BY rejecting Kofi Annan`s `concrete proposals`, President Bashar al-Assad has slammed the door on a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.
As a representative of the Arab League and the United Nations, the former secretary-general had proposed negotiations as a solution. But the president said he would not talk to `terrorists`. There are reasons why Mr Assad thinks he will be able to ride out the storm. The bastion of his power is the army, and by and large it is loyal to him. There have been individual defections in large numbers, but there have been no wholesale defections by units. In fact, the defeat inflicted on the rebels in Homs and more recently in Idlib would not have been possible if the army high command and the rank and file had not acted with the ruthlessness that was required. A Libya-like foreign intervention is out of the question for a country that is Israel`s neighbour, and Jordan and Turkey have refused to enforce no-fly zones in given areas.
The president now wa-nts to hold a general election on May 7, and for the first time it will be a multiparty affair. The election will be held on the basis of a modified constitution the government said was approved in February in a referendum. However, the opposition calls it a hoax and has pledged continued resistance. The result is unabated slaughter and widespread human misery.
The number of refugees, including the internally displaced, has crossed 50,000, while the overall death toll has risen to over 9,000. In this anarchy it will be extremely difficult for the Baathist regime to hold an election that would be accepted by the international community as transparent and reflective of the Syrian people`s preferences. The only choice the president has is to invite Arab and other international observers to monitor the electoral process and caH off the crackdown. Without an end to the fighting, it is difficult to see how those willing to cast their votes will go to the polling stations in numbers large enough to make the election results appear credible.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Rampaging lawyers
IT is tragic that in this country those tasked with enforcing the law or practising it are often the ones who make a complete mockery of it. Lower courts in Karachi remained shut on Wednesday as judges refused to hear cases in protest against the alleged misbehaviour of some lawyers with a judicial magistrate. The magistrate had convicted a lawyer and her husband of fraud on Tuesday, after which a group of lawyers invaded his courtroom and started chanting slogans against the conviction. Sadly, the past few years have seen several incidents involving the high-handedness of lawyers, including cases of black coats physically assaulting judges as well as one another. Journalists have not escaped their wrath, while policemen, too, have received beatings, as in 2010 when lawyers thrashed a police officer and helped an accused man reportedly related to one of the lawyers escape custody in Lahore. We must alsorecall that the offices of an NGO offering free legal aid to prisoners were forcibly shut down by a group of lawyers in Karachi last year.
While most of those who wield power and influence in Pakistan flout the law at will, those who are supposed to be wellversed in it are expected to uphold and respect it.
These actions by sections of the legal community are therefore alarming.
But what is equally disturbing is the lack of condemnation coming from within the community.
While there has been criticism of such lawlessness from some experienced jurists, many senior practising lawyers have remained silent, careful not to offend members of their fraternity. Such an attitude is unacceptable.
It is essential that bar councils and senior lawyers nationwide censure those who indulge in thuggish behaviour to ensure that a few black sheep do not end up defaming the whole legal community.
While most of those who wield power and influence in Pakistan flout the law at will, those who are supposed to be wellversed in it are expected to uphold and respect it.
These actions by sections of the legal community are therefore alarming.
But what is equally disturbing is the lack of condemnation coming from within the community.
While there has been criticism of such lawlessness from some experienced jurists, many senior practising lawyers have remained silent, careful not to offend members of their fraternity. Such an attitude is unacceptable.
It is essential that bar councils and senior lawyers nationwide censure those who indulge in thuggish behaviour to ensure that a few black sheep do not end up defaming the whole legal community.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Pakistan - Hindu Girls
ALLEGATIONS of the forced conversion of young Hindu women in Sindh, endorsed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, bring to light yet again the dilemma faced by the minority Hindu community. Many families say they live in fear and insecurity as reportedly some 20 young girls are said to convert to Islam on a monthly basis.
Each incident begins with allegations of kidnapping and forced conversions levelled by the affected family and ends in the girl in question being produced in a court of law to declare that she has converted of her own free will. Such court hearings take place under highly tense circumstances, where police and armed Islamists are said to threaten the complainants of dire consequences, and the `converted` woman is not allowed to meet her family members or community elders.
Observing this repeated pattern and the coercion involved, the HRCP is right in questioning the veracity of such conversions. Why is it only young women of marriageable age, and not male members of the Hindu community, who nearly always convert under dubious circumstances, ask human rights activists. Reports of Hindu families migrating to India and elsewhere also surface from time to time, with fear and insecurity cited as the main reason for the move. The Sindh Assembly may havetaken up the issue for a summary debate recently, but the provincial government has remained silent on the treatment of minorities, a general state of apathy being the unfortunate norm.
The law and order situation in Sindh leaves much to be desired. Kidnapping for ransom in cities and towns remains high; in the hinterland, especially where minorities are concerned, the practice also involves the abduction of women by those with any feudal power for reasons based in sheer lust and debauchery. In case the girl belongs to a minority faith, the crime committed often finds a ready alibi in claims of conversion, with the local mullahs mobilised to lend support to these. The law, even when it takes its logical course under the charged circumstances, is nearly always seen to take the convenient route: it endorses the `conversion` and lets the girl go with her alleged abductor. This painful pattern, without any hope of redress or sincere investigation, has left the Hindu community in duress. The government must take up the issue with due urgency, and heed the advice of rights groups to take the women involved in protective custody pending a full investigation into alleged abduction and forced conversions. Democratic norms and plain decency demand that justice be served regardless of the faith of the parties involved.
