the chief executive of the federation and on occasions, by the finance minister. Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, all through his tenure, chaired this forum. Despite his low-key arrogance, he was known for his consummate skills and had a keen eye on consumer prices and stock positions of vital inputs like oil, fertiliser etc.<br /><br />If there is a lesson to be learnt from the crisis, it is the fact that existing institutional arrangements did not work. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to chaperone the three connected ministries for a couple of days to diffuse the crisis at his level. It was the instant cash flow that made the difference. Why wasn’t the decision regarding the cash flow not made when the crisis was building up in December? When it came to the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/825013/fixing-responsibility-ogra-pso-blamed-for-petrol-crisis/">rolling of heads</a>, the petroleum secretary and senior officials of PSO were suspended. These moves do not play to the gallery anymore as now we have a very discerning public. The inquiry committee report holds the secretary responsible, an officer, who throughout his career, has otherwise been known for his diligence and circumspection. The report does not touch on the responsibilities of ministers. Such suspensions are mere knee-jerk reactions and do not send good signals to the beleaguered bureaucracy as political accountability is nowhere in sight. The bureaucracy, reportedly, is already low on confidence in the aftermath of the avoidable tragedy that was the Model Town Lahore incident.<br /><br />One continues to hear the oft-repeated ‘<i>Pakistan halat-e-jang main hai</i>’ phrase. This state of war is now spiraling over from the national security area to the domain of economic security. These two paradigms need to be treated as an indivisible whole. While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in the driving seat as far as the National Action Plan is concerned, he should also formally take over direct responsibility of important economic issues. The government has set up the energy committee, chaired by the prime minister. This executive fiat needs a quasi-legal cover through amendments in the rules of business with well-laid terms of reference. Decision-making needs to be far more structured than what it is at present.<br /><br /><em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

The petrol crisis & ministerial responsibility

Business at gas stations in Punjab is back to normal after one of the more  dreadful runs — as far as petrol availabi...

Read more »

