CONTENTS:
0 Announcements
0 Hands off Pakistan
By Sheldon Richman
0 Evolution of Judicial Activism
By Prof. Khwaja Masud
0 Revolutionaries and Reality
By Tibor R. Machan
0 Issues of the Month: Civil Society vs. the State; The
Aftermath; A Private Monopoly’s Racketeering; Darkening
Pakistan; and, Where has all the wheat gone?
0 From the National Press
0 CSR Views & News
0 Good News
0 Humor Wise
0 Letters to FreePakistan
==================================================================
Quotes of the Month:
The U.S. government should not support any leader in Pakistan. The U.S. government should keep its nose out of other people's affairs. Just as we would object if Pakistani government officials tried to influence U.S. elections, so we should object just as vociferously to the U.S. government trying to influence who runs the Pakistani government.
[David R. Henderson, “The Fatal Conceit in Foreign Policy” (January 7, 2008)]
Avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.
[George Washington, Farewell Address (September 26, 1796)]
Justice is the only foundation upon which a society of free and independent people can exist. Justice is a concrete, recognizable, and objective principle. It is not a matter of opinion.
[Leslie Snyder, The Freeman (March 1980)]
The people should fight for the law as for their city wall.
[Heraclitus, 5th century BC]
====================================================================================================================================
Announcements
Article: KENYA’S STOLEN ELECTION - LESSONS FROM ZIMBABWE
The article, Kenya’s Stolen Election - Lessons from Zimbabwe, by David Coltart, syndicated in Pakistan by the Alternate Solutions Institute was published in The Frontier Post on January 15, 2008.
Here is the link:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ar&nid=144
On January 16, 2008, it was carried by The Post. Here is the link:
http://thepost.com.pk/Arc_OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=139282&catid=11&date=01...
Article: FORSAKEN BY THE STATE
The News International of January 13, 2008, in its Political Economy section, published an article, Forsaken by the State. The article highlights the importance of protecting private property, and deplores the criminal negligence of the Pakistani state in providing protection to the private property and businesses which were the target of loot and arson that took place in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination. The article advises those who suffered losses to file damages suits against responsible government functionaries and ransackers instead of demanding for compensation from the government which in turn will be addressed by levying more taxes.
Here is the original article:
http://asinstitute.org/page.php?instructions=page&page_id=744&nav_id=
Here is the published article:
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2008-weekly/nos-13-01-2008/pol1.htm#3
New Publication: SINDHI TRANSLATION OF AWAAMI FALAAHI RIASAT KI KAHAANI, BECHARAY JONATHAN KI ZABAANI
Lahore January 12, 2008: Alternate Solutions Institute has released Sindhi translation of Ken Schoolland’s The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey. The Sindhi translation made by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Rahujo, General Secretary Liberal Forum Pakistan, is based on Dr. Khalil Ahmad’s Urdu translation of the same book that was published in 2003. Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Pakistan very generously funded the project.
Title: Awaami Pilaai Vari Riasat Ji Kahaani, Vecharay Jonathan Ji Zabaani (Azaad Mandi Ji Vatej Vapaar Ji Baaray Hik Naavel)
Author: Ken Schoolland
Urdu Translation: Dr. Khalil Ahmad
Sindhi Translation: Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Rahujo
First Edition: 2007
Pages: 197
Price: Rs.100
For more information, please contact Mr. Azeem Hafeez on the following addresses:
Email: info@asinstitute.org
Office: Room No. 32, 3rd Floor, Landmark Plaza, Jail Road, Lahore
Postal: P. O. Box No. 933, GPO, Lahore-54000
Cell phone: 0321-4963467
Article: THE FUTURE OF PPP AFTER BENAZIR BHUTTO
The Post of January 06, 2008, published an article, The Future of PPP after Benazir Bhutto, by Dr. Khalil Ahmad. The article weighs the impact of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on the future politics of PPP and of Pakistan. It concludes that with her assassination, there is going to be no substantial change in the polity of Pakistan.
On January 07, it was carried by Pakistan Observer, and on January 09, by The Frontier Post.
Here are the links:
The original article:
http://asinstitute.org/page.php?instructions=page&page_id=739&nav_id=
The Post article:
http://thepost.com.pk/Arc_OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=137502&catid=11&date=01...
The Pakistan Observer article:
http://pakobserver.net/200801/07/Articles03.asp
The Frontier Post article:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ar&nid=133
==================================================================
HANDS OFF PAKISTAN
By Sheldon Richman
[Sheldon Richman is senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation http://www.fff.org, author of Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State, and editor of The Freeman magazine. Visit his blog “Free Association” at www.sheldonrichman.com]
“The assassination of Benazir Bhutto was not an attack on this brave woman alone; it was an attack upon democracy, freedom and the United States.” This statement by Asa Hutchinson, former undersecretary of homeland security, was typical of the reaction of the American political and media establishments.
The claim that the assassination was an attack on democracy and freedom is dubious because Bhutto’s two spells as prime minister of Pakistan were not notable for either one. Whether it was an attack on the United States depends on what that means. It certainly was not an attack on the American people. How could it be construed that way, unless one has such an imperialist notion of “our interests” that nothing can happen in the world without impinging on them?
But if by “United States” we mean the policies of the current administration, then indeed it was such an attack. Bhutto, after all, favored bringing U.S. military forces into Pakistan, according to Michael Scheuer, a former CIA analyst and region specialist. If that’s an option President Bush planned to exercise, the loss of Bhutto is a grave blow to his policy.
It is during a crisis that the establishment hoists its true colors for all to see. With few exceptions, the most prominent voices in politics and the news media are chanting in unison that Bhutto’s assassination proves that the United States needs to be more involved in Pakistan than it has been.
Could the United States be more involved? American presidents have been meddling in Pakistani politics for a long time. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan regarded the brutal military dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who had come to power by overthrowing — and later executing — Bhutto’s father, the elected prime minister, Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, as a key ally. Once again the U.S. government used the Cold War as an excuse to back a despot.
Shortly before the current Pakistan president, Pervez Musharraf, staged a coup and named himself chief executive, Bill Clinton had pressured then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to get Musharraf, who was then the head of the army, to pull his forces out of the part of Kashmir controlled by rival India. Sharif was thus perceived as a puppet of the United States. That could not have helped his fortunes.
Since 9/11, of course, Musharraf has been crowned a key ally in Bush’s “war on terror.” Some $10 billion in cash and arms has poured into the dictator’s coffers. The largess did not slow down when Musharraf suspended the constitution, sacked the Supreme Court, declared martial law, and arrested lawyers and civil-libertarians — all to fight terrorism and protect democracy.
When even Bush couldn’t escape the fact that the Pakistanis were outraged about Musharraf, his administration tried to engineer an unlikely political marriage between the dictator and Bhutto. Whether her death came at the hands of Musharraf’s security forces, parts of which have notorious ties to radical Islamic elements, or al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the murderers’ opportunity has the mark of bumbling U.S. interventionism all over it. Before someone calls this a “blame America first” point of view, note that former Bush UN ambassador John Bolton told Fox News, “We in effect helped — helped — precipitate this dynamic that led to her tragic assassination.”
What is so fascinating is how impervious the political and media establishments are to the lessons of reality. After all that’s happened, the dominant voices still insist that Bush redouble efforts to determine Pakistan’s future. The arrogance and pretense of knowledge displayed by such people are astounding. Haven’t they learned that America’s political leaders can’t possibly know what they would need to know to run Pakistan? Their meddling here creates one mess after another — how can they hope to succeed there?
But Pakistan is the most dangerous country in the world, we’re told incessantly. If that’s true, it’s all the more reason for the United States to keep its hands off. Intervention only creates and provokes enemies. That endangers the American people, precisely the opposite of what the Bush administration says it wants to do.
==================================================================
EVOLUTION OF JUDICIAL ACTIVISM
By Prof Khwaja Masud
[This article first appeared in Dawn http://www.dawn.com on January 28, 2008.]
“IT is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is,” says Chief Justice John Marshall of the US. Consequently, the judges necessarily have to exercise their power, irrespective of the posture of the power-hungry executive or the touch-me-not attitude of the legislature.
Judicial activism is a time-honoured trait of judicial function, and to give up that trait is to capitulate before these two mightier organs of the state. History abounds in scintillating examples of judicial activism, when the judiciary came face-to-face with legislative arbitrariness, or executive abuses or interference in the due course of legal proceedings.
In the Dr Bonham case, decided in 1610, the issue was the validity of the charter of the Royal College of Physicians, confirmed by an Act of Parliament, which gave the incorporated society of physicians power to impose fine upon physicians going against its rules. The fines so imposed were payable half to the crown and half to the society. Dr Bonham, who was alleged to have violated the society’s rules by practising medicine in London without obtaining a proper certificate was summoned before the Royal College of Physicians and fined.
When he refused to pay the fine, he was imprisoned. He brought action for false imprisonment. Lord Coke, chief justice of the Court of Common Appeals before whom the case was listed, held the imprisonment wrongful on the ground that the statute which made the college the judge of its own cause, complainant and prosecutor, was against ‘common right and reason’, and was void. He declared: “When an Act of Parliament is against common right and reason, or repugnant, or impossible to be performed, the common law will control it, and adjudge such act to be void.”
The judicial activism of Lord Coke shocked many people who strongly believed in the supremacy of parliament. Nevertheless, Lord Coke laid the foundation of judicial review, and history has justifiably conferred on him the title of ‘the legal father of judicial review’.
Five years later, another great judge, Hobart, was called upon to decide the Day vs Savadge case. Chief Justice Hobart ruled: “It is against right and justice and natural equity as to make a man judge in his own case.” He emphatically declared: “Even an Act of Parliament, made against natural equity, as to make a man judge of his own case, is void in itself, for the laws of nature are immutable, and they are leges begum (the law of laws).” Chief Justice Hobart’s famous phrase, leges begum, has become the foundation of the modern concept that the constitution, being the basic law, is the law of all laws.
Two hundred years later, John Marshall, chief justice of the US Supreme court, expounded the theory of judicial review in Marbury vs Madison (1803). He had to face a conflict between an act of Congress and the constitution. He said: “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases must of necessity expound and interpret that rule.”
He ruled that it is a proposition too plain to be contested that the constitution controls any legislative act repugnant to it, and any legislative act contrary to the constitution is not law. He propounded the theory of judicial review in relation to the written constitution, what his predecessors, Lord Coke and Justice Hobart, did with respect to the higher norms of the common law and natural equity respectively.
Chief Justice John Marshall’s proposition not only infused fundamentality into the constitution but also proclaimed that the court could decide on the constitutionality of the laws. He asserted the power of the courts to curb any illegality, whosoever its author may be.
Tocqueville paid a well-deserved tribute: “The power given to the American courts to pass on the constitutionality of statutes constitutes one of the most powerful barriers which has ever been raised against the tyranny of political assemblies”.
‘Judicial auto-limitation’ is a phrase used by Prof Edward McWhinney to describe the principles enounced by Justice Brandies of the US supreme court in the Ashwander vs Tennessee Valley Authority (1936) case. All the principles indicated by Justice Brandies in this case are rules to be observed in exercising the power of judicial review. The Brandies principles have been further developed by Justice Frankfurter. They make up the doctrine of judicial self-restraint. This doctrine has been accepted as “a judicial policy of non-involvement, as far as possible, in great political and social tension issues”.
It is not their view that in the face of legislative tyranny or executive authoritarianism the judiciary must kneel down and muse over its helplessness. If such a situation of judicial helplessness comes to pass, the unique role etched out for the judiciary by the great visionaries of law — Lord Coke, Hobart and John Marshall — would come to nothing.
A striking example of legislative excesses and judicial assertion of its review power in India was witnessed in the Indira Gandhi vs Raj Narayan case. Soon after the Allahabad high court struck down Indira Gandhi’s election to parliament (and when the appeal was pending before the supreme court) the then parliament inserted Article 329-A(4) through the constitution (39th Amendment Act, 1975) to validate her election with retrospective effect. The majority ruled against the validity of Article 329-A (4). Justice Mathew said: “It is the result of the exercise of an irresponsible despotic discretion governed solely by political necessity or expediency.”
The Stuart king, James I, firmly believed that the judges, being his appointees, must obey his order. He ordered Lord Coke that his court must conform to the king’s prerogative to dispense with laws in certain cases or be dismissed. To this Lord Coke replied; “For my place, I little care. I am old and worn out in the service of the Crown. But I am mortified to find that Your Majesty thinks me capable of giving a judgment which none but an ignorant or a dishonest man can give.”
The king replied: “I am determined to have 12 judges who will be of my mind in this matter.” Lord Coke replied: “Your majesty may find 12 judges of your mind, but hardly 12 lawyers.” Lord Coke lost his position, but some of the other judges of that court recanted and prostrated themselves before the king. While Lord Coke attained immortality, the other judges were thrown into the dustbin of history.
Judicial activism is the role etched out for the judiciary in a democratic society governed by the basic law to keep the horizon of liberty clear and to give substance to the all-pervasive concept of the rule of law. If the judiciary fails in this, nothing can save the democratic policy, as Chief Justice John Marshall concludes: “The constitution itself becomes a solemn mockery.”
Let us remind all doubting Thomases; “Be you ever so high, the law is above you. Only knight-errants of executive excesses can fall in love with the dame of despotism, legislative or executive. If the judiciary gives in here, it gives up the ghost.” [Courtesy Dawn]
==================================================================
REVOLUTIONARIES AND REALITY
By Tibor R. Machan
[Tibor R. Machan is a Hoover research fellow, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, Auburn University, Alabama, and holds the R. C. Hoiles Endowed Chair in Business Ethics and Free Enterprise at the Argyros School of Business & Economics, Chapman University, USA.]
Those who are loyal to the political values of the American Founders are revolutionaries, far more so than any other type (like the Marxists or radical Muslims). This is because the American Founders identified something brand new and radical when they declared that individuals have unalienable rights to their lives, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
This idea overturned thousands of years of official doctrine according to which people belong to the government-the idea that they are subjects, not citizens. Such a notion is fundamentally alien to what the Founders proclaimed and believed is in fact the case, namely, that each intact adult human being is sovereign, a self-governor, and not someone's slave, serf, or subject.
Sadly although the gist of the Founders' idea has gained a good deal of influence in many cultures-legal systems and public policies certain give some lip service to it-there is still a great deal of habitual statism in vogue. Many politicians, intellectuals, educators, pundits, and such cling to the notion that you and I and the rest of us belong to some group-the race, nation, tribe, what have you-and so can be conscripted to do service to these never mind whether we consent. Both conservatives and liberals-and indeed nearly all the rest of the political factions-insist that your life isn't really yours but you owe it to something or somebody else.
This was, of course, the essential teaching of socialists of all stripes, including Karl Marx. It is also the teaching of some of today's leading political and social thinkers, such as Cass Sunstein, Charles Taylor, Martha Nussbaum, Thomas Nagel, Amitai Etzioni, and many others. They all deride individualism, the idea that you and the rest of us are sovereign and to gain our cooperation for any project we need to give our consent, we must be asked and only if we agree may such cooperation be obtained form us.
In the current election year this collectivist idea is especially prominent. It is taken for granted, not even argued for, by most liberal democrats and even by American conservatives, those in the country who claim to be conserving the ideas and ideals of the American Founders but have, in fact, become totally disloyal to them.
So what are the bona fide loyalists to do? What are those to do who insist that the original American position is sound and ought to be the governing set of ideas in this country and, indeed, in any civilized society? There is no one to vote for who embraces these notions except Ron Paul whose numbers aren't very impressive, even if those who support him have made news with their enthusiasm and willingness to put their money behind their man. Even Dr. Paul isn't quite the champion of the Founders' ideas this country needs-someone who stands four squares by the Declaration of Independence rather than, as Paul does, by the much more ambiguous and constantly changing U. S. Constitution.
What the revolutionaries among us need to grasp is just how radical their position really is and how long it takes to make such radical ideas gain currency. Human beings can live by good judgment, their rational thought, but they also live, mostly, by habit. And many of the habits of the human race are flawed and tend to misguide people toward neglecting their sovereignty. Just as some women who have every right to insist on their independence in fact acquiesce to being subjugated by some men, so a great many people, even in America, are embracing the old, reactionary notion that people belong to the government, the king or whoever, not themselves.
They do not protest at all when politicians make arbitrary, unjustified claims on their lives and labors, as if these didn't belong to them at all but could be used and disposed of by the government.
John Locke made clear that "absolute monarchs are but men," meaning, essentially, that government is simply other people and since no human being has rightful dominion over another-slavery is a vile institution, as is serfdom-the continued belief in government's authority to expropriate what belongs to us, to conscript our labor against our will, is unjust.
But, sadly, it is understandable because old habits are hard to overcome. (Just think of a habit you have which you have learned is destructive to, say, your health. It is often very hard for us to change it.)
So in this election year when our leaders want to continue to govern according to the tenets of the reactionary doctrine that government is our ruler, not our hired professional duty-bound to protect our rights, those who are loyal to the American revolution must continue vigilantly to promote their ideas however hopeless it seems to do so. That is a matter of integrity and in the long run it will also bear fruit.
==================================================================
Issue of the Month: Civil Society vs. the State
MESSAGE FROM JUSTICE WAJIHUDDIN
January 15, 2008
Honorable Justice (Retired) Wajihuddin Ahmad has requested the public to share their suggestions for any peaceful steps/tactics/ways that could help make the movement for restoration of rule of law more effective.