Each incident begins with allegations of kidnapping and forced conversions levelled by the affected family and ends in the girl in question being produced in a court of law to declare that she has converted of her own free will. Such court hearings take place under highly tense circumstances, where police and armed Islamists are said to threaten the complainants of dire consequences, and the `converted` woman is not allowed to meet her family members or community elders.
Observing this repeated pattern and the coercion involved, the HRCP is right in questioning the veracity of such conversions. Why is it only young women of marriageable age, and not male members of the Hindu community, who nearly always convert under dubious circumstances, ask human rights activists. Reports of Hindu families migrating to India and elsewhere also surface from time to time, with fear and insecurity cited as the main reason for the move. The Sindh Assembly may havetaken up the issue for a summary debate recently, but the provincial government has remained silent on the treatment of minorities, a general state of apathy being the unfortunate norm.
The law and order situation in Sindh leaves much to be desired. Kidnapping for ransom in cities and towns remains high; in the hinterland, especially where minorities are concerned, the practice also involves the abduction of women by those with any feudal power for reasons based in sheer lust and debauchery. In case the girl belongs to a minority faith, the crime committed often finds a ready alibi in claims of conversion, with the local mullahs mobilised to lend support to these. The law, even when it takes its logical course under the charged circumstances, is nearly always seen to take the convenient route: it endorses the `conversion` and lets the girl go with her alleged abductor. This painful pattern, without any hope of redress or sincere investigation, has left the Hindu community in duress. The government must take up the issue with due urgency, and heed the advice of rights groups to take the women involved in protective custody pending a full investigation into alleged abduction and forced conversions. Democratic norms and plain decency demand that justice be served regardless of the faith of the parties involved.
Pakistan - Polio
SLAMABAD, March 12: Political rivals in parliament have joined hands to fight the crippling disease of polio that has attacked over 200 children in the country over the past couple of years.
At a news conference at the National Press Club here on Monday, MNAs and senators belonging to the PPP, PML-N, MQM, ANP, JUI-F and PML-Q said that fighting polio had become `a national obligation` because 60 per cent of the polio cases reported in the world last year had occurred in Pakistan.
They regretted that 198 polio cases had been reported in the four provinces and Fata last year alone and the world was rightly worried that Pakistan might export the virus. No case was reported in India last year. Pakistan is among four countries in the world with prevalence of polio.
MNAs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Malik Shakil Awan of the PML-N, MNA Akhunzada Chattan and Senator Saeeda Iqbal of the PPP, MNA Asia Nasir of the JUI-F, MNA Parvaiz Khan of the ANP, MNA Fauzia Ijaz Khan of the MQM and MNA Humayun Saifullah Khan of PML (Likeminded) expressed concern over the failure of successive anti-polio campaigns which caused the epidemic to reach the alarming proportion.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Social Welfare Begum Shehnaz Wazir Ali said the federal government had drafted a legislation to make polio immunisation compulsory and expected the provinces to follow suit after the devolution of health-related issued to them.
At a news conference at the National Press Club here on Monday, MNAs and senators belonging to the PPP, PML-N, MQM, ANP, JUI-F and PML-Q said that fighting polio had become `a national obligation` because 60 per cent of the polio cases reported in the world last year had occurred in Pakistan.
They regretted that 198 polio cases had been reported in the four provinces and Fata last year alone and the world was rightly worried that Pakistan might export the virus. No case was reported in India last year. Pakistan is among four countries in the world with prevalence of polio.
MNAs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Malik Shakil Awan of the PML-N, MNA Akhunzada Chattan and Senator Saeeda Iqbal of the PPP, MNA Asia Nasir of the JUI-F, MNA Parvaiz Khan of the ANP, MNA Fauzia Ijaz Khan of the MQM and MNA Humayun Saifullah Khan of PML (Likeminded) expressed concern over the failure of successive anti-polio campaigns which caused the epidemic to reach the alarming proportion.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Social Welfare Begum Shehnaz Wazir Ali said the federal government had drafted a legislation to make polio immunisation compulsory and expected the provinces to follow suit after the devolution of health-related issued to them.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Pakistan - inmates miserable conditions
WHILE the Sindh minister for jails has highlighted his government`s efforts to improve prison conditions, the fact remains that much more needs to be done nationwide to improve the state of correctional facilities.
Nowhere in the world is imprisonment a pleasant experience, yet the condition of many jails in Pakistan can at best be described as mediaeval.
Local prisons suffer from myriad problems, perhaps the biggest of which is overcrowding. Many jails house double the number of inmates than their original capacity, with the situation in Punjab particularly acute. As the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan notes, the majority of inmates are undertrial prisoners, which indicates the inefficiency of the judicial process. Inmates, particularly younger ones, are exposed to extremists in jail while hardened criminals are often locked up with those serving time for petty offences.There have been several instances of criminals and terrorists carrying on their activities from within prison with the help of cellphones.
The availability of decent healthcare to prisoners is also an issue, and there is hardly any focus on themental health of the inmates. A particularly cruel reality of the system is that children often accompany female prisoners if there is no one to care for them outside.
