Dawn Editorials

12/12/2012 Dawn news editorials monitoring Too soon From the Newspaper | 8 hours ago 0
THE one-man Suddle ommission has esta!lished that "rsalan #$ti%har& the son o$ the hie$ 'usti e o$ (a%istan& re ei)ed $a)ours $rom a ontro)ersial propert* magnate with omple+ politi al and !usiness relationships , and a$ter rea hing that preliminar* $inding& the ommission has simpl* !een wrapped up !* the Supreme -ourt. That is& /uite simpl*& e+traordinar*.Transparen * demands that at the )er* least a larger ommission !e set up& the new ommission !e gi)en a wide-ranging mandate and powers& and a serious e$$ort !e made to esta!lish who did what and& perhaps most ru iall*& wh*. " !ehind-the-s enes power!ro%er li%e 0ali% 1ia2 is unli%el* to la)ish $oreign trips and other goodies on a s ion o$ a top 'udge 'ust as a means o$ esta!lishing good relations. E)en i$ 0r 1ia2 was testing the waters as opposed to a tuall* ha)ing a deal in hand& what led him to !elie)e that partiall* $inan ing "rsalan #$ti%har3s la)ish li$est*le was an in)estment worth ma%ing4 "s $or "rsalan #$ti%har& ould the 0ali% 1ia2 onne tion !e 'ust the tip o$ a dirt* i e!erg in whi h other power$ul !usiness and politi al interests also oddled the s ion o$ the hie$ 'usti e in the hope , or $alse promise , o$ $a)oura!le treatment !* the superior 'udi iar*4 The iti2enr* o$ (a%istan& whi h has reposed su h trust in the superior 'udi iar* as a !orn-again institution o$ prin iple& deser)es to %now the truth.
The unhapp*& larger truth here is that the tawdr* "rsalan #$ti%har-0ali% 1ia2 episode annot !e assumed to !e an isolated set o$ ir umstan es. Fear o$ the ga)el !eing !rought rashing down ensures that e)en the most serious o$ allegations remain onl* whispered and rarel* aired in pu!li . "lmost ertainl*& gi)en the suspi ion and mistrust !etween the go)ernment and the ourt& there is no han e $or a $ull& proper and $air in/uir* into potential wrongdoing in 'udi ial ir les. To e+pe t the 'udi iar* to open itsel$ to su h s rutin* !* a riti al& i$ not hostile& go)ernment is perhaps unrealisti . 5ut the Suddle ommission has esta!lished enough $a ts to warrant a new high powered ommission to pro!e e+isting allegations& and new ones that ma* arise i$ su h a ommission were to seriousl* soli it input $rom the pu!li .
6hat ma* !e ne essar* too is to in)estigate the ne+us !etween politi s and !ig !usiness in (a%istan. How and wh* does an indi)idual li%e 0ali% 1ia2 ommand su h in$luen e4 "re those lin%s the una)oida!le ost o$ a nas ent demo ra * with wea% institutions4 0u h seems ine)ita!le until an une+pe ted rossroads arri)es and re$orms are $or ed through !* ir umstan e. (a%istan an do with $ewer indi)iduals operating in the shadows o$ the state.
#llegal transmissions From the Newspaper | 8 hours ago 0
#N understanding how mu h damage an !e done !* $ailing to ra % down on the wide dissemination o$ di)isi)e spee h& the ase o$ militant leader Fa2lullah is instru ti)e. He was amongst the $irst e+tremists to turn to F0 radio to ast the shadow o$ $ear o)er parts o$ 7h*!er (a%htun%hwa& so mu h so that he !e ame popularl* %nown as 0ullah 1adio. #t was onl* a$ter his group )irtuall* too% o)er Swat and imposed upon it an e+tremist )ersion o$ religion that the (a%istan "rm* was mo)ed to push it out in 2008. 5ut the pro!lem o$ hate spee h !eing !road ast !* F0 radio remains9 di)erse militant and/or e+tremist out$its ontinue to use the medium to spread their di)isi)e )iews. #ndeed& the !lood* !attle $ought in the 7h*!er "gen * !etween the :ash%ar-i-#slam and "nsar-ul-#slam o urred in part o)er the illegal F0 hannels ea h group !road ast.
;i)en this !a %ground& it is a step in the right dire tion that a!out a do2en unli ensed F0 radio hannels ha)e !een shut down& and their e/uipment sei2ed in Swa!i distri t o)er the past $ew da*s. The* were !eing used to air programmes on erning di$$erent religious s hools o$ thought o$ a nature that made the authorities $ear !rea%downs in law and order. Howe)er& the state needs to !olster this ra %down on illegal radio stations !* reating in enti)es $or legal& li ensed hannels that produ e superior and non- ontro)ersial programming. The $urther one is $rom the ur!an and settled areas& the lower the penetration o$ F0 programming , e)en though a si2ea!le audien e is learl* a)aila!le. :owering li en e $ees and ma%ing it possi!le to appl* $or an F0 radio li en e , instead o$ ha)ing to wait $or (emra to announ e an au tion& as is urrentl* the ase , would go a long wa* as an in enti)e. True& a large portion o$ the northwest is o)ered !* 1adio (a%istan3s medium-wa)e transmissions9 !ut F0 has appre ia!l* !etter !road ast /ualit* and in a region that (a%istan needs to de)elop& a ase an !e made $or the pluralit* o$ )oi es. 1esponsi!le radio programming an ma%e a di$$eren e. The rest o$ (a%istan has !ene$ited $rom the F0 re)olution9 so should the northwest. For!es list From the Newspaper | 8 hours ago 0
TH#S list does what most others do not. The For!es roll o$ the most power$ul people on earth in ludes ;en "sh$a/ 7a*ani& whi h was not une+pe ted gi)en (a%istani arm* hie$s ha)e alwa*s !een among the most in$luential in the world , $or whate)er reason. 6hat ma%es the
list spe ial is the rare instan e it pro)ides o$ a (a%istani impro)ing his or her ran%ing. ;en 7a*ani was rated 28th in 2011 and is 28th this *ear. Some two do2en posts adri$t& at num!er <2& stands :t ;en =aheer-ul-#slam& hie$ o$ the #S# whi h in its own right is %nown $or its lout.
