It is hard to even being to imagine what thoughts were running through the mind of an 11-year-old child, who obtained petrol, poured it over himself and set himself alight in front of his school to put a tragic end to his life. We are increasingly hearing of cases where teenagers, or those even younger, are committing suicide. Though the reasons may be numerous, there is clear evidence of the anxieties that these children undergo. As a nation, we appear to be raising a generation of depressed children who are turning to drastic measures in order to find respite.

Muhammad Umar, a student of class six at a government school in Faisalabad, died at a local hospital because he had suffered 90 per cent burns. It is unfortunate that his young life ended in great pain and at his own hands. He missed school for two days, following which he was reprimanded and physically abused by a teacher at the school. Umar had been asked by the teacher to bring his father along, but he declined to go. Perhaps, despondent, the child committed self-immolation. Local education officials say that Umar played truant often. Following the incident, the teacher concerned has been suspended and an inquiry into the death has been ordered by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. We suspect that this is about as far as any progress will be made in this quest to seek justice. Similar inquiries have been ordered before and they have not led to any definite conclusions.

The questions that need to be answered go far beyond the immediate incident. The conditions prevailing in government schools need to be improved so that children like Umar are not reluctant to attend them. Corporal punishment along with worse kinds of abuse continue at schools, despite a ban — this practice ought to be stopped immediately. Other youngsters before Umar have killed themselves by hanging, poisoning or other means children ought not to even be familiar with. This death and the situation in general is reflective of our overall social condition. Unless this is altered, we will continue to see more death and tragedies similar to the one we have just witnessed in Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2012.

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the constitutional body on the Islamic status of the country’s laws, seeks to organise a movement against the sweeping threat of sectarian violence in the country. This follows the blowback to the killings of Shias in Karachi and elsewhere which have of late been followed by targeted killings of prominent Deobandi clerics. Since the CII is being chaired by a well-known Deobandi leader of the JUI-F, a wide spectrum of religio-political parties have agreed to attend the meeting devoted to roll back sectarianism and, in particular, the tit-for-tat killings that one has seen in recent years.

According to Qazi Hussain Ahmed, former chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, nearly 40 religious leaders will attend the conference. He has made it clear that there is no target entity in front of the session: it will not be opposed to the Defence of Pakistan Council headed by the Jamaatud Dawa and the foremost self-declared sectarian “tanzeem”, Sipah-e-Sahaba with a merely changed name, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat. It will be titled ‘Ummah Unity and Islamic Solidarity’ and it will address concerns arising out of the incidence of sectarian killings in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Karachi and some tribal agencies. According to the former JI chief, “religious scholars will try to extinguish the fire of sectarianism and save innocent lives”.

Welcome as the conference is in this environment of helplessness, the dice are loaded against it if you look at the record of past such efforts. Every year, clerics of all denominations get together before the onset of Muharram to vow peace within Pakistan, but usually to little avail. In fact, the last time such a meeting was held in Lahore it ended with more conflict; and the convening authority, the well-meaning PML-N government, became the target of vituperative attacks from both the brawling sides. Will the clerics succeed this time? When the CII was headed by a non-clerical scholar, it made no headway. Perhaps, this time the more powerful elements from the JUI-F and the grand Deobandi consensus will achieve something.

A fact recognised by all in Pakistan is that the people of the country are not sectarian-minded. Before jihad took hold of Pakistan and extremist clerics became threatening, there was considerable harmony between the sects. Muharram was not the season of sectarian violence and mayhem. Today, the world understands that the intensification of the sectarian feeling among the clerics is actually a result of a war relocated from Pakistan’s neighbourhood in the Gulf. And the wheels of this evil war are anointed with generous funding which goes into seminaries that teach hatred rather than peace. Will the Ummah conference succeed in persuading the various clerical formations to give up violence against one another? We hope that it will not end routinely by calling on the government to take steps that we all know it has lost the capacity to take.

Terrorist organisations, like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, will take a lot of persuasion by the elders who will gather in Islamabad under the aegis of the CII. The killers have been at it for the past several decades; and Qazi Hussain Ahmad knows it better than anyone else. His efforts to prevent violence against the diplomats of Iran in the 1990s had borne no fruit. His successor, Dr Munawar Hasan, is also wedded to the anti-sectarian creed of the founder of the Jamaat and should be seen, in this context, as a positive force for the achievement of the group’s objective. We know that the JUI chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, too, holds moderate views and has not paid heed to the viciously sectarian groups that arose in Jhang and nearby districts of Punjab in the mid-1980s, not a little encouraged by then military ruler General Ziaul Haq.

The truth is that the genie of sectarianism got out of its bottle in the Middle East and hopefully will be bottled there in some future time and at the risk of some states disappearing from the scene. But in Pakistan, the genie is out and wreaking havoc because of the declining writ of the state which started declining over a quarter century ago when Pakistan embraced proxy jihad and used religious fanatics as cannon fodder.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2012.