Perhaps it is due to all these factors that the International Crisis Group, in a report last year, said that Pakistan`s `prisons have become a fertile breeding ground for criminality and militancy, with prisoners more likely to return to crime than to abandon it`.
The situation may be bleak, but that does not mean the state should abandon attempts to reform it. As the ICG notes, building more jails is not the solution; finding alternatives to imprisonment, such as fines and community service, particularly for petty crimes, may well improve the situation especially where overcrowding is concerned. Bail laws must also be enforced while under-trial prisoners who cannot afford counsel should be offered free legal aid. Politicians know about prison life, as many of the country`s top leaders have done time, often on politically motivated charges. Hence there is all the more reason for them to initiate meaningful prison reforms.
Nowhere in the world is imprisonment a pleasant experience, yet the condition of many jails in Pakistan can at best be described as mediaeval.
Local prisons suffer from myriad problems, perhaps the biggest of which is overcrowding. Many jails house double the number of inmates than their original capacity, with the situation in Punjab particularly acute. As the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan notes, the majority of inmates are undertrial prisoners, which indicates the inefficiency of the judicial process. Inmates, particularly younger ones, are exposed to extremists in jail while hardened criminals are often locked up with those serving time for petty offences.There have been several instances of criminals and terrorists carrying on their activities from within prison with the help of cellphones.
The availability of decent healthcare to prisoners is also an issue, and there is hardly any focus on themental health of the inmates. A particularly cruel reality of the system is that children often accompany female prisoners if there is no one to care for them outside.
Perhaps it is due to all these factors that the International Crisis Group, in a report last year, said that Pakistan`s `prisons have become a fertile breeding ground for criminality and militancy, with prisoners more likely to return to crime than to abandon it`.
The situation may be bleak, but that does not mean the state should abandon attempts to reform it. As the ICG notes, building more jails is not the solution; finding alternatives to imprisonment, such as fines and community service, particularly for petty crimes, may well improve the situation especially where overcrowding is concerned. Bail laws must also be enforced while under-trial prisoners who cannot afford counsel should be offered free legal aid. Politicians know about prison life, as many of the country`s top leaders have done time, often on politically motivated charges. Hence there is all the more reason for them to initiate meaningful prison reforms.
Pakistan : Literary trend
ACCORDING to a report, Pakistan does not feature on Unesco`s index of countries whose contemporary literature in indigenous languages is documented by the UN body annually. Which is not to say that no mentionable literature is produced by this multilingual nation of 180 million. Far from it.
The problem lies in the steady decline of reading habits over the years.
Seldom does a book appear today in Urdu, arguably the most widely read language in Pakistan, with a count exceeding 500 copies. Indeed, publishers say they are often hard-pressed to sell even that many copies. This was not true for writers and poets from preceding generations of scribes whose works continue to run into several editions even today. The contemporary Urdu short story has a considerable following but such stories mostly appear in literary journals and seldom as individual or collective anthologies.
Poetry fares a bit better; the novel, the mainstay offiction in most modern languages, has traditionally been a weak genre in Urdu prose, which is still young at 150-something.
However, literature produced in Sindhi, a much older language in its written form, is thriving when compared to Urdu, Pushto, Balochi or Punjabi. As for the handful of Pakistanis now writing fiction in English for a global readership, and some also winning laurels, it is a healthy development all considered. But the fact remains that despite our steadily mounting numbers, the reading public in Pakistan has shrunk over the years. This calls for introspection, especially in the education sector which does not figure prominently in our scheme of national priorities. Much less emphasis is placed on the quality of education that is overlaid with ideology and rhetoric. Textbooks will have to make more room for creative writing, thinking and, eventually, fresh creative writing that will be born of this process.
The problem lies in the steady decline of reading habits over the years.
Seldom does a book appear today in Urdu, arguably the most widely read language in Pakistan, with a count exceeding 500 copies. Indeed, publishers say they are often hard-pressed to sell even that many copies. This was not true for writers and poets from preceding generations of scribes whose works continue to run into several editions even today. The contemporary Urdu short story has a considerable following but such stories mostly appear in literary journals and seldom as individual or collective anthologies.
Poetry fares a bit better; the novel, the mainstay offiction in most modern languages, has traditionally been a weak genre in Urdu prose, which is still young at 150-something.
However, literature produced in Sindhi, a much older language in its written form, is thriving when compared to Urdu, Pushto, Balochi or Punjabi. As for the handful of Pakistanis now writing fiction in English for a global readership, and some also winning laurels, it is a healthy development all considered. But the fact remains that despite our steadily mounting numbers, the reading public in Pakistan has shrunk over the years. This calls for introspection, especially in the education sector which does not figure prominently in our scheme of national priorities. Much less emphasis is placed on the quality of education that is overlaid with ideology and rhetoric. Textbooks will have to make more room for creative writing, thinking and, eventually, fresh creative writing that will be born of this process.
Pakistan : Girl Throws acid on boy
FAISALABAD, March 11: In a rare departure from the usual inhuman practice in which women suffer acid assaults at the hands of men, a young man got his face badly burned when a girl allegedly threw the burning chemical at him in a village near here on Sunday.
Hailing from Marzipura, 21-year-old Mohsin told police that he was standing near a bus stop when Nabeela, 20, arrived there, threw acid at him and escaped.
Mohsin said he had started ignoring Nabeela for some time which led her to take the extreme step. Mohsin provided little detail about his affairs with the girl.