Creative and innovative yet rational and practical ideas, focusing to spread the message to masses, giving the movement some momentum, getting maximum people of all colours of community involved, keeping in view the hurdles on the way, will be really appreciated.
Please post your suggestions here as comments. These will be compiled and sent to HJWA for consideration in their meetings with other leaders of the movement.
In a statement to Pakistan Politics, Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed, has disclosed that it has been communicated to him indirectly that the leadership of the lawyers movement for the restoration of the judiciary and rule of law, is likely to become the next target for elimination, by the same anti-state, anti-democracy elements that were responsible for Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
He appeals to all Pakistanis to join him in his prayers for the safety of members of the lawyer community, and the future of Pakistan.
NYC BAR HONORARY MEMBERSHIP BESTOWED UPON JUSTICE CHAUDHRY
NEW YORK: The New York City Bar Association has bestowed one of its highest honors "honorary membership" upon deposed Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. This award recognises the chief justice's efforts to uphold Pakistan's independent judiciary.
The conferment of honorary membership in Chaudhry's absence represents the first time in the Bar Association's history that the requirement of in-person bestowment has been waived. Chaudhry is currently detained under house arrest in the aftermath of Pakistan's emergency rule. In September 2007, the NYC Bar Association's Honors Committee, chaired by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, unanimously recommended Justice Chaudhry's honorary membership to the Association's Executive Committee. Chaudhry had intended to visit New York to formally accept the award, but the ongoing political strife has prevented him from leaving Pakistan.
"The New York City Bar Association has been obliged to deviate from a decades-old policy of requiring that honorary membership be presented to the honoree in person," Judge Rakoff said. "We cannot allow the abysmal events occurring in Pakistan to derail the bestowment of an honor so rightfully deserved. Chief Justice Chaudhry has made tremendous contributions to the independence of Pakistan's judiciary. We remain hopeful that the Chief Justice will come to New York in the near future to celebrate this honor."
The Association has also written to President Musharraf again urging the restoration of the Pakistani Constitution and the release of those unlawfully detained and the reinstatement of Chief Justice Chaudhry and the other judges relieved of their duties since November 3, 2007.
The letter was signed by Association President Barry Kamins, who said, "Lawyers around the world must continue to speak out for judicial independence and in support of those lawyers and judges who remain under detention in Pakistan. We cannot allow their plight to be overlooked, and must press our governments to do what they can to seek restoration of the rule of law."
EMERGENCY: SCBA (INDIA) EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH PAK LEGAL FRATERNITY
11 December 2007
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has expressed solidarity with the judiciary as well as legal fraternity in Pakistan which is fighting for restoration of democracy in the country.
SCBA President P H Parekh condemned the Musharraf government for humilating the judiciary in that country as well as for beating and arresting a large number of lawyers protesting against the imposition of emergency.
The SCBA also demanded that democracy should be restored in the country and emergency should be lifted at the earliest possible, so that rule of law can be restored in Pakistan.
The SCBA also expressed sympathy with the members of the Bar, who are facing persecution in Pakistan for raising their voice against the suppression of democratic rights of the people of that country.
2008 YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE OF JUDICIARY AND RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN
Pakistani American Congress
1375 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702
Voice: 510-908-9215
January 11, 2008
Press Advisory
Pakistani American Congress declares 2008 year of Independence of Judiciary and Restoration of Democracy in Pakistan.
In 2008, Pakistani American Congress will take all necessary steps to help restore independence of Judiciary and democracy in Pakistan. We will use all available legal means to tell the story of subjugation of judiciary and democracy in Pakistan to the world and seek their help to restore independent judiciary and democracy in Pakistan.
Independent Judiciary and independent democratic institutions are prerequisites for a just society. Without independent judiciary and independent democratic institutions a just society is unimaginable.
Being a vanguard organization of Pakistani Americans, Pakistani American Congress feels it imperative to help out Pakistanis to establish independent judiciary and democratic institutions in Pakistan.
Pakistani American Congress feels only a democratic Pakistan with independent judiciary can deal with growing terrorism.
Without independent Judiciary and Independent democratic institutions, Pakistan may further drift to extremism, lawless and chaos.
In order to pull Pakistan back from extremism, Pakistani American Congress appeals to all democratic forces around the globe to use their leverage to help Pakistan restore Independent Judiciary and independent democratic institutions.
Pakistani American Congress declares 2008 year of restoration of Independent Judiciary and independent democratic institutions in Pakistan.
As a first step, Pakistani American Congress demands, General Musharraf should announce his resignation date before nation goes to elections on February 18, 2008 so that Pakistan could return to democracy.
[Dr. Khawaja Ashraf
President
June 2007 – June 2009
Pakistani American Congress]
RETIRED GENERALS, OFFICERS OF OTHER RANKS URGE MUSHARRAF TO STEP DOWN
RAWALPINDI, Jan 22: A number of retired chiefs of the army, air force and navy and dozens of former commanders and some retired junior commissioned officers on Tuesday called upon President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to step down as head of the state to pave way for complete restoration of democracy in the country.
Organised by what is known as the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, an organisation originally set up for the welfare of retired service personnel, the forum held a meeting at a local hotel to allow the participants to vent their views on the current political situation, with specific reference to Gen Musharraf’s role.
The media was kept away from the meeting and later a four-point resolution issued in the evening, primarily blamed President Musharraf for the prevailing crisis.
The resolution stated that “Gen Pervez Musharraf retired does not represent the unity and the symbol of the Federation as President,” and “he should resign from his office of the president, and this is in the supreme national interest and makes it incumbent on him to step down”.
The resolution also called for setting up, in consultation with political leaders, of impartial, credible and unblemished teams of governments both at the centre and in the provinces, which should enjoy the confidence of the nation to hold elections. An impartial, effective, independent and credible Election Commission be appointed with the approval of all major political parties.
The meeting appreciated the reported orders of the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to all serving officers to abstain from taking any part in political activities and promoting any politicians or political parties and to confine themselves to their professional duties.
Spearheaded by Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Ali Chishti, once a key member of Gen Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law regime, the ex-servicemen society has lately been quite active against Gen Musharraf. Tuesday’s gathering was its biggest show so far. It was attended by those who have been known critics of Gen Musharraf mainly because of his support for the US-led war against terror or for his liberal reforms, and also by moderate ex-servicemen who have been opposed to both the former military rulers as well as Gen Musharraf.
The participants included people like former army chief Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg, former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Gul and Lt-Gen Chishti. There also were known moderates like two former air marshals, Asghar Khan and Nur Khan, and Air Chief Marshal (retd) Pervez Mehdi. According to a list issued by the organisers, the participants included Admiral (retd) Karamat Rehman Niazi, Admiral (retd) Iftikhar Ahmad Sirohey, Admiral (retd) Mohammad Sharif, Admiral (retd) Saeed M. Khan, Admiral (retd) Hasan Asif, Admiral (retd) Obaid Sadiq and Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Kuli Khan.
The list also included names of Vice Admiral (retd) Mohammad Fazil Janjua, Vice Admiral (retd) Jawaid Iqbal, Rear Admiral (retd) Javed Iftikhar, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar, Lt-Gen (retd) K. K. Afridi, Lt-Gen (retd) Talat Masood, Lt.-Gen (retd) Kamal Matin, Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, Lt-Gen (retd) Zakir Ali Zaidi, Lt-Gen (retd) Aslam Shah, Lt-Gen (retd) Farrukh, Lt-Gen (retd) Qadir Baloch, Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Niaz, Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Lt-Gen (retd) Ayaz Ahmed, Major-Gen (retd) Saeed-ud-Din Qazi, Major-Gen (retd) Shafiq Ahmed, Major-Gen (retd) S. M. K. Askari, Major-Gen (retd) Islamullah, Major-Gen (retd) Zia-ul-Haq, Major-Gen (retd) Agha Manzoor, Major-Gen (retd) A. A. Zubairi, Major-Gen (retd) Shabbir H. Shah, Major-Gen (retd) Utra, Major-Gen (retd) H. U. K. Niazi; Major-Gen (retd) Arshid; Major-Gen (retd) Afzal Samad, Brig (retd) Tipu Sultan, Brig (retd) Amir Gulistan Janjua, Brig (retd) Nusrat Jahan Saleem and Col (retd) S. K. Tressler.
Copy of the resolution delivered to media after the meeting says the extra-ordinary meeting was held on the specific request of members of the society who have been watching the turning events of the recent past with great concern and anguish and felt that they could not remain only bystanders but would like to stand and be counted with all patriots and motivated sections of the society imbued with the spirit of securing the future of the country.
It claimed that over 100 ex-servicemen from all over Pakistan and Azad Kashmir comprising all ranks of the three services actively participated in the deliberations of the extra-ordinary meeting of their Society to analyse the prevailing conditions in the country with a view to determining as to what requires to be done by the ex-servicemen.
REPORT URGES U.S. LAWMAKERS TO DEMAND RESTORATION OF THE JUDICIARY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, 23 JANUARY, 2008
CONTACT: Devin Theriot-Orr, LUMS Rule of Law Project, (0334)428-9694,
rlp@riseup.net
Washington, D.C. - The Rule of Law Project at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is issuing a report today entitled Defending Dictatorship: U.S. Foreign Policy and Pakistan's Struggle for Democracy. The report is co-authored by members of a delegation from the United States National Lawyers Guild and is the result of a ten-day fact-finding visit to Pakistan to assess the status of the judiciary and the prospect for fair elections in light of recent attacks on judicial independence. The report criticizes U.S. foreign policy in Pakistan, concluding that U.S. support for President Musharaff and its failure to demand restoration of the deposed judges will have long-term negative impacts on the judiciary and the rule of law in Pakistan and damage regional safety and security.
The report also concludes that the upcoming elections are unlikely to meet international standards due to widespread systemic and structural problems, including pre-poll abuses and the failure to enforce existing election regulations. Additionally, the report addresses press freedom in Pakistan, noting that severe restrictions faced by all media, in particular the Urdu-language press, constitute a "serious threat" to Pakistan's democratic development.
"The independence of the judiciary is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. The United States' support for a dictator and its failure to demand the reinstatement of the deposed judges is critically damaging demcratic development and threatening regional safety and security," stated Rule of Law Project Director Devin Theriot-Orr.
David Gespass, the Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild and the leader of the delegation, stated that "We intend to share the report with the American people and place it before our elected representatives to help effect a drastic change in U.S. policy towards Pakistan that emphasizes human rights and democracy as the only real means of reducing the threat of terrorism."
Professors Roger Normand and Justice (ret'd) Jawwad Khawaja of LUMS established the Rule of Law Project to serve as an academic clearinghouse for documentation and research regarding constitutionalism and the rule of law in Pakistan. The Project is developing a comprehensive report on the impacts of the PCO and seeking information from all lawyers and members of civil society who were arrested, detained, or mistreated following the PCO.
AN OPEN LETTER TO:
His Excellency
The President of the European Parliament,
Brussels.
His Excellency
The President of France,
Paris.
His Excellency
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
London.
Her Excellency
Ms. Condaleeza Rice,
Secretary of State,
United States of America,
Washington D.C.
Professor Klaus Schwab,
World Economic Forum,
Geneva.
All through their respective Ambassodors, High Commissioners and representatives.
Excellency,
I am the Chief Justice of Pakistan presently detained in my residence since November 3, 2007 pursuant to some verbal, and unspecified, order passed by General Musharraf.
I have found it necessary to write to you, and others, because during his recent visits to Brussels, Paris, Davos and London General Musharraf has slandered me, and my colleagues, with impunity in press conferences and other addresses and meetings. In addition he has widely distributed, among those whom he has met, a slanderous document (hereinafter the Document) entitled: “PROFILE OF THE FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF PAKISTAN”. I might have let this go unresponded but the Document, unfortunately, is such an outrage that, with respect, it is surprising that a person claiming to be head of state should fall to such depths as to circulate such calumny against the Chief Justice of his own country.
In view of these circumstances I have no option but to join issue with General Musharraf and to put the record straight. Since he has voiced his views on several public occasions so as to reach out to the public at large, I also am constrained to address your excellencies in an Open Letter to rebut the allegations against me.
At the outset you may be wondering why I have used the words “claiming to be the head of state”. That is quite deliberate. General Musharraf’s constitutional term ended on November 15, 2007. His claim to a further term thereafter is the subject of active controversy before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It was while this claim was under adjudication before a Bench of eleven learned judges of the Supreme Court that the General arrested a majority of those judges in addition to me on November 3, 2007. He thus himself subverted the judicial process which remains frozen at that point. Besides arresting the Chief Justice and judges (can there have been a greater outrage?) he also purported to suspend the Constitution and to purge the entire judiciary (even the High Courts) of all independent judges. Now only his hand-picked and compliant judges remain willing to “validate” whatever he demands. And all this is also contrary to an express and earlier order passed by the Supreme Court on November 3, 2007.
Meantime I and my colleagues remain in illegal detention. With me are also detained my wife and three of my young children, all school-going and one a special child. Such are the conditions of our detention that we cannot even step out on to the lawn for the winter sun because that space is occupied by police pickets. Barbed wire barricades surround the residence and all phone lines are cut. Even the water connection to my residence has been periodically turned off. I am being persuaded to resign and to forego my office, which is what I am not prepared to do.
I request you to seek first hand information of the barricades and of my detention, as that of my children, from your Ambassador/High Commissioner/representative in Pakistan. You will get a report of such circumstances as have never prevailed even in medieval times. And these are conditions put in place, in the twenty-first century, by a Government that you support.
Needless to say that the Constitution of Pakistan contains no provision for its suspension, and certainly not by the Chief of Army Staff. Nor can it be amended except in accordance with Articles 238 and 239 which is by Parliament and not an executive or military order. As such all actions taken by General Musharraf on and after November 3 are illegal and ultra vires the Constitution. That is why it is no illusion when I describe myself as the Chief Justice even though I am physically and forcibly incapacitated by the state apparatus under the command of the General. I am confident that as a consequence of the brave and unrelenting struggle continued by the lawyers and the civil society, the Constitution will prevail.
However, in the meantime, General Musharraf has launched upon a vigourous initiative to defame and slander me. Failing to obtain my willing abdication he has become desperate. The eight-page Document is the latest in this feverish drive.
Before I take up the Document itself let me recall that the General first ousted me from the Supreme Court on March 9 last year while filing an indictment (in the form of a Reference under Article 209 of the Constitution) against me. According to the General the Reference had been prepared after a thorough investigation and comprehensively contained all the charges against me. I had challenged that Reference and my ouster before the Supreme Court. On July 20 a thirteen member Bench unanimously struck down the action of the General as illegal and unconstitutional. I was honourably reinstated.
The Reference was thus wholly shattered and all the charges contained therein trashed. These cannot now be regurgitated except in contempt of the Supreme Court. Any way, since the Document has been circulated by no less a person than him I am constrained to submit the following for your kind consideration in rebuttal thereof:
The Document is divided into several heads but the allegations contained in it can essentially be divided into two categories: those allegations that were contained in the Reference and those that were not.
Quite obviously, those that are a repeat from the Reference hold no water as these have already been held by the Supreme Court to not be worth the ink they were written in. In fact, the Supreme Court found that the evidence submitted against me by the Government was so obviously fabricated and incorrect, that the bench took the unprecedented step of fining the Government Rs. 100,000 (a relatively small amount in dollar terms, but an unheard of sum with respect to Court Sanction in Pakistan) for filing clearly false and malicious documents, as well as revoking the license to practice of the Advocate on Record for filing false documents. Indeed, faced with the prospect of having filed clearly falsified documents against me, the Government’s attorneys, including the Attorney General, took a most dishonorable but telling approach. Each one, in turn, stood before the Supreme Court and disowned the Government’s Reference, and stated they had not reviewed the evidence against me before filing it with Court. They then filed a formal request to the Court to withdraw the purported evidence, and tendered an unconditional apology for filing such a scandalous and false documents. So baseless and egregious were the claims made by General Musharraf that on July 20th, 2007, the full Supreme Court for the first time in Pakistan’s history, ruled unanimously against a sitting military ruler and reinstated me honorably to my post.
Despite having faced these charges in open court, must I now be slandered with those same charges by General Musharraf in world capitals, while I remain a prisoner and unable to speak in my defense?
There are, of course, a second set of charges. These were not contained in the Reference and are now being bandied around by the General at every opportunity.
I forcefully and vigorously deny every single one of them. The truth of these “new” allegations can be judged from the fact that they all ostensibly date to the period before the reference was filed against me last March, yet none of them was listed in the already bogus charge sheet.
If there were any truth to these manufactured charges, the Government should have included them in the reference against me. God knows they threw in everything including the kitchen sink into that scurrilous 450 page document, only to have it thrown out by the entire Supreme Court after a 3 month open trial.
The charges against me are so transparently baseless that General Musharraf’s regime has banned the discussion of my situation and the charges in the broadcast media. This is because the ridiculous and flimsy nature of the charges is self-evident whenever an opportunity is provided to actually refute them.
Instead, the General only likes to recite his libel list from a rostrum or in gathering where there is no opportunity for anyone to respond. Incidentally, the General maligns me in the worst possible way at every opportunity. That is the basis for the Document he has distributed. But he has not just deposed me from the Judiciary. He has also fired more than half of the Superior Judiciary of Pakistan – nearly 50 judges in all -- together with me. They have also been arrested and detained.