The collision of two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft in Nowshera that killed all four pilots on board raises serious questions about the safety of the PAF’s fleet. Not only was this the second incident in a week, it was also the sixth in the last seven months where PAF aircraft have suffered serious accidents. After all this unnecessary loss of life, now may be the time to seriously address safety concerns about our ageing fleet. Due to sanctions placed by the US for much of the 1990s, the PAF fleet is mostly made up of local and Chinese aircraft. Some of the aircraft that precede the 1990s, such as the Mirage, are more than 30 years old. In the case of the Mirage, the PAF has to keep the aircraft operational even though production of some components ceased many years ago because it is now part of our nuclear deterrent. And indeed, it was a Mirage that crashed near Karachi earlier this week while on a routine mission.

In 2004, Pakistan bought 50 Mirage planes and a huge quantity of spare parts from the Libyan government, making it the world’s largest operator of Mirage aircraft. However, the Libyan military had been in considerable disarray when sanctions were imposed after the Lockerbie bombing and so it is unclear just how well-maintained and safe these aircraft are. In recent years, thanks to the resumption of sales from the US, the PAF has been able to update its fleet with the C-130E Hercules and F-16 fighter jets but many of the older aircraft are still in use and safety will continue to be a major issue.

It is not enough that the PAF be operationally-ready; it owes it to its pilots and other servicemen that the aircraft be as safe as possible. This means regular checks and an assurance that no shortcuts will be taken in maintaining the aircraft. With such a patchy safety record at present, servicemen will be filled with doubts when they use aircraft in PAF’s fleet. This fear and doubt is likely to impact their performance in the skies. Therefore, for purely tactical reasons, ensuring safety should become the number one priority for the PAF.

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

In a cautionary tale for media barons around the world, the continued crumbling of Rupert Murdoch’s empire only gathered pace with his trusted lieutenant Rebekah Brooks facing criminal charges over the phone-hacking scandal. Despite all his wealth and power, Murdoch has not been able to get away with the rampant lawbreaking that seemed to be an inherent part of the culture at News Corp and a parliamentary committee has even declared him unfit to head the company. At the centre of the investigations into the phone-hacking scandal has been the Leveson Inquiry, which has questioned Murdoch and other executives in a public inquiry that has been televised.

For years, Murdoch was able to keep the bloodhounds at bay, thanks to the influence he had over the political elite. Now, however, politicians are turning against Murdoch in droves. This is partly due to the public nature of the Leveson Inquiry. Seeing the evasiveness of Murdoch on live television surely turned public opinion against him as did revelations of just how close he was to politicians of every stripe and ideology. Particularly damning was the testimony of Sir Harold Evans, who served as editor under Murdoch for a year after he took over The Times of London. Evans painted the portrait of a controlling, conniving liar who could not possibly have been unaware of the shenanigans taking place under his watch.

There are lessons to be learned here for Pakistan, too. We are currently in the midst of two vital inquiries: the ones looking into the Abbottabad raid and the memogate commission. Both these commissions are dealing with matters of national interest but, likely through lethargy, they seem to have made very little progress. Bringing them under the glare of television spotlights — as has been the case with the Leveson Inquiry — may speed up the process. It would also ensure that witnesses have even greater incentive to tell the truth, knowing that the public is watching. Even Murdoch’s influence has not been enough to save him; now we should give our own sacred cows the same treatment.

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

After a period of what seemed like absolute dormancy, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has suddenly sprung into action initiating an inquiry against the Sharif brothers in a money laundering case, worth $32 million, dating back to the 1990s. The brothers will also be investigated for a case in which they allegedly took bank loans worth some Rs4.9 billion for the same period. This is not the only spurt of hyperactivity from the Bureau. After a meeting with General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, NAB Chief Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bokhari has ordered a probe into the National Logistic Cell (NLC) scandal, while simultaneously setting up investigation charges against two sitting federal ministers from Balochistan.

No doubt, it is good news that corruption, which has plagued deep into the system, is finally being investigated. However, one wonders why these cases were not taken up earlier, especially since the Bureau was aware of their existence. Given the present strained relations between the PPP and the PML-N, the latter will certainly sound out the familiar cry of victimisation, which has been heard multiple times before; both in the context of NAB and other accountability bodies, such as the Ehtehsab Bureau which ran under the Sharif brothers. In fact, this has been an important reason why previous attempts to investigate corruption cases have failed repeatedly and as a result, accountability bodies have earned little or no credibility.