Lyallpur Town SP Zahid Gondal told Dawn that the girl had been taken into custody on the basis of Mohsin`s statement. Mohsin was admitted to Allied Hospital where his condition was described as stable.
Hailing from Marzipura, 21-year-old Mohsin told police that he was standing near a bus stop when Nabeela, 20, arrived there, threw acid at him and escaped.
Mohsin said he had started ignoring Nabeela for some time which led her to take the extreme step. Mohsin provided little detail about his affairs with the girl.
Lyallpur Town SP Zahid Gondal told Dawn that the girl had been taken into custody on the basis of Mohsin`s statement. Mohsin was admitted to Allied Hospital where his condition was described as stable.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Pakistan - woman disrobed and paraded in public in muzaffargarh
YET another story of a Pakistani woman being disrobed and paraded in public in retaliation for what was perceived as a slight to someone else`s honour is a reminder about two facts of life here. One, that women are used as pawns and victims in disputes that have nothing to do with them. And second, that political influence and police negligence, often related, enable attackers to carry out these acts of sexual abuse and violence. Tortured, robbed, stripped, paraded and kidnapped, the woman was victimised in order to seek revenge for the actions of her nephew, who carried out a free-will marriage with a girl from a clan not his own. Some action has been taken in this case; over 20 of the dozens of attackers have been detained, the SHO of the relevant police station has been arrested for negligence and the woman was recovered yesterday. But the fact that the incident took place at all indicates that sections of Pakistani society still think they can get away with public acts of violence in the name of honour. Part of the problem, again not surprising,is that the girl`s family is reportedly an influential one with a political background, and one central figure involved in the kidnapping is apparently a former councillor who has not even been named in the FIR. And while the kidnapped woman has come home, the couple`s lives remain in danger wherever in the country they might hide despite the fact that their marriage was sanctioned in a court of law.
The incident is a reminder that while strides have been made in enacting legislation to protect women`s rights, it will still take years, if not decades, for that mentality to filter down and change actions on the ground. Pakistan now has laws against, among other things, sexual harassment, domestic violence, forced marriage and acid throwing, all of which seek to establish loud and clear that discrimination and violence against women are illegal even if they are sometimes sanctioned by tradition and social attitudes. But this episode makes clear that while laws can be changed, it will take much longer to change these attitudes.
The incident is a reminder that while strides have been made in enacting legislation to protect women`s rights, it will still take years, if not decades, for that mentality to filter down and change actions on the ground. Pakistan now has laws against, among other things, sexual harassment, domestic violence, forced marriage and acid throwing, all of which seek to establish loud and clear that discrimination and violence against women are illegal even if they are sometimes sanctioned by tradition and social attitudes. But this episode makes clear that while laws can be changed, it will take much longer to change these attitudes.
Yemen, 139 killed in Al Qaida Attack
SANAA, March 5: Sneaking across the desert behind army lines, Al Qaeda militants launched a surprise attack against military bases in south Yemen, killing 107 soldiers and capturing heavy weapons they later used to kill more troops, officials said on Monday.
The military officials said at least 32 of the militants were killed in Sunday`s fighting in Abyan province, and scores were wounded on both sides. Medical officials in the area confirmed the death toll figures.
They said the poor services in local hospitals accounted for the death of many soldiers who suffered serious wounds but could have survived had they been given better medical care.
The death toll among the troops is believed to be the highest on record in battles fought by the army against Al Qaeda militants, who have apparently been emboldened by the political turmoil roiling the impoverished Arab nation for more than a year.
The militants` attack appeared tobe Al Qaeda`s response to a pledge by Yemen`s newly inaugurated President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to fight the Yemeni branch of the terror network, believed to be the world`s most active.
Hadi repeated that pledge on Monday during talks with a visiting British diplomat. `The confrontation will continue until we are rid of the last terrorist, whether in Abyan or elsewhere, local media quoted him as saying.
The military officials said on Monday the militants` surprise attack outside Abyan`s provincial capital Zinjibar also led to the capture of 55 soldiers. The captives were paraded on the streets of Jaar, a nearby town that, like Zinjibar, has been under Al Qaeda`s control for about a year.
The battle in Abyan province shows how militants have taken advantage of the turmoil created by the yearlong uprising against then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who last month handed over power to Hadi.-AP
The military officials said at least 32 of the militants were killed in Sunday`s fighting in Abyan province, and scores were wounded on both sides. Medical officials in the area confirmed the death toll figures.
They said the poor services in local hospitals accounted for the death of many soldiers who suffered serious wounds but could have survived had they been given better medical care.
The death toll among the troops is believed to be the highest on record in battles fought by the army against Al Qaeda militants, who have apparently been emboldened by the political turmoil roiling the impoverished Arab nation for more than a year.
The militants` attack appeared tobe Al Qaeda`s response to a pledge by Yemen`s newly inaugurated President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to fight the Yemeni branch of the terror network, believed to be the world`s most active.
Hadi repeated that pledge on Monday during talks with a visiting British diplomat. `The confrontation will continue until we are rid of the last terrorist, whether in Abyan or elsewhere, local media quoted him as saying.
The military officials said on Monday the militants` surprise attack outside Abyan`s provincial capital Zinjibar also led to the capture of 55 soldiers. The captives were paraded on the streets of Jaar, a nearby town that, like Zinjibar, has been under Al Qaeda`s control for about a year.