What are the charges against them? Why should they be fired and arrested if I am the corrupt judge? Moreover even my attorneys Aitzaz Ahsan, Munir Malik, Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd were also arrested on November 3. Malik alone has been released but only because both his kidneys collapsed as a result of prison torture.
Finally, as to the Document, it also contains some further allegations described as “Post-Reference Conduct” that is attributed to me under various heads. This would mean only those allegedly ‘illegal’ actions claimed to have been taken by me after March 9, 2007. These are under the heads given below and replied to as under:
1. “Participation in SJC (Supreme Judicial Council) Proceedings”:
(a) Retaining ‘political lawyers’: Aitzaz Ahsan and Zammurrad Khan:
It is alleged that I gave a political colour to my defence by engaging political lawyers Aitzaz Ahsan and Zamurrad Khan both Pakistan Peoples’ Party Members of the National Assembly. The answer is simple.
I sought to engage the best legal team in the country. Mr. Ahsan is of course an MNA (MP), but he is also the top lawyer in Pakistan. For that reference may be made simply to the ranking of Chambers and Partners Global. Such is his respect in Pakistan’s legal landscape that he was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan by one of the widest margins in the Association’s history.
All high profile personalities have placed their trust in his talents. He has thus been the attorney for Prime Ministers Bhutto and Sharif, (even though he was an opponent of the latter) Presidential candidate (against Musharraf) Justice Wajihuddin, sports star and politician Imran Khan, former Speakers, Ministers, Governors, victims of political vendetta, and also the internationally acclaimed gang-rape victim Mukhtar Mai, to mention only a few.
Equally important, Barrister Ahsan is a man of integrity who is known to withstand all pressures and enticements. That is a crucial factor in enaging an attorney when one’s prosecutor is the sitting military ruler, with enourmous monetary and coercive resources at his disposal.
Mr. Zamurrad Khan is also a recognized professional lawyer, a former Secretary of the District Bar Rawalpindi, and was retained by Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan to assist him in the case. Mr. Khan has been a leading light of the Lawyers’ Movement for the restoration of the deposed judiciary and has bravely faced all threats and vilification.
Finally, surely I am entitled to my choice of lawyers and not that of the General.
(b) “Riding in Mr. Zafarullah Jamali (former Prime Minister)’s car”:
How much the Document tries to deceive is apparent from the allegation that I willingly rode in Mr. Jamali’s car for the first hearing of the case against me on March 13 (as if that alone is an offence). Actually the Government should have been ashamed of itself for creating the circumstances that forced me to take that ride.
Having been stripped of official transport on the 9th March (my vehicles were removed from my house by the use of fork lifters), I decided to walk the one-mile to the Supreme Court. Along the way I was molested and manhandled, my hair was pulled and neck craned in the full blaze of the media, by a posse of policemen under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police. (A judicial inquiry, while I was still deposed, established this fact). In order to escape the physical assault I took refuge with Mr. Jamali and went the rest of the journey on his car. Instead of taking action against the police officials for manhandling the Chief Justice it is complained that I was on the wrong!
(c) “Creating a political atmosphere”:
Never did I instigate or invite any “political atmosphere”. I never addressed the press or any political rally. I kept my lips sealed even under extreme provocation from the General and his ministers who were reviling me on a daily basis. I maintained a strict judicial silence. I petitioned the Supreme Court and won. That was my vindication.
2. “Country wide touring and Politicising the Issue”:
The Constitution guarantees to all citizens free movement throughout Pakistan. How can this then be a complaint?
By orders dated March 9 and 15 (both of which were found to be without lawful authority by the Court) I had been sent of “forced leave”. I could neither perform any judicial or administrative functions as the Chief Justice of Pakistan. I was prevented not only from sitting in court but also from access to my own chamber by the force of arms under orders of the General. (All my papers were removed, even private documents).
The only function as ‘a judge on forced leave’ that I could perform was to address and deliver lectures to various Bar Associations. I accepted their invitations. They are peppered all over Pakistan. I had to drive to these towns as all these are not linked by air. On the way the people of Pakistan did, indeed, turn out in their millions, often waiting from dawn to dusk or from dusk to dawn, to greet me. But I never addressed them even when they insisted that I do. I never spoke to the press. I sat quietly in my vehicle without uttering a word. All this is on the record as most journeys were covered by the media live and throughout.
I spoke only to deliver lectures on professional and constitutional issues to the Bar Associations. Transcripts of every single one of my addresses are available. Every single word uttered by me in those addresses conforms to the stature, conduct and non-political nature of the office of the Chief Justice. There was no politics in these whatsoever. I did not even mention my present status or the controversy or the proceedings before the Council or the Court, not even the Reference. Not even once.
All the persons named in the Document under this head are lawyers and were members of the reception committees in various towns and Bar Associations.
3. Political Leaders Calling on CJP residence:
It is alleged that I received political leaders while I was deposed. It is on the record of the Supreme Judicial Council itself that I was detained after being deposed on March 9. The only persons allowed to meet me were those cleared by the Government. One was a senior political leader. None else was allowed to see me, initially not even my lawyers. How can I be blamed for whomsoever comes to my residence?
Had I wanted to politicize the issue I would have gone to the Press or invited the media. I did not. I had recourse to the judicial process for my reinstatement and won. The General lost miserably in a fair and straight contest. That is my only fault.
4. “Conclusion”:
Hence the conclusion drawn by the General that charges had been proved against me ‘beyond doubt’ is absolutely contrary to the facts and wide off the mark. It is a self-serving justification of the eminently illegal action of firing and arresting judges of superior courts under the garb of an Emergency (read Martial Law) when the Constitution was ‘suspended’ and then ‘restored’ later with drastic and illegal ‘amendments’ grafted into it.
The Constitution cannot be amended except by the two Houses of Parliament and by a two-thirds majority in each House. That is the letter of the law. How can one man presume or arrogate to himself that power?
Unfortunately the General is grievously economical with the truth (I refrain from using the word ‘lies’) when he says that the charges against me were ‘investigated and verified beyond doubt’. As explained above, these had in fact been rubbished by the Full Court Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan against which judgment the government filed no application for review.
What the General has done has serious implications for Pakistan and the world. In squashing the judiciary for his own personal advantage and nothing else he has usurped the space of civil and civilized society. If civilized norms of justice will not be allowed to operate then that space will, inevitably, be occupied by those who believe in more brutal and instant justice: the extremists in the wings. Those are the very elements the world seems to be pitted against. Those are the very elements the actions of the General are making way for.
Some western governments are emphasizing the unfolding of the democratic process in Pakistan. That is welcome, if it will be fair. But, and in any case, can there be democracy if there is no independent judiciary?
Remember, independent judges and judicial processes preceded full franchise by several hundred years. Moreover, which judge in Pakistan today can be independent who has before his eyes the fate and example of his own Chief Justice: detained for three months along with his young children. What is the children’s crime, after all?
There can be no democracy without an independent judiciary, and there can be no independent judge in Pakistan until the action of November 3 is reversed. Whatever the will of some desperate men the struggle of the valiant lawyers and civil society of Pakistan will bear fruit. They are not giving up.
Let me also assure you that I would not have written this letter without the General’s unbecoming onslaught. That has compelled me to clarify although, as my past will testify, I am not given into entering into public, even private, disputes. But the allegations against me have been so wild, so wrong and so contrary to judicial record, that I have been left with no option but to put the record straight. After all, a prisoner must also have his say. And if the General’s hand-picked judges, some living next door to my prison home, have not had the courage to invoke the power of ‘habeas corpus’ these last three months, what other option do I have? Many leaders of the world and the media may choose to brush the situation under the carpet out of love of the General. But that will not be.
Nevertheless, let me also reassure you that I continue in my resolve not to preside any Bench which will be seized of matters pertaining to the personal interests of General Musharraf after the restoration of the Constitution and the judges, which, God willing, will be soon.
Finally, I leave you with the question: Is there a precedent in history, all history, of 60 judges, including three Chief Justices (of the Supreme Court and two of Pakistan’s four High Courts), being dismissed, arrested and detained at the whim of one man? I have failed to discover any such even in medieval times under any emperor, king, or sultan, or even when a dictator has had full military sway over any country in more recent times. But this incredible outrage has happened in the 21st century at the hands of an extremist General out on a ‘charm offensive’ of western capitals and one whom the west supports.
I am grateful for your attention. I have no other purpose than to clear my name and to save the country (and perhaps others as well) from the calamity that stares us in the face. We can still rescue it from all kinds of extremism: praetorian and dogmatic. After all, the edifice of an independent judicial system alone stands on the middle ground between these two extremes. If the edifice is destroyed by the one, the ground may be taken over by the other. That is what is happening in Pakistan. Practitioners of rough and brutal justice will be welcomed in spaces from where the practitioners of more refined norms of justice and balance have been made to abdicate.
I have enormous faith that the Constitution and justice will soon prevail.
Yours truly,
Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry,
Chief Justice of Pakistan,
Presently: imprisoned in the Chief Justice’s House, Islamabad.
MINDSET OF THE REGIME
[F. Shahzad, Islamabad]
The recent maltreatment by law-enforcement agencies of the ex-interior minister and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, was most shameful and a condemnable act. He was arrested at gunpoint and accused of being a terrorist or an absconder, and was exposed to ice-cold wind for hours which caused him severe fever.
These things clearly indicate the mindset of the current dictatorial regime of one-man show, who wants to cling to power at any cost. Actually the current regime wants to paralyse the lawyers’ movement by using such petty tactics against their leadership. They want to uproot these people who are working for the restoration of democracy, rule of law and reinstatement of the pre-emergency judiciary.
Such senseless and ruthless techniques are worsening the already hostile situation in the country as it is passing through its more critical period. Law of the gun and brutal force cannot improve the situation rather than it will widen the fissures that exist between the masses and the government.
Instead of digging the ditches, there is need to build bridges over theses gaps that can improve the deteriorating situation. Since the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the country has been facing its worst law and order situation so far. In these trying circumstances, an iron hand to handle the situation can be disastrous and possibly harmful for the federation.
The current situation can be calmed down only if the country is put on the path of democracy, judges are reinstated and rule of law is reinforced. Without taking such steps, it seems impossible to bring harmony, peace and tolerance among different segments of society.
Our rulers must shun the policies of hatred and take tangible steps on the ground to help ease the prevailing situation and save the country from anarchy. [Dawn]
CIVIL SOCIETY
[Javed, Karachi]
Thanks to Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, by undergoing suffering and showing courage, he has given a new vision to the common man. The most used words have been “civil society” during the last few months. Senior people like Mr Justice (retd) Saeeduzaman Siddiqui, Mr. Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, Mr. Roedad Khan, Mr. Fatmi, etc, all spoke about civil society and said it was a healthy sign. According to all of them, civil society is the strongest group in the country after the army. The nation sees daily on TV channels clips and news about civil society. People have been taking pains in this load-shedding, low temperature and scarcity of atta and have protested outside the office of a closed TV channel. A senior English columnist wrote the other day that many anchorpersons had disappeared from the screen, thus paving the way for the TV channels to come back. All these can be attributed to the success of civil society. [The Post]
COAS DIRECTIVE
[Imtiaz Ahmed, Islamabad]
According to a recent new report, the new chief of Army Staff has directed that army officers should stay away from politics. Taken in its true spirit, this would suggest that no agency official would be involved in approving candidates for general elections and the political parties should now heave a sigh of relief. General Kayani deserves kudos for reminding the army of its actual role. [The News]
GENERAL KAYANI’S COMMENTS
[Sana Hayat, Islamabad]
Chief of Army Staff General Kayani’s recent comments, where he urged army officers not to engage in politics, are a very positive. After years of involvement in the politics of Pakistan, it is time for the army to re-evaluate its role in the country. This once highly respected institution has lost much credibility due to its encroachment into the domains of politics and government. While it would be naïve to assume that General Kayani’s comments will somehow alter the status quo overnight, it is positive in the sense that the top brass of the military is looking to breed a new perspective in its officers, one that respects the Constitution and institutions of Pakistan. [Daily Times]
RESPONSIBLITY
[S T Hussain, Lahore]
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has called for a collective effort to thwart the threats to Pakistan, with all the segments of society playing their roles to confront the challenges the country is facing. Every thoughtful Pakistani will agree with what Gen Kayani has said. But the question is: who is responsible for leading the people in the effort and inspiring them? After eight years of Gen Musharraf’s rule, it is not difficult to realise that he has achieved very little and given nothing to the nation. His pursuit for power at any cost has plunged the nation into unprecedented chaos. [The News]
ONE VOICE
[Raja Nusrat Ali, Gujrat]
IT is welcome that Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society has urged Pervez Musharraf to resign from the presidency in the national interest. What if the said society arranges a walk to voice the demand more effectively? It will impact public opinion and encourage civil society. This act of our retired military officers and men will better the image of our serving military men. [Dawn]
MALTREATMENT
[Farrukh Shahzad, Islamabad]
The recent maltreatment of the Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan at the hands of the law-enforcement agencies is a shameful and despicable act. He was arrested at gunpoint as if he were a terrorist or absconder. He was then exposed to ice-cold winds for hours after which he caught a fever. Such things clearly indicate the mindset of the dictatorial regime that wants to cling on to power at any cost. The regime wants to curb the lawyers' movement by using mean tactics. It is hell-bent on destroying the people who call for the restoration of democracy, rule of law and the reinstatement of the pre-emergency judiciary. The ruthless acts to silence the dissent are worsening the already hostile political situation in the country.
The use of brutal force cannot improve the situation. Rather, it will widen the existing fissures between the masses and the state authorities. Instead of digging ditches, we need to build bridges to better the political situation in Pakistan. The current crisis can be overcome by ensuring democracy, reinstatement of the sacked judges and rule of law. Without this it seems impossible to bring harmony, peace and tolerance in Pakistan. Our rulers must shun the politics of hatred to save the country from anarchy. [The News]
PERSEVERANCE OF AITZAZ
[Raja Nusrat Ali, VPO Bhota, District Gujrat]
I want to convey my views on the perseverance of Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan. It is irony of fate that our politicians have failed to avail of the opportunity provided by legal fraternity to overthrow the present regime through boycott of general elections. Had PPP boycotted the elections Musharraf would have faced serious problem of legitimacy, both internally and externally. His cronies should have been exposed for having meagre or no public support. Unfortunately the dictatorial rule in Pakistan, in most part of its history, has made our politicians expedient for different reasons.
Aitzaz Ahsan has taken on himself the onerous task of challenging US backed establishment. The display of unity for a just national cause that he has forged in the legal fraternity has never been witnessed before in the history of Pakistan. It has earned our lawyers solidarity from all quarters of the civil society from within Pakistan and outside too. The success of lawyers movement would address our most grave concerns like parochialism on the part of people of smaller provinces and host of others problems created by military rulers.
The dynamic leadership of Chaudhrys Aitzaz Ahsan in this struggle has brought focus of attentions on him both nationally and internationally. He is being recognised as a politician of principle and lawyer of international standing all over the world. [The Nation]
ROLE OF THE STATE
[A Concerned Citizen]
It is amazing that a leader of a political party is going out of his way to ask: where were the civil society and women’s groups during the three days of destruction that gripped Pakistan following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination? As a member of a women’s group as well as of a civil society group, I would like to inform these pontificating individuals that civil society is not responsible for countering such plunder. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure the security of life and property, and to mobilise its organs, such as the police, rangers and the army, to fulfil that responsibility. What happened following Bhutto’s assassination was a failure of the state to maintain law and order as well as of the politicians currently in power. Before making irresponsible statements, politicians need to educate themselves about the role of government and civil society. [Daily Times]
BANANA REPUBLIC?
[Jawaid Raja, Rawalpindi]
Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf reiterated the other day that Pakistan was not a banana republic, something that he has said many times. The general is wrong. Pakistan is a banana republic, and for the following reasons:
One, a chief of the army staff was removed from his position by a prime minister in accordance with his constitutional powers. A new army chief was appointed and he took oath under the Constitution. But the prime minister was toppled and arrested by the army chief whom he had removed. Two, the army chief who first became chief executive and then president, held a referendum which had no place in the Constitution. Three, turncoats and opportunists were brought together and a so-called 'King’s party’ was established. This was done essentially by using the agencies and accountability bureau to threaten these people to toe the official line or else face many years in jail. Four, the sitting Chief Justice of Pakistan was told to pack up and go home. When he refused legal proceedings were initiated against him. The chief justice, along with a number of other members of the superior judiciary, was placed under house arrest. Five, lawyers and members of civil society were beaten up like animals. Six, the Constitution was mutilated and tampered with. Seven, the outgoing National and provincial assemblies were used to elect a president for a five-year term. Eight, the media was gagged. Nine, the tenure of the army chief is said to be three years but some army chiefs have stayed in their posts for as much as nine years.
What else is required to qualify us for being a banana republic? We are in fact a super banana republic. [The News]
PUNJAB POLICE
[Riz Warraich, Lahore]
There are many questions that come to mind when we look at the modus operandi of the recent bomb attack in front of the Lahore High Court. Were the jawans of Punjab police the real target or was it an indirect message to the lawyers? Before we look into the motives, causes and aftermaths of this attack, I would like to mention this very fact about the Punjab police. In the past, the jawans of Punjab police proved their mettle no matter how huge and inhuman the calamity has been, despite the ferocious tides of lawlessness, the Punjab police had always been on top of every challenge.