Hope

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835596/hope/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/835596-AsadRahimKhanNewagainagain-1423501808-455-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Economists call it the perverse incentive. Others call it the cobra effect.</p><br /><p>Back when the Raj was around, our ex-masters saw danger ahead: Delhi’s cobras were getting out of hand. Excusing themselves from their elephant polo, the colonisers went in for population control — the natives were offered a reward for each dead cobra, and the snakeskin began piling up.</p><br /><p>But it wasn’t long before the locals caught on. Rather than killing said snakes, the natives began breeding them for the bounty money instead. The Raj’s mission to civilise fell flat, and it scrapped the whole idea. Worse was to come — cheated of their reward, the snake-catchers released the cobras in revenge, and all Delhi was flooded with venom. Or so the story goes.</p><br /><p>Welcome to the perverse incentive: unintended, unwelcome consequences that flow from man’s best-laid plans. And while our <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835110/our-faltering-counterterrorism-strategy/">National Action Plan</a> is hardly well laid, it’s a swell incentive for our madmen to go about their business as usual. Because if this is the be-all and end-all of counterterror — chasing tailors and chairing committees — the state looks spent. There’s ‘zero progress’ in madrassa reform, according to Punjab’s home minister, and about as much in terms of disarming militias, fighting sectarianism, countering hate speech, and cutting off funding. Senator Farhatullah Babar called the state’s efforts either unserious or clueless. But we didn’t need ministers and senators to tell us that; the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834116/the-tragedy-of-the-shikarpur-blast/">Shikarpur blast was loud enough</a>. And yet no act of evil can shock this administration awake. Which is shocking in itself, so soon after December. The Taliban butchered our children, and the country stood changed forever. This time it was different, they said. This time, we had to go after all of them.</p><br /><p>God knows we’d waited long enough. Consider the laundry list: Uighur militants menacing Xinjiang. IMU thugs running rampage in Waziristan. Jundullah tunnelling into Iran. Mumbai’s unconvicted, unpunished attackers coming in and out of our courts. Two-way terror in Afghanistan. For brevity’s sake, that’s an <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834606/liberation-from-kashmir/">awful lot of snakes</a>.</p><br /><p>And those are just the multinationals. For local concerns, we have sectarian charities in southern Punjab. We have IS fan clubs in Islamabad. We have both sectarian and ethnic cleansers in Quetta. We have a bonanza of armed wings in Karachi. Yes, the state is up to its neck in felons. Which is why it saw fit to <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834269/protesting-militancy-activists-consider-going-to-court-after-arrests/">arrest Jibran Nasir</a> instead.</p><br /><p>And that’s where we find the Pakistan that’s different from the Pakistan pre-APS, that’s been changing slowly but surely: in the hypocrisy of the state, and in the bravery of its citizens. For context: when bombs ripped through Quetta’s Hazara community in 2013, Chief Minister Aslam Raisani said he’d send a truckload of tissues “to wipe away their tears”. A year later, when a bus carrying Shia pilgrims in Mastung was attacked, President Mamnoon directed the authorities “to ensure quality medical assistance”.</p><br /><p>The state wasn’t much for fighting ethnic cleansing, either with trucks of tissues or better bandages. But when Mastung’s injured were shifted to Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi’s citizens showed up in droves. And between Balochistan’s survivors and the Karachiites who embraced them, we were finally shown the Pakistan at stake. Twelve-year-old <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/20888/karachi-embraced-ibtihaj-with-love-and-support-but-will-you-do-the-same-bilawal-bhutto/&sa=U&ei=4hnZVMisHNTY7Ab21YGoDQ&ved=0CA4QFjAE&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNH0uZlJ8zXJ2Y7qLsw8C_2c9OPOSg">Ibtihaj</a> was hugging fellow patients and caring for them. Zakir, who lost his leg in the blast, said, “We became friends on the bus, and now we are here together.” And Jibran Nasir, among the visitors, told us what our priorities should have been, “When these kids find out about the deaths in their family, they would need to find comfort in knowing that they have gained thousands of family members all over Pakistan.”</p><br /><p>Because Ibtihaj, whose name means happiness in Arabic, and Zakir, who wishes to walk again, represent the very best of this country. Mr Nasir and his fellow activists understand that. What we are seeing — in a movement that’s run from the dozens to the hundreds — is civil society’s loudest response since this long war began. It laid a human fence around churches in the wake of the All-Saints Church bombing. It was sickened by Abdul Aziz condoning the mass murder of children, and did something about it. It came out on college campuses and public squares across the world, marking a month since Pakistan’s darkest day. It refused to forget All-Saints. It refused to forget APS. And it refused to forget Shikarpur.</p><br /><p>Faced with a sit-in outside the CM House — a museum with all manner of fossils inside — the Sindh government was presented a choice: they could either bring the ASWJ to task, in a country reeling from sectarian attack to sectarian attack. Or they could arrest the protestors for “breaching CM House security”.</p><br /><p>For Qaim Ali Shah, an easy choice — that the CM grants the same sanctity to Shias that he does to his mansion would be unreasonable. And yet the people’s expectations are nothing less than reasonable: they don’t demand courage from the leadership — but they do demand leadership itself. Just not the kind informed by Senate elections and civil servants.</p><br /><p>Yet while even the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834030/jordans-queen-rania-joins-march-for-murdered-pilot/">Queen of Jordan marched against the IS</a>, the prime minister was visiting a vegetable market. Which is what makes the disconnect so obvious: in a span of three months, Mr Nasir and his fellow activists have stood up to more banned outfits than Islamabad has in three years. They bring up names the state wills itself to forget: Fizzah Malik, Irfan Ali, Perween Rehman, Ibtihaj’s sister Rida. But they also bring up names the state fears saying: Aurangzeb Farooqi, Abdul Aziz, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. They stand against them peacefully and lawfully.</p><br /><p>And they give the rest of us hope. Because in the end, this war is for the country’s young; the 139 students at APS showed us that. Aitzaz showed us that. Ibtihaj continues to show us that. And the movement — that began via human chain around our churches, that told us to reclaim our mosques — is fighting for it.</p><br /><p>We are told, long after the cobras overran Delhi, that wild hogs have overrun Islamabad — literally. In a land that deeply values symbolism, the seat of the state has been taken over by pigs. But we’ve seen the signs. It’s time to take the country back.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Hope

Economists call it the perverse incentive. Others call it the cobra effect. Back when the Raj was around, our ex-maste...