The battle in Abyan province shows how militants have taken advantage of the turmoil created by the yearlong uprising against then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who last month handed over power to Hadi.-AP
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Pakistan - Iran Pipeline pressure by US
AMERICA would do well not to link Pakistan`s power requirements with Iran`s nuclear issue.
While the former concerns this country`s desperate attempt to bridge the yawning power gap, the latter is a broader, geopolitical issue. Replying to a congressman`s question in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton warned Pakistan of consequences, especially for its `quite shaky` economy, if Islamabad went ahead with the pipeline deal with Iran. If the project went `beyond talk`, the secretary of state said, her country would apply `additional pressures` on Pakistan under the Iran Sanctions Act. Ms Clinton acknowledged that this country had `significant energy requirements` but said that a better alternative for Islamabad could be the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline, because that would avoid `doing business with Iran`.
There is no doubt that TAPI could be an additional, though not theonly, source of gas supply to Pakistan to enable the latter to meet its fastexpanding energy requirements. But the war in Afghanistan continues, and there is no guarantee there will be peaceful conditions in the aftermath of the American withdrawal.
With security concerns dominating, TAPI has thus remained a pipedream so far. On the other hand, the pipeline with Iran could become a going concern, if Pakistan made a determined effort to execute the project, although there are several challenges not the least of which is the question of finances. America may `ratchet up` pressure on Iran, as Ms Clinton said, but it is hard to understand why, given Pakistan`s multiplying energy woes, the secretary of state should find it `somewhat inexplicable` that the country should want to go ahead with the Iran pipeline idea. Nevertheless, it is also true that a large part of Pakistan`s energy troubles today are of its own making, and the gas pipeline with Iran can at best be a partial solution.
While the former concerns this country`s desperate attempt to bridge the yawning power gap, the latter is a broader, geopolitical issue. Replying to a congressman`s question in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton warned Pakistan of consequences, especially for its `quite shaky` economy, if Islamabad went ahead with the pipeline deal with Iran. If the project went `beyond talk`, the secretary of state said, her country would apply `additional pressures` on Pakistan under the Iran Sanctions Act. Ms Clinton acknowledged that this country had `significant energy requirements` but said that a better alternative for Islamabad could be the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline, because that would avoid `doing business with Iran`.
There is no doubt that TAPI could be an additional, though not theonly, source of gas supply to Pakistan to enable the latter to meet its fastexpanding energy requirements. But the war in Afghanistan continues, and there is no guarantee there will be peaceful conditions in the aftermath of the American withdrawal.
With security concerns dominating, TAPI has thus remained a pipedream so far. On the other hand, the pipeline with Iran could become a going concern, if Pakistan made a determined effort to execute the project, although there are several challenges not the least of which is the question of finances. America may `ratchet up` pressure on Iran, as Ms Clinton said, but it is hard to understand why, given Pakistan`s multiplying energy woes, the secretary of state should find it `somewhat inexplicable` that the country should want to go ahead with the Iran pipeline idea. Nevertheless, it is also true that a large part of Pakistan`s energy troubles today are of its own making, and the gas pipeline with Iran can at best be a partial solution.
Pakistan - Dengue returns
THE return of mild weather and a growing number of cases of people down with fever in Lahore have reignited fears of dengue, which are compounded by uninformed discussions. Confusion reigns. A news item about an anti-dengue spray drive by the Lahore Development Authority competes for attention with a newspaper advertisement by the Punjab government that as of now there is no need for an anti-dengue spray campaign. Below the surface is a divide in the committee that has been debating for one month the merits and timing of a fogging campaign. While there may be good reasons why the drive has been put on hold, an effective explanation so far eludes the public.
There are a few other points which need elaboration. It stands against reason that some senior professors did not accompany the teams that went to Thailand and Sri Lanka recently to learn fromthese two countries` experience with dengue. These professors were supposed to pass on what they learned to doctors in Lahore. If the government does not favour fogging right away, whose idea was it to buy insecticide that will expire in a few months` time? Also, last year, suspected dengue patients underwent IgA and IgM tests; a patient had to be infected and suffer from dengue for four or five days to test positive. This year the emphasis, at least in the news, has shifted to NS1 a test which enables the rapid detection of dengue. This is an advancement, but it is not clear just how many local laboratories can carry out the effective if somewhat expensive test that promises early treatment of dengue and thus promises to save lives. The NS1 mystery is a giveaway. It sums up a lack of bias for the scientific in a government that finds it easy to blame the disease on nature.
There are a few other points which need elaboration. It stands against reason that some senior professors did not accompany the teams that went to Thailand and Sri Lanka recently to learn fromthese two countries` experience with dengue. These professors were supposed to pass on what they learned to doctors in Lahore. If the government does not favour fogging right away, whose idea was it to buy insecticide that will expire in a few months` time? Also, last year, suspected dengue patients underwent IgA and IgM tests; a patient had to be infected and suffer from dengue for four or five days to test positive. This year the emphasis, at least in the news, has shifted to NS1 a test which enables the rapid detection of dengue. This is an advancement, but it is not clear just how many local laboratories can carry out the effective if somewhat expensive test that promises early treatment of dengue and thus promises to save lives. The NS1 mystery is a giveaway. It sums up a lack of bias for the scientific in a government that finds it easy to blame the disease on nature.