The maga2ine des ri!es some re ent ourt o!ser)ations >holding the militar* a ounta!le $or human rights a!uses and politi al meddling? as representing a >low light? $or the general. Howe)er& this new $a tor has not had an* real impa t on the ran%ing whi h appears to atta h onsidera!le signi$i an e to a person3s international )alue& along with their importan e in the area and $ield the* !elong to. -onse/uentl*& !oth ;en 7a*ani and :t ;en #slam !eing "meri a3s allies in the @war on terror3 is a $a tor o$ riti al import. :t ;en #slam3s $irst )isit to the AS is des ri!ed as a >highlight? and #S#& the maga2ine sa*s& >will !e hugel* in$luential in determining the region3s $uture?. B!)iousl*& gi)en the angle $rom where the 'ur* has appeared to ha)e sele ted the entries& there is little room $or an* other (a%istani to ma%e the list. #t was out o$ the s ope o$ this e+er ise to anal*se wh* (a%istan ontinues to !e represented !* its generals in omparison to politi al and !usiness $a es emerging on the hart o$ honour elsewhere. 5ut the point does add to the ne)er-ending list o$ o asions where (a%istanis ha)e wondered a!out the old tag o$ a nation go)erned !* the arm* sti %ing to them despite grand pronoun ements a!out demo ra *. Tendulkars dilemma
From the Newspaper | 12 hours ago
LEGENDARY Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkars fall from grace in the ongoing cricket series against England has not onl disma ed millions of his fans across the !orld but has also com"elled critics to ask him to hang u" his boots# Rated as
perhaps the greatest post-war batsman, Tendulkar has been a picture of misery in the four-match series, struggling to put together a decent score against an opposition which by no means can be dubbed as menacing for a player of his class and stature !is rare but continued failure with the bat in 2"12, both at home and abroad, has drawn boos and #eers from the crowds, e$en in places like %umbai, &hmedabad and Nagpur where he has been re$ered as a demigod since making his international debut 2' years ago !is former colleagues (oura$ )anguly, Rahul *ra$id and a few others ha$e openly criticised him for not looking the part anymore, mainly due to his slow refle+es and poor shot selection ,ut Tendulkar is certainly not the first &sian batsman to face this unpleasant situation & number of great players before him, including compatriots (unil )a$askar and -apil *e$, our own .a$ed %iandad, /asim &kram and 0aheer &bbas, and se$eral others ha$e been forced out of cricket after repeated failures or ha$e simply faded into history after refusing to 1uit the game at the right moment 2t was only recently that one of &ustralia3s most successful captains and batsmen, Ricky 4onting, retired after realising that he could no longer cope with the rigours of international cricket Tendulkar, unfortunately, has not been able to choose his departing moment and must now be ruing the blunder of not ha$ing called it a day in %arch 2"11 when 2ndia won the 255 5ricket /orld 5up
Not a long$term solution

T%E State &ank of 'akistan managed to cross another ricket bridge on (rida !ithout "utting further "ressure on the !eakening e)ternal sector or jeopardising gro!th "ros"ects# The small cut of half a percentage point in the key policy rate may ha$e
dismayed some businessmen ,ut gi$en the challenges the economy faces at the moment it was perhaps the right response ,y continuing monetary
easing in response to the broad-based decline in price inflation, though at a slower pace than e+pected by the pri$ate sector, the bank has indicated its desire to support new pri$ate in$estment in the economy to counter weak growth &t the same time, the mo$e is calculated to protect the economy from risks emanating from a deteriorating e+change rate on dwindling foreign financial inflows and huge debt repayments ,ut the 1uestion is6 will the bank be able to continue its monetary easing in its ne+t re$iew two months down the road7 &ny rise in inflation may force it to put the brakes on, or e$en re$erse, the process of monetary easing &nd the risk of inflation $ery much remains in the shape of a deteriorating e+change rate and massi$e fiscal borrowing 8nless the go$ernment stops or substantially reduces its borrowing from domestic sources and foreign pri$ate and official capital inflows start coming in, the inflation risk will remain The direction of monetary policy in the near term will thus be determined by the successful auction of 9) telecom licences and the release of coalition support fund payments by the 8( The medium- to long-term sustainability of low interest rates will hinge on reduction of the fiscal deficit and a substantial increase in foreign inflows The four-percentage-point reduction in the cost of borrowing during the last 1: months has perked up the economy somewhat 2nflation declined fast, growth momentum picked up and corporate profits rose ;et pri$ate in$estment remains muted /hile in$estment will not pick up unless interest rates are brought down further, the reduction in credit cost alone is not enough The energy crisis will ha$e to be addressed, security impro$ed and the fiscal deficit bridged
Another attack
AN*T%ER militar airbase attacked+ another full set of lessons that "erha"s !ill not be learned# Since the attack on the ,ehran airbase in -arachi. the militants ha/e demonstrated a so"histicated understanding of both the "s cholog and methodolog of high$"rofile attacks# Targeting an airbase in e$en a semi-successful attack captures public attention in a way that a highly
successful attack against other military targets would not &nd while the security forces appear to be protecting $ulnerabilities at airbases better than was the case before the %ehran attack, the militants are also adapting They appear to be probing for weaknesses by deploying new combinations of fidayeen and suicide attackers, and still ha$e fairly good intelligence on their targets /hy this is so is a 1uestion that the public has not recei$ed an answer to (o the focus must necessarily turn to more transparency and accountability within the security and intelligence apparatus <$ery new high-profile attack is a reminder of how little is known publicly about the in$estigations into pre$ious such attacks /as physical security as rigorous as it could be7 /as the $etting of security personnel posted at these installations thorough7 /ere maps and schematics and other information protected ade1uately7 &nd after weaknesses were e+posed, how effecti$e was the response of the security apparatus to ensure a repeat would be difficult7 5learly, as the attack on a foreign airbase in southern &fghanistan pro$ed, the militants can e+ploit weaknesses in defences in e$en the most hostile en$ironment ,ut in the absence of transparent and public in$estigations and accountability, we can3t be certain that negligence, incompetence or complicity in the security apparatus here is being identified and punished as thoroughly as it should Then there is the broader 1uestion that always comes up in these moments 4eshawar is ad#acent to the tribal areas and as such will always remain more $ulnerable than most 4akistani cities unless a coherent policy for eliminating militancy is de$eloped ,ut despite ha$ing tens of thousands of troops stationed in Fata and launching a series of military operations that ha$e reco$ered swathes of territory that had $irtually been ceded to the militants, the absence of a =ero-tolerance policy towards militancy has made it difficult to win this war &pologists for the Taliban, who refuse to see that the militants3 war is against 4akistan and its people, ha$e stood in the way of a unified stance North /a=iristan, and also the Tirah $alley, remains a fundamental threat to security in 4akistan ;et it is still not clear how the army-led security establishment intends to defang that threat 4aralysis and policy drift will only enable the militants to push harder to find e$en more weaknesses
'rotection /s "ri/ac
From the Newspaper | > hours ago
0IT% its "assage b the National Assembl bringing the In/estigation for (air Trial &ill one ste" closer to becoming la!. 'akistan stands on the edge of a ne! !orld of legal but risk information gathering# Se/eral countries ha/e gone do!n this route since 1233. and there are conditions s"ecific to 'akistan that make it 4ust as im"ortant here. if not more. to be able to interce"t the communications of those sus"ected of criminal acti/ities# In combining the countr s terrorism "roblem !ith limited forensic tools and training. lack of "rotection for 4udges and !itnesses and la!s restricting the admissibilit in court of se/eral kinds of e/idence. the need to strengthen the hands of intelligence agencies and "olice in "re/enting crimes is clear# As it stands. this inabilit of the state to "unish "er"etrators has conse5uences be ond creating incenti/es to carr out crimes and releasing terrorists !ho are then free to strike again# It also contributes to e)tra4udicial killings. deaths in 6encounters and enforced disa""earances that the securit establishment has come to rel
on as an alternati/e to the e)isting legal s stem#

,e all of that as it may, 4akistan is also a place where the ability to legally intercept communication carries particular risks /iretapping and other types of monitoring ha$e been used both by and against politicians as tools of politics and corruption There is little training, among either the #udges who will grant warrants for monitoring or those who will carry it out, on how to balance pri$acy concerns against the need for information, and little case law to fall back on The newly legal method could well be o$erused by o$er=ealous intelligence agents, with in$estigators tracking too many people who ha$e no intention of committing crimes &nd unless some of the other weaknesses of the in$estigation and prosecution systems are addressed, intercepting communications will be of limited $alue )i$en the last-minute changes that were made to the bill in the &ssembly, the e+act language of the legislation is not yet known ?pposition and coalition parties did play an important role by asking for some much-needed amendments, including, reportedly, punishment for misuse by in$estigators, reducing the time period for which warrants will be $alid and restricting the number of agencies that can intercept communications ,ut as the bill goes to the (enate on its way to becoming law, it still needs to be looked at with an e+tremely cautious eye @ including carefully defining which crimes it will co$er and creating a rigorous monitoring mechanism @ so that the legislation that ultimately goes into effect doesn3t impinge on pri$acy and citi=ens3 rights more than is absolutely necessary
