ATTENTION: TO THE DG —– As we have reported in the past the —— civilians are getting out of hand. The democratic experiment we have thus far allowed to run, largely for —– and —– seems to have now gone beyond our control.

This is of course part of our hallowed ——– tradition, given that we have in the past nurtured and then lost control of the —– -e———— , the ——- -e- ———- Pakistan, and a host of assorted groups {details and names included in the 666 page appendix J}. However, in keeping with our motto: “you can’t teach an old — new tricks,” we have as directed by your directorship, compiled a list of the new players on the political horizon. We hope that at least some of these groups may prove to be amenable partners in our glorious enterprise of finally turning Pakistan into a ——- of —–.

Report complied by special agent; Shaheryar Mirza

Baby cot International Liberation Army (ILA)

This party advocates the controversial yet wildly popular Mothering Doctrine: never leave the coddling bosom of your benefactors — the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Balloons — The Partaaay Party (PP)

The party that represents a party. It’s been far too long since nightclubs have been banned in Pakistan and the Balloon Party hopes to re-establish this forgotten cultural practice. We do, however, fear that this group is simply the political face of the seditious breakaway republic of Cliftonia. See also: Cliftonian Liberation Army, (Appendix J, page 420).

Fashionistas Against Talibanization (FAT)

Fashion is the answer to Pakistan’s problems. We are not yet sure that this party will be contesting elections because of the possibility that elections may take place in the heat of the summer, but we suspect it is a political party masquerading as a civil rights group. The western press has actively promoted FAT as being responsible for defeating the Taliban in countless battles and this makes them a threat to strategic depth policies. Their soft image cannot be taken lightly as Pakistanis are suckers for a pretty face. (See Sarah Palin – Zardari meeting).

Bangles — The Traditional Liberal Party (TLP)

TLP believes the fundamentalists are taking over Pakistan and that they want to eradicate individual freedoms. But, as opposed to the FAT the Bangles avoid Western fashion and put their faith in ghararas, saris and churidaar pajamas as the most effective anti-radicalisation platforms. We believe the PML-Q mujra was also planned by this group

Cannon — Bombs Over Oratory Machinations Party (BOOM)

The breakaway militant faction of the Traditional Liberal Party which believes that fashion is much too serious to be dealt with only through bangles. We have linked this group to the arson attacks on several Birkin handbags, which has brought them into conflict with FAT militants.

Crocodile — The Tears Party (TP)

This party represents those in the country who shed tears when minorities are being massacred, but won’t allow a minority to marry into their family.

Dish Antenna — Technocratic Party of Pakistan (TPP)

Having failed in finding any actual technocrats, this party has adopted the next best thing: technology. Unfortunately for them, they never actually leave their houses after the inauguration of the party due to the complimentary satellite dishes awarded to founding party members.

Fort — The Security State Party (TSSP)

Strong advocates of arming oneself because the state has failed to provide security to its citizens. They envision a Pakistan where everyone can live behind high barb-wired walls and can travel freely in Moving Forts that intimidate less-secure travelers on the streets. This movement has already gained a lot of steam in urban areas and received an unexpected PR coup from President Zardari’s many Bilawal Houses. We also believe that they are responsible for the disappearance of Tahirul Qadri’s bulletproof container.

The Glorious Bustards party (GBP)

A splinter group of the Huma Huma Kar Bhaiya party, which spent its time rubbing halwa on members’ head in the hopes of attracting the legendary bird of blessings, this party has given up on humanity entirely. Thus, they intend to reverse evolution and turn back into birds. Of course, their scientifically incorrect stance would bring them into conflict with The Education Party (TEP). On another note, this could be a great segue into the Outrage Party which, with Twitter as its only platform, is naturally inclined towards birds and bird brains. Perhaps the Crocodile Tears Party (TP) could also be a possible ally, since birds are in fact evolved reptiles

The Puff Party-Habibi (TPP-H)

This party envisions Pakistan as a future member of the Arabian Union (AU). This party believes that Pakistan has always had more in common with the Glorious Arabs then it has with the dirty Hindus, and for Pakistan to succeed, it must break free from its Hindu shackles. TPP-H and the Glorious Bustards Party are often at odds with each other over the issuing of licenses to the Glorious Arabs to hunt endangered fowl in the country. The GBP cries foul that it is a conspiracy to wipe its party off the map.