Whoever planned, mobilised the resources and executed the attack where a 14kg bomb exploded was unable to distinguish between khaki (army) and black (police) uniforms. The Punjab police had no blood on its hands if the Taliban of Waziristan and Nnorthern Areas were to be blamed for this heinous crime. We could generalise the motive behind this attack which could precisely be instilling fear in the hearts of security forces and public.
Was this attack carried on prematurely? It might have been meant to sabotage and demoralise the lawyers’ movement and because of one vigilant policeman who tried to stop the suicide bomber at the barrier, many lawyers had been saved. Many questions had been raised but this incident has reinforced one fact in the minds and hearts of the general public. The Punjab police have written another chapter of sacrifice and martyrdom and gained high moral grounds by acting as a shield to protect innocent lives. [Dawn]
COAS DIRECTIVE
[Akbar Jan Marwat, Islamabad]
According to a report published in The News (January 14), Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, directed all the officers of the Pakistan Army, including the commanding officers, to refrain from meeting politicians. I think this is a commendable step which will help restore the image of the army in the masses. I hope the general's directive is for the intelligence agency of the army as well whose members are notorious for intruding into the political arena. [The News]
VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION
[Clement John, USA]
I was delighted to read in your newspaper that Munir Malik and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan have been awarded the third Asian Human Rights Defender Award by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). (“Aitzaz and Munir win rights award”, Daily Times, January 24)
In 1984, I had the honour to set up the Asian Human Rights Commission. I recall with great appreciation the assistance received from Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court, Professor Jane Kelsey of New Zealand and Munir Malik in the drafting of the constitution of AHRC. Since then, AHRC has made tremendous strides in the promotion and protection of human rights, and is the only organisation of its kind in the region.
It is befitting that AHRC has recognised the valuable contribution Mr Malik has made to the lawyers’ struggle in Pakistan for the establishment of rule of law. During the 1970s and 80s when I was practicing law in Pakistan, I remember Mr Malik as a bright upcoming lawyer completely devoted to his profession. Even in those early days, he worked for the well-being of the lawyers and was active in the affairs of the District and High Court bar associations. It was sad to hear about his detention and maltreatment at the hands of the authorities. Mr Malik is a gentleman of integrity, good humour and has a kind heart. He always encouraged young lawyers by opening his chambers for them. [Daily Times]
A VIOLATION OF LAW
[Adil A., Karachi]
It has been repeatedly pointed out in various news reports and letters in this newspaper that not only the deposed chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar M. Chaudhry, is being held at home but even his children are not being allowed to go to their educational institutions. While this cannot be a part of President Musharraf’s or anybody else’s concept of enlightenment, it certainly points to a brazen violation of the law. What is worse is that Justice Chaudhry’s youngest son, who is a special child and needs regular medical attention, is also being denied that.
Apart from that, denying education to somebody’s children reminds one of the primitive or tribal practice of punishing someone for their family member’s real or imagined wrongdoing, as happened in the case of Mukhtaran Mai. In addition, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had said: “The acquisition of knowledge (i.e. education) is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male and female.”
In his autobiography, Mr Musharraf found it important enough to mention that he is a ‘Syed’ and went on to explain that this means a descendent of the Prophet. Unfortunately, by preventing those children from acquiring education, he is opposing the Prophet’s commandant. Another thing which the Prophet had taught is the need to be kind, very especially to children. He went to the extent of saying, “Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever has no kindness has no faith.” Incidentally, some child had quoted this hadith in Dawn’s Young World of May 24, 2002. [Dawn]
THE ARMY IN POLITICS
[Abubkr Ali, Karachi]
Military dictators not only ruin nations but also the nations' defence profiles. To consolidate their illegal power they spread out into every section of life. They impose themselves in civil sector jobs depriving more deserving people, such as experienced professional. The result is hatred. They are not cut out for the jobs nor trained in them. The arrogant way in which they treat civilians can only get them hatred, with the armed forces getting a bad name. During Musharraf's rule their role was the worst ever. They were all over, in stocks, property business, construction and industry. [The News]
POLICE RESPONSE TO CRIME
[Mrs Imtiaz Ahmed, Islamabad]
There was a time when Islamabad was a peaceful place to live. A single murder would be the subject of discussion for a week. Not any more. Murder, robbery, and land-grabbing are commonplace. Brothels have become too numerous to count. The highest crime rate is in Aabpara, an important area of the city. Police response to crime is ineffective and selective. In the last two months several robberies have taken place at gunpoint in G6/3 and G6/4 near the ISI communication centre.
Most of ASIs, SHOs and SDPOs posted in this circle have been property-dealers and are in connivance with Aabpara land-grabbing groups whose favourite technique is to put fake tenants in properties owned by widows, overseas landlords and minors and then hide behind the police. Last year, only in Thana Kohsar and Margalla 600 cars were reported to have been stolen An ASP recently crashed his police car while drunk. In another incident, reported by the HRCP, an officer beat women protestors personally. In fact, the police are encouraging violence against the intelligentsia by such acts. It is time for radical measures and change. [Pakistan Observer]
ARMY IN POLITICS
[Farhatullah Babar (Ex-senator), Islamabad]
Much is being made of the orders of the new army chief to his officers to avoid contacts with politicians. It sounds music to one's ears. The ISI and the MI are military outfits headed and manned by military officers. Would the officers belonging to these agencies now no longer cajole or coerce politicians before or after the elections? Or, would the new orders not apply to some designated officers of these agencies on the assumption that it is their unannounced official duty, in which case the orders would not be worth any mention?
Until recently the new army chief has himself been the head of the ISI and knows full well the nature and extent of the agency's contacts with politicians. It seems hard to believe that such contacts have frozen overnight. If a new beginning indeed has been made, would action also be taken if victims provided proof of cajoling and coercion of politicians recently by uniformed officers of these agencies during the runup to the elections?
Serving military officers continue to occupy top civil positions and thus have not only to come in contact with politicians but also get involved in implementing the partisan political directives of their ministers. It is natural to expect that serving military officers will also be sent back to barracks if indeed they have to be insulated from politics and politicians. Is this indeed the case? Will the orders insulating the officers from politicians also apply to the premises like the officers' messes etc? Politicians have been summoned to the military premises for imparting to them political instructions, sometimes directly by uniformed officers and sometimes by their proxies.
President Musharraf refuses to vacate the Army House, the symbol of the military. I do not know if the army officers can really be distanced from politics and politicians even as the Army House is used by a politically partisan person for overt political activities. I really do not want to know. [The News]
FREE AITZAZ AHSAN!
[Fukheruddin Ahmed, Gujranwala]
Aitzaz Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has been under house arrest for over two and a half months. Mr Ahsan is not a terrorist nor has he committed any crime. His only fault is that he has been peacefully protesting the destructed meted out to the judicial institutions of Pakistan by the current regime. To this day, as other proven criminals roam free, the government has yet to provide a credible charge against Mr Ahsan or justify his house arrest. The entire nation knows that Mr Ahsan’s detention is not related by any stretch of the imagination to the many crises gripping the country. The government should end Mr Ahsan’s detention immediately. [Daily Times]
GLOOMY STATE
[Zia Ur Rehman, Islamabad]
Pakistan is an unpredictable country where anything can happen anytime. No one is safe and secure, especially the president of Pakistan is the most insecure person in the country. Institutions and political parties are being targeted by terrorists throughout the country. After Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by unknown terrorists in Rawalpindi, some hooligans looted banks and ransacked government institutions in all parts of Pakistan. The acts of terrorism that took place in Karachi after the December 27 incident were similar to those of May 12, as in both cases the government failed to rein in criminals. I wonder what will become of Pakistan. [The News]
ARMY OUT OF POLITICS
[Misbah Azam, Phoenix, USA]
Recently, a letter by the military chief, Gen Pervaiz Kayani, to his officers has been discussed in the Pakistani media, where, according to reports, Gen Kayani requested his officers not to intervene in the political process. Without confirming the contents of the letter, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas, the newly-nominated director-general of the ISPR, confirmed the existence of such a letter in his talk to the international news agency on Jan 15. It is surely a step in the right direction.
However, in my humble opinion, this is not the time to celebrate and jump to happy conclusions, because (a) although Gen Abbas confirmed the existence of such a letter, he refused to comment on it for very understandable reasons. So one cannot be sure what the real message is construed from the letter, (b) after the assassination of Gen Zia, the new chief gave similar statements which gave the impression to the people that the Army may be implying that it would stay out of politics.
However, later developments showed that the Army was very much involved in manipulating the political landscape of Pakistan and (c) even if one believes that the contents of the chief’s letter is very similar to what is being widely reported, it is not known, however, as to how many of his colleagues really support him and believe what our new chief believes. Only time will be able to answer these questions and concerns. [Dawn]
COAS DIRECTIVE
[Fazal Raheem, Lahore]
General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has directed all army officers to refrain from meeting politicians. In a letter addressed to the officers he has stressed that they should devote all energies to their professional responsibilities and avoid any kind of political activities. This decision to depoliticize the army deserves praise. For the last eight years the army was fully involved in political activities, thereby badly tarnishing its own image.
One hopes that the directive will also be applicable to the military's intelligence agencies because in the past all governments have misused them to achieve certain objectives. Only a few months ago a senior intelligence agency official was also involved in conducting political negotiations with the Pakistan People's Party. [The News]
MR JUDICIARY
[Tarrick Mallick, Sheffield, UK]
In a country where principles do not matter and role of politicians denigrated by smear campaign masterminded by agencies, Mr Aitzaz Ahsan alone stands out as a man who chose to take a stand on principles. In a political environment polluted by turncoats and people who would sign a deal with the devil to gain a foothold in corridors of power, such a stance is viewed as idealistic, and not based on ground realities. It is because of such compromises, that Pakistan today is undergoing its worst crisis, where anarchy and lawlessness has threatened the lives and property of citizens and poses a grave threat for our national security.
Had there been an independent judiciary in Pakistan, this crisis that we are undergoing today would have been avoided. Provision of justice to citizens is a check on excesses committed by rulers or powerful individuals. An independent judiciary provides a sense of security to the citizens, which not even the most powerful army can provide.
A judiciary that lacks credibility erodes public confidence, and leads to a sense of insecurity, which threatens to shake the confidence of the population in virtually all state institutions. Aitzaz Ahsan was leading a movement that would strengthen state security, restore sanity and public confidence and put our country back on the track of our founding fathers. [The Nation]
HOUSE ARREST
[Dr Irfan Zafar, Islamabad]
The service of the civil servants in Pakistan is regulated by the Civil Establishment Code which doesn’t allow the government to keep its officers under house in case their services are terminated. The government should revise the code to justify the house arrests of the honourable judges of the superior judiciary. [The News]
FREE JUDICIARY AND IMPARTIAL POLLS
[Asim H. Akhund, Karachi]
President Musharraf, on his recent tour to the West, has been asserting that the coming election is going to be held as scheduled and the possibility of rigging has been minimised. He has been convincing the West that he is committed to holding a free and fair election. Let me ask these western states and all those who patronise Mr Musharraf that aren’t the judiciary and the election commissions in those free countries independent?
Do they not know that only independent election commissions and an impartial judiciary can guarantee a free and fair election? If yes, why don’t they question Mr Musharraf on giving Pakistan back its impartial judiciary and an independent election commission? Perhaps they also don’t want a free and fair election in Pakistan. Mr Musharraf’s commitment to hold a free and fair election would only be serious if the coming election is held by an impartial election commission, which is accountable to an independent judiciary.
He will only pass his test of character if the election is held under an impartial election commission and an independent judiciary. Can he do this for his beloved country? A person who has twice breached the oaths he has taken under the Constitution of Pakistan, who has abrogated the Constitution twice, who has deposed and seized the judges of our apex court for not validating an invalid election and who has installed marionettes in the election commission, claiming the above sounds like a joke of the highest order. The president’s actions have been inconsistent with his claims since he has been in power. [Dawn]
LAWYERS
[Abdul Rauf, Fateh Jang]
The lawyers should gear up their struggle for the rule of law. One thing they could start immediately is to start inviting Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to address bar councils. I know he would not be allowed to address but that would add to the already mounting pressure on the present regime to respect basic human rights. [The News]
WAY OUT OF ANARCHY
[Dr Amjad, Abbottabad]
The question is how to save Pakistan and how to prevent disintegration, anarchy and civil war? The following may help in achieving these goals.
1. Immediate resignation of Pervez Musharraf who has proved his incompetence. And if he still sticks to the chair, it should mean he is insincere to Pakistan.
2. A national government comprising democratic politicians, not the opportunists supporting the Chaudrys of Gujrat.
3. An independent election commission consisting of the illegally deposed judges.
4. Free and fair general elections within six months.
5. Reinstatement of the superior judiciary to the pre-Nov 3 position.
6. An immediate ceasefire in all the tribal agencies.
7. The army given the task of policing the whole country.
8. Constitution of an investigation team consisting of international jurists and forensic experts for an inquiry into Benazir's murder. [The News]
UNTENABLE ARGUMENTS
[Inayat, Karachi]
During an interview by the BBC Television, President Musharraf said that the day he felt he had become so unpopular that the Pakistanis no longer wanted him in power, he would quit (Jan 24). However, when asked how it would be determined that he was no longer required, he could not give any clear-cut reply and conveniently proposed that there was no other way except for him to conclude this himself. But the president tried to justify this by saying that he got his input from six sources, which would presumably be the various intelligence agencies.
It may be pointed out that the US president gets his input not just from six but 16 agencies, yet the world has seen how much he keeps bungling up. Apart from that, when his attention was drawn to the recent call by many former services chiefs and generals for him to step down, he said that these were the people who write newspaper articles — as if that is an unwise act. He must know that people like Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger and other senior diplomats and officials have also done that when they found it necessary, many of which have even appeared in Dawn, Mr Musharraf, too, had once or twice tried his hand at writing articles. So, what’s wrong with that?
He then went on to say that these critics consist of two types of people: those whom he had removed and those who couldn’t get anything from him (meaning any posts or favours). He is reminded that the list includes names like Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan, who had opposed Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Gen Yahya Khan, but supported Bhutto as well as Mujeeb in the late 60s to early 70s. He and Air Marshal (r) Nur Khan were neither fired by Musharraf nor apparently denied favours, because they wouldn’t have been desirous of any.
Both the air chiefs had done a remarkable job in making the newly created Pakistan’s PAF into a force that became the envy of the world by its wonderful performance in the 1965 war. What has Mr Musharraf to his credit: the Kargil debacle, an indiscreet phone call from a hotel in Beijing to his VCOAS that got recorded by the Indians and the 250 officers and jawans who surrendered to the Taliban? When the two gentlemen were service chiefs, Mr Musharraf would have been a teenager or a 20-year-old lieutenant and must show them much respect.
And, what about the other services chiefs of the navy and the air force, the many judges (why were all 60 of them removed?), including former chief justices, the 23 senior ex- diplomats and prominent members of civil society, who want him to go, most of whom do not fit his description? Also, the numerous American and British legislators and even the prime minister of Canada, who wanted him to resign?
The noted American expert on South Asia, Stephen Cohen, had written some weeks back that Mr Musharraf is either suicidal or out of touch with the situation. The US think tank, ‘Cato Institute,’ has compared him to the former Shah of Iran and advised Washington to stop supporting this ‘Shah of Pakistan’ otherwise the consequences will be as disastrous for the US and Pakistan as they were in the case of Iran. (BBC, Jan 24). [Dawn]
'HOW CALLOUS!'
[Dur-e-Aziz Amna, Rawalpindi]
I want to thank The News for its Dec 30 editorial. At last someone raised a voice for our champion of democracy, Aitzaz Ahsan. It is indeed cruel of the regime to keep him in imprisonment even during these times. What right does the establishment have to keep Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and the judges under house arrest, even after the "lifting of the emergency?" [The News]
HEROES OF THE JUDICIARY
[Asim H. Akhund, Karachi]
Justice (r) Rana Bhagwandas and Justice (r) Rabbani for the first time after they were deposed set foot in Karachi on Dec 16. They never required any protection or posed any threats. Recently, Justice (r) Rana Bhagwandas, at the oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi Bar Association, stated that soon the deposed judges of the Supreme Court would be reinstated and the judiciary would become independent.
This statement must have sent a chilling message to the establishment to have decided to again put him under house arrest under the guise of providing him extra security. This shows how infirm our establishment is and has always been to all those who stand for righteousness. The notion that our nation lacks people who stand for the righteous is not true. We have time and again seen that there have been heroes who stood against the oppressors. Let me remind and hail my judicial heroes right from Justice Cornelius to the present deposed judges.
In 1954, the National Assembly of Pakistan tried to change the Constitution to establish checks on the Governor-General’s powers. In response, Governor-General Ghulam Mohammad dismissed the Assembly. The dismissal was challenged in the Supreme Court. Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad emerged victorious when the then Chief Justice Muhammad Munir upheld the dismissal in a split decision, despite the dissenting opinion written by the renowned Justice A. R. Cornelius and despite protests from the members of the National Assembly.
Judges like A. R. Cornelius have made us a proud nation for all times to come; defying oppressors just as our present deposed judges of all the High Courts and the Supreme Court have done. In 1954, there was only one Cornelius but today there are more than 60, who have stood against the oppressors. Cornelius was exemplary for these 60 brave judges, and today these brave judges have become exemplary for their predecessors and the nation.