Read more »

The future of the people of FATA

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/835111/the-future-of-the-people-of-fata/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/835111-UzairMYounusNew-1423413275-527-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>The recent announcement that <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/825566/idps-repatriation-to-start-from-feb-15/" target="_blank">IDPs from North Waziristan will be allowed to return home from February 15</a> should come as a relief to the thousands of families that escaped when the summer offensive began last year. While this is indeed good news, little has been said of what the future holds for the tribal areas. When the Pakistan military first moved into the tribal areas in 2002 to tackle militants who had streamed in from across the Durand Line, a political system that had local buy-in and represented local customs was disrupted. As the conflict raged on and militancy took hold in these areas, tribal norms, traditions and political processes were sidelined. The dominance of the military in the region, coupled with the sinister assassination campaigns run by militants against tribal elders, ensured that the traditional system of governance in Fata failed.</p><br /><p>During a recent trip to Peshawar and adjoining areas, I had the opportunity to learn about the tribal form of governance from tribal leaders and locals. Evolved over centuries, this unique system represents the cultural norms of the tribes that inhabit Fata. The idea of taking collective responsibility for the actions of a family or a sub-tribe, protecting the honour of one’s family, and seeking justice through arbitration by jirga are amongst some of the core elements of this system. Rendered ineffective due to the nature of the conflict in the region, locals continue to yearn for this system, for not only did it represent their traditions, it also provided stability in the region.</p><br /><p>There will be some who would argue that these traditions have many archaic and even draconian elements to it and that Fata must be brought into the mainstream. Such a belief is rooted in a lack of understanding of the local context and a sense of cultural superiority that justifies the imposition of norms and practices considered foreign by local citizens. Locals argue that while there is room for change in some of these traditional practices, the reform should not be forced upon them but should occur through a process of local debate. A key point that many raised during discussions I held with them was that why should they accept a system of governance that is not only foreign for them, but one that has largely failed in the core of the country? Bribery, nepotism and a lack of interest dominate the mainstream institutional processes in Pakistan today.</p><br /><p>Evidence of the effectiveness of this system in bringing stability to Fata lies in the recent process of reconciliation, where a militant group in Khyber Agency decided to renounce violence. The agreement came about through a long process of discussion conducted by a jirga and it was this process that gave a way for the tribal leadership to initiate a process of reconciliation with militants. The TTP have over the years recognised how effective these local processes of conflict-resolution can be, which is why they have targeted jirgas and tribal elders time and time again.</p><br /><p>Local tribes, with thousands of men who are unemployed, also provide <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/739598/tribal-ties-salarzai-tribe-forms-lashkar-to-combat-militants/" target="_blank">a willing and able supply of manpower</a> that can help police these agencies. Men in tribal areas grow up learning how to use small weapons and are effective fighters. Furthermore, they possess knowledge of local geography and culture that can be an asset in maintaining security. While the Pakistan Army can do a good job at dominating space in the tribal agencies to flush out militants, it is not its job to hold and maintain security within the agencies. Given our precarious economic conditions, keeping such a large military presence in the tribal areas after they have been cleared of militant presence is not a sound proposition.</p><br /><p>For years, the local communities that inhabit the tribal areas have been passive stakeholders in this conflict. While some have taken up arms against the state, the vast majority are patriotic Pakistanis who want to play a role in helping bring peace back to Pakistan. While our armed forces can continue to flush out militants from their hideouts, only the local citizens can provide sustainable peace to the region. Achieving this stability requires implementing a system of governance that resonates with the local tribes.</p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th,  2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i><i></i></p><br /><p><i> </i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

The future of the people of FATA

The recent announcement that IDPs from North Waziristan will be allowed to return home from February 15 should come a...

Read more »