Human Eye — Media Walas of Pakistan (MWP)

The MWP serves as a mirror to Pakistani society but when you stare into it, it just blankly stares back, leaving you utterly confused as to exactly what you are looking at. The MWP believes in accountability of the state, politicians, and of the private individual in his/her bedroom/massage parlour/park. Criticizing advertisers or any major corporate entity is grounds for immediate termination from the Party.

The Human Hand — The Hand Party (TPH)

TPH goes by one simple rule: The Right To Bare Arms. The party gets its inspiration from French Secularism and advocates the banning of burqas and niqab’s and is, henceforth logically, a strong ally of FAT. We also believe that donation boxes at Lawn exhibitions are a major source of their funding.

Key With Lock — The Latchkey Party (LP)

This party believes in rarely addressing the nation, and spending most of its time away from Pakistan. The party’s philosophy and it’s No Statements-No Gaffes-Policy comes as a reaction to public relations disasters made famous by the Purple-Haired Man of Many Ties.

Knife — Khanjar Party (KP)

This is the party that believes in leaving sharp objects lodged in the backs of its allies. It is rumored that this party is backed by The Establishment but this is untrue because so many state and non-state actors have made this tactic a part of their political arsenal. We just get blamed for everything.

Khyber Pass — The You Will Not Pass Khyber Pass Party (KPP)

An isolationist party with the slogan: ‘NO FOREIGNERS BEYOND THIS POINT’. Chechen, Uzbek and Arab tourists are, however, welcome.

Pressure Cooker — Pressure Cooker Party (PCP)

Rumored to be clandestinely run by Tahir ul Qadri mainly because of his rhetorical style. This party says that their symbol portrays the state of the country and has nothing to do with Tahir ul Qadri, despite the Canadian Surgeon General’s statement that categorically states that PCP is responsible for TuQ’s frequent outbursts.

Birkin School Bag — The Elitia Education Party (EEP)

This party firmly believes that there is an Education Emergency and that the only way to solve it is through English medium private education. They have had serious communication issues with the general public, and their plank of registering party members before they are born has proven to be a hitch. Membership fees are also extremely high and the rigorous interview process is a huge turn-off.  But the possibility of a coalition with the Fort (TSSP) is open, leading to barb-wired school buildings.

Tortoise — Party of the Tortoise (PoT)

This party believes that slow and steady wins the race and aims to keep Pakistan’s economic growth at the same rate as it has been for the past five years. Their favorite rhetorical question: is Pakistan unstable because of its economic stagnancy, or is Pakistan economically stagnant because it is unstable?

Toothbrush — Toothbrush Party (TBP)

Out with the miswak and in with the new. Personal hygiene is at the top of their agenda because with greater cleanliness comes greater godliness. Initially went with the deodorant for a symbol but felt that would alienate too many potential voters. Campaign slogan for change: “Stop stinking, start thinking.”

Expected alliances: 

In the interest of good, clean fun; The Balloons, the Hands, FAT and the Toothbrush are expected to strike an alliance leaving the Bangles isolated, a move that could push more Bangles members towards the radical BOOM party. The Fort could also be an unexpected partner if they end up in opposition and have to have all their fun behind high barb-wired walls. That move could result in bringing the Cannon (BOOM) into the mix, which would make it a formidable, and well protected coalition to contend with.

The School Bag and the Cot are natural partners for an alliance. Despite their limited constituency, one can expect foreign assistance to bolster their chances. It’s rumored that the recent influx of foreign cash will build enough English medium schools to bridge the communication gap.