Pakistan - Idia Trade Boost
WHAT was almost unimaginable less than a year ago is fast becoming a welcome reality. Islamabad and New Delhi have moved at a remarkable pace since the resumption of the commerce secretary-level talks in April last year to normalise trade relations. With India agreeing to dismantle all Pakistan-specific non-tariff barriers, Islamabad has finally done away with the `positive` list of items that could be imported from across its eastern borders and replaced it with a `negative` list of items that cannot be imported. Even the negative list will be phased out by the end of this year. This will pave the way for full liberalisation of trade between the two largest South Asian economies.
The two countries are expected to meet again later this month to sort out the modalities of trade in energy. The unprecedented progress made by the two countries in such a short span of time would not have been possible without the strong political will shown by their governments. The commitment of the Indian and Pakistani governments to move ahead with trade normalisation despite opposition from rightwing groups on both sides of the border must be appreciated. The improvement in IndiaPakistan trade relations is crucial to peace and economic prosperity in the entire South Asian region, which is at the moment the least economicallyintegrated and among the poorest regions in the world.
At the same time, the role played by Pakistan`s business community in backing the government`s efforts for trade normalisation with India cannot be stressed enough. Islamabad would not have been able to move so swiftly if it did not enjoy the full support of Pakistani businessmen. That said, some sectors of the economy are still wary of fully normal trade ties with India.
If Pakistan`s growers are worried about the import of cheap, subsidised vegetables and other agricultural products from across the border, the automobile industry, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of leather goods are afraid of the influx of made-in-India goods because of the cost differential. Although the commerce ministry has taken their concerns into consideration and doubled the number of items put on the negative list, they argue that the period ofone yearis too shortfor them to prepare for competition with their Indian rivals. It is advisable for the government to take effective steps to protect its growers and give the manufacturers a little longer say, two to three years to allow them enough time to ready themselves for competition. The Indians should not have any objection to this since such protection is the norm the world over.
The two countries are expected to meet again later this month to sort out the modalities of trade in energy. The unprecedented progress made by the two countries in such a short span of time would not have been possible without the strong political will shown by their governments. The commitment of the Indian and Pakistani governments to move ahead with trade normalisation despite opposition from rightwing groups on both sides of the border must be appreciated. The improvement in IndiaPakistan trade relations is crucial to peace and economic prosperity in the entire South Asian region, which is at the moment the least economicallyintegrated and among the poorest regions in the world.
At the same time, the role played by Pakistan`s business community in backing the government`s efforts for trade normalisation with India cannot be stressed enough. Islamabad would not have been able to move so swiftly if it did not enjoy the full support of Pakistani businessmen. That said, some sectors of the economy are still wary of fully normal trade ties with India.
If Pakistan`s growers are worried about the import of cheap, subsidised vegetables and other agricultural products from across the border, the automobile industry, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of leather goods are afraid of the influx of made-in-India goods because of the cost differential. Although the commerce ministry has taken their concerns into consideration and doubled the number of items put on the negative list, they argue that the period ofone yearis too shortfor them to prepare for competition with their Indian rivals. It is advisable for the government to take effective steps to protect its growers and give the manufacturers a little longer say, two to three years to allow them enough time to ready themselves for competition. The Indians should not have any objection to this since such protection is the norm the world over.
Pakistan Stance on Iran Gas pipeline issue
ISLAMABAD, March 1: The national leadership vowed on Thursday to press ahead with the Iran gas pipeline project, sending a defiant message to the US which is pressurising Palcistan to abandon it.
`We are a sovereign country and we will do whatever is in the interest of Pakistan,` Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said during a TV show `Prime Minister Online` Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, making a rare appearance at the Foreign Office weekly briefing, said pursuing energy cooperation agreements and trade with Iran was in national interest.
`Pakistan is pursuing important projects with Iransuch as gas pipeline, electricity transmission and also building a more robust trade partnership,` the foreign minister said, adding that `all of these projects are in Pakistan`s national interest and will be pursued and completed irrespective of any extraneous consideration`.
The comments from the prime minister and the foreign minister came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned at a Congressional testimony that Pakistan could face sanctions if it did not give up the Iran gas pipeline project.
Ms Clinton also said that any sanctions against Islamabad, for not observing its (US) Iran restrictions regime, could further undermine the already shaky economy.
Pakistan, which is facing intense energy crisis, believes that the multi-billion dollargas pipeline which is scheduled to become operational in 2014 is its best bet to partially ease the situation.
Most parts of the countrynot only face massive power cuts because of electricity shortages, but homes in some urban areas remain without gas used for cooking for several days a week.
`I think all our friends are encouraged tounderstand the real energy crisis that is in Pakistan. We can`t afford to be selective of where we receive our energy supply from,` Ms Khar remarked.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got a similar commitment when he visited Islamabad for a trilateral summit last month. During his bilateral meetings with Pakistani leaders, Mr Ahmadinejad was told that Pakistan remained committed to expeditious implementation of the pipeline project, 1,000 MW electricity transmission line and 100MW Gwadar power supply.
In a further sign of growing energy ties, media reports say Iran is ready to provide about 80,000 of barrels of crude per day to Pakistan on a 3-month deferred payment.