Surely, this has given our nation and judicial tradition more heroes than villains and we will see the reinstatement and independence of the judiciary in our country by the valiant efforts of our past and present heroes. I salute my heroes and pray for their safety. [Dawn]
==================================================================
Issue of the Month: The Aftermath
PRESIDENT’S REPLY
[M. Asif Hussain, Lahore]
I was watching the president’s weekly briefing on Jan 17 in which an attendant asked about his textile factory that were put to fire by a mob on Dec 28 after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. To my shock, in spite of accepting the failure of the government or the security agencies, the president replied that during the last six years the textile industries have earned huge profits. So what if some sort of loss had been done! You should share the loss with the government. What logic is this? Is it appropriate for a president of a country to answer like this? [Dawn]
FRENZIED AFTERMATH
[Aalia Khalid, Karachi]
I was not surprised at Benazir Bhutto's assassination, but I am shocked by the nature of its aftermath. The incessant looting, burning and torching of private and public property was something my mind could not comprehend. Worst still was the condition in which my mother and I were during the crisis, two women alone -- defenceless barricaded inside our house -- at the mercy of looters. On the evening Benazir was assassinated, my car was attacked by crazed stick-wielding Bhutto supporters near my home as I was returning from work. It was saved from being torched when my mother shouted from the balcony that she was a Bhutto supporter. For two days my mother and I sat inside our house shivering with fear as gun-toting rioters looted houses and burned shops. We had little money in the house and when food was gone I ventured out to buy milk and fruit. Rioters threatened to set fire to my car and broke a window, injuring me with the glass splinters.
My mother had an angina attack and she writhed in pain at home but could not go to a doctor. I tried calling 15, but a neighbour told me that the police station had been torched. After sundown the looters forced all lights to be turned off and I couldn't leave home for anything. This is not the first time that I have suffered this. When Benazir's rally was bombed in Karachi and 150 people died, I was stranded at my work and spent the night in the office unable to contact my mother who spent a night in severe anxiety. [The News]
UTTER MADNESS
[Anum Jamal, Karachi]
This refers to the news item reported by Imran Ayub in the Metropolitan pages (Dec 29), that the Edhi Village was ransacked by an armed mob. I was shocked and appalled upon reading that not only 16 of the Edhi ambulances were torched in the city, but a mob even beat the staff and the disabled children living in the Edhi Village after vandalizing the place.
Where is our nation heading to? Or rather is our nation moving on or is going back to further darkness? I would like to ask these ruthless beings as to why did they beat the innocent disabled children? What was their fault? Handicapped people have hardly ever been taken care of with generosity in our society and this is one fine example. How can we expect kindness and care from others when we do not even care for our disabled people?
Moreover, Abdul Sattar Edhi, the one who made the Edhi Village, is one of the best humanitarians of the world and our only ray of hope as far as spreading humanity in our country is concerned. Ransacking the office of the Village and beating the innocent children defeats Edhi Sahib’s purpose of doing such hard work. Thus I would like to apologize on behalf of all of Edhi’s admirers and make him aware that we are shocked and dismayed by this incident. It is extremely shameful that our people do not consider national property as their own and it signifies utter madness. [Dawn]
CRISES
[Javed Hussain, Attock]
After the sad assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, law and order deteriorated in the country and violent protests erupted in every city. The spontaneous reaction by the people resulted in the destruction of precious public and government property and caused huge monetary losses. The government's security agencies acted like silent spectators when the miscreants wreaked havoc.
Meanwhile, the nation was hit by power, gas and atta crises. Unannounced power outages of 12 to 18 hours in a day are unprecedented in Pakistan. Acute gas shortages have added to the miseries of the common man. People's sufferings increased due to the unavailability of atta in the open market. It is ironic that the atta crisis has surfaced when the government itself said in April that it had a 'bumper wheat crop'. For eight years, the rulers talked about the 'economic turnaround' but actually they miserably failed to provide even the basic amenities for the people. [The News]
SENSELESS VIOLENCE
[Zoya Altaf, Karachi]
The entire nation is mourning the demise of Ms Bhutto. She was brutally killed and yet again the government is unable to find who the murderer was. A lot of other people also died along with Ms Bhutto, but nobody seems to care about them. The government has said that it will compensate the families of those who lost their lives, but this never happens. It is the lower class that suffers. Paying compensation to their families is not equivalent to the loss of their loved ones. If in the first place, tight security would have been provided, this wouldn’t have happened. But the government does not seem to understand.
Karachi, known as the city of lights, was submerged in darkness and is only inching back to normalcy. The riots that have surged all over the city in the past few days have caused huge losses to the citizens of Karachi. Almost 1,000 cars have been burnt down, railway stations, engines and tracks have been destroyed, petrol pumps and all markets shut down for several days, many offices and banks have been burnt to ashes and worst of all many lives have been lost. Why is this so? This is just increasing the misery of the people and the current situation.
It is my humble request to please stand united in this time of crisis. Please do not panic people by spreading senseless rumors. May Allah give us strength to handle this critical situation and courage to the family members of those who have faced tragedies and suffered. [Dawn]
DAMAGE TO RAILWAY PROPERTY
[Subak Raftar, Los Angeles, USA]
The wilful destruction of national railway assets by enraged and instigated mobs and the sheer apathy on the part of the authorities we have just witnessed is the cumulative result of a lack of education, opportunity, basic necessities and the right to be heard, quintessential benefits derived only from accountable democracy painstakingly nurtured and nourished over the years. Sadly, the ruling feudal, civil and especially the military elite have all failed the country on this count. More tragically, no lessons are being learnt.
No sane person would ever condone such a wanton display of destruction, but it is not entirely beyond commonsensical comprehension as to why an enraged populace with years of pent-up rage and with no proper channel or civil avenue to vent their fury, would indulge in such a self-defeating exercise as destroying the very infrastructure they are supposed to benefit from, regardless of how questionable that benefit might be. While the loss of precious life, limb and property is tragic, the Pakistan Railways is the nation’s heritage and it should have been accorded the respect and protection due such an entity. This heritage is uniquely intrinsic to daily life. Its physical manifestations, both symbolically and literally, are links of national cohesion and this in itself has tremendous strategic implications.
As a result of the riots in the 1980s and 1990s, it took almost four years for the railways to get back on track, no pun intended. Some of that destruction was so severe, it was considered not worthy of resuscitation. With now three times the damage, what with 26 locomotives and 140 rakes burnt, numerous stations destroyed, signalling and microwave systems shattered, fish-plates and rails removed — a loss estimated to be a colossal Rs12 billion — how long will it take to revive all this? One shudders at the thought. And the heart truly bleeds. [Dawn]
WHO TO BE BLAMED?
[Khwaja Abdul Samad, Karachi]
Who is to be blamed for huge losses caused to the public and private properties in the name of mourning of tragic death of a great national leader of international stature. This was certainly no proper way of mourning the demise of the Daughter of the East. Those who indulged in mob rioting here and there, in fact ,did no service to PPP, paid no tributes to the departed leader and caused huge losses which would billions of rupees and lot of time to be repaired. Such mob rioting was just not comprehensible. A great leader had expired in a tragic manner. Everyone was saddened and mourning her tragic demise. Even, President Pervez Musharraf had not wasted a moment and announced three days national mourning after describing Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto a leader of great eminence and her killing a national tragedy.
With due deference to PPP leaders, supporters and workers as well as others went into mourning on hearing the tragic news, the mob rioters who went on rampage, arson and loot were those who not only exploited a grave situation but also incited others to join in their nefarious game. Such elements in all fairness should and must be condemned by all without any discrimination. This was, more unfortunately, a crude attempt to exploit the situation and fan provincialism. My regrets as well as tributes to Asif Ali Zardari who while mourning demise of her wife Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto advised the party leaders, workers and supporters to be calm, patient and not to raise slogans against Pakistan and any other province in particular as everyone was in deep mourning for the departed PPP Chairperson. [Pakistan Observer]
IT’S UNFORTUNATE
[Ijtaba Zaidi, Karachi]
Benazir Bhutto’s tragic assassination is a great loss for the country. But in view of her decision to participate in mass electoral rallies, like the ones witnessed in the last week of her political campaigning despite her own fears for her life and warnings from all corners, it was not entirely unexpected. She and her political advisers very well knew that even President Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz (with much tighter security circles around) narrowly escaped such attacks (like herself on 18/10 at Karsaz) by sheer strokes of luck only. Her fatal decision to pop out of the sunroof of her armoured car also proves that ‘Death is inevitable when the time comes’.
There have been dozens of tragic assassinations of ‘great world leaders’ across the globe in the past. Liaquat Ali Khan, Mohandas Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Bandaranayke, JFK, RFK, King Faisal and Rafiq Harriri, to name a few. All condemned by the whole world and all irreplaceable leaders in their own positions. Emotional reactions by individuals out of shock and anger (to some extent only) cannot be ruled out. But the massive and brutal carnage and organised destruction of public and private property plus life as well as national assets like railways, bridges and petrol pumps can only be termed criminal.
Sadly and very regrettable nowhere else did we see such an example of indiscriminate carnage and destruction. It is not love for the departed soul but hatred for mankind that we express by such deeds. Even though the absolute illiterate (but sane) very well know that no amount of vengeance and destruction can bring anybody back to life again. The loss of life and property carried out is a black mark for the whole nation which cannot be washed away. Once again we are bent upon proving to the world that we remain one of the most illiterate and ungovernable nations, and sadly are not even ashamed of it. [Dawn]
LOOTING LET LOOSE
[Peer Muhammad Khuhawar, Larkana]
ON the evening of Dec 27 I was busy on the Internet (in Larkana) when suddenly my neighbour came shouting that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated outside the Liaquat Bagh Stadium at a rally in Rawalpindi. The news startled me. I quickly opened websites of the BBC and CNN to confirm the news. I was shocked as the Pakistani nation had lost a brave democratic leader. Once the news spread in every nook and corner of the city, the people came out from their houses to protest on streets and main roads. Firing began; explosions could be heard all around us. My family members and I were literally confined to the house.
After two hours, I saw through the window some persons passing by my house who were unknown to me, had a bundle of guns and all kinds of new weapons. We locked all doors and windows and prayed to Allah for peace and security. The following day I found that a coffin carrying the body of Benazir Bhutto was brought to Naudero for burial, so I tried to go to Naudero with my friends to attend the funeral ceremonies of my beloved leader. We tried to hire a taxi but couldn’t find even a donkey cart; hence we could not get convenience to go to Naudero.
We remained in the city’s main market, Pakistani chowk, where we saw that all the roads and streets were full of people. They did not look protesters, but more like rioters who were engaged in breaking the closed shutters of gates and looting everything that was lying inside the shop. These persons did not look like real mourners. They looked very happy to loot without any hindrance because there was no law, no police force or army to control the situation.
These persons looked like those who snatch mobile phones, motorcycles and valuable things at gun-point; while exploiting the circumstances as they pretended to be mourners, while they looted unashamedly. Government and private banks were looted; ATM machines were broken open to pick out money, as these looters took out the treasury and lockers. The banks were then set on fire.
We also visited other areas to see the city’s condition. In the cloth market, most of shopkeepers were standing outside of their shops, holding the holy Quran, and praying God to save their shops. They said their shops were not safe and that last night most of the shops were broken open and looted, mostly jewellery shops were wiped out. Computer shops, mobile markets, weapon shops were broken and looted. The tallest building of the Larkana city, Insurance Life, was completely destroyed as after looting the building was set ablaze. Another beautiful building, the City Bakery, was also not spared. The owner of the bakery implored the rioters to take everything away but spare the bakery. He also told them that he was a strong supporter of the PPP but rioters did not listen to him and after looting, they set the building on fire.
All this time, I noticed that these rioters did not belong to the People’s party but seemed criminals as they were given a free hand to do such activities to defame the workers of the party. Now there are reports in newspapers that cases of rioting have been registered against persons who had left the opposition party and joined the PPP. This shows clearly that political revenge has been taken. The real offenders would not be caught. On the contrary, the circumstances will be further exploited to destabilise the country.
It is our demand that the government should take action against the police who failed to curb the rioters at the time of the incident and make inquiries to arrest the real offenders. [Dawn]
SURVIVING CRISIS SITUATION
[Sqn Ldr(R) S.Ausaf Husain, Karachi]
On Dec 27, the sudden and tragic death of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto triggered violence in every part of the country, while Karachi almost descended into a state of anarchy. Criminals and anti-social elements had taken advantage of the deteriorated law and order situation as killing, looting and arson started.
Thereafter, tension gripped the people and there was a complete chaos everywhere. People remained confined to their houses for the next three days and were unable to buy even the essential items of daily use. Had such situation continued for a few days more, it would have become very difficult for the people to survive without edibles and other essential items of daily use.
Moreover, it was almost the end of the month and as such many people, especially the salaried class, went short of money as there was no other source from where they could get the money since banks and ATMs were also closed for three days to mourn the death of Ms Bhutto. People are generally not prepared to meet such a situation of crisis which takes them by surprise. On the other hand, the majority of the people also do not know how to survive under such a situation because in our country there is no system of providing crisis management awareness to the people. Therefore, there is a need to provide necessary guidance to the people regarding the role they should play in keeping themselves well prepared for surviving in a crisis during the worst law and order situation.
When violence erupts due to any reason, rioting, looting, arson and lawlessness starts taking place everywhere. Lives and property of the people are endangered, business activities come to a halt and people become confined to their houses. If such a situation prolongs and goes beyond control, then the government imposes curfew. But during the curfew breaks when people rush to the market to buy essential items, they some time either find the shops closed or the required items are not available. In such a situation if people have no emergency reserve with them, they start suffering miserably.
People should actually pre-empt a potential problem relating to law and order, likely to happen in the country/their respective area after learning from day-to-day news published in newspapers or aired by the electronic media and to prepare themselves against the perceived threats accordingly. Such preparations should include keeping an emergency reserve of edibles, medicines for the sick, milk and food for infants, essential items of daily use and drinking water to cater for at least one month in their houses.
Similarly, people should also keep some alternative arrangements of cooking and lighting in case of power failure and suspension of gas supply due to any reason. People should also keep first-aid kit and domestic fire-fighting appliances in their house and each family member should become familiar with their use.
People having their transport should ensure that its fuel tank is possibly kept full all the time. Certain amount of emergency cash should also be kept with them in small currency notes, as notes of Rs500 and above may not be accepted by the shopkeepers in exchange of goods during such a situation.
Finally, when living under a worst law and order situation, we should also take care of our health and take food that much as is necessary to maintain health. Similarly, an utmost economy to be exercised while using any expendable item, especially food and water, by every individual in the house. [Dawn]
MARTYRDOM TO MAYHEM
[Syed Sardar Ahmad, Karachi]
Addressing a large statue of liberty that had been erected beside the guillotine, Madame Roland, worshipped as the muse, the Egeria, of the republican philosophers, said on the scaffold a moment before her execution: “Liberty, what crimes are committed in thy name!” This happened in the last quarter of the 18th century when the third estate – peasants and bourgeoisie (townsmen), — comprising 25 million unprivileged mass of the nation, rose against the 260,000 privileged clergy and nobles – the two estates – and, in their furore, unleashed a reign of terror. But this is not the 18th but 21st century of sweetness and light, still we live under the sceptre of barbarity.
Born with a silver spoon, bred and brought up in a serene environment and educated at Harvard and Oxford, the daughter of a former prime minister, herself prime minister twice and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, was assassinated while returning from Liaqat Bagh, Rawalpindi, after holding an election rally about 5.30pm on Dec 27, 2007. It is the same venue where Liaqat Ali Khan, the first prime minister, was assassinated while addressing a public meeting on Oct 16, 1951. Rajiv Gandhi, a former prime minister of India, who was also, on a similar election rally in Tamil Nadu, was assassinated by a suicide bomber on May 21, 1991.
On the martyrdom of Liaqat Ali Khan, no violent demonstration took place: neither vehicles nor banks were torched and no innocent people were brutally murdered or burnt alive. Similarly, on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi no aggrieved shed the blood of the innocent people. Alas, on the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto the miscreants, on a call for ‘payya jam’ strike by some disgruntled politicians, in their frenzy, killed 65 innocent people, including six workers who were burnt alive in a garment factory that was looted and then set on fire.
More than a dozen factory workers were raped. Four hundred and two private vehicles, 734 buses and trucks, 55 petrol pumps and 176 bank branches were torched. Even hospitals and ambulances were not spared and set ablaze. Residences of the members of other political parties were ransacked. In addition, railway lines were removed, bogies of nine goods trains, 12 stations were set on fire to disrupt and suspend the railway traffic. And all this happened in Karachi and in the interior of Sindh alone.
The mayhem, between Dec 27 and 30, revived the bitter memories of the brutalities of Nadir Shah when he ransacked Delhi in 1739. To the consternation of every peaceful citizen, the law- enforcement agencies remained a silent spectator. Worst of all, no public leader, specially the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, came forward to stop this plunder, loot, arson and killing. The province is rife with conjectures that it was not an ‘on the spur of the moment’s’ reaction, rather the result of a well-planned conspiracy hatched for a different time period but antedated rather precipitated by the martyrdom of the PPP chairperson.