The Crocodile and the Human Eye would both like to implement a Mandate of Hypocrisy and could end up joining forces, but there is doubt over how long they can stay together given their inclination to scratch all backs at all times. The Knife is hoping the two can be united under one banner so as to make an easier target.

The Puff Party-Habibi (TPP-H) and the Tortoise could kill two birds with one stone. The Tortoise can ensure that Pakistan spends most of its time sleeping and the TPP-H will then have the perfect reason as to why Pakistan should be a member of the Arabian Union.

The Pressure Cooker, the Khyber Pass, the Key with Lock and the Dish Antenna will not be making any alliances because they believe that politicians are the worst kind of people. We hope that the irony of their stance is lost on them as they are, in fact, our natural allies.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 31^st, 2013.

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“When a police officer swipes your card and finds more violations than the law permits, then your licence will be withheld,” warns provincial minister for information technology, Raza Haroon, who has been involved with the developments.

The fines will be recorded at a central database and can be paid at a bank. If you show the receipt, the record will be removed.

There has been slow progress on the new system. Work started in 2008 and has so far eaten up Rs54 million. A local company, Micro-Innovations and Technologies, has been given the contract to put the system in place.

Traffic violations are rarely prosecuted in Pakistan, principally because no centralised computer database of licenced drivers exists. The ideal database would have information about traffic violations committed by each licence holder and the fines they have paid.

At the heart of the matter, however, are the licences themselves, which should allow traffic police officials to instantly access a person’s records on a computer. The Sindh police, along with the provincial information technology department, have made this the driving force behind their e-licencing project.

This will also help deal with the issue of fake licences, added Additional Inspector General Traffic Zakir Hussain.

The e-licencing project is expected to provide some semblance of relief to overworked traffic cops. However, there is always the possibility that the constable would try to bargain for a bribe.

The minister said that he was aware of the dilemma. “No one can guarantee that the person behind the computer is entering the data correctly, or if he is swiping the card [or not],” said Haroon. “This depends on the integrity of the officer.”

The new licences

Additional Inspector General Traffic Zakir Hussain explains that they are trying to cut out the agent outside the licence office. “It will be like a passport office, and [serve people] on a first-come-first-served basis,” he explained. The driving licence centres have been renovated to create space for new hardware, counters and desks. You will provide your information and have your photographs taken at the licence office. An on-site doctor will perform a quick medical checkup. You would pay the fees at a post office and sit the two written tests on general driving etiquette and traffic rules. The tests will take place on touch-screen computers at the license office, and each will consist of 15 questions.

As soon as you finish the touch-screen test, you will know if you have passed or failed. Next comes the “physical” or driving test. If you pass that, you receive an e-licence in the mail.

The driving licence office in Korangi is the only branch that is currently offering e-licences. Clifton and Nazimabad are next. While licence offices continue to issue paper permits, those with access to the computerised system will provide e-licences for anyone who comes in for a renewal.

The project’s central control room would be located at the Clifton branch. Licence offices in Hyderabad and Sukkur will also be connected to the centralised system, and AIG Hussain hopes that the system would then be expanded into Larkana and the rest of the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2012.

KARACHI: A walk through the grounds of Jufelhurst School is a breathtaking exercise through a piece of Karachi’s educational heritage. But the building, which represents the school’s legacy and rich history, has eroded over the years and is now in danger of being eradicated by modern urban development.

Nestled a safe distance away from the hustle and bustle of Soldier Bazaar, the school is spread out over an acre of prime real estate surrounded by high rise apartment buildings. But the world within the school’s boundary is reminiscent of a bygone era: a pre-partition Karachi where trees are taller than buildings.

Sybil D’Abreo built the school on her own estate in 1931 and ran it on a combination of hard work and meagre funds. The school was nationalised in 1974 and has slowly begun to deteriorate because of a lack of maintenance. Because of this, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has declared the building unsafe and plans to demolish it.