Comments made by President Asif Ali Zardari to practise total impartiality in the NLC scandal, further strengthens belief that this will most likely not be the case this time around. This is rather unfortunate since there is no denying that we need accountability. Corruption and money laundering by officials has corroded the system and brought our nation on the brink of collapse. We also need able bodies that can stand above politics and victimisation. This is where we have failed repeatedly on previous occasions. The sudden spurt of activity by NAB is already under scrutiny. For this reason it is vital that it be carried out in a manner which is transparent and impartial so there is no finger-pointing.

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

We are told that in Karachi, around 40 people suffering dog bites visit the rabies centre set up at the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) daily. Others report to the hospital upon being bitten or extensively scratched by stray animals. The JPMC is one of the few locations in the country which has the required vaccines to prevent victims from developing rabies and is able to offer them the immediate treatment they need. Of course, the problem of dog biting exists in many cities all over the country. Yet the shortage of rabies vaccine is reported regularly and is most often not available at all in rural areas.

The issue, however, is not to do with the unavailability of the vaccine alone, but of the number of stray animals roaming our streets. Apart from occasional drives to kill them, nothing substantial is done to reduce their population. Even the means used to inflict death are extremely cruel. The poison used — strychnine — causes the animal extreme suffering once consumed. It is fed to them wrapped in meat or gulab jamuns. Instead of trying to hunt down and kill dogs, the authorities concerned need to find means to lower dog populations.

There are charities ready to set up animal shelters in the country where stray dogs and cats can be nurtured, spayed and possibly rehoused in some cases. Of course, a number of sick animals will need to be put down. But if we are to stop the spread of rabies, it is also vital that measures be taken to try and wipe out the disease by vaccinating animals and making our country rabies free. This is no easy task but it needs to be undertaken. Likewise, people need to be made aware of how to prevent animal bites. Approaching or teasing stray dogs is obviously asking for trouble. Only a unified strategy can eliminate rabies and, indeed, stop the spread of other infections caused by bites.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2012.

It has long been said that people are able to survive in the face of depression or morbidity by employing humour. The same is true for those who live in Pakistan and its ever-present problems. We crack jokes at our own plight and this process somewhat eases the angst we face. But it seems that we might be losing this trait as well. Have we become so intolerant and dour that we are no longer able to laugh at ourselves, or accept a joke? Certainly, there is evidence that this is indeed the case.

A caricature of JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, drawn by fine arts students in an exhibition at the Nishtar Hall in Peshawar, was pulled off the wall and removed from display. It showed the leader stepping out from a lamp and this was apparently offensive to some political leaders. At least, one other caricature was removed for similar reasons. The young artists involved, including the girls, who projected the Maulana the way they saw him have expressed disappointment and said they are upset by the removal of their canvases. The action taken hardly goes to encourage artistic expression. Indeed, curbing expression amounts to a form of unacceptable censorship of opinion and goes against the basic grain of human rights as protected in our land.

More seriously, it exhibits a diminishing sense of tolerance. A nation that is not able to laugh at its flaws cannot be expected to progress. Satirical shows which have depicted figures ranging from the Queen of England to prime ministers have been popular television hits in many nations. The fact that we cannot accept a drawing of a political figure shows the kind of intolerance that is breeding in our country. Somehow, we need to rediscover this lost sense of humour and use it to our advantage in these difficult times. Caricatures, cartoons and drawings can often say more than words. They create awareness of the realities and highlight the perception of the people. Those concerned should draw on the positives instead of curbing the right to expression.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2012.

Now that the six-month standoff with the US over Nato supply routes finally seems to be over, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that in the future the government will not make decisions which are “emotional”. This was a tacit admission that Pakistan may indeed have taken steps that could be justified only as a matter of honour and not as policy decisions. By some estimates, Pakistan will earn up to one million dollars a day from the 600 or so Nato trucks that will ply our roads daily and also have over a billion dollars released from the coalition support fund that were due to us. Discarding emotions, it seems, has immediate financial effects.

In this case, taking a calm decision over the future of our relations with the US was certainly the right thing to do. But more than the civilian government, it is the establishment which needs to learn this lesson. For too long now, it has been guided by pure emotion rather than strategic concerns. From the occupation of Siachen to the insistence on asking the US for an apology for the Salala killings, it seems as if the whole issue of honour was being managed (to use a euphemism) by the military establishment. That has meant a lot of emotional chest-thumping and rhetoric when what was really needed was realism and pragmatism. The military, too, would do well to heed the prime minister’s sensible words in the future.

The country as a whole, in fact, could do with a lot less emotion. Phenomena like honour killings stem from emotion, not rationality. The anti-Americanism that permeates our body politic is again spurred by an emotional sense that the US is our enemy. We come to that conclusion without rationally considering the political and financial benefits of an alliance with the US or ever look at the damage our country would suffer should we completely break off ties with the Americans. These are decisions that need to be carefully considered because their effects will be felt for a number of years. One slight to our honour should not be enough for us to take emotional decisions that we will eventually come to regret.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2012.