The hunt for rare birds

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834590/the-hunt-for-rare-birds/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834590-AnwerMoorajNew-1423327688-837-160x120.jpg" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Every year I get infuriated when I learn that somebody in the ministry of foreign affairs has given a free hand to some Gulf sheikh or prince to destroy the wildlife of my province. Now that the Sindh High Court allowed a constitutional petition against the issuance of permits to Gulf dignitaries for hunting endangered wildlife, particularly the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834336/royal-privileges-balochistan-govt-challenges-hunting-ban-in-top-court/">Houbara Bustard</a>, shouldn’t the man from the ministry be asked to explain why permission was granted to a Saudi prince to unleash his falcons on our birds? When I put this question to an American friend, he said the only hunt he approved of was the scavenger hunt; and he reminded me of the time, over 30 years ago, when the two of us attended such a hunt at the residence of Paul J Rappaport — one-time information officer at the US consulate general in Karachi.</p><br /><p>Rappaport, who was known for his collection of antiquated gadgetry, his near-Raphaelite looks, rough hewn but gentle voice, swarthy complexion, attributed to his Portuguese ancestry and nobly poetic stare, made him the most lionised information officer of his generation. His sense of humour, infinite collection of jokes and warm hospitality made him extremely popular; and he made more friends than Mani Shankar Ayer, a former Indian consul general, who had become a legend in the metropolis. One fine evening in late autumn Rappaport decided to host a scavenger party and invited 24 couples to the caper. The guests were divided into eight groups, given a list of items which had to be procured and asked to return to Rappaport’s residence in an hour and 20 minutes.</p><br /><p><img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/108.jpg" /></p><br /><p>The first item on the list was procuring a Russian newspaper, preferably <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.pravda.ru%2F&ei=vm3WVOf-FJbfsAS8nIDACQ&usg=AFQjCNHlvNpmzOs5MNAP9VZ1qfS1wXVR4w&sig2=K3j8FNRiXYi2Djkdh0GdqQ&bvm=bv.85464276,d.cWc"><i>Pravda</i></a>. I pulled up at the formidable building in Bleak House Road. The Russian duty officer peered suspiciously through a window of the wrought-iron gate. I asked him if he had a copy of <i>Pravda</i>. He looked at my car to see if it had any distinguishing marks like broken headlights or bullet holes in the rear window. During the drive I had rehearsed what to say in case the officer wondered why there was this sudden interest in his language. I said <i>Pravda</i> means truth and my friend’s wife who has taken up Russian was keen to get the Soviet point of view on world affairs. When that didn’t cut any ice, I told him the truth. He burst out laughing and gave me a copy.</p><br /><p>There was a number of other items — a man, preferably called Intrepid, a $ 500 bill, preferably issued before 1970, a slot machine preferably from Las Vegas, a traffic violation ticket, preferably issued by the Karachi police, a European restaurant menu preferably Italian, an elephant preferably a baby, a sex symbol preferably Japanese, cherries preferably Maraschino, and a cockroach preferably alive. The last named item caused the most mirth when the owner of the Beach<a id="_GPLITA_0"></a><a id="_GPLITA_0"></a><a id="_GPLITA_0"></a>Luxury Hotel<img alt="" /><img alt="" /> produced a match box containing four live cockroaches which he stated he had caught in the lobby of a rival hotel. The ingenuity and resourcefulness displayed by members of all the groups in obtaining the items and the amusement they caused is something I will never forget. Mind you, things were quite different in the 1980s when one could freely move about the city at night without fear of being attacked or robbed at traffic signals. But even then, Paul J Rappaport showed us that it was possible to go on a hunt without breaking any laws, without causing offence to any party and without taking a life.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

The hunt for rare birds

Every year I get infuriated when I learn that somebody in the ministry of foreign affairs has given a free hand to som...

Read more »