The Heritage Foundation’s chairperson, Yasmeen Lari, and SBCA’s former director-general, Fahim Zaman, paid a visit to the school on Saturday as students had dedicated the day to clean and revamp the building.

Lari prepared an assessment report and said that instead of being demolished, the school should be preserved and declared a heritage site. “One of the basic principles to declare a building a heritage site is that it has to be built before 1947. [The school] clearly meets this requirement. It is a piece of history that shows how different communities have tried to bring education to Pakistan. But people want to tear it down so they can build an apartment complex and earn profits,” Lari told The Express Tribune. It is the authorities that have allowed the school to deteriorate in the first place.

Zaman said that though the roof has collapsed, the entire structure is still strong and intact. “When a building is unsafe or needs to be demolished, water starts to seep in from the bottom. But this has not happened at the school. The structure is perfectly fine and just needs some rehabilitation as well as a new roof. Its walls are load-bearing and just need to be restored.”

Lari’s report states that there are four structures within the compound. The roofs need significant repair but the walls and windows just need basic repair to be safe for use as a school. Sewage is also overflowing onto a part of the school ground.

The school is home to around 1,200 students in the morning shift and 500 in the evening. Zaman said that ven the alumni don’t want to see the building torn down. The school still receives letters from alumni who graduated 50 years ago, looking for pictures of the school. “There are enough sources of money to preserve the school, such as endowment funds. It’s just a matter of not getting it demolished,” said Lari. Zaman said that according to the law, if a private property has a public thoroughfare for 25 years or more, the property cannot be converted into something else. Lari and Zaman have taken it upon themselves to teach the school’s students, teachers and employees to maintain basic upkeep of the building. They have in a sense adopted the school to help ensure that it is rehabilitated.

“This city breeds violence because its landscape is harsh and unfriendly. This has an effect on people. We have to transform the city’s look by preserving our buildings as well as identity and foster pride through our heritage,” Lari said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2012.

KARACHI: Karachi remains a city by the sea when it could be so much more – only if it became one with the sea. The neglect that the city’s coast has suffered is highlighted by the fact that there isn’t a single pier with recreational facilities for the public.

In this atmosphere of apathy, Yousaf Ali has taken it upon himself to look after the coral reef near Churna Island, located off the coast of Mubarak Village, which is near the border of Sindh and Balochistan. “Back in 1979, I was on my way to work when I heard an advertisement on the radio about scuba diving. I turned around at that moment and now I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” said Ali, speaking at his office in the Karachi Scuba Diving Centre (KSBC). Here, he teaches Karachi’ites as well as expatriates how to scuba dive and take care of the marine environment.

He said that one reason why people don’t take part in water sports is because they have an “unknown fear of the ocean and water.” Many people take a dip during the monsoon season when the sea is inhospitable and swimmers encounter mishaps. This makes the public perceive the open water as a dangerous space.

Another reason why scuba diving hasn’t taken off in Pakistan is because it is expensive. “People who can afford it aren’t interested and those who are interested [in scuba diving] can’t afford it,” said Ali, adding that expatriates are more interested in exploring the underwater world.

The tsunami in 2004 proved to be a boon for the coral reef off Churna Island. Pakistan was spared but the resulting fallout brought a variety of new species of coral to its coast, adding to existing 60 types already found there.

“We have new species that need to be studied, tracked, monitored and documented so that they can be taken care of,” said Ali. “The problem is that we don’t have funding or support. We really need a sponsor and we have spoken with many, but nothing has come of it.”

Despite the new coral species, the reef becomes inundated with garbage every year. According to Ali, polythene bags are the main killers of marine life. Tyres that fall off boats instantly kill coral when they fall on top of the reef.

Ali has met high-ranking members of the government and proposed a ‘Marine Park’ at Churna, encircling the area between the Light House, Cape Monze and Hub River Delta. He has proposed that a ‘tourist city’ be built in the Hub River Delta. He envisions a city with a number of facilities, including an aquatic academy, marine research centre, shark aquarium, 250 bed resort, water park and commercial diving institute.