After 20 years, eminent virologist Dr Khalil Chishty has finally returned to Pakistan. Dr Chishty’s family was settled in India at the time of Partition but he had decided to stay on in Karachi where he was a student. In 1992, he undertook a trip to Jaipur to meet his ailing mother. Soon after his arrival in India, Dr Chishty got embroiled in a family feud which resulted in the death of a family member. He ended up behind bars and remained there for a fearfully long time before being convicted of murder charges awarded to him in January last year.

Fortunately, human rights groups in India petitioned for his release, on the grounds of both his health and age, being 82 years old. The Indian Supreme Court granted bail in April this year. His case was also pleaded by President Asif Ali Zardari during his recent visit to Ajmer Sharif, followed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking due notice. Even though it took two decades, humanity eventually prevailed, with Dr Chishty being granted permission by the Indian Supreme Court to return home till the date of his next hearing in November this year.

Dr Chishty was received with official protocol in Islamabad, where the president’s plane was used to fly him across the border. While delight reigns in the Chishty household, other unfortunate Indians and Pakistanis held in jails of either country continue to suffer. Dr Chishty has said he will be visiting one such Indian national, Sarabjit Singh, who has served 22 years in a Pakistani jail. Diplomatic efforts are going on for his sentence to be reduced to life imprisonment. Such proactive measures by the governments of both India and Pakistan indicate that we may be witness to more cordial and healthy relations between the two neighbours in the future and this comes as a pleasant change to the otherwise hostile ties that have been adopted in the past. The move is also a symbol of hope for those prisoners who await trial in either country.

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

Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has invited President Asif Ali Zardari to the historic gathering of over 60 world leaders in Chicago on May 20 and 21 to resolve the Afghan issue before the Nato forces start leaving Afghanistan. President Zardari is said to have accepted the invitation as per earlier negotiations to finally resolve the deadlock which developed at the end of 2011 between the US and Pakistan and which had led to Pakistan boycotting the 2011 Bonn Summit.

The Defence Committee of the Cabinet has given the go ahead to lift the almost six-month-long blockade on Nato supplies passing through the country, an issue that had brought US-Nato relations with Pakistan to their lowest. A consensual but abnormally slow-grinding process, producing a set of recommendations took the country’s foreign policy out of the ambit of normal diplomacy. After realising — despite a lot of  ‘patriotic’ commentary by angry analysts — that letting parliament in on foreign policy was an excessive step, the establishment finally decided to go back to tried-and-tested diplomacy.

Parliament had front-loaded two issues that were pre-eminently suited for diplomatic negotiation and likely to give Pakistan an upper hand, had diplomacy not been undercut by emotional representatives of the people equally driven by an emotional establishment: drone attacks and an apology by the US on the Salala incident. Thus, Pakistan needlessly tested the limits of its power and influence as a frontline state only to find that relying on emotion and notions of honour, instead of reason and logic, to determine such an important policy matter was a route that it should never have adopted.

The Bonn conference on Afghanistan in December last year bore no significant results, which was no surprise. Pakistan had stayed away, the Iranians attended but were rather tentative in their commitment, aid donors had held back to see what other aid donors would do, and Afghan president Hamid Karzai had painted a discouraging picture of what looked like indefinite dependence of his country on international largesse. The timing of the Bonn summit was bad. Pakistan-US relations had hit rock bottom, though everybody still recognised that Pakistan remained the most important of the regional players. America’s relations with Iran were bad then and remain bad this time too, unless Teheran reformulates its stance. Is there a window of opportunity for Pakistan to do some give-and-take on Afghanistan to get the US-Nato approval on the Iranian gas pipeline? Another topic on which the popular feeling in Pakistan is quite intense. First China and then Russia — both sanctions-busters vis-à-vis Iran — have backed out of constructing the pipeline on the Pakistani side.

It is time we became realistic about the conduct of Pakistan’s foreign policy and realised that Afghanistan is a nettlesome issue on which we don’t have a coherent policy except for that embarrassing and only half-heartedly claimed doctrine of  “strategic depth”. High-ranking officers of the army serving in the field against Taliban terrorists have said that Pakistan would be in trouble if the Taliban took over again in Kabul. Equally, past decisions have put Pakistan at cross-purposes with the anti-Taliban elements in Afghanistan called the Northern Alliance.

Both the drone and “apology” issues have to be recalibrated away from the high passion of the various state and non-state actors in Pakistan. Regaining mutual confidence — which should be properly anointed by suitable assistance to Pakistan to save its economy from going belly-up — is the goal in the achievement of which the Bonn summit should have been a useful locus for Pakistan. Pakistan has broken out of suicidal isolation by a last-minute bout of sanity. Both parliament and the military should step back and see what they did and how they could have done things differently, especially given that in the end Pakistan got neither an apology from the Americans, nor a halt to the drone attacks.

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