Rene!ed coo"eration7
AS the te)t of the latest 'entagon re"ort on the !ar in Afghanistan submitted to the 8S 9ongress is "arsed. more nuggets ha/e come tumbling out that shed light on the state of 'ak$8S$Afghan ties# According to a re"ort in this ne!s"a"er esterda . :com"lementar raids; ha/e been carried out along the /olatile region of the 'ak$Afghan border in the Afghan east and 'akistans (ata and tribal areas further north# This hints at rene!ed coo"eration o/er the fiendishl com"le) "roblem of cross$border raids !herein Afghan Taliban !ith sanctuaries on the 'akistani side of the border "enetrate eastern Afghanistan. and 'akistani Taliban esca"ing militar o"erations in (ata and the ,alakand region ha/e set u" sho" on the Afghan side from !here the harass and target 'akistani securit forces# The "roblem of cross border raids b militants affects not onl stabilit in eastern Afghanistan and north$!estern 'akistan but broader 'ak$8S and 'ak$Afghan relations because of the recriminations and mistrust that such raids generate#
(till, it is far from clear what le$el of cooperation is actually taking place to try and stem at least some cross-border militant acti$ity The 8( military strategy of focusing on population centres has meant a withdrawal from posts in remote border areas, while the &fghan forces are still unable to rise to the challenge that cross-border raids present This leads to complaints from 4akistan that the necessary hammer-and-an$il strategy cannot be implemented 2t also generates suspicion that cross-border raids from the &fghan side are a tit-for-tat response to militant acti$ity from 4akistan into &fghanistan %ore worryingly, from 4akistan3s perspecti$e, it also ser$es to delay the ine$itable operation in North /a=iristan, from where emanates the single greatest threat to stability on both sides of the border and also 4akistan proper 4erhaps none of this can edge closer to a resolution until the 8( strategy in &fghanistan is ree$aluated and the course of action o$er the ne+t couple of years made clear Now that 4resident ?bama has been reelected, the reassessment should occur soon ,ut if it resembles a kind of contradictory surge-and-e+it strategy, little may be clarified or resol$ed
'olitics and state

T0* slogans in 'akistans t!o largest cities < both em"hasising the leader# In Lahore the stage is being "re"ared for the return of Allama Dr Tahirul =adri# In -arachi. !all chalkings of the ,=,s earlier slogan. 6,an>il nahin rehnuma chahi e ?leader not destination@ ha/e cro""ed u" once again# The catch"hrase for Dr =adris Dec AB rall is 6Si asat nahin. ri asat bachao# Literall . this means 6sa/e the state. not "olitics but a clearer translation !ould be 6discredit old "olitics to create room for our o!n# This is so t "ical of born$again tehriks# 'olitics and the 'akistan A!ami Tehrik ha/e someho! not combined !ell. e/en though Dr =adri has a large follo!ing and des"ite his "ast attem"ts# Dr =adri rose to "rominence during Gen Cias rule as a la! teacher and religious scholar# Later. he chose to grace Gen ,usharrafs ADDA National Assembl # It is unfortunate the state could not be sa/ed then and there. lea/ing it "recariousl in the hands of !ho else but the "oliticians#
!a$ing decided politics was something not worth sa$ing, *r Aadri is happy o$er the backing he has got from the %A% @ when no one 1uite knows how 4&T is going to go about its campaign /hen *r Aadri thanked the %A% chief for his support recently, he said it was the fight against feudalism that had brought 4&T and the %A% closer 2t is ironic then that the wall chalkings in -arachi do not reflect this 8nless the ob#ecti$e is to con$ey that the leader is a destination unto himself, the slogan might come across as somewhat feudal in modern times 2n earlier times, when the %A% was sub#ected to se$ere persecution by the state, the frustration was understandable, but now that it has entered mainstream politics as a democratic force in its own right it must aim for higher standards
Sheer madness
From the Newspaper | ' hours ago
0%ERE is this societ headed7 T!o gruesome incidents that occurred on (rida clearl indicate the de"ths !e ha/e sunk to# 2n the first, a 1,"""-strong mob beat to death and later burnt the corpse of a suspect for allegedly desecrating the Auran in (indh3s *adu district
The mob prised the $ictim out of police lock-up and decided to dispense B#ustice3 themsel$es %eanwhile in -arachi, in an apparent re$enge attack, the associates of an &N4 leader shot earlier in the day barged into the emergency department of the .innah 4ostgraduate %edical 5entre and killed one of the suspected assailants Firing into the air, the enraged men had arri$ed at the hospital where the body of the slain &N4 leader was brought and, upon disco$ering that one of the suspected assailants was in the same facility, shot him while he was in the casualty ward ?ne can imagine the sheer terror that must ha$e o$ertaken the patients, doctors, and others present at the hospital *octors are often manhandled by emotional attendants &lso, in -arachi it is normal for political acti$ists to resort to hea$y gunfire e$ery time a fellow worker is brought to hospital for treatment or autopsy The .4%5 was also targeted in the past, when a bomb went off on 5hehlum in 2"1" ,ut this is a frightening new de$elopment @ perhaps the first time a $ictim has been shot inside a casualty ward in the city ;et no satisfactory steps ha$e been taken to impro$e security for doctors or patients at the facility &s far as the lynching case is concerned, suspected criminals as well as alleged Bblasphemers3 ha$e been meted out similar treatment by charged mobs in the past ,oth incidents are indicators of the madness and =ea-lotry that is now swee-ping across 4akistan 2n this $iolent, brutal society, logic and sanity are fast becoming nebulous concepts
9NG "rices
From the Newspaper | ' hours ago
T%E Su"reme 9ourts order to *gra to de/ise a consumer$friendl 9NG "ricing formula has a""arentl "ut the go/ernment in a difficult "osition# Although the court has told *gra to consider the go/ernments "olic guidelines on the matter. it has sto""ed the regulator from follo!ing them if these arent in the interest of the 9NG users# That3ll make it much more difficult for the
go$ernment to achie$e its policy ob#ecti$e of discouraging use of the depleting gas resource for filling the car tanks of the wealthy /hile it isn3t ad$isable for courts to encroach upon the territory of the e+ecuti$e, the go$ernment is to blame for the situation it has landed itself in 2ts decision in 2""C to let 5N) station owners rip off consumers and later to link the fuel3s price with imported petrol without legal backing led the court to inter$ene in the Bpublic interest3 <$en the court3s inter$ention failed to mo$e the go$ernment and it delayed determination by ?gra of a new 5N) pricing formula <$er since the court order to de-link the fuel3s price from imported petrol and curtail illegal profits of 5N) station owners on ?ct 2', the go$ernment has been hoping that the hefty reduction in their profits may force them to wind up their business or switch to D4) %eanwhile, the consumers, whose interests the court wants to protect and whom the go$ernment wants to switch to petrol by increasing the 5N) prices, ha$e suffered for the last two months &fter all, who would not want to use 5N) when it is a$ailable at 9E-'" per cent of the petrol price e$en if it means waiting in long 1ueues for hours7 Their ordeal is unlikely to end until a new price is fi+ed as the ma#ority of gas stations remain closed on one prete+t or the other as part of their Bunofficial3 protest against the cut in their margins The go$ernment will need to change the rele$ant laws if it really wants to restrict the consumption of 5N) for public transport to benefit the poorer segments of the population and put the precious resource to producti$e use
%o"e and tre"idation '8NEA& is heating u"# A ne! go/ernor is set to take o/er from Sardar Latif -hosa# Shahba> Sharif. Imran -han. ,an>oor 0attoo and 9haudhr 'er/ai> Elahi are all out drumming u" su""ort for their "arties. !ith Allama Tahir ul =adri introducing a ne! angle to it !ith his a""earance# From somewhere an intelligence document by the 4un#ab3s (pecial ,ranch has entered the discussion saying the general polls scheduled after %arch ne+t year could be delayed ,ridges and roads are fast coming up in Dahore in anticipation of the general $ote and their builders are e+tremely keen on ensuring the elections coincide with the opening of these grand a$enues 5hief %inister (harif has upped the ante by warning against any delay in the polls @ and he has accelerated the pace to wind up his pro#ects before going into an election &lso, there are reports the 444 politicians in 4un#ab are keen on ha$ing the election in early &pril ne+t year, to a$oid popular anger generated by long hours of power suspension in hot summer months These are all signs of a forthcoming election whose delay would be easier sought then effected ;et confusion seeps into the proceedings from time to time and the old fears about a delay in polls still hang in the air 2n any e$ent, 444 on its own is lacking in authority to put off the polls 2t is clear that those who are warning against a postponement are actually warning against some outside inter$ention in politics This is where actors such as &llama Aadri are identified as outside agents painting all politics as bad and allegedly seeking to create room for a non-elected setup These rumours will only die down with the announcement of an election date %akhdoom &hmed %ahmood3s sudden selection as the new go$ernor of 4un#ab will or should add to the pre-election feeling @ until there is solid e$idence that some conspiracy to put off the elections is indeed afoot 2t will boost the alliance-making acti$ity in the pro$ince The federal go$ernment will want the effects of this step felt well beyond 4un#ab, using it as an e+ample of the reconciliatory politics it has been claiming to practice since its arri$al in power The mo$e has been e+plained in the conte+t of politics in southern 4un#ab where 444 is looking to woo $oters with a new (eraiki pro$ince No less significant is the politics of 4%D-N whose grand search for allies has won it some notables, ruff-ling the feathers of some big birds Dagging well behind in the