Death of Rage

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834608/death-of-rage/"><br /> <img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834608-FahdHusainNew-1423327990-865-160x120.JPG" width="160" /><br /> </a><br /> <p><p>Never a dull day here. So much is happening it makes your head spin. Senate elections are round the corner and the prime minister is holed up in Raiwind with his family to decide <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/833790/senate-elections-pml-n-conducts-interviews/">who gets to become a senator</a> and who sulks his way back to his miserable un-senatorial life. Then of course there’s that small decision about appointing a new governor of Punjab. Much head-banging going on for it. Back in Islamabad, the energy crisis annoyingly persists and keeps nagging the premier like a bad habit. He’s busy. Just like Imran Khan who’s burrowing into electoral malpractices in between chopper trips over Hazara to witness the baring of mountaintops and then putting the errant persons to the sword. How dare they kowtow to the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834369/deforestation-blues-imran-vows-to-crack-down-on-timber-mafia/">timber mafia</a>? Meanwhile, the <i>maulanas</i> are frothing at the mouth for one thing or the other and being their sweet angry selves. And while this hectic activity unfolds in slow motion, the nation is gradually catching the cricket World Cup fever as the greenshirts set up a fighting chance against far superior teams. Seems like all is swell and normal in Pakistan.</p><br /><p>Except it’s not.</p><br /><p>Yes it’s not, because we are a nation at war. It may not look like that, or even sound like that, but that’s the harsh reality. It hasn’t even been two months since the horrendous inhuman tragedy that unfolded in the Army Public School, but already a sickening <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834645/never-forget-parents-of-slain-aps-children-rally-for-justice/">forgetfulness seems to be creeping into our psyche</a>. Time, they say, heals all wounds.</p><br /><p>But this one must not heal. This one should not be allowed to heal.</p><br /><p>As the true horror of December 16 unfolded, it seemed clear that we would not be able to live this down. No craven politician, no Taliban apologist, and no ambiguity-peddling media parasite would have the temerity to add ifs and buts to this tragedy. If ever there was a call to arms, this was it. A nation shocked into unity — and action. A leadership horrified and shamed into resolve. That was then.</p><br /><p>And now?</p><br /><p>Now you see the leadership going through the motions. Meetings are held, handouts issued, figures released and statements made. The National Action Plan has become a procedural liability for a government weighed down by its own incompetence and determined vacillation.</p><br /><p>Here then is the shameful tragedy that appears to be trumping the actual tragedy: the apologists are back. And so are the ambiguity-peddling media parasites. They are back with a vengeance, having recaptured the toxic narrative with nauseating relish. Look at them grinning that evil grin, mocking the martyred and their memories. Look at them <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834271/defining-jihad-hizbul-mujahideen-commander-dismays-local-jihadi-outfits/">vomiting justifications as they rage on the streets</a>; look at them puncturing the national resolve with noxious rhetoric dipped in deliberate confusion; look at them polluting minds and reshaping opinions with unsacred insinuations and unholy intent.</p><br /><p>How heartless does a leadership need to be to allow this to happen? Make no mistake, this slide back into darkness is happening because the government doesn’t have the moral and physical courage to make the decisions that need to be made. The National Action Plan includes 20 points, each one of which requires a massive effort by the leadership to get it off the ground. In the immediate aftermath of the plan being agreed upon, dozens of committees were formed to get the plan into action. Sombre-looking men and women then gathered around in plush conference rooms, sat around well-polished tables, and prepared to do a whole lot of pointless things. That they did really well.</p><br /><p>As a result, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834300/over-10500-arrests-made-in-countrywide-operations/">suspects got picked up, loudspeakers got sealed</a>, registration documents got shuffled and ministers got trotted out in front of cameras to claim credit for things that mattered just a bit in the larger scheme of things. The provincial governments also got into the game, and spewed forth a litany of facts and figures conjured up by their law-enforcement set-ups. These guys have an answer for every terror-related question now, all painted and polished in brightly coloured, slickly designed PowerPoint presentations.</p><br /><p>But do you feel safer?</p><br /><p>Men who promise violence still stalk the streets. Books that teach hate still adorn the shelves. Curriculums that nourish intolerance and bigotry still grace schools. Madrassas that get unaccounted for funds, still get those funds. And they are still unaccounted for. Sectarian militias that kill humans for their beliefs still walk around armed and ready to kill. Target killers in Karachi still kill their targets and find shelter under political wings.</p><br /><p>The only thing that divides the new normal from the old normal is the brutal martyrdom of 140 of our beautiful children. Do we remember them still?</p><br /><p>We said we shall never forget. Do you remember saying that from behind those scalding and burning tears on your cheeks as you saw the tiny coffins being lowered into the ground by shattered mothers and fathers? You do remember those scenes, don’t you? We said this horror would change us forever; that it would galvanise us into action and shed all doubts once and for all. Do you remember clenching your fists and shaking with uncontrollable rage at the monsters who slaughtered our children? You do remember aching for vengeance, don’t you?</p><br /><p>And look at you now. Poor weak and helpless you, led by men who bleed courage and resolve like a hemophilic patient. Look at you all out of anger and rage, and shriveled up like a sorry looking raisin. Look at you reconciling to your destiny as a citizen of a nation that lets monsters eat its children, and does nothing. Nothing. This is what your leaders have reduced you to — a flock of sheep ready to be slaughtered. Again.</p><br /><p>And all because the leadership is weak. And scared. And incompetent.</p><br /><p>So go back to your Senate elections, your governor appointments, your electoral frauds and your cricket World Cup. Go back to what you were doing before December 16, 2014. Go back and bury your hand in that bloodied sand and wait your turn.</p><br /><p>Or find leaders who will never forget, never forgive, and never rest till this land is cleansed of monsters that eat our children.<em></em></p><br /><p><em>Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.</em></p><br /><p><i>Like </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped"><i>Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</i></a><i>, follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd"><i>@ETOpEd</i></a><i> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.</i></p><br /> </p><br /> <br clear="all"/>

Death of Rage

Never a dull day here. So much is happening it makes your head spin. Senate elections are round the corner and the pri...

Read more »