“Such a place can create up to 100,000 jobs for the people of Sindh and Balochistan and will help protect and preserve the environment,” said Ali. “It will also bring in lots of money – even shrimp and oyster farming is an option in the delta.” He hinted that such a plan might not materialise because an oil refinery is being built near the Hub River and may pose a threat to the environment.

Despite this, Ali is still optimistic. For the last five years, Ali and his colleague, Rosheen Khan, who is Pakistan’s first female diving instructor, have been organising an event in which they lead a team of volunteers to clean the coral reef. The cleaning operation is simple – people pick up garbage from the reef using their hands. This year, the event will take place on September 30 and nearly 200 volunteers have already signed up. Anyone can participate and the KSBC can be contacted through their Facebook page.

“There are so many unexplored areas off Karachi’s coast which have rich marine wildlife. There are so many wrecks that have not been explored. One time we got lucky and found the destroyer PNS Shahjahan. It had the kind of wildlife I have only seen in Thailand,” said Ali. “We haven’t been able to find it again. No one takes care of these places and we are not big or strong enough to do it ourselves.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2012.

The first bomb, planted next to a tree and triggered by a remote-control device, went off at 7.30 pm behind Dolmen Centre, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) West Akram Naeem Bharoka.

The bomb was planted just a couple of hundred metres from the area’s Bohri Jamaat Khaana and people were returning from their prayers at the time of the first blast during rush hour. As people fled towards the middle of the street where food vendors, shops and flats are located, the second bomb planted in a motorcycle went off — causing the bulk of the casualties.

“This is where we eat, where we chat, where we meet at night. The bomb went off right next to an ice cream vendor and at that very time a young girl was buying an ice cream cone from there,” Mohammad Mustafa, a resident of the area told The Express Tribune.

According to the DIG, both explosive devices had approximately three kilogrammes of explosives in it and were filled with ball bearings.

“What is extraordinary is the high density of pellets used in these blasts. There were at least five to eight kilogrammes of pellets in each bomb, which is something we don’t usually see. It was a high-intensity blast,” Bharoka revealed.

The walls of the surrounding buildings were pockmarked from the pellets up to the third and fourth floors with some holes easily measuring four to five inches in diameter.

The motorbike that was used in the second blast had been traced by the police and belonged to Hanif, a resident of Lines Area. Police sources added that the bike had been stolen from its owner last month in Rizvia but authorities had failed to complete the FIR.

Most residents of the area – predominantly Bohris – were in shock. “These people keep to themselves and don’t have a conflict with anyone. They don’t say anything against Shias or Sunnis,” a resident told The Express Tribune. “But it is clear that they were targeting the community.”

DIG Bharoka confirmed that most of those dead and wounded belonged to the Bohri community and that “this was a clear case of them being targeted” but the officer did not provide any motive as to why this was the case.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah also took notice of the incident and sought a report from IG Sindh.

Bharoka said the blasts shared similarities, in structure of the bomb and the techniques used, to the explosion that took place near the Chinese Consulate in Clifton late July and said the two incidents might be linked.

Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain strongly condemned the bomb blasts and expressed grief on the deaths and injuries caused. He termed the incident “a blatant act of terrorism”.

He said that terrorist elements wanted to create confusion in the country by giving way to uncertainty in Karachi. He offered condolences to the grieving families and demanded serious action against the perpetrators from the government.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik ordered the formation of a joint committee to investigate the twin blasts. According to a press release, the committee would be led by the Karachi Police IG. Rangers and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) representatives will be part of it. Malik directed the FIA to send their teams to the locations and collect evidence.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2012. 

KARACHI: At least seven people were killed and 12 injured as two explosions took place one after the other near the Dolmen Shopping Centre in Hyderi area of Karachi on Tuesday, reported Express News. A woman and a child were also among the dead.