catch-the-influentials race, 444 would be hoping for more crosso$ers to bring the competition to upper 4un#ab areas 8ndefeated militanc From the Newspaper | 1" hours ago
&AS%IR Ahmed &ilour. an AN' stal!art and an im"lacable critic of militanc and 'akistans drift to!ards e)tremism. is no more# -illed b the same ideolog he "reached against and !hich sa! him as a threat to the agenda of remaking 'akistan into a darker and more troubling "lace. the traged of ,r &ilours death is that it !as "erha"s a death foretold# In recent !eeks. the surge in militant /iolence across -h ber 'akhtunkh!a and (ata ma ha/e come as a sur"rise to some. but to an one follo!ing the arc of militanc in the region closel . the signs of an unbo!ed and undefeated militant threat looking to reassert itself !ere "lentiful# And gi/en that the states res"onse in the face of the mor"hing threat from militanc a""ears to ha/e been et more uncertaint and near "aral sis in some areas. the likelihood of high$"rofile attacks that !ould grab headlines and inflict further blo!s against the morale of the state and the "ublic !as /er high# No!. ,r &ilour is dead and its almost certain that the recent !a/e of attacks in -h ber 'akhtunkh!a and (ata !ill continue# /hat can the state do7 2n moments like this, well-meaning commentary about better strategies and tactics and who to fight where and when are almost beside the point ?nce, and only once, 4akistani state and society de$elop a consensus that militancy, radicalisation and e+tremism need to be decisi$ely re$ersed, can any military, political or social strategy work There is often much focus put on the role of the army-led security establishment in prolonging 4akistan3s association with militancy, radicalisation and e+tremism The focus is correct and necessary because until the army adopts a =erotolerance policy towards militancy, the state is unlikely to e$er de$elop the will or capacity to smother the threat permanently !owe$er, there is a serious burden of responsibility on the ci$ilian political class too @ a burden of responsible leadership that few ha$e been able to carry well when it comes to confronting the militant threat For all the le$ers and control the security establishment may ha$e o$er state and society, if there is to be meaningful change, it is the ci$ilian political leadership that will ha$e to demonstrate courage and clarity Too much obfuscation, too much dithering, too much doublespeak has characterised many ci$ilian politicians3 response to the threat from militancy %yopia can only take a politician so farF ultimately, the militants ha$e made it clear6 it is them $ersus e$eryone else
-err gets the "ost From the Newspaper | 1" hours ago
T%E nomination of Sen Eohn -err as the ne)t 8S Secretar of State is a !elcome mo/e from the 'akistani "ers"ecti/e# Sen -err has demonstrated t!o ke understandings in his dealings !ith this countr F one. that continued engagement and "atient di"lomac are essential if fundamental di/ergences are e/er to be narro!ed+ and t!o. the ci/ilian "olitical leadershi" needs the consistent and serious su""ort of the 8S. !hich in the "ast has too 5uickl and too full relied on the 'akistan Arm as its "rinci"al all # 0ith elections in 'akistan on the hori>on. the dra!do!n in Afghanistan coming closer and a "ost$!ar$in$ Afghanistan focus on 'akistan likel to gro!. Sen -err !ill steer his countr s di"lomatic a""roach to 'akistan at et another critical 4uncture in this countr s domestic "olitical e/olution and regional securit en/ironment# The more pragmatic a""roach to Pak$8S relations o/er the last ear < gone is talk of a strategic relationshi" and the like < should hel" Sen -err kee" his goals narro! and focused. though that still lea/es much to do# Take 4ust the aid under the -err $Lugar$&erman la! that has not flo!ed in the 5uantit originall concei/ed nor has it reall had the kind of im"act that its s"onsors !ould ha/e ho"ed for# *n the "olitical front. !ith elections on the hori>on in 'akistan. the further a!a the 8S sta s from ill$concei/ed ideas like the aborti/e ,usharraf$&ena>ir alliance of ADDG and 4ust o"ts to su""ort relati/el free and fair elections !ith the chi"s falling !here the ma . the better off 'akistans democratic transition !ill be# <$en in the pared-back relationship, the challenges will be mighty, though 5omplicating the scenario for (en -erry, and 4akistan, is the reality that under 4resident ?bama, foreign policy has been crafted by a small core of presidential ad$isers inside the /hite !ouse (ecretary 5linton3s relati$ely innocuous term, at least with regard to policy, may be the template for (ecretary-nominee -erry, who enters the #ob as an a$owed ?bama loyalist (o it is to the /hite !ouse and changes in the national-security positions there that attention must also turn to understand how the 4akistan policy may be tweaked in the months and years ahead
8lemas fat!a From the Newspaper | 1" hours ago
EHEN though the 'akistan 8lema 9ouncil did not s"ecificall refer to the "olio !orkers traged . its condemnation of the murder of innocent "eo"le deser/es to be a""lauded# A fat!a. issued on Thursda b some of 'akistans leading Darul 8looms grou"ed under the '89. denounced all murders and declared categoricall that a sus"ect could be gi/en 4ustice onl b the state# The fat!a has a direct rele/ance to the situation in 'akistan toda . because it also denounces murders in :streets or markets;# The '89 fat!a recognises the e5ualit of all citi>ens !hen it declares that a non$,uslim killed b a ,uslim citi>en deser/es the same legal "rocess as !hen a ,uslim falls /ictim to murder# Technicall s"eaking. the '89 fat!a breaks no ne! ground !hen it reiterates the 4ustice inherent in Islamic la!+ but its significance lies in its timing. for it comes at a time !hen some leading Islamic scholars and religious "ersonalities ha/e refrained from condemning acts of terror and the recent killings in -arachi and -' of anti$"olio !orkers. most of them !omen# '89 9hairman %afi> Tahir Ashrafi said the decree !as issued to disabuse some "eo"le of the notion that the ulema a""ro/ed of terrorism or !ere in/ol/ed in it# /hile the fatwa must be lauded, the silence which most heads of religious parties ha$e maintained is astonishing <$en if some of them ha$e condemned the polio workers3 murder as a matter of form, what is missing is a unanimous and categorical denunciation of the barbaric attacks on people engaged in the noble task of immunising the future generation of 4akistanis against polio 2sn3t it time for men like %aulana Fa=lur Rahman, %aulana (amiul !a1, %unawwar !assan, !afi= (aid and others to not only une1ui$ocally condemn these murders by bigoted fanatics but also declare their full support for the polio campaign7
A ne! contender
From the Newspaper | 1E hours ago
ALL rallies. e/en mammoth ones. are not e5ual# Slightl o/er a ear since the 'TI rall in Lahore shook the countr s "olitical foundations. another !ould$be sa/iour arri/ed in the 'un4ab ca"ital to "reach a slightl different kind of "olitics# The turnout on (unday for Tahir ul Aadri, chief of the Tehrik-i-%inha#ul Auran, was massi$e, and e+pected &s head of a populist, ,arel$i
group, %r Aadri commands support from a group of dedicated followers culti$ated o$er the decades through an educational and preaching network that3s especially strong in 4un#ab but that has also spread its roots to the other pro$inces *espite being a political lightweight, the charismatic %r Aadri has adroitly meshed conser$ati$e 2slam with modernist $alues to craft a message that appeals to a far wider cross-section of people than that of the 4T2 /hich is why, scanning the crowd at %anto 4ark on (unday, both rural and urban, rich and poor, highly educated and less literate persons could be seen in large numbers
;et, support for a religious leader is one thingF turning out $oters 1uite another This is where %r Aadri3s message becomes problematic %r Aadri has demanded that a clean, technocratic, patriotic and efficient caretaker set-up to fi+ all that ails 4akistan be put in place @ or else his followers would descend on 2slamabad and pressurise the go$ernment until his demands are met /ithin that demand lies a tacit admission perhaps that the T%A does not ha$e the electoral support to con$ert his political agenda into an electoral $ictory that could lead to reform from within the system %r Aadri3s message will strike many who ha$e followed the tra#ectory of democracy in 4akistan as old and failed ,ut the fact that it comes so close to the first ci$ilian-led transition in decades will ha$e raised some alarm bells For all its failings, the political class, that has disillusioned so many, has the one thing that other would-be sa$iours do not6 genuine political legitimacy 2t may be flawed, it may be problematic, but support for the mainstream political parties represents the democratic will of the people 2t is this legitimacy, which %r Aadri and others like him do not appear to recognise or accept, that needs to be protected by the electorate when attempts are made to snatch it away The country is close to a general election that will be intensely competiti$e and which represents a genuine opportunity to mo$e the democratic pro#ect forward That is the fundamental change the country needs, no matter what the personal ambition of leaders like %r Aadri may suggest