What can be said of this mayhem except that “justice has fled to the brutish beasts and man has lost reason”. An inquiry commission headed by a judge of the high court, as demanded by many political leaders, may provide some solace to the aggrieved. [Dawn]
PEOPLE’S ANGER AND GRIEF
[Mansoor Ul Haque Solangi, Karachi]
This is apropos of Dr Mubarak Ali’s article, ‘People’s anger and grief’ (Jan 14) wherein he stressed that the riots that erupted on the eve of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination were not a unique phenomenon unknown to history. He quoted history’s two great events as parallel: the French Revolution (1779) and the uprising of 1857. However, on the mystifying role of the administration on the country’s most regrettable episode of its 60 years of existence, he has failed to divulge. Although it is the administration whose primary duty is to maintain law and order and save private and public properties from being looted and burnt, sadly this basic responsibility was prima facie neglected.
This country has been through tribulations many a time but often the peace-keepers, i.e. police and rangers, were withdrawn by the administration. This time even sensitive installations such as banks, railway stations and other important and government offices were deprived of minimum security. The incessant loot and plunder on this most unfortunate event was the work of criminal elements and not the aggrieved party workers as the recent evidences appearing in the media have amply proved. The plunder obviously was due to withdrawal/non-availability of law-enforcement agencies in the sensitive areas where they were needed the most.
Under the given circumstance Dr Mubarak Ali’s comparison of the above two epochs of human history, i.e. the French Revolution and the uprising of 1857, revolts of civil society against the entire tyrannical system of the state with unfortunate events of Dec 27 is obviously out of place. [Dawn]
RAY OF HOPE
[Anum Jamal, Karachi]
This is apropos of Niaz Muhammad Khan’s article, ‘Villagers help train passengers’ (Jan 1). While many passengers of various modes of transport were harmed and their properties vandalised on Dec 27, it was heartening to know that there were incidents where such passengers were helped generously.
The people of Jalal Mari proved the fact that every cloud has a silver lining. Moreover, I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate and honour Ismail Brohi, who leads Jalal Mari, for generously providing food and shelter to the train passengers, even though his villagers are not that well off. The fact that women passengers were given shelter in the huts and were treated honourably shows that education and literacy has nothing to do with respecting an individual, especially a female. In contrast, women drivers, passengers and even workers were harassed and ill-treated in Karachi, which is Pakistan’s ‘metropolitan city.’ [Dawn]
==================================================================
Issue of the month: A Private Monopoly’s Racketeering
IMPOSED, NOT OFFERED
[Editorial Dawn]
Getting minor shocks every time one receives a utility bill has become a part and parcel of a subscriber’s life. All bills have an inflated look about them. But the shock caused by PTCL’s telephone bill to subscribers across the country this month is a different story. It can only be termed extortion. The charge of Rs199 against the automatic, involuntary activation of the Pakistan Package is irksome, to say the least. No wonder the public reaction is one of condemnation. Besides, there is also justification in questioning the logic behind the decision to do away with the coding and decoding facility on all telephone lines which was an effective tool to pre-empt misuse.
Pre-activated since Dec 1, 2007, the package enables customers to make nationwide calls to all PTCL and V-phone numbers at a very low charge, which may well be fantastic for those who may wish to subscribe to it. But to slap it across the board to all its six million subscribers is a decision that reeks of malafide intention. What is even worse is the fact that the helpline offered to those who wish to unsubscribe remains constantly busy and is clearly unable to manage the burden of catering to hundreds of thousands of annoyed PTCL clients.
The only other recourse is to personally approach PTCL Customer Service Centres, but the heavy rush on the counters makes many wonder what actually represents the lesser evil: paying the charge or standing in snail-pace queues? The point is simple: PTCL should have kept with the practice of providing its various services to those who wished to subscribe to them. In its current form, Pakistan Package is a service that has been imposed, not offered. And this has caused a lot of botheration to the subscribers who have to either pay monthly for services they did not intend to sign up for, or face humiliation and waste time at PTCL counters for no fault of their own. It is time for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to rectify this ill-advised decision and withdraw the package at once.
‘PAKISTAN PACKAGE’
[Mehran Leghari, Lahore]
PTCL has played a fast one on its consumers and picked their pockets, by introducing its “Pakistan Package.” It charges Rs199, plus tax, to enable consumers to make outstation calls of 5,000 minutes in a month. By a click on the computer’s keyboard, it granted the facility to all consumers, whether or not they wanted it. When the consumers realised they had been charged Rs220 in the bill, they started calling the helpline, which never responded. Alternatively, they called the exchange and were told to present copies of the ID card and of the old bill and a letter requesting the discontinuation of the facility—an unnecessary hassle. But in one month, PTCL made a few billion rupees if it had introduced the facility to, let us say, ten million consumers and charged the Rs220 each before they applied for its discontinuation. If this is not a broad-daylight robbery, what is it? [The News]
PTCL RACKET
[A Subscriber, Karachi]
After learning of the ‘Pakistan Package’ activated compulsorily on all the telephone numbers by the PTCL in December, I had dialled their helpline No. 1236 to cancel this facility. The number was very busy but after several attempts I did manage to connect and use the automated recording system to do the job.
However, when I received the bill, to my surprise I had still been charged Rs199. Therefore, instead of wasting time and energy by going to their office, I tried the 1236 number again to repeat the cancellation process, but the line was too busy, so I finally called it after 1am with the hope of getting through. I was able to go through the process where I was required to press the ‘1’ for the second time to confirm I actually didn’t want the deal. Unlike before, this time a recording asked me to wait. After about a minute there was another message regretting that the system was busy so I should try again after some time. I did that but to no avail. Frustrated, I went through the whole process again after a few hours on that very cold morning but was again told the same story of the system being busy.
This shows that the PTCL people appear to be deliberately making it extremely difficult and frustrating for the subscribers to cancel the service. They would either have to undergo the unnecessary hassle of going to their office or keep paying Rs199.
There have been a few reports in Dawn in recent weeks highlighting this problem but the PTCL people have been making excuses. It is also surprising why the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has not acted to ease the public suffering due to PTCL highhandedness. The minister concerned is urged to take urgent notice and do the needful and also ensure that the PTCL will not arbitrarily impose any package on the subscribers in future
Of some people I talked to, nobody had opted for this package but one person still got the charges on their bill like me. I am not giving my phone number here because, looking at the PTCL attitude, I am afraid they may disrupt my line. [Dawn]
PTCL'S PAKISTAN PACKAGE
[Shahid Ahmad Khan, Karachi]
I have noticed that most PTCL packages are aimed at fleecing subscribers one way or another. The latest is the Pakistan Package through which PTCL has unilaterally started to extort Rs199 from the subscribers every month. The package might be useful for those making frequent nationwide calls but is absolutely unwanted by others. PTCL's ad says that a subscriber may opt to deactivate the Pakistan Package by calling the company's 1236 helpline. In other words, the subscriber who isn't interested in the fraud must go through the trouble of deactivation.
I don't want this Pakistan Package and have been trying to get it deactivated. However, to my utter dismay, the countless attempts I have made have all failed, because the pre-recorded message always informs me that the network is busy. To prevent the forced inclusion of Rs199 in my bill, I have to get rid of an unasked for, unused service before the end of the month, but I don't know how. I think of the thousands of fellow victims of this merciless swindling, who will be paying the undue extra amount if they do not succeed in deactivating the Pakistan Package by Dec 31.
PTCL will surely lose out if it doesn't put a stop to such dishonest marketing tricks. There are other phone companies offering far better and honest packages. I have made up my mind not to pay next month's bill if Rs199 are included in it. PTCL is going to lose one subscriber. [The News]
TECHNOLOGY IN A MESS
[Fatima Mansoor, Islamabad]
It is seen that there are less wireless helplines available or they seem to be too busy like lost files in the office. Calling on PTCL helpline is like waiting in cue for getting wheat. Lines are always busy. It takes weeks even months to get one complain resolved. People sitting there cannot resolve the problem in one go and take long to understand problem. There is no proper system of resolving complaints as the system is virtually non-existent and people are not trained at all.new logos and aggressive advertising campaign needs a total support of better manpower and some money should be spent on human resource development. [Pakistan Observer]
NO RESPONSE
[Dr. Shaukat Mahmood, Lahore]
PTCL introduced its Pakistan Package over a month ago. This was offered to all telephone subscribers. Those who did not want to have this package were asked to contact PTCL on telephone number 1236. I dialled this number and following the instruction of the PTCL automatic system I completed the process for not utilising Pakistan Package.
At the end of the process I was clearly told that my Pakistan Package had been deactivated. On January 20, I received my telephone bills. Both my bills for telephone numbers 5732985 and 5747455 show additional charge of Rs 199.00 for Pakistan Package. Since receiving the bills I have tried to dial 1236 again and again to deactivate the Package, but every time I am told the system is busy, try later.
[The Post]
PTCL FLEECES
[Talaat Khurshid, Rawalpindi]
I was expecting that with the introduction of the free Pakistan Package by PTCL, my telephone (051-5502223) bill will be reduced, but to my utter shock and surprise it has increased. This gives credence to the doubts raised about the Pakistan Package in the print media by a number of citizens who wanted to disconnect from this package, terming it tobe an outright fleecing tactics by PTCL, but could not make any headway because the PTCL help line number was never available. We asked the PTCL not to charge Rs. 199/- from those whose outstation calls monthly bills were about Rs. 200/-.
But what about those like me whose bills were always more than this amount, although because of necessary usage. I have failed to decipher my current bill for the month of 12-2007 which contains the following charges: 1) Special facility charges=Rs. 30/-, 2) NWD (Off-net)= Rs. 120/-, (On-net over quota)=Rs. 34/- (meaning thereby that I used the Pakistan Package more that the allowed 5000 minutes!!!, 3) Local mobile charges=Rs. 710/- and NWD mobile charges= Rs. 120/-, 4) Internet usage charges=Rs. 171/20 with an increase in the number of local calls to 393. Last time someone had raised doubts about PTCL charging multiple calls for one connection to an ISP whereas Dr Ata ur Rehman had announced that one connection, however long it may be to an ISP, would be charged as one call.
I have been asked to cough out Rs 367/- as CED (VAT Mode) Current and over and above Rs. 100/- as with holding tax!! The PTCL had also announced a local call package but one doesn't where has it been reflected in the bill and at what rate. Now I would like to ask PTCL a few questions and would also like PTA to intervene too. How many billions of rupees has the PTCL fleeced out of the pockets of unwilling citizens who were forced to use the Pakistan Package? Isn't the government not another beneficiary in this fleecing when on an increased bill I have to pay CED + with holding tax which goes in its coffers?
Would the PTCL give me the details of all calls made in Pakistan Package when it is claiming on-net over quota charges from me. The on-net NWD calls of the Pakistan Package have not been shown in the bill, as was the practice previously, thus creating a doubt about its usage. The removal of the code barring facility from my telephone without my permission, and not reflecting the on-net NWD numbers in my bill creates serious misgivings about the Pakistan Package. Why has the PTCL hidden the on-net NWD numbers? The local call package was for a fixed amount per hour but what about a call which is less than an hour or a part thereof? [The Frontier Post]
==================================================================
Issue of the Month: Darkening Pakistan
POWER SHORTAGES
[Rafi Ahmed, Karachi]
The nation is suffering from increasing power shortage, bringing out street protests and threat of industries closing down. The proposal and completion of paperwork for construction of the Kalabagh Dam was completed by the UN, World Bank and Wapda in 1984, but fierce opposition did not permit its construction, despite the fact that every regime, military or civilian, popular or unpopular, strongly advocated it.
The present regime has stressed that a number of dams will be required, and that it would be suicidal for the nation not to construct these dams, but the opposition still continues. These dams are vitally required, it will take almost a decade to construct one dam, by which time the need and suffering will have further gone up. [Dawn]
BLACKOUTS
[Lt-Col (r) Ali Mohammad Mir, Lahore]
Electricity consumers' woes have been aggravated by WAPDA mismanaging the situation. I had the opportunity to talk to some WAPDA employees and they said that the policy was to have no more than a half-hour shutdown at a time. We commoners of average intelligence don't understand the logic behind this policy. These frequent, unscheduled shutdowns do not allow us to do anything requiring electricity; for instance if the power is cut when you are midway in a task on the computer, whatever has been done gets washed off and one has to start all over again, with the same result.
To cite my own case as an example, we had power shutdowns on Jan 3 at 6:30am., 7:40am, 8:45am and 9:30am, with each spell lasting 25 to 30 minutes. The timings were different the following day. Besides seriously affecting the domestic and office routine and factory outputs, the shutdowns are damaging electric appliances, especially when the voltage fluctuates for a period before stabilising. It would be less bothersome and damaging if the total load-shedding hours were split into two parts, each lasting from two to three hours at a time, with the timings fixed for each locality. If I knew that there would be no electricity from 9:00am to 12:00 noon and from 6pm. to 8pm in my area, I could plan my work schedule accordingly. [The News]
POWER CRISIS
[Nadia Abbasi, Islamabad]
The people of Pakistan continue to suffer at least six hours of electricity load-shedding every day. This is despite the government’s claims a few weeks ago that the duration of power outages will be reduced to four hours a day. We are passing through winter at the moment, what will we do in the summer without fans and airconditioners? Not everyone can afford a generator, and even that is a temporary solution to the problem. The government has a very short time in which to come up with a solution to the current power crisis, but it must rise to the challenge. After all, it was the government that was sleeping for the last eight years without planning for the increased demand for energy in the country. [Daily Times]
POWER SHORTAGES
[Javed N Malik, Lahore]
Pakistan is currently confronted with severe power shortages, resulting in massive loadshedding and rolling blackouts throughout the country. This has been due to the criminal neglect of the sector during the past five years. No new investment has been made, nor any new projects launched. Projects initiated previously have been delayed due to the poor project management of Wapda. What good can be expected of the present?
The ministry for water and power, the Wapda and other relevant officials are, broadly speaking, responsible for mismanagement in the power sector. Proper governance, through good utilities practices accompanied by accountability of the management for this debacle, is the only way to take the nation out of darkness. [Dawn]
POWER CRISIS
[S R H Hashmi, Karachi]
In the past, people faced loadshedding in summers when electricity consumption increased due to heavy use of air-conditioners and other cooling appliances. This year, however, we have already started experiencing long and frequent spells of loadshedding in the winter season, which is a new phenomenon. We are told that Pakistan has achieved exceptional economic progress in the recent years which subsequently raised electricity consumption causing unavoidable loadshedding. If this is to be believed, why didn’t those in charge of the power sector foresee the gravity of the situation, failing to take necessary measures in time to meet the challenge?
I hope the new government will take up this matter on a priority basis to offer some relief to the public. People have begun to feel that they get electricity as if it were charity and not a service they pay for. [The News]
PUMPED STORAGE
[Faqir Ahmed Paracha, Peshawar]
The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PepCo) has enforced a four-hour daily loadshedding plan across the country on account of peak-hour shortages reaching over 2000MW, or 20 per cent of the total demand of 10,000MW (Dec 27). At present, 33 per cent of our power is generated by hydel and 67 per cent by thermal means. Hydel power is very cheap (58 paisas per unit), while thermal power is very expensive (Rs4.34 per unit). Out of 73,500 million units of total annual generation, 25,500 million units are generated by hydel power. Our hydel-thermal power mix at present is heavily tilted towards thermal power, although ideally it should have been the other way round. The total installed capacity of hydro-power is 6,500 MW. In summer, the power plants are capable of generating power up to the installed capacity because of availability of water. The problem arises in winter when the water flows are reduced, limiting the capability of plants to only 2,000 MW, i.e. 30 per cent of the installed capacity. This year, in fact, it has dwindled down to 1672MW.
Thermal power is used to make up for the shortfalls in summer and the reduced capacity in winter. This increases the unit cost of electricity. It is, therefore, necessary to increase hydel power generation and reduce dependency on thermal plants.
In Europe, where water availability generally remains low, the use of water is made efficient through pumped storage. In this type, water is stored in the tail-basin and pumped back during low demand periods to produce power during the peak demand periods. By using the same water over and over again, its use is optimised.
The system of pumped storage can be developed at the high-head power projects under the construction at Khan Khwar, Allai Khwar, Duber Khwar and Keyal Khwar in Kohistan and Golan Gol in Chitral. By multiple use of available water during winter, the productivity of the hydel plants will be optimised, hydel-thermal mix will be improved and the unit cost of electricity will come down. [Dawn]
POWER CRISIS
[Zill-e-Rehman Khan Niazi, Islamabad]
Pakistanis have received 'excellent New-Year gifts' in the form of electricity and gas loadshedding, acute flour shortage and a horrendous loss worth billions of rupees in the riots and rampages in the wake of the death of Benazir Bhutto. The loadshedding problem is something the government should have anticipated after the Kalabagh Dam project was postponed indefinitely. Now the entire nation has to suffer due to long loadshedding spells even in winters. The industrial sector is also being forced to shut its operations due to power shortage. Imagine what will happen in summers as Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has already announced that there is a power deficit of 3,400 megawatts.
