Born to fail

Parliamentarians have never been noted for their willingness to come in support of issues related to women’s rights

There is a well-worn adage taught in business schools — ‘If you want to avoid doing something - form a working party.’ Or a committee. Or any other grouping that brings together talking heads to wrangle a set of clichés. Thus it is in Pakistan, and when the committee thus formed is to tackle a particularly sensitive issue such as the harassment of women then it is best to collect as many members as possible to ensure not just a diversity of opinion but also, and most importantly, an in-built dysfunctionality and a congenital inability to agree on anything unanimously.

The trigger for the latest piece of political theatricals has been the allegations made by MNA Ayesha Gulalai’s of harassment by Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Within the last week National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has approved the formation of a special committee to investigate the allegations. The benefit of the doubt has to be given to the speaker, and it must not be assumed that he acted in any way other than with good intent. That said, the committee is proposed to be a permanent fixture and will be made up of 20 members comprising 13 from the government side and 7 from the opposition. Unsurprisingly those that have campaigned against harassment are calling foul. They argue that the committee is too large and that House members are not trained to handle or adjudicate on sensitive matters such as workplace harassment — both arguments being sustainable.

There must be at least three members of the group that have specialist knowledge of the issue, and all three preferably women. Parliamentarians have never been noted for their willingness to come forward in support of issues related to women’s rights, and this committee does nothing to advance confidence in the willingness or capacity of parliamentarians who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Those that are today protesting that the new committee has been set up to fail have a case to make. It is now for those appointed to the committee to prove them wrong. We will watch with interest.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2017.

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