A better democrac
*NE measure of the maturing of 'akistani "olitics !ill be its e/olution a!a from a s stem in !hich /oters can onl choose among a small number of established "olitical "arties !ith mone to burn# &nd yet a couple of the electoral rules being
de$eloped by the <lection 5ommission of 4akistan run the risk of preser$ing the status 1uo The limit on election spending is a particularly tricky decision (et it too high and there3s the risk of legalising an une$en playing field (et it too low and it will be unrealistic and flouted blatantly &s the <54 proposes a four-fold increase in the limit, to Rs:m for a National &ssembly seat and Rs'm for a pro$incial assembly seat, it needs to publicly share the basis of these numbers @ and a plausible plan for how it will enforce them @ so that ci$il society can weigh in on whether they are reasonable ,eyond limits, there is also the 1uestion of transparency &side from records of how much was spent and on what, it3s important to channel candidates3 personal funds through parties3 accounts, for e+ample, and to document contributions from business interests and other large donors 5ampaign finance is not as simple as setting a spending cut-off, and the <54 needs to be more open and consultati$e about how it plans to enforce transparent political spending The other piece of the proposal that needs to be rethought is the re1uirement that parties demonstrate a specified le$el of public support or a wide enough national presence to 1ualify for an election symbol 2t3s true that ta+payers3 money should not be spent on supporting non-serious candidates or those simply out to strike deals with bigger parties ,ut emerging political $oices should not be stifled either ?ne way around this could be a system such as the one in 2ndia, where parties are allowed to Bgraduate3 from local to pro$incial to national polls The <543s efforts at electoral reform, including consulting political parties and ci$il society, ha$e been a welcome change from prior years ,ut some of the rules need to be reconsidered to mo$e 4akistan towards a more e1uitable democracy
Hictor for ,orsi

T%E a""ro/al of the ne! constitution b the Eg "tian "eo"le. confirmed in the second round of the referendum on Saturda . hands et another /ictor to 'resident ,ohamed ,orsi and "a/es the !a for the general election due in about t!o months time# The low turnout @ alleged by the opposition to be 9" per cent @ doesn3t ser$e to denigrate the importance of a :' per cent Byes3
$ote /hat matters is <gypt3s gradual ad$ance towards democracy after decades of authoritarian rule, e$en after the country became a republic in
1GE9 !osni %ubarak was ousted from power about two years ago, but in this short period @ despite some an+ious moments, including the refusal of the old guard to 1uit @ 4resident %orsi has on the whole managed to control the situation !e has been tough where necessary and conciliatory where e+pediency so demanded !is sacking of Field %arshal %ohammed !ussein Tantawi as supreme commander and defence minister and the dismissal of the three ser$ices chiefs strengthened his power and dealt a coup de grHce to the %ubarak remnants !is mistake was the decree that debarred courts from re$iewing his actions !e, howe$er, had the foresight to take it back when it e$oked strong domestic and international criticism The National (al$ation Front, a coalition of opposition parties, has now decided to fuse into one party and struggle by democratic means to amend the constitution The opposition has reser$ations about the constitution because it has been crafted by an assembly dominated by the %uslim ,rotherhood The Front says the constitution ignores the rights of <gypt3s 5hristians, who constitute 1" per cent of the population There is no doubt the parliamentary elections will be a milestone in <gypt3s march towards freedom & constitution is in place, and that should ser$e as the bedrock for the growth of democracy
Time for action
E8ST a fe! da s after losing &ashir &ilour. 'akistan has mo/ed on to the ne)t ne!s stor < something the countr no! tends to do after e/er traged it suffers at the hands of /iolent e)tremism# &ut the danger in mo/ing on so ra"idl . !ithout doing an thing about such a serious threat. is that the threat onl gets bigger# The last 3D da s alone ha/e brought us face to face !ith the outcome of re"eatedl brushing this "roblem under the car"etF an outbreak of attacks in -h ber 'akhtunkh!a. including against militar installations. and the assassinations of ,r &ilour and "olio !orkers# -arachis sectarian /iolence. !hich has taken se/eral li/es and nearl brought the cit to a standstill. ma be a local "henomenon. but that too seems to ha/e links to the militanc based in the tribal areas# /hat this means for the country has been elo1uently laid out by the -hyber 4akhtunkhwa chief minister and the head of the &N4 o$er the last couple of days as they mourned the loss of their colleague, and they ha$e called for immediate decision-making by the ci$ilian and military leadership about how to tackle the threat The key here is urgencyF if militants are not willing to renounce
$iolence, there needs to be decisi$e military action against them, and soon &s importantly, the &N4 leaders spoke out against misleading arguments that are routinely used, including by the leaders of some mainstream parties6 claiming things will impro$e as soon as /estern forces lea$e &fghanistanF making distinctions between Bgood3 and Bbad3 TalibanF and focusing on drone strikes when attacks by 4akistan-based militants, both foreign and 4akistani, are $iolating the country3s so$ereignty #ust as much as drones are Their comments got to the cru+ of the issue @ what is needed now is speed and clarity First, clarity on what specific steps will be taken ne+t &nd if decisi$e military action is not possible at the moment, a clear and public e+planation for why it is not possible 2deally this would be done with the input of all ma#or political parties, but there is no time for absolute consensus ?nce there is broad agreement within parliament on 4akistan3s stand on e+tremism, it is the responsibility of the go$ernment and military to take specific decisions and actions This is turning out to be one of the most delicate moments in 4akistan3s nearly decade-long struggle against militancy, with the list of targets e+panding and the attackers demonstrating that they ha$e reco$ered from any setbacks they may ha$e suffered at the hands of earlier military campaigns ?ur leaders ignore it at the country3s peril ,ore bloodshed 0%ILE militanc is a national "roblem. !ith -h ber 'akhtunkh!a and the surrounding areas bearing the brunt. -arachi is confronting militanc of a more com"le) sort due to the cit s d namics. !ith se/eral fault$lines o/erla""ing# Tuesda s ambush targeting Ahle Sunnat 0al Eamaat leader Aurang>eb (aroo5ui in the cit !as a sign that militants can strike at !ill and send the metro"olis reeling# 0hile the cleric sur/i/ed. se/eral men accom"an ing him. including four "olice guards. succumbed to their !ounds# The fact that the "olice guards !ere so easil targeted b the assailants s"eaks /olumes for the ineffecti/eness of "olice escorts# *ddl enough. none of the attackers !ere killed or in4ured in the ambush# The attack "ro/oked !hat has no! become a routine res"onse to such incidentsF further killings. rioting and arson !ere the order of the da on Tuesda . !ith the cit largel shut out of fear on 0ednesda # There had also been a rash of sectarian killings in the metro"olis o/er the "ast fe! !eeks. !ith both Shias and Sunnis gunned do!n in targeted attacks#
The problem is clear6 a plethora of militant groups belonging to $arious persuasions @ #ihadis, sectarian killers, criminal gangs, ethnic militants @ are acti$e in the city, while there is no shortage of guns /hat is more, considering the huge si=e and population of -arachi, militants can melt into different pockets, blending in with the population The end-result is a freefor-all, in which citi=ens without connections to any groups are the biggest $ictims, often targeted because of their religious beliefs /hat is not so clear is what the state is doing to neutralise -arachi3s militants (ome police officials belie$e homicides in the city are not #ust tit-for-tat re$enge killings but organised operations /hate$er the case, the police ha$e failed to take credible action against militants in -arachi 2f this had been done, there should ha$e been a reduction in the deadly spates of $iolence that keep on recurring There is also a lack of political will in dealing with the issue 8nless a sustained effort is made to eradicate militancy from -arachi, bloody cycles of $iolence will occur with increasing ferocity
'akistans /ictor T%E 'akistan cricket team has made the "erfect start to its first tour in India in nearl fi/e ears !ith a handsome fi/e$!icket !in in the o"ening T!ent AD clash at &angalore on Tuesda # The em"hatic !in scored b ,ohammad %afee> and his bo s bore the stam" of class and clearl defied the notion that the team could turn in a belo! "ar "erformance in the crucial game# Those fears !ere the result of 'akistans t!o$and$a$half$month break from international cricket# %istor tells us that no Indian tour is an eas "ro"osition for the 'akistan team. mainl due to the ner/es in/ol/ed but also because of the added challenge "osed b the emotional cro!ds that fill u" the large arenas to su""ort their side# *n Tuesda . ho!e/er. 'akistan o/ercame all such odds in st le to beat Dhoni and his men on their o!n turf in !hat !as incidentall their first$e/er TAD !in o/er India# ,ilateral cricketing ties between 4akistan and 2ndia, unfortunately, remained suspended after the 2""C %umbai blasts, and although the two arch-ri$als did meet a number of times during the /orld 5ups and other limited-o$er competitions across the globe, a win o$er 2ndia had always eluded 4akistan during this period &gainst this backdrop, the win at ,angalore becomes all the more special for the $isiting team The $ictory,