Hydroelectric power is the only solution to this problem. Coal and nuclear energy are the top two electricity-generating sources in the world. Only 6.6 per cent of electricity produced worldwide is generated through oil. Ironically, Pakistan is one of those 'oil-rich' countries which generate electricity through oil. Pakistan has a potential for producing hydroelectric and nuclear power. Though it is already quite late now, one wonders how long the authorities will take to make a concerted effort for the development of power infrastructure in Pakistan. [The News]
POWER CRISIS
[Javed.N.Malik, Lahore]
Pakistan is currently confronted with severe power shortages, resulting in massive loadshedding and rolling blackouts throughout country. This is due to criminal neglect of the sector during the last five years. No new investment has been made, nor any new projects launched, rather the previously-initiated projects have been delayed due to poor projects management of the power company concerned. [Dawn]
LOADSHEDDING
[Ayesha Akbar, Attock]
Five years of misrule and utter incompetence on the part of the rulers are yielding results in the form of prolonged loadshedding spells and acute shortages of gas and flour in the country, making life miserable. It seems that only plunderers have benefited from the PML-Q government. In my part of the city, despite the prime minister's promise to reduce the period of power cuts, people are suffering hours-long spells of loadshedding. The president is perhaps unconcerned about the problems of the public and is continuously boasting of the upward trends in the economy since he came into power. [The News]
STONE AGE
[Abdullah, Karachi]
On Dec 13, a front-page headline in Dawn had said: “90 minutes of daily loadshedding”. The top headline for Dec 27, again on front page, read: ‘Four-hour countrywide loadshedding planned’. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Jan 2 issue informs us of ‘Eight-hour loadshedding’. Not only that, other stories in the same date are: (1) ‘Prolonged power cuts soon’ from Islamabad, on page two, (2) ‘AJK faces power crisis’ on page three, (3) ‘Unbridled loadshedding makes life a hell’, from Toba Tek Singh and Bahawalpur, on page four, (4) ‘Closure of industries threatened’, also on page four, which notes that the industrialists’ associations in Faisalabad have given this warning, in protest against the long spells of unscheduled loadshedding. This is the winter’s peak; in summer what will happen?
In his memoirs, President Musharraf had revealed that Richard Armitage of the US State Department had threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age after 9/11, if we did not cooperate with them against the Taliban. However, as the above-mentioned reports show, we are already well on our way to the Stone Age and don’t need outside help for the purpose.
Today, whenever I thought of sitting on the computer to type this letter, the power would go off. Without electricity, the computers and other equipment or appliances in the offices and homes cannot be used, while the lighting is also insufficient in many places to do any significant work. This is part-time Stone Age.
Who will the rulers make the scapegoat for this, because they can’t blame the deposed CJ and the other 55 judges for the government’s incompetence? This brings to mind the wise saying quoted by a correspondent several months back: “Tyrants are seldom free; the cares and the instruments of their tyranny enslave them”. For about a year the president has had to devote more and more of his time and energies to remain in power. With each passing month the situation has been getting worse for him and the nation, while the truth of the quotation has been getting increasingly evident. [Dawn]
ENERGY CRISIS
[S M Wasif, Mardan]
Due to the long spells of loadshedding, the country has apparently plunged into the dark ages. The beginning of the 21st century is no different from the early years of the preceding century for most people here because of the lack of electricity which is a basic need in the present-day world. Pakistanis are forced to live a miserable life. I wonder if the government officials are even bothered by the plight of the ordinary Pakistanis. [The News]
==================================================================
Issue of the Month: Where has all the wheat gone?
FOOD SHORTAGE
[Hasnain Khan, Canada]
The caretaker Prime Minister has been informed that the poor and the destitute of this country are to suffer from food shortages only for two to four more weeks. It would be fitting of the government functionaries, especially the President who has often sought the solidarity from the common Pakistani, to demonstrate solidarity with the Pakistani masses by spending a day in long lines to get the flour and sugar from utility stores.
Those responsible for this current dosage of annual food shortages are not ghosts. All of them are well-known personalities belonging to political, business and industrialist dynasties. They could not hide from persecution even if they wanted to, given their status in the country. Which bring me to the question, as to why have the authorities then not done a thing besides instructing them to cover up the worst shortage of food to have hit Pakistan?
This crisis reeks of corruption, maligned intentions, and simply illegal and even inhumane business practices. If the President of the country cannot guarantee safety to the poor people from the ‘businessmen’ of this country, how can we expect him to sustain us in the face of bigger problems? [Dawn]
ATTA CRISIS
[Ashfaq Sharif, Karachi]
The current flour crisis has put the price of the commodity beyond the reach of low-income and middle-class people. In Karachi the price of a naan was Rs3. Now it has gone up to Rs4. In better restaurants it has risen by four rupees to become Rs7. Pakistan is a heaven for traders who know how to increase prices for maximum profit. [The News]
WHEAT HOARDING CONDONED
[Fatima Hasan, Lahore]
Daily Times reported on January 8, 2008 that a list of 50 potential wheat-hoarders was presented to the caretaker prime minister but no decision was taken against these individuals because a majority of them are set to contest the coming general elections. Even more interesting is a statement from the food minister who has said that rural masses are to blame for the present wheat shortage because they have been hoarding it in large quantities. One is left speechless at such remarks and decisions. Why are potential wheat hoarders being allowed to contest the elections? Instead of pardoning them because they are contesting elections, should they not be disallowed so that more honest people can become our representatives? And the food minister must be delusional, because the hoarding was not done by the rural ‘masses.’ [Daily Times]
A COMPLETE MESS
[Sonia Shahid, Lahore]
What is becoming of Pakistan? The area where I live in Lahore is without electricity for 16 hours every day. Meanwhile, despite the fact that Pakistan produces gas, gas tariffs have gone up 10 per cent. Likewise, Pakistan is also a major wheat producer, yet wheat flour is virtually out of reach for the ordinary people. What good are Pakistan's wheat crops if it can't satisfy the population's need for this staple? Then there is the rise in crimes and suicide bombings.
I feel disgusted when I see heaps of garbage, smelly and open manholes and beggars. Imagine, this is the situation in a provincial capital! As a citizen I have the right to ask what President Musharraf's rule has done for my country. [The News]
THE LAST STRAW
[Naveed Afridi, USA]
The flour shortage should not be underestimated. In a country that is on the brink of destruction, a flour shortage could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The absence of basic food items can tear down countries. Also, the Taliban and their Al Qaeda mentors will quickly exploit a law and order situation that develops from a lack of basic necessities. As a weak government tries hard to hang on to power and immature politicians focus on how to obtain it, the bigger picture is missed by those that are in a position to do something to prevent this looming catastrophe. [Daily Times]
FOOD REMEDY
[Mohammad Iqbal Abid, Karachi]
This is with reference to your editorial, ‘Dr Shah’s food remedy’ (Dec 27, in which Dr Shah, the caretaker finance minister, insisted that the food inflation is 10 to 11 per cent and could go up by 20 to 25 per cent to meet international requirements. It is not keeping up with international inflationary trends that has resulted in price hike in Pakistan but bad fiscal policies of the present government that have resulted in price hike.
For example, in order to meet the fiscal deficit, the government resorted to a novel method by printing more money. Worldwide food shortages are a result of crop failures but in Pakistan it has occurred when the wheat crop has done well.
One cannot obtain flour — and huge queues outside utility stores would testify to the fact — but about 2.2 million tons of flour has been exported. At present fuel reserves are dangerously low, with only one week of diesel stocks left. How will the shortage of fuel be met, only time will tell as the government has no contingency plan to meet these shortages. [Dawn]
WAR AGAINST HOARDING!
[M Saeed, Islamabad]
It is appalling that we produced 23.5 million tons of wheat last year and still have to struggle to meet our domestic demand. We have a population of a hundred and sixty million and no great arithmetic skill is required to figure out how much wheat per capita should have been available per day. Based on the 23.5 million tons figure, about 0.4 kg for each one of us, including infants and children!
If we are importing wheat at the moment, then it is not because each of us is consuming nearly half a kilo of wheat a day, but because of hoarding, profiteering and smuggling. A strong atta mafia is working to make life miserable for the people, nothing less than a war against this scourge will provide relief to the masses. [Daily Times]
TAX
[Aftab Khalili, Karachi]
The withholding income tax is 3.5 per cent on supplies of goods. This is a tax which the buyer deducts from the supplier at the time of payment and deposit the same in the treasury. This tax is also deductible on supplies of essential daily food items, where ratio of profit is very low, even below 3.5 per cent. I would, therefore, suggest that the withholding tax on essential daily food items such as wheat, rice and sugar be reduced to one per cent. [Dawn]
FLOUR CRISIS
[Muhammad Amin Asad, Buner]
Pakistan is an agricultural country, yet its planners are unable to provide food for its population. Pakistan spends a huge amount of foreign exchange to import edible items, especially wheat, but to what purpose? If the present flour crisis continues, Pakistan can become one of the major food-deficit countries of the world. Although the president and the prime minister have taken 'serious notice’ of the problem, the government should tackle the problem on a permanent basis. In particular, food smuggling should be stopped and hoarders and illegal profiteers should be sternly dealt with. Meanwhile, to prevent such crises in future, the government should give greater importance to the development of the agriculture sector. [The News]
RATION CARDS
[Khalild A, United Kingdom]
The government is starting a ration card scheme for the lower economic classes. But the mere launch of such a scheme is not going yield much results unless the rules apply to everyone without exception. During World War II, all essential items were strictly rationed in Britian. British war archives contain a copy of the ration card issued to King George and the royal family, who were following these restrictions very strictly. The only exception was the extra cloth ration provided to the king, which was a political necessity as it was important to show a well-dressed king. [Daily Times]
FOOD COMMITTEE
[Hussain Siddiqui, Islamabad]
Finally, President Pervez Musharraf has taken serious note of the non-availability and, resultantly, high prices of wheat flour and has established a federal food committee for ensuring its market availability at an affordable price. It is an action too little and too late. The Reader’s Digest of this month defines the committee as “a group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit, to do the unnecessary.” How true it is for conditions in Pakistan! [Dawn]
SUO MOTO ACTION
[Abdul Rauf, Fateh Jang]
At a time when the country is in the grip of the flour crisis, power shutdowns and security problems, I wish Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was in the Supreme Court. Had he been chief justice, he would have taken suo moto action against those responsible for the crises. I urge all political parties to strive for the independence of the judiciary and promise that they will reinstate the sacked judges of the superior courts. Only timely justice can save the nation from further destabilisation. [The News]
THE ‘SUBSIDY’ MYTH
[Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal Awan, DI Khan]
Governments in Pakistan love using the word ‘subsidy’ and the reason is obvious: it’s an easy and effective way for them to not only hide their poor policies but also pose themselves as great benefactors of the masses. The previous government of Punjab made tall claims of bearing Rs 21.720 billion worth of subsidy at the rate of Rs 170 million per month to ensure public relief for the purchase of sugar, pulses, wheat flour and other edibles.
According to MINFAL Minister Prince Isa Muhammad Jan, the caretaker government imported two million tonnes of wheat at Rs 35 per kilogram but provided it to local flour millers at Rs 11.63 to maintain the flour price at around Rs 18 per/kg thus showing that consumers are provided with a subsidy worth Rs 17. Is it not also a fact that the flour crisis would not have arisen if the last government would not have miscalculated our commodity requirements and exported one million tonnes of ‘surplus’ wheat in early 2007? Similarly, the people of Pakistan are getting ‘subsidised’ electricity, petroleum and gas. Where do these subsidy grants come from? It is the money people pay in taxes. Then how come governments pose the grant of subsidies as the ultimate act of philanthropy? It is the very least they can do — use our money to grant us relief. [Daily Times]
FLOUR CRISIS
[Muhammad Anwar, Peshawar]
During the stock exchange crisis some people made billions virtually overnight and the majority, the small investors, lost their life savings. Then came the sugar crisis. Now the flour crisis is in full swing. The former prime minister once said that Pakistan had a bumper wheat crop and that we were in a position to export wheat. Now wheat is being imported. The former prime minister also said that wheat was being smuggled to India and Afghanistan. How many culprits were caught? [The News]
==================================================================
From the National Press
CITIZENS’ SECURITY: WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?
[M. Afzal, Karachi]
How considerate the government is can be seen by the taxes that it has consistently loaded/levied on the unfortunate citizens of Pakistan. I have just received a bill from a local security agency for the year 2008 amounting to Rs8,000, plus Rs2,700 extra for federal excise duty at 15 per cent. When the government cannot assure the citizens their safety, what right has it to tax the citizens who have to make their own arrangements and ensure their security through private security agencies?
Every day several banks, commercial institutions, and private homes are blatantly looted without the hope of any of the criminals being caught. How long will the government throttle the citizens with their highhanded taxes? After all, the overburdened slaves also revolted in the Roman Empire. It is time for the people to rise and take up the matter in the newspapers before they are totally suffocated and unceremoniously overburdened by these unjust taxes. If the government wants more revenue, it should reduce its enormous defence budget by 25 to 30 per cent and save the citizens from these government-imposed hardships. [Dawn]
WHAT A WASTE!
[Nabiha Ejaz, Lahore]
It was reported on the front page of Daily Times on January 10 that the government has signed a contract worth $45000 a month with a public relations firm to improve its image in the United States. This contract is on top of another contract worth $55000 a month with another PR firm. This move comes after reports that Congress is ready to place strict conditions on aid to Pakistan and will demand free and fair polls. Instead of spending these hundreds of thousands of dollars on improving the situation in the country, the government thinks it’s all a matter of ‘image’. Never mind spending money where it can actually improve the situation. The government thinks that it can simply wish all its problems away if it spends money on making the country look fine and dandy abroad. Who are they kidding? US legislators are certainly not buying the act, neither are the people of Pakistan. It is an insult to us taxpayers that our money is being used for excesses like PR firms when what is needed is action, not image-building. [Daily Times]
CARS FOR VIPS
[Habib Masood Zia, Islamabad]
On the one hand the government and its officials are beating the drums about energy-saving strategies and on the other, they are enjoying the luxuries of centrally-heated and air-conditioned offices and homes at public expense. The most glaring example of this is the purchase of two BMWs for the official and private use of a senior military official. Let's wait and see when our so-called public servants ask for Rolls Royce cars. After all, public money is their money and for them to use. [The News]
VVIP COPTERS, CLASSIC EXTRAVAGANCE
[Gheewala, Karachi]
This has reference to Business Recorder report dated 10th Jan, with most suitable opening word that one can hardly believe that the caretaker government could approve as a special case the buying of two AgustaWestland helicopters for VVIP movement for $60 million setting aside the normal procedure. In the news report it had also been stated that C.T. Prime Minister's special approval of the purchase showed some urgency in awarding the contract. Could such haste be construed as sting kick back or favour to some body special to the Prime Minister or cabinet division.
Caretakers mean the custodians supposed to be true to their oath. They should not become spendthrifts to waste taxpayers' money by taking undue advantage of their temporary stay in the government. The other day the C.T. Prime Minister had urged upon the nation to reduce the use of the vehicles in order to save fuel and now he has taken a decision beyond the prudence. Our President is there. He must stop this extravagance. [Business Recorder]
CITIZENS’ PROTECTION
[Abu Abdul Muez, Islamabad]
After every brutal act of terrorism, those at helm of affairs say that they strongly condemn the act, that it is a crime against humanity, and that the persons responsible shall be brought to book. It is pathetic that despite the loss of thousands of lives in the past year the government has failed to prevent such incidents and bring to book a single culprit. Will our authorities skip the rhetoric and focus on protection of the lives of its citizens?
[Pakistan Observer]
BETTER LAW & ORDER
[Z.H. Effendi, Karachi]
If Pakistan and all its citizens and all their interests are to have a future, then law and order in the country need to be in a much better shape. For this to be possible, everyone has to do a few things. All top government institutions need to plan real hard and come up with solutions for a better state of affairs. Specially beginning has to be made with law-enforcement and other agencies operating nationally or other wise.
One area that needs to be looked into and is common to all institutions is that of the human resource management. Small pay scales, lack of facilities for children’s education, inadequate healthcare and poor housing facilities lead officials to ignore law and take recourse to corruption. Over a period of time the functionaries become oblivious to what is called law.
To overcome the situation, the pay scale should be good enough to attract the best talent; children’s education should be fully paid in the best schools of that area; healthcare should be there and fully paid for the whole family, top lawyers for teaching the law should be made available in every district with regular compulsory classes, and experts in policing practice should be brought in for regular training for quality improvement.
Also, life insurance should be paid for on behalf of each officer through State Life or another; in case of death or disability of an officer their family gets a handsome compensation. These and other areas of benefits should be developed and offered to take care of all the needs. From thereon each officer should do their best to protect and serve the community.
The new expenses should be met with enhanced federal and provincial grants, as well as through funds generated at the local level. Also as some areas are doing better and need to be expanded, such as the CPLC. Similarly, women’s police stations also need to be expanded. The NHA should also be appreciated for its excellent efforts in enforcing highway law, and its services should be extended all major roads in all major cities. The police should ideally function as an independent organisation under the establishment and should not be used in any way for political influence by any party, and all recruitments must be strictly as per rules and on merit. [Dawn]
A GRIM PICTURE
[Mustafa Ahmed, Lahore]
The recently released quarterly report of the State Bank of Pakistan has prompted a grim and pessimistic response from the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Pakistan’s GDP growth rate has seen a drop from its target of 7.2 percent to 6.6 percent. The president of the LCCI is pessimistic about future improvements, and has urged President Musharraf to immediately revise Pakistan’s economic policies, together with economic experts. He also largely blamed the chaotic law and order situation in the country as the main reason for a fast deteriorating economy.