Notwithstanding the brave public pronouncements suggesting disregard for US pressure, the sense emerging from foreign minister`s another interaction with a group of journalists was that Pakistan was playing a wait-and-see game on the pipeline issue.
While she admitted that there could be repercussions for pursuing the pipeline project, she said: `There are still four months before the sanctions take effect and you have the three plus three process on Iran and if something comes out of that .
she said, adding that the costbenefit analysis would have to be done before taking a final decision on the matter.
`We are a sovereign country and we will do whatever is in the interest of Pakistan,` Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said during a TV show `Prime Minister Online` Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, making a rare appearance at the Foreign Office weekly briefing, said pursuing energy cooperation agreements and trade with Iran was in national interest.
`Pakistan is pursuing important projects with Iransuch as gas pipeline, electricity transmission and also building a more robust trade partnership,` the foreign minister said, adding that `all of these projects are in Pakistan`s national interest and will be pursued and completed irrespective of any extraneous consideration`.
The comments from the prime minister and the foreign minister came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned at a Congressional testimony that Pakistan could face sanctions if it did not give up the Iran gas pipeline project.
Ms Clinton also said that any sanctions against Islamabad, for not observing its (US) Iran restrictions regime, could further undermine the already shaky economy.
Pakistan, which is facing intense energy crisis, believes that the multi-billion dollargas pipeline which is scheduled to become operational in 2014 is its best bet to partially ease the situation.
Most parts of the countrynot only face massive power cuts because of electricity shortages, but homes in some urban areas remain without gas used for cooking for several days a week.
`I think all our friends are encouraged tounderstand the real energy crisis that is in Pakistan. We can`t afford to be selective of where we receive our energy supply from,` Ms Khar remarked.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got a similar commitment when he visited Islamabad for a trilateral summit last month. During his bilateral meetings with Pakistani leaders, Mr Ahmadinejad was told that Pakistan remained committed to expeditious implementation of the pipeline project, 1,000 MW electricity transmission line and 100MW Gwadar power supply.
In a further sign of growing energy ties, media reports say Iran is ready to provide about 80,000 of barrels of crude per day to Pakistan on a 3-month deferred payment.
Notwithstanding the brave public pronouncements suggesting disregard for US pressure, the sense emerging from foreign minister`s another interaction with a group of journalists was that Pakistan was playing a wait-and-see game on the pipeline issue.
While she admitted that there could be repercussions for pursuing the pipeline project, she said: `There are still four months before the sanctions take effect and you have the three plus three process on Iran and if something comes out of that .
she said, adding that the costbenefit analysis would have to be done before taking a final decision on the matter.
Pakistan-Iran Pipeline and US concern
WASHINGTON: The US State Department indulged in a damage-control exercise on Thursday, urging Pakistanis not to see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s statement on a proposed gas pipeline from Iran as a threat.
Secretary Clinton told a congressional hearing on Wednesday that the project was `inexplicable` and could invoke US sanctions that would further `undermine` Pakistan`s `already shaky` economy.
`Yesterday Secretary Clinton at the Hill said that Pakistan will face dangerous implications if it goes ahead with this gas pipeline with Iran. Was this some kind of warning to Pakistan? And why was it so?` a journalistasked State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland on Thursday.
`Well, I don`t think what the secretary said was appreciably different than what we`ve been saying for weeks and weeks, publicly, privately, if not months on this subject,` Ms Nuland replied. `You know, this is something that we don`t think is a good idea, and the secretary made that absolutely clear.
The US official noted that Iran was making `all kinds of offers to all kinds of countries`, to break strict sanctions the United States and its allies had imposed on Tehran to persuade it to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
`And they often don`t live up to their promises,` Ms Nuland claimed.
The State Department official claimed the US was aware of Pakistan`s energy needs and was working with Islamabad to meet those needs. `And we would just encourage them to think twice about aligning themselves with an `unreliable partner`,` she said.
`Can you tell us what kind of implications Pakistan would face when it goes ahead with this pipeline? Because the foreign minister of Pakistan today said Pakistan is going ahead with this pipeline project,` asked another journalist.
`Well, again, you know that we have a variety of sanctions on the books that we would not want to see kick in this instance, which is, you know, among the reasons why we think this is a bad idea and hope it doesn`t move forward,` Ms Nuland replied.
Secretary Clinton told a congressional hearing on Wednesday that the project was `inexplicable` and could invoke US sanctions that would further `undermine` Pakistan`s `already shaky` economy.
`Yesterday Secretary Clinton at the Hill said that Pakistan will face dangerous implications if it goes ahead with this gas pipeline with Iran. Was this some kind of warning to Pakistan? And why was it so?` a journalistasked State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland on Thursday.
`Well, I don`t think what the secretary said was appreciably different than what we`ve been saying for weeks and weeks, publicly, privately, if not months on this subject,` Ms Nuland replied. `You know, this is something that we don`t think is a good idea, and the secretary made that absolutely clear.
The US official noted that Iran was making `all kinds of offers to all kinds of countries`, to break strict sanctions the United States and its allies had imposed on Tehran to persuade it to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
`And they often don`t live up to their promises,` Ms Nuland claimed.
The State Department official claimed the US was aware of Pakistan`s energy needs and was working with Islamabad to meet those needs. `And we would just encourage them to think twice about aligning themselves with an `unreliable partner`,` she said.