Residents of the area said that two explosions were heard as far as two to three kilometers away from site of the blasts. The sound of the blasts and resulting shockwave caused many cars to collide with each other.

Police officials said that the blast took place in the parking lot of the shopping centre and the site caught fire after the blast. The Bomb Disposal Squad issued a report saying that the 3-4kg explosives were used in the blasts.

The dead and injured have been shifted to Abbasi Shaheed hospital.

SSP Central, talking to the media, said that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in one of the blasts and it was of greater intensity. The other blast was of smaller intensity, he added.

According to IG Sindh, one of the bombs had been planted on a motorcycle and another under a push cart.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from IG Sindh.

SSP Raja Umer Khattab, talking to The Express Tribune, speculated that the nearby Bohri community might have been targeted in the attacks but did not confirm it.

Karachi city police chief Iqbal Mehmood said: “The blast occurred at a place from where we had recovered and safely defused a heavy bomb last month.

“I can’t say which terrorist organisation or individuals are behind this at this point of time,” he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.

Emergency has been declared in all hospitals of the city.

An eyewitness told The Express Tribune that the first blast took place at 7:25pm and the market was crowded at that time.

Rescue officials, fire brigades and the Bomb Disposal Squad have reached the site of the incident.

A heavy contingent of police and Rangers reached the spot soon after the blast.

Traders’ association has called a strike in the city in protest against the blasts.

JIT formed to investigate blasts

Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday ordered for the formation of a Joint Committee to investigate the twin blasts at a market in Karachi.

According to a press release, the committee will be led by Inspector General Police Karachi. Rangers and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)representatives will also be a part of the committee.

The minister strongly condemned the blasts and said according to Interior ministry information, the blasts was not suicide. He directed FIA to send their teams to these locations and collect evidence. He said FIA and police will use all available resources to apprehend the culprits.

“The (initial) reports are categorically wrong; both the boiler and the generator are intact. An element of sabotage cannot be ruled out,” Malik told journalists during a tour of the factory.

Placing the blame completely on the owners of Ali Enterprises, Malik said criminal negligence was the cause of the fire, but the involvement of terrorists could also be a possibility. Reports earlier revealed there was not a single fire exit, with only one way to leave the building.

Malik added the investigators will look into each and every aspect of the disaster, including the role of government departments. He was, however, careful not to single any one out.

Malik said the insurance claims and business deals of the factory owners are also being scrutinised to ensure they are genuine.

He maintained rescue teams will be interrogated along with the surviving staff of the factory to deduce if the fire was an inside job. “The CCTV footage from the factory has revealed people that may be involved in the fire.”

Investigations have so far revealed excessive load caused the electric wiring to melt. Malik said a transformer had also been brought in from outside the factory and placed inside the premises, which was not only illegal but also extremely dangerous.

According to the interior minister, the fire started on the first floor which had wooden flooring and quickly spread to other parts of the factory. He said there was so much smoke that people trapped on the ground floor had nowhere to go.

DIG Crime Investigation Agency Manzoor Mughal concurred the wiring was exposed which was a major reason for the disaster. He said Karachi Electric Supply Company officials would be questioned during investigations.

“We will not harass anyone, but I can assure you no one is going to be spared from the due processes of law. I am not just looking it as a crime or sabotage, but also as an act of terrorism.”

He added the factory had a mezzanine floor, which was illegal.

Mughal said the main entry and exit point had been sealed on the orders of the factory’s general manager Mansoor Ahmed, who is being pursued by the police but has not been nabbed as yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.

“Labour inspections is the biggest thing. This is the result of a lack of a regimented labour inspection regime and these are the consequences,” ILO Country Director Francesco d’Ovidio told The Express Tribune after giving a press conference here on Friday. “If inspections were regularly taking place, this wouldn’t have happened.” At the press conference, he was flanked by Sindh Labour Secretary Arif Elahi, the Sindh Employees Social Institution Commissioner Danish Saeed and Waqar A. Memon of the Pakistan Workers Federation. The ILO is a specialised United Nations agency.