besides putting a smile on the faces of millions of 4akistani cricket fans at home and abroad, was a personal triumph for former skipper (hoaib %alik who was all but written off by the critics after his repeated failures in international cricket during the past four years or so The win must also ha$e been 1uite gratifying for the team3s &ustralian coach *a$ /hatmore who has been under the spotlight for his hitherto unremarkable stint with the 4akistanis
%o"eful signs
From the Newspaper | C hours ago
0IT% all the rumours fl ing around about deferred "olls. e)tended caretaker set$ u"s and other "lans to dela the transition to the ne)t elected go/ernment. the chief election commissioners remarks on 0ednesda < in !hich he said elections !ould be held on time < !ere much needed# Gi/en the !a things !ork here. the fact that he met the arm chief before these remarks ga/e them some !eight. es"eciall in the face of s"eculation about establishment backing for those su""orting a 6ne! order# No! the go/ernment needs to announce a date for elections and make "ublic its talks !ith the o""osition about selecting a leader of the caretaker go/ernment#
2n another mo$e that makes eminent sense, the 5<5 also stated that he wasn3t in fa$our of delimitation in -arachi, a signal to the (upreme 5ourt to reconsider its order &s this paper has argued before, delimitation at this point, without a census and in a city as politically fraught as -arachi, has the potential to make politics e$en more contentious, lead to $iolence and pro$ide an e+cuse to delay polls &nd there is no reason to belie$e that a new delimitation will not be unacceptable to one party or another and stir up fresh contro$ersies )i$en that the e+ercise is also unlikely to significantly change the final outcome of polls in -arachi, the risk of it is simply not worth the payoff so close to elections 2t would be wise for the (upreme 5ourt to postpone the delimitation demand till after elections, and the %A%3s re$iew petition has pro$ided one a$enue through which to do so /hat is important, though, is for the new go$ernment to hold the much-delayed census immediately after the polls and follow that up with a nationwide delimitation e+ercise
The more immediate steps to focus on, especially now that the army has assured the 5<5 it will pro$ide security, is for the go$ernment to announce an election date and the <lection 5ommission of 4akistan to continue with the $oter $erification pro#ect (imply because some $oters ha$en3t been $erified at their home addresses doesn3t mean they can be disenfranchised, so the pro#ect of tracking them down should continue till as late as possible ,ut this will need to be a #oint effort of political parties, $oters and the <54, which needs to launch a more effecti$e public information campaign about $erification and conduct a door-to-door e+ercise without political interference or intimidation The <54 finally has an opportunity to demonstrate that 4akistan can in fact engineer a smooth democratic transition, and that should be the guiding principle for any step the commission takes
&ena>ir murder trial

T%E "ost$death cons"irac is no less "ainful# E/er one has chi""ed in to ensure that the killers of &ena>ir &hutto ha/e remained "racticall untried fi/e ears after her assassination# The go/ernment has 4uggled !ith challans and sus"ects# No less than fi/e trial 4udges ha/e heard the case# Defence la! ers ha/e been too bus in other !ork and their cause has been hel"ed b the "rosecution itself seeking ad4ournments# Amid all this. the ''' go/ernment has been sub4ected to criticism o/er its inabilit to deli/er on its "romise of bringing ,s &huttos murderers to 4ustice# Its efforts to find the killers ha/e certainl been sluggish# The "art s current minders ha/e been too keen "romoting the grand ideal of democrac to focus full on the murder case# Instead. the "art has been e)"loring the "olitical mileage to be gained from the contrast bet!een not tr ing ,s &huttos murderers and a 6trial of her gra/e < a reference to the reo"ening of the S!iss cases#
2n his speech on the fifth death anni$ersary of %s ,hutto, 444 chairman ,ilawal ,hutto 0ardari blamed the chief #ustice of 4akistan for the slow mo$ement on the murder case !e also pointed to the 4443s desire to keep the system running e$en when its own people were being targeted and killed This is a statement which strengthens the impression that the demands of staying in power @ which is synonymous with $ows to sustain the system @ can weaken a party3s resol$e to nab the killers of a leader in whose name it had come to power These $ery demands compelled the 444 to embrace the party it called the BAatil3 Deague /hile #ustice must be seen to be done, %s ,hutto3s party and heirs must display determination and not appear in the light of a prosecution and in$estigation half-prepared for the #ob The court recently ordered e+peditious hearing of the case 2t is the #udiciary3s responsibility to ensure speedy #ustice @ not only because the head of the ruling party demands it but because this is one truth that all institutions owe to the 4akistani people
'olitical farce
From the Newspaper | G hours ago
0%EELING and dealing is "art of "olitics the !orld o/er# Yet in 'akistan these machinations often de/ol/e into farce# Such !as the case on 0ednesda . !hen the &alochistan Assembl ado"ted a no$confidence motion against s"eaker Aslam &hootani in the midst of mounting tensions bet!een ,r &hootani and the chief minister# In !hat !as su""osed to be a secret ballot. se/eral la!makers could clearl be seen on camera sho!ing their /otes to go/ernment officials. in an indication of their lo alt to the chief minister. thus making a mocker of the e)ercise# Some la!makers ha/e charged ,r &hootani !ith creating hurdles in the smooth running of the legislature b not con/ening the house after it !as summoned b the go/ernor# %o!e/er. the s"eaker had said he !ould not "reside o/er the sessions unless the "osition of the chief minister and "ro/incial go/ernment !as :cleared; in light of the Su"reme 9ourts *ct 3A interim order on &alochistan# The a"e) court had in the order strongl criticised the &alochistan administration for its ineffectual go/ernance. though it sto""ed short of calling for the go/ernments e)it# It is not clear !hat ,r &hootani sought to achie/e b not con/ening the assembl + as custodian of the house he should ha/e carried out his duties instead of inter"reting the courts order#
!a$ing said that, a second $ote should now be carried out under democratic norms so that /ednesday3s antics are not repeated &lso, for the sake of democracy the #udiciary should refrain from inter$ening in ,alochistan3s legislati$e and e+ecuti$e affairs and let the pro$incial lawmakers sort out the muddle 2t must be said that the non-seriousness witnessed in the pro$incial legislature as well as the $ery public power struggle are perfect e+amples of what ails ,alochistanF the pro$ince3s lawmakers are too busy indulging in political infighting to sol$e the people3s myriad problems
TT's conditions
0%EN is an offer to negotiate not reall an offer to negotiate7 0hen it is made b the TT'. it a""ears# (irst. Asmatullah ,ua!i a. leader of the so$called 'un4abi Taliban. thre! out a sur"rising feelerF gi/e us a Sharia$com"liant ?readF the militants /ersion of the Sharia@ constitution in 'akistan and !ithdra! su""ort for the foreign$led !ar in Afghanistan against the Taliban and the TT' ma deign to negotiate !ith the 'akistani state# Then. the TT' s"okesman. Ihsanullah Ihsan. a man !hose "rocli/it to claim credit for /irtuall an attack inside 'akistan is matched onl b the frightening "ossibilit that he ma !ell be right. endorsed the letter sent out b ,r ,ua!i a# No!. %akeemullah ,ehsud has a""eared alongside 0aliur Rehman in a ID$minute /ideo and has been 5uoted as sa ingF :0e belie/e in dialogue but it should not be fri/olous# Asking us to la do!n arms is a 4oke#; The 4oke. and a distasteful one at that. ma !ell be on the 'akistani state and societ #
2n principle, talks with any enemy cannot be written off altogetherF in practice, the business of truce and negotiations can be fiendishly difficult, and often counter-producti$e The history of negotiations and deals with militants fighting the 4akistani state is not $ery encouraging, and for good reason6 the negotiations were not conducted from a position of strengthF the enemy was not sincereF and an enforcement mechanism was missing /hat that translated into was the militants3 taking ad$antage of the space afforded to them by the state to grow their networks and solidify their bases &ll of this is well known enough ,ut !akeemullah %ehsud has laid bare the deeper problems of negotiations with the TT46 their $ision for 4akistan is antithetical to the $ast ma#ority of 4akistanis3 $ision for this country 2n %r %ehsud3s reckoning, democracy is against 2slamF armed militias who challenge the state3s authority ha$e a legitimate e+istence so long as they pull around their shoulders the cloak of 2slamF 4akistan should publicly and forcefully work for the return of Taliban rule in &fghanistanF and &l Aaeda is an ally worth dying for None of this lea$es much room for negotiation The TT43s charter of demands essentially amounts to a surrender of the 4akistani state to the militants Auite why the militants ha$e chosen this moment to moot the idea of peace talks is less clear The kidnapping of De$ies personnel from the outskirts of 4eshawar on Thursday only underscored the once-again rising tide of 2slamic militancy 4erhaps the militants understand that talking about peace will only make the elusi$e consensus against militancy in 4akistani society that much harder to achie$e