`Can you tell us what kind of implications Pakistan would face when it goes ahead with this pipeline? Because the foreign minister of Pakistan today said Pakistan is going ahead with this pipeline project,` asked another journalist.
`Well, again, you know that we have a variety of sanctions on the books that we would not want to see kick in this instance, which is, you know, among the reasons why we think this is a bad idea and hope it doesn`t move forward,` Ms Nuland replied.
Fake Polio Drive by American NGO's
ISLAMABAD, March 1: An alliance of about 200 USbased NGOs, many of them working in humanitarian operations in Pakistan, has expressed deep concern over a vaccination campaign carried out in Abbottabad last year by the Central Intelligence Agency and expressed fear that the action may jeopardise the lives of aid workers in the country.
The president of the InterAction alliance, in a letter written to CIA Director Gen David Petraeus, registered serious objections to the vaccination campaign launched to collect intelligence about Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
The letter said the CIA should avoid tactics that `erode the ability of humanitarian actors in Pakistan and the rest of the world to work on behalf of the poorest and most vulnerable` The fact that the CIA had launched such fake campaigns was confirmed by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in an interview on Jan 27 where he praised a doctor named Shakil Afridi for helping the agency. Dr Afridi is in custody of Pakistani security agencies for launching the fake polio vaccination campaign and tipping the US government about Osama.
`The CIA`s use of cover of humanitarian activity for this purpose casts doubt on intentions and integrity of all humanitarian actors in Pakistan, thereby undermining the international humanitarian community`s efforts to eradicate polio, provide critical health services and extend life-saving assistance during times of crisis like the floods seen in Pakistan over the past two years,` InterAction chief Samuel A. Worthington said.
The ChildFund International, Mercy Corps, World Wild Fund, Plan USA, Helen Keller International, Action Against Hunger US and Relief International are among key members of InterAction.
Mr Worthington noted that since reports of the CIA campaign surfaced last summer, `we have seen continued erosion of US NGOs` ability to deliver critical humanitarian programmes in Pakistan and an uptick in targeted violence against humanitarian workers. I fear CIA`s activities in Pakistan and the perception that US NGOs have ties with intelligence efforts may have contributed to these alarming developments`.
`Distrust of the US government runs high in parts of Pakistan and NGOs must take great care to avoid overt association with the US government...The CIA-led immunisation campaign compromises the perception of US NGOs as independent actors focused on a common good and casts suspicion on their humanitarian workers.
The group said there had been increased surveillance by Pakistani intelligence entities and expressed fear that they would soon face a much more restrictive and invasive bureaucratic framework governing their operations.
Mr Worthington demanded that `independent, impartial humanitarian action be kept clearly distinct from intelligence-gathering activities.
`Any blurring of the two risks causing setbacks in decades-long global health and humanitarian efforts and endangers the lives of those working to make those advances on behalf of the global community.
Talking to Dawn, Save the Children NGO`s country director David Wright said: `Our ability to continue this important work has been seriously undermined by CIA`s use of humanitarian activity as a cover for their intelligence gathering.
The president of the InterAction alliance, in a letter written to CIA Director Gen David Petraeus, registered serious objections to the vaccination campaign launched to collect intelligence about Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
The letter said the CIA should avoid tactics that `erode the ability of humanitarian actors in Pakistan and the rest of the world to work on behalf of the poorest and most vulnerable` The fact that the CIA had launched such fake campaigns was confirmed by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in an interview on Jan 27 where he praised a doctor named Shakil Afridi for helping the agency. Dr Afridi is in custody of Pakistani security agencies for launching the fake polio vaccination campaign and tipping the US government about Osama.
`The CIA`s use of cover of humanitarian activity for this purpose casts doubt on intentions and integrity of all humanitarian actors in Pakistan, thereby undermining the international humanitarian community`s efforts to eradicate polio, provide critical health services and extend life-saving assistance during times of crisis like the floods seen in Pakistan over the past two years,` InterAction chief Samuel A. Worthington said.
The ChildFund International, Mercy Corps, World Wild Fund, Plan USA, Helen Keller International, Action Against Hunger US and Relief International are among key members of InterAction.
Mr Worthington noted that since reports of the CIA campaign surfaced last summer, `we have seen continued erosion of US NGOs` ability to deliver critical humanitarian programmes in Pakistan and an uptick in targeted violence against humanitarian workers. I fear CIA`s activities in Pakistan and the perception that US NGOs have ties with intelligence efforts may have contributed to these alarming developments`.
`Distrust of the US government runs high in parts of Pakistan and NGOs must take great care to avoid overt association with the US government...The CIA-led immunisation campaign compromises the perception of US NGOs as independent actors focused on a common good and casts suspicion on their humanitarian workers.
The group said there had been increased surveillance by Pakistani intelligence entities and expressed fear that they would soon face a much more restrictive and invasive bureaucratic framework governing their operations.
Mr Worthington demanded that `independent, impartial humanitarian action be kept clearly distinct from intelligence-gathering activities.
`Any blurring of the two risks causing setbacks in decades-long global health and humanitarian efforts and endangers the lives of those working to make those advances on behalf of the global community.
Talking to Dawn, Save the Children NGO`s country director David Wright said: `Our ability to continue this important work has been seriously undermined by CIA`s use of humanitarian activity as a cover for their intelligence gathering.
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