D’Ovidio said that in Pakistan, ratification of the law has never been a problem, and Pakistan is actually quite good at that – the problem is mostly in implementation.

“I found it quite shocking that the labour department wasn’t sure of how many companies were actually registered. This is a lack of knowledge,” he said, but added that, “The labour department is sincere in acting now, otherwise I wouldn’t even be here, and they are taking steps. This incident will boost political will.”

During the press conference Arif Elahi announced that the labour department will be taking steps, starting with an inquiry to find out who is responsible and a commission has been formed.  “I have asked for the report to be completed within five to six days and whoever is responsible, department official or whoever, we will take punitive measures against them. I have already suspended two officers in the area, so that an impartial inquiry can be carried out.”

The next steps his department will be taking concerns relief measures for which they will be giving out death grants to the heirs of the victims, in collaboration with the Workers Welfare Board.

All injured employees will get treatment at the expense of the government and those who are healthy but have lost their jobs because of it, will be compensated during their period of unemployment. For six months, the workers will get full salaries and for the next six months they will get half their salaries.

All companies are also being given one week to register with the department, voluntarily, and Elahi called on the entire business community to assist them and work collectively to achieve this. No punitive measures were announced for any company that does not abide by this. Elahi said that he will try to start work on infrastructure with the ILO’s assistance but said that he was not expecting a miracle.

“We don’t think that we can create the ideal conditions but at least we want to be able to meet the minimum TORs [terms of reference] in which workers would not be compromised,” he said. “We plan on educating employers, enforcers, officers in all the guidelines.” He is enforcing a mandatory five- to six-day course for his officers even if they know the rules as there is no harm in reinforcement. “We want to study the laws again and try and make some sort of a labour code.”

Elahi could not say how many companies were registered. He said, however, that all he knows is that the proportion of companies that are, is not a “good” proportion – meaning very few. He conceded that there were many grey areas in the department that need to be looked at and that while business owners did have legitimate concerns about harassment under the guise of inspections, a middle ground needs to be found so that inspections are done periodically.

The ILO will undertake a needs assessment first. D’Ovidio announced that economic and income skills training will be given to 500 members of the victims’ families so that another member of their family can start earning money in “decent and safer jobs”.

They will also be helping to provide training to inspectors and help increase efficiency for the registration of companies and labour inspections. They will also try to work to raise awareness among workers on how to deal with emergencies and what their rights are.  “The lack of inspections and number of inspectors needs to be addressed. I’d like to make an appeal to the community of donors that these are the lives of workers. Such tragedies happen but it is because of this that labour legislation has changed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2012.

“We have nothing to do with the safety and emergency exits. Our building bylaws say nothing about it,” said Shabbir Khokhar, the chief engineer. “It is responsibility of the civil defence department to ensure that fire-fighting precautions have been taken.”

He said that they had visited the factory where 258 people perished in a fire on Tuesday, but they couldn’t go inside. “But there was a separate staircase for every block of the factory,” he noted.

Experts who visited the site say there was every indication that the employees did not know how to cope with an emergency. “The first three minutes are crucial in a fire like this,” said Farhat Hussain, the president of the Fire Association of Pakistan. If the fire is not controlled within this timeframe, then the situation gets out of control easily. “Fire extinguishers and emergency exits are useless if people can’t use them.”

Industries Minister Rauf Siddiqui said that land is allotted by his ministry but after that it becomes the responsibility of SITE, the labour department and civil defence authorities to inspect code violations. He felt the owners were first responsible and then government agencies.

Ali Enterprises had not been inspected, according to Labour Minister Ameer Nawab, who maintained that efforts made to visit the factory were sabotaged by the owner who pulled on his high-powered connections.