Pakistan has lost much business credibility in the international arena and foreign investment has reduced considerably, owing to the unrest and instability in Pakistan. The imposition of Emergency, the government’s crackdown on lawyers and then journalists, and finally the protests and looting after the assassination of a political leader within the span of a few weeks has perhaps done irreparable damage to our economy. Amid all this is the inflationary pressure, which seems to be on the rise by the hour. Let us also not forget the energy crisis we find ourselves in. Musharraf must leave now and hand over the country to more populist forces, so that our crises can be prioritised the way they deserve to be. [Daily Times]
SELF-DESTRUCTION
[Shabbir Ahmad, Islamabad]
Eight years ago the nation had been told that it was on the brink of economic disaster, and that the new economic team would take it forward to make it the latest Asian tiger. A team of imported economic and financial managers was then put in place for achieving this goal. Similar promises were repeated five years ago when a bunch of sycophants and lotas were brought together to legitimise the setup. The economic and financial managers remained unchanged.
Today the actual situation is for all to see. There are shortages of almost everything. There is shortage of water, gas, electricity and even flour. Life has never been harder for the poorer sections of the Pakistani society. On the other hand, the negative features range from inflation to suicide bombings. The future has never looked bleaker. For most of this we can thank the economic planning and financial policies of the imported finance minister and prime minister, and those who put such people in place. It is now time for change and change must come from the top. Otherwise, we don’t seem too far away from destroying ourselves. [Pakistan Observer]
LAND REFORMS
[Ali Hussain Mazari, Multan]
Ahmad Faruqui’s article (Jan 14) calls for land reforms as means to uplift the masses. I condemn this proposal as being counter productive and having a negative impact on the rural economy and society. We have seen two land reforms in the past, one in the Ayub era and the other one in the Bhutto era, both have resulted in creating leadership vacuums which have been filled by thugs, robbers and dacoits. Also, areas where land reforms had taken place, the lands were not given to the haris or the farm labourers but were instead given to army officers. A case in point is the vast tract of land in Cholistan, Rajunpur and such other districts in Punjab.
Mr Faruqui should awaken to the fact that feudalism is a dead horse and a non-issue. It is not the feudals now who are running the country but the newly emerged class of capitalists and retired generals who form the policies of the country. I would also like to take this opportunity to place before the readers a judgment as quoted by V.D. Mahajan in his book Jurisprudence, that the Indian Supreme Court has condemned land reforms as being against the natural rights of man and also against inheritance rights of the individual and the Indian Supreme Court has stated that in India there would be no further land reforms. As this case was filed after the commencement of land reforms in India, hence the judgment could not have a retrospective effect on the policies of the Indian government. [Dawn]
WILL TCP ENLIGHTEN US?
[Shameem Ahmad, Karachi]
Through an advertisement in the press, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan has recently invited bids for the sale of 25,000 tons of sugar from the “imported stocks stored in TCP go-downs at Karachi.” Through another advertisement on the same date (Dec 25, 2007), the TCP invited “sealed offers from sugar mills in Pakistan who are members of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association for purchase of 50,000 MT of white refined sugar”.
In both cases, the interested tenderers have been given only one week to buy the tender documents and submit their bids. Is this not an ‘indecent haste’ (especially during a caretaker government) of the type that characterised the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation which was subsequently declared null and void by the then Supreme Court of Pakistan? Some other questions that come to mind of the knowledgeable, sensitive Pakistanis are as under:
Is the TCP a profit-making business organisation that wants to make money by dealing in sugar? If so, will it like to tell its countrymen how much profit it expects to make by disposing of the imported sugar in the open market? We would also like to know its landed cost and country of origin. Why and when was it imported from abroad, instead of buying from the local manufacturers? With regard to the tender for purchase of 50,000 MT of white refined sugar, why restrict the deal only to the local “sugar mills in Pakistan that are members of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association”?
If the TCP’s objective is to make a profit, why does it not consider buying from any source, local or foreign? However, if the TCP’s patriotism demands patronising Pakistani sugar mills, does it think that local manufacturers who are not members of the Association do not produce good quality sugar?
Any analysis of the two hasty tenders floated by the TCP is bound to create doubts in the minds of those who are familiar with rampant corruption in the country. It is for the TCP to dispel the doubts. [Dawn]
==================================================================
CSR Views & News
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE COASTAL BELT OF SINDH
By S. M. Taha
[This article first appeared in Business Recorder http://www.brecorder.com on January 19, 2008.]
Corporate responsibility is the buzzword senior executives are seen using extensively at social get together. There are many companies that have begun to make allocations to meet the requirement of this responsibility. On the one hand it saves tax on company's earnings, and on the other it adds to the company's allocation for the welfare of the people through non profits or through any other source that is permissible under the law.
The cumulative fund is usually seen flowing to welfare projects announced by the government. For the company, it is both fulfilment of corporate responsibility, and an effective exercise in public relations domain. In some countries the corporate responsibility is visible through the process of periodical accountability carried out by the government as well as by the beneficiaries themselves.
There are regular publications and regular coverage in the press of the activities undertaken as public welfare work. Though, Bill Gates is a big name in the information technology world, but the way he has fulfilled his corporate responsibility is exemplary. The purpose of mentioning his name abruptly at this place is to economise on words that are needed to explain what corporate responsibility means, and how it should be carried through. Here in Pakistan, it is not expected from the corporate sector to emulate the IT giant Gates, but at least to draw lessons from his example, though on a minuscule scale, and take up small projects on their own and support it till it completes.
From a report it is learnt that there are a large number of companies that have established factories nearer to coastal areas of Sindh, whereas, their 'corporate responsibility' is focused on urban areas' needs. Their funds allocated for the welfare of the people go directly to fashionable philanthropic organisations. There is little information how these philanthropic organisations use these funds and how much they succeed in their work. Some references could be found about the discharge of corporate responsibility by a few in the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan but success stories have yet to be made public.
At least, the coastal area of Sindh and Balochistan do not show any sign of work directed toward the people living there for centuries. They are without the basic necessities of life such as potable water, health coverage, and provision for education and fuel for their kitchen. On the contrary, liquid waste from the nearby factories is being discharged into their system of living -- dependent on the freshness of the sea. The provincial coastal development authority has failed to come up with plan to facilitate coastal population in organising their territorial jurisdiction and community lives. This state of coastal affairs, on one side tells the story about the inability and inefficiency of the government, and on the other about the insensitivity of those companies that boasts fulfilment of their corporate responsibility in coastal areas. They continue to deposit poisonous material in the coastal area.
People living in the coastal belt of Sindh say that despite assurances from the government to organise their living by being instrumental in their fishing and agricultural activities, nothing has been done so far. The entire coastal belt is under environmental threat. Poison is being drained into the marine lives and in the lives of the people living along the coast.
The coastal development department had assured the coastal population that it would provide basic facilities to their localities such as potable water, fishing help, marketing and preservation of the catch, coconut plantation, assistance in animal husbandry, and school and health facilities besides taking action against the erring factories polluting water. The coastal belt, which stretches from one end in Balochistan to another in the Indian Gujrat border, is more than 850 miles. It is rich in resources to sustain coastal population and produce enough seafood to export.
There is enough to meet the entire need of the coastal population and to earn foreign exchange for the national exchequer but so far nothing has been done. The coastal development authority is entrusted to draw development plans with two clearly defined purposes: welfare of the people and commercial exploitation of coastal resources. There is potential in public-private partnership in welfare work. This partnership has not been tried so far.
Official sources acquiesce with the grievances of the coastal people and say that the provincial government has not been able to identify priority areas to initiate development programmes. The government is yet to decide whether it is the commercial exploitation of coastal resources or the welfare of the people that should be given priority. From where to begin is their worry. The coastal belt of Sindh is highly politicised and sensitive to government initiatives. People want their leaders to decide for them and fix priorities. This desire of the people and the intention of the government do not go together.
People disappointed by the public sector, look toward private sector believing in corporate responsibility to undertake extensive coconut plantation and give these plants in custody of families living nearby. "The feeling of ownership is the key to the survival of this plantation." The local people are of the view that coconut plantation is one area which is expensive and needs technical expertise. In their estimation there are companies that are involved in producing agricultural products and have the needed expertise to develop coconut farms along the coastal area. "Coconut plantation is the key to coastal area development," they say.
The questions of ownership of land in the coastal belt is unsettled. Unless this issue is settled, much of the progress would remain halfway. The voice of the local people is not being heard. The corporate sector has a voice and it can take up this issue with the government and settle it once for all. Companies, which are in the limelight, as far as corporate responsibility publicity is concerned, are multinational pharmaceuticals. A few others are in the production of inputs needed for agricultural activities. There are a few that boost of producing chemicals as well. Tanneries are other sources that could be looked into.
These companies have sufficient funds to meet their corporate responsibility. They should come up with small projects and help coastal people stand on their own feet. Better results of corporate responsibility can be achieved through direct intervention. The companies should reach people directly through their representatives. They should keep an eye on the project and the utilisation of funds. Bill Gates is reaching people directly. [Courtesy Business Recorder]
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
[Ehsan-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Faisalabad]
I want to bring to the notice of the government the fact that multinational companies are not fulfilling their social responsibilities on problems such as pollution and healthcare. The purpose of any business in the world is not just to earn high profits but also to fulfil its social responsibilities. The government should take notice. [The Nation]
==================================================================
Good News
VOICE FOR CONSUMERS
Another verdict in favour of consumers has come in from the courts set up last year to hear their pleas. This time, a consumer court in Bahawalpur has ruled against what its calls ‘bait advertisements’ used by mobile phone companies to lure in clients. The court has found that the advertisements, appearing on banners and posters, offer rates for services that do not disclose the full amount a client would be expected to pay when government taxes and other charges are added in. Companies have been ordered to refrain from such advertising.
The recent rulings by the courts have begun to raise a new consciousness about the rights of consumers; they have helped provide them a voice. This is particularly important in an age of rampant advertising, visible not only everywhere in the media but also in the form of the giant billboards that dot roads in all major cities. It is also true that few standards exist to regulate the manufacturing and sale of a wide range of items, and the rulings now coming in from courts can help put these in place.
Last month, a consumer court in Lahore awarded Rs50,000 in damages to a woman who cut her hand while opening a shampoo bottle. The plaintiff had argued the bottle, marketed by a leading company, was defective and dangerous. Before this, the same court had awarded similar damages to a complainant who had been sold a malfunctioning air-conditioner.
The active role being played by the courts offers ordinary citizens at least some protection against unscrupulous manufacturers and retailers. It also acts as a reminder to corporations of the need for responsibility and to safeguard the interest of those who pay for their products. An important first step towards protecting consumer rights has begun. The awareness, raised by a number of small NGOs working for this, has begun to pay off. A great deal of course still needs to be done. More controls are required over the content of advertising, especially in the case of health products and other similar items that could have a potentially injurious impact.
More stringent standards are required to govern the manufacture of other items, and the details of ingredients in all kinds of food items must be mentioned accurately on their packaging. All this is of course a massive task. It cannot happen within weeks; perhaps not even months or years. But the consumer courts are a step in the right direction, with their rulings having already benefited some and raised levels of consciousness about the right of consumers not to be exploited, misinformed or tricked.
WELL DONE, LCC!
[Maria Hussain, Islamabad]
It was pleasing to read that the Lahore Consumer Court (LCC) has told a rickshaw company to take back a defective vehicle and compensate the petitioner, Mushtaq Hussain. In a country where institutions have traditionally been weak, it is heartening to see that at least the Consumer Courts, set up to protect consumers from faulty products and bad services, are functioning well. There have been several reports over the past few months of people being granted relief by the court after being provided with faulty goods. These judgements will set a good precedent that will encourage companies and retailers to improve their products and services. [Daily Times]
BERGER PAINTS GET RS 50 MILLION INSURANCE PAYMENT
Karachi (January 26 2008): Adamjee Insurance made an On Account Payment of Rs 50 million to Berger Paints Pakistan Ltd within 24 hours after a huge fire engulfed the plant. The payment was made even before the fire could be completely extinguished. Adamjee Insurance also took the initiative in setting losses relating to the incidents of December 27 and made On Account Payments to almost all its customers. This speaks volumes about Adamjee Insurance''s unmatched ability and willingness to pay claims.
==================================================================
HumorWise
ON THE FISHY SIDE
[Rafay Ahmed, Karachi]
There is a joke circulating among cellphone users nowadays that I felt worth sharing with readers. It goes as follows: A man catches a fish from a river and takes it home. He gives it to his wife and asks her to cook it. The wife replies that she can’t. The man asks why not? The wife says: “Because there is no electricity, no gas, no atta (flour) and no cooking oil.’’ The man takes the fish back to the river and throws it in. The fish swims up to the surface and shouts: ‘’Geo Musharraf.’’ [Dawn]
A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE
Please do not buy Land Cruisers. They have levers that can kill you (at least in Pakistan).
This is a public service message sponsored by Pakistan Camel & Donkey Carts Association
==================================================================
Letters to FreePakistan
From IPN NEWSLETTER
The past month has not been a happy one for those of us who believe in limited government and the rule of law.
First there was the two-week long gabfest in Bali, Indonesia, where government officials from around the world gathered to discuss how they might conspire to limit the freedom of their citizens on the premise that they were saving the world from climate change. Thankfully, IPN and some of our partner organisations were there to offer an alternative perspective on how to address climate change – see column to the right.
Then there was the murder of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, which crowned an episode of grotesque violations of the rule of law in that country. Earlier, Pervez Musharaff had suspended the bulk of the Constitution, including the rights not be arbitrarily deprived of life and to be guaranteed a fair trial, deposed the Chief Justice and jailed 17 members of the Supreme Court bar Association. Khalil Ahmad, friend and director of IPN partner organisation, Alternate Solutions Institute, sent a courageous New Year letter with the following message:
“We at Alternate Solutions Institute salute Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan (deposed) … and all those who are fighting for the supremacy of the constitution, an independent judiciary, rule of law, and fundamental and inalienable rights of the citizens of Pakistan. We wish them all a victorious new 2008!”
Khalil included two quotations from Chief Justice Chaudhury, made only one year ago, which seem apposite:
"… we must work with a commitment to realize a just and equitable society, based on rule of law … We understand that ensuring the rule of law and access to justice, particularly for the vulnerable, requires a comprehensive strategy and suitable policy and legal framework for an independent and functional judiciary … Our clear aim should be to enable the judicial system to serve the rule of law effectively and efficiently to deal with citizens' grievances and other justice needs.
"A vibrant, dynamic and independent judiciary will not only help reduce poverty but also establish our credentials in the comity of nations as a nation that values and respects the rule of law and human rights."
Finally, the disputed election in Kenya highlighted once again the fragility of democracy when it is not supported by robust underlying institutions. At the height of the crisis, friend and colleague James Shikwati, having recently narrowly escaped mob violence himself, penned the open letter below.
[Julian Morris
Executive Director
International Policy Network]
I would like to draw the attention of Pakistani media, which always clamours for the right of expression in the country, towards misuse of national exchequer in the name of compensation of damage of properties during post Benazir assassination riots in various parts of the country.
Do our journalists, who compete each other over coverage of minor political issues, know where is this money going in the name of compensation of losses. If this "brilliant lot" of our society is ignorant about it I tell them: the PML (Q) in Punjab and NWFP, Pagara League in Sindh, and MQM in Urdu speaking areas of Sindh have filed claims for their "so-called" damages. In this way, they want to use national exchequer for their election campaigns. The announcement of PML (Q) the other day about their losses of worth Rs.40 crores in riots is quite meaningful.
Now, it should be a big challenge to our media and their smart guys to unearth further details about this callous misuse of national exchequer.
[Yasmeen A. Ali, Lahore Cantt]
My best Wishes are with you. May your country prosper (or actually
more like survive considering the present conditions).
BTW as an aside what do you think is the reason behind Pakistan's
condition today.. is it just a classic case of sowing what was reaped.. reap terror...get terror.
Regards,
[Anuj Gupta, Mumbai]
Happy new year 2008 to you. We in India felt perhaps more tremors at death of Benazir Bhutto, than in Pakistan.
[Sanjay Jadhav, New Delhi]
I wish you a Happy and Victorious 2008. I was so saddened by the assassination of Mrs. Bhutto. I hope that this does not lead to more bloodshed. Take care, friend.
[Ken Schoolland, Hawaii, USA]
We live in difficult times. Whether 'democratically' eleted politicians such as ours, or Generals such as yours, the temptation - and power - to circumvent and subvert the institutions of justice are very strong.
Nevertheless, have a good New Year.
[Mohit Satyanand, India]
It is a pleasure and wishing you all the best in your quest to help others.
Sincerely,
[Dr. Adalat Khan, Malaysia]
There is nothing exciting happening here, unless one is drawn to presidential primary elections. Today there is much talk about the popularity of Barak Obama of the Democrats, and of the Republican... I forgot his name and want to call him Huckleberry... anyway, he is too religious... yikes. It seems that we in Massachusetts are having elections early in February.
[peace, Katherine, USA]
==================================================================
Edited and prepared by
Khalil Ahmad
Email: khalilkf@yahoo.com khalil@asinstitute.org
[FreePakistan Newsletter, among other things, is a compilation of views and news taken from the national newspapers’ print and online editions. It is not possible to mention the source of every piece of news or view made use of herein; but as a matter of policy, where possible the source is mentioned with due thanks. However, no opinion expressed here should necessarily be taken as reflecting the view of Free Pakistan Newsletter.]