Another fla!ed scheme

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'A-ISTAN ma not be the onl countr !here the "o!erful and corru"t can ha/e their !a # &ut it is certainl one of the fe! nations !here those !ith influence can get a!a !ith their crime. ho!e/er horrendous it ma be# La! enforcers ha""il do their bidding. and the la!s can easil be bent to suit their interests# *nl recentl . the go/ernment had tabled the contro/ersial ta) amnest la! in the National Assembl to hel" ta) thie/es legalise their illegal !ealth# The !ides"read o""osition to the scheme !as ignored# No! the (ederal &oard of Re/enue has "re"ared et another scheme to hel" the "o!erful legalise their smuggled /ehicles# A "ro"osal in this regard has alread been "ut on the table of the finance minister !ho. in his first budget s"eech. had /o!ed not to s"are the influential ta) dodgers and thie/es#
5hances are that the F,R3s new pro#ect will be implemented because it has the backing of a lobby that is supported by the high and mighty and the minister is as yet not ready to take it on ?fficially, about 1"",""" smuggled $ehicles are plying on the roads ,y the time the scheme is implemented, the number of smuggled $ehicles would ha$e grown significantly /hy does the F,R come up with such Benterprising3 ideas e$ery now and then when these don3t help it raise ta+ re$enues and, instead, send the wrong signal to honest ta+payers7 ?f course, some powerful groups and lobbies, with $ested interests, are behind such schemes ,ut these are also used to hide the inefficiency and corruption of ta+ collectors without whose conni$ance it is difficult, e$en if not impossible, to cheat the go$ernment of ta+ re$enues ,illions of rupees of ta+payers3 money spent on ta+ administration reforms o$er the years ha$e simply failed to change the culture at F,R or to make ta+ officials efficient and honest &mnesty schemes won3t help the board co$er its lapses for too long 2t will ha$e to mend its ways and start enforcing the law indiscriminately sooner or later if the economy has to be turned around
The challenge ahead

&ILA0AL &hutto Cardari has s"oken as a "olitician on his mothers fifth death anni/ersar . marking the start of an im"atient discussion# As ha""ens in "olitical d nasties. the oung man is not being com"ared so much !ith his o""onents as !ith those from !hom he has inherited his "olitics# ,an found traces of his mothers /oice in his Garhi -huda &akhsh s"eech on Thursda # This ma ha/e created sufficient em"ath to !ish for an ideal !orld !here the oung are not re5uired to enter the "olitical minefield so earl or as the onl o"tion# *n the other hand. remarkable are the anal ses of kno!n &hutto$haters "ontificating that &ila!al is not a "atch on his mother or grandfather# The critics !ho had in the "ast dismissed the &hutto brand ha/e had a change of heart# The are no! sa ing the ne! generation is not !orth enough to o!n that brand# Theirs is a hurried /erdict on a career that is et to begin#
,ilawal ,hutto 0ardari will need time and will ha$e to struggle hard For starters, in the changed circumstances, sympathy alone cannot take a politician $ery far The 444 chairman would do well to identify areas different from his father3s clannish style of politics and on which his party needs to focus Those whose support he seeks are restless and will not be satisfied with bra$e resolutions to tackle the militants or the proud mentions of sacrifices !e could re$iew the #ourney of other dynastic politicians in the region, such as Rahul )andhi in 2ndia, to chart a course that is truly in sync with today3s realities and not a $ain continuation of family tradition For that, he will ha$e to outgrow the coaching that was $isible in his address and show that he himself has the potential to lead one of 4akistan3s ma#or political parties
Tobacco$free Islamabad
From the Newspaper | 1 hour ago
*NE hundred thousand dead# Thats the number of tobacco$related deaths that occur in 'akistan e/er ear# The cam"aign announced in the media during the "ast se/eral da s that Islamabad is to be a tobacco$free >one from Ean 3. AD3B. is therefore a ste" in the right direction. and long o/erdue# (or ears after the iconic ,arlboro man fell from grace in the 0est. he continued to gallo" his !a across man an ad/ertisement and into the hearts ?and lungs@ of millions of "eo"le in the de/elo"ing !orld. !ith dire conse5uences#
2n 4akistan, smoking was banned at all public places in 2""2, including offices, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, airports and shopping centres !owe$er, implementation has been la+ The ban on smoking inside public transport $ehicles is also flouted with impunity, as is the re1uirement that cigarette packets display a pictorial health warning & study conducted in -arachi found most of the outlets in the sur$ey e$en sold cigarettes to minors &ssuming that is the template for the rest of the country, it3s little wonder that an estimated 1,2"" 4akistani youngsters take up smoking e$ery day 2n short, the health burden of tobacco-related illness, which includes soaring rates of lung and oral cancers, the latter thanks to widespread consumption of chewing tobacco, is one that 4akistan with its myriad problems can scarcely afford The media campaign by the go$ernment3s tobacco control cell promises that the law will henceforth be Istrictly enforcedJ The law stipulates that $iolators can be fined up to Rs1"",""" and #ailed for up to three months /ith 2slamabad hopefully the starting point of a countrywide campaign, it would be fitting if go$ernment functionaries, especially those with a public profile, set an e+ample by not smoking in public 2f that can be done and the ban strictly enforced, one would ha$e to say, I;ou3$e come a long way, babyJ
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To ban or not to ban7

From the Newspaper | 1 hour ago
A&*8T three$and$a$half months after it !as im"osed. the go/ernment announced that the ban on YouTube !as finall to be lifted#The 'akistan Telecommunications Authorit . it said. had no! ac5uired a "o!erful soft!are fire!all to com"rehensi/el block blas"hemous online material such as the trailer of an anti$Islam film. Innocence of ,uslims. !hich had led to the ban in the first "lace# The 4o of millions of 'akistani Internet users !as short$li/ed ho!e/er. !hen YouTube. soon after being unblocked on Saturda . !as banned again on the go/ernments orders#
?ne can concede that gi$en the trailer3s pro$ocati$e content the go$ernment had little choice but to impose a blockade in the charged atmosphere of the first few days @ although many other countries blocked only the offending $ideo and not the entire site 4akistan did initially approach )oogle 2nc @ the 2nternet giant that owns ;ouTube @ to take down the offending trailer, and failing that, to block access to it ,ut it is a measure of 4T&3s incompetence that it did not ha$e an agreement with )oogle that would ha$e allowed it to block the $ideo &ll this notwithstanding, the 4T& cannot #ustify such an e+tended ban that depri$es 4akistanis of thousands of sources of online information 5oncerns for security should not outweigh people3s fundamental right to information &lso, the 4T& cannot hide behind the e+cuse that it did not ha$e the technical means until now to counter the situation arising from the uploading of offensi$e material Telecommunications is one of the healthier sectors of the economy so finances certainly could not ha$e been a factor The lack of a coherent policy on the 2nternet or the social media seems more to blame in this case The 2nternet is a $ast space that can be put to positi$e and negati$e use and the authority should ha$e been prepared to deal with such an e$entuality %oreo$er, the on-again, offagain ban reinforces the impression of a go$ernment out of step with the times where a mature approach is needed to na$igate the minefield known as the /orld /ide /eb
01/01/201C
The ear gone b
'
AN*T%ER u"$and$do!n ear has 4ust "assed. !ith a "otentiall momentous one l ing ahead# If AD3A !as the ear of standing still < des"ite all the "redictions and s"eculation. little changed. for the better an !a . on the "olitical. economic or securit fronts < AD3B ma be the ear 'akistans o/erall tra4ector is t!eaked again# 'arliament in ,arch. the "resident in Se"tember. the arm chief in No/ember and the chief 4ustice of the Su"reme 9ourt in December < there is a "otentiall
significant changing of the guard at ke institutions in the ear ahead# And et. it sa s something about the inherent uncertaint of 'akistan that the ear$end s"eculation has centred on "ossibilit of the elected figures in that 5uartet < "arliament and the "resident < not returning on schedule. !hereas the other half. the unelected half. of the 5uartet ma someho! find a !a of continuing in "o!er be ond AD3B