Rauf Siddiqui claims that inspectors are often paid off by factory owners but Nawab denies that in this specific case. “I don’t think it was possible because no one could get close enough to the factory in the first place.”

Nawab argued that often the mindset is to turn a blind eye in order to make doing business easier.

The law doesn’t specify how many inspections can or should take place in a year, but according to a source who works in the industrial sector, stakeholders and lawmakers agreed to limit them to once a year.

According to Nawab, only a couple of hundred workers were registered with the Sindh Employees Social Security and the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution and had appointment letters.

The government has taken possession of the land and will go to court to cancel the lease.

Rescue called off

Rescue work stopped on Thursday as investigators prepared to go inside to find out what caused the country’s worst industrial fire.

Chief Fire Officer Ehtesham Salim said rescue workers have swept through almost the entire factory. “We are wrapping up the operation. I can’t say how the fire started and spread so quickly. The inspection will start from tomorrow (Friday).”

A senior police official indicated that the fire must have started in the backup power system on the ground floor of the three-storey building.

“Probably some fault at the generator sparked the fire,” said SSP South Asif Ijaz Sheikh at a press conference. “It will take us a few days to find out what exactly happened. But let me assure everyone that the police realises the enormity of this incident. Investigations won’t be hushed up.”

He denied that the department was being stopped from going after the owners of Ali Enterprises. “The only pressure we are feeling is to get a hold of them.”

According to the records of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the company is registered under the name of Abdul Aziz Bhaila who has been paying income tax since November 2001.

The police has so far raided only the home of the Bhaila family in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), said Sheikh. “No one was at home. We haven’t made any arrests.”

Authorities confirmed the deaths of 259 workers, including 23 women. Around 82 bodies have yet to be identified.

A committee of government officials formed by Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Shaikh has yet to start its investigation. It has been tasked with establishing the responsibility of the industries, labour and civil defence departments of the Sindh government.

Deputy Commissioner West Ghanwar Leghari, who heads the committee, said he was too involved in the rescue operation to comment. “It’s a tragedy on a massive scale so we all need to be patient and not do anything that might be used against the victims.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2012.

KARACHI: The beach draws Karachi’ites in the hundreds during the monsoon season but the change in climate also brings unwanted visitors: the Portuguese Man o’ War, popularly known as the bluebottle.

Syed Muhammad Ahsan, the administrator of Aman Foundation’s Pakistan Aquatic Life Saving (PALS), said that hundreds of people have been stung daily over the past few weeks. At Paradise Point on Monday alone, ten people were hit. “You can just stand at the beach and look both ways and you will see people crying every few feet,” he quipped.

This is still a low number, he says as the number of bluebottles has been declining over the years. “You have a couple of hundred thousand people at the beach and only ten have been stung,” he said. “That is not a high number and that is how we know that [bluebottles] are dropping in number.”

As long as the monsoon season persists, people should be wary of bluebottles. The peak comes at the very end of the season, which according to the meteorological department will be on September 15.

The stings are not deadly but cause severe pain that can last up to an hour. In some cases, the venom travels to the nymph nodes, intensifying the pain. Some people are allergic to the venom and can develop fever or go into shock.

Ahsan said that if the pain lingers for longer than an hour, the victim should be taken to a hospital and given painkillers. When a bluebottle stings, the tentacles cling on to the skin. They need to be removed to reduce the pain and stop the flow of venom.

“The easiest way to treat a sting is to put saltwater and then hot water or ice on the affected area. But they are not easily available on the beach,” said Ahsan. “Our lifeguards try to store warm water as well as painkillers and ointments at several points along the beach. One should be careful not to rub water into the sting,” said Ahsan.

The bluebottle is not a jellyfish but rather a marine invertebrate. Even detached tentacles or dead bluebottles can sting.

Ahsan said that bluebottles are very hard to spot as their colour makes them blend in with the water. The best way to avoid getting stung while swimming is by wearing a wetsuit and other skin-hugging material.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2012.