First, though, a look back at the year that has #ust passed 4olitically, the main success was that the 444-led go$ernment saw off $arious crises @ Bmemogate3, the (wiss letter, closure of Nato supply routes, trouble in -arachi and myriad others @ and has entered 2"19 still $ery much on track to complete a full term in office The first ci$ilian-led transition of power is not the panacea it has sometimes been made out to be, but it is $ery much a necessary condition for 4akistan to definiti$ely resol$e the issue of who is to run this country6 elected ci$ilians or unelected would-be sa$iours7 8nhappily, the 444-led go$ernment continued to pro$ide $ery little by way of leadership in the crucial areas of the economy or security & looming balance of payments crisisF fears of a plunging rupeeF a fiscal deficit that grows e$er-more threateningF an energy crisis that refuses to recedeF and resignation that either a fresh bailout package by the 2%F will be needed in the year ahead or e$en more reckless borrowings will be made by the go$ernment from the domestic market @ this is really the stuff of banana republics and shockingly out-of-touch plutocrats ?n the security front, neither the ci$ilians nor the army-led security establishment pro$ided any kind of leadership to rally the country in the fight against militancy The odd speech here and there by )en -ayani, 4resident 0ardari and &sfandyar /ali notwithstanding, the once-again rising graph of terrorism and militancy found $irtually no resistance ,e it the purposeful targeting of (hias or a sophisticated #ailbreak in ,annu or attacks on more military airbases, the go$ernment was unable to respond in the cities and districts and the military was unable to s1uee=e the space for militants in the tribal areas /here the go$ernment did act, it con#ured up ?rwellian legislation by appro$ing the Fair Trial ,ill, which will create more problems than it sol$es, as did the &ction Kin aid of ci$il powerL Regulation 2"11 for Fata and 4ata, which has been used to #ustify otherwise illegal and indefinite detentions, most notoriously in the case of the &diala 11 &nd where the military did act, it once again tried to rely on the good TalibanMbad Taliban distinction in North /a=iristan to selecti$ely deal with a monstrous problem @ a dangerous tactic that will undermine this country3s security and stability in 2"19 and beyond Dooking back on last year, it may not seem that going forward there will be any change for the better !owe$er, the pi$otal moment of the year ahead is the political transition The ci$ilians, be it 4resident 0ardari or Nawa= (harif or e$en 2mran -han, ha$e insisted that a free and fair election is the only political option @ and both the go$ernment and parliament ha$e taken measures to help achie$e the goal of at least a freer and fairer election than in decades past & strong and independent <54 is in place already, now a neutral caretaker set-up needs to be installed The country can mo$e forward, if the ci$ilians demonstrate real leadership and the other power centres allow them to
In the line of fire

T%E 9ommittee to 'rotect Eournalists sa s se/en 'akistani 4ournalists !ere killed !hile !orking this ear# The South Asian (ree ,edia Association "uts the number at 3B# 0hate/er the actual figure. 'akistan remained one of the most dangerous countries in the !orld. and the deadliest countr in South Asia. for 4ournalists in AD3A# 9aught bet!een state and non$state actors. re"orters. "hotogra"hers. cameramen and other media !orkers sacrificed their li/es as the attem"ted to re"ort the truth !hile tr ing to a/oid the !rath of multi"le institutions and grou"s# A fe! !ere caught in /iolent riots or killed !hile co/ering /iolent incidents. but man !ere murdered !ith intent. "articularl in &alochistan. !hich has no! statisticall become the most dangerous "ro/ince for a 'akistani 4ournalist# ,an others. from district corres"ondents to nationall recognised tele/ision 4ournalists. sur/i/ed or recei/ed direct threats to their li/es
?ne of the reasons 4akistan regularly features at or near the top of such lists is, ironically, a result of the freedom the country3s media has gained o$er the last decade 8nlike in many other countries and conflict =ones, 4akistani #ournalists might be harassed by the authorities but are rarely directly disallowed from reaching and co$ering dangerous areas and incidents The flipside, of course, is that they pay for this freedom by laying down their li$es ,ut the answer is not to limit their mo$ement 2nstead, it lies in de$ising and implementing a set of policies aimed specifically at protecting #ournalists and punishing those who kill them
?n that front the state and media organisations ha$e abdicated their responsibility to the men and women who take on the task of keeping citi=ens informed The effort made to in$estigate *aniel 4earl3s e+ecution has not been replicated for any 4akistani #ournalist 2n the rare case where a #ournalist3s death attracts widespread attention, no clear conclusions are reachedF the report on (aleem (hah=ad3s murder, for e+ample, simply states the ob$ious @ that the culprits could ha$e been intelligence agencies or 2slamist e+tremists 2n a particularly chilling e+ample of the impunity with which those killing #ournalists get away with their crimes, all si+ witnesses to the murder of /ali -han ,abar ha$e also been killed 4akistan3s #ournalists are increasingly falling $ictim to the o$ert and co$ert conflict between e+tremists, separatists and political actors on the one hand and security and intelligence agencies on the other 2f the state isn3t willing to pre$ent this from happening, media organisations will simply ha$e to find a way to pressure it to do so, because the worst outcome would be if the media had to re$erse the strides it has made by curbing its reporting
Nature of the threat

From the Newspaper | 1 day ago
(R*, 'esha!ar to ,astung. !ith =uetta and -arachi thro!n in to add to the toll of blood and gore. the countr has endured another !eekend of traged and /iolence# 'olicemen. Le/ies "ersonnel. Shia "ilgrims and. it seems. ordinar tra/ellers < the range of targets !as di/erse. as are the likel grou"s in/ol/ed in the killings# 8nsur"risingl . but dis"iritingl as e/er. the res"onse of state and societ has been relati/el muted. almost a collecti/e shrug of hel"lessness and confusion# ,ean!hile. militant conglomerates like the TT' seem to mock the 'akistani state !ith their arrogant offers of talks that are thinl guised terms of surrender b the state#
5an state and society here come together and understand the nature of the threat in their midst7 4art of the problem at present is that many strands of the threat are shadowy and amorphous 2n ,alochistan, the suspicion for (unday3s attack on the bus con$oy carrying (hia pilgrims will immediately fall on Dashkar-i-.hang$i @ but who is the face of the D. in ,alochistan7 There is none, #ust a group of killers who may number a few do=en or se$eral hundred 2n a society where so many o$erlapping strands of $iolence e+ist, the seeds of doubt and confusion in the public imagination are buried deep and are difficult to dislodge %eanwhile, in -arachi, militant acti$ities ha$e picked up in recent months, but little is known publicly about these groups and their leaders &dding to the confusion, authorities ha$e yet to establish if the -arachi bus was bombed or e+ploded because of a faulty gas cylinder ,ut the failure in creating public awareness of the militant threat is necessarily the state3s /hen %aulana Fa=lullah was in territorial control of (wat and ,aitullah %ehsud was in control of (outh /a=iristan &gency and swathes of Fata, the threat was ob$ious @ 4akistan had physically lost control of parts of its territory to armed groups seeking to o$erthrow the state @ and the symbols of defiance well known6 %aulana Radio, (ufi %ohammad and ,aitullah %ehsud This time round, with North /a=iristan &gency and the Tirah $alley under the $irtual control of militant groups, the state has failed to take the e+tra steps necessary to bring these more remote areas to national attention for the right reasons, i e building a consensus to fight militancy North /a=iristan has infamously become tied up with the &merican demand to Bdo more3 rather than be recognised for a more rele$ant reason6 it is the single greatest threat to the stability and security of the country The state, both the security establishment and the ci$ilian-led parts, cannot e+pect the public to understand the nature of a threat that is kept hidden from them
E)tremism in action
From the Newspaper | 2 days ago
)0
EJTRE,IS, is one thing as a debatable "hiloso"h . and 5uite another in its barbaric. "h sical manifestation# T!o e)am"les of the latter. as the !orld e)ited AD3A. !ere "articularl blood$curdling# The 4akistani Taliban killed the 22 De$ies they had
abducted, and in Nigeria, ,oko !aram marauders slit the throats of a number of men, women and children The Taliban and ,oko !aram both claim to be fighting for causes they deem 2slamic, yet farthest from their philosophy is that spirit of compassion which for so many %uslims across the world is fundamental to 2slamic teachings There is a warped logic at play here <$en if the Taliban considered the %uslim De$ies Binfidels3, and thus deser$ing of death in their eyes, which 2slamic law, especially in early e+amples, #ustifies the murder of non-%uslim prisoners of war7 They ha$e not stopped there The Taliban ha$e displayed the remains of their $ictims as trophies and $ideotaped e+ecutions as a chilling message <$en their arch enemies, no angels when it comes to the rights of prisoners of war Ke g &merica in )uantanamoL, prefer to hide their e+cesses 2n the subcontinent, none of the leading 2slamic scholars @ including (ayyid &hmad ,arel$i, %aulana %audoodi and the entire *eoband group @ e$er ad$ocated mass slaughter to establish (haria rule The e+amples of 4o/s3 murder came to 4akistan in the wake of the &fghan war when some foreign militants killed (o$iet prisoners ,ut that was rare and no mainstream militant group declared this its official policy The Taliban3s record shows there is nothing sacred for them @ schools, mos1ues, shrines, hospitals, religious processions, peace #irgas or funerals Their aim is to sow terror as they are a$erse to employing peaceful means to gain power 2n Nigeria, the ,oko !aram is opposed to B/estern3 education, but the methods it employs to resist it, take a leaf out of the barbarism pre$alent in mediae$al times 2n 4akistan it3s a matter of deep shame that ci$il society has maintained silence on these depredations, while the mainstream ulema ha$e chosen to look the other way, some because they appro$e of this barbarism, others out of fear
,edie/al mindsets
From the Newspaper | 2' hours ago
IN 'akistan. it is not unusual for those !ith "o!er. mone or influence to terrorise lesser mortals# In a societ a!ash !ith guns and !here macho. medie/al mindsets "re/ail. human life and dignit are !orth little# This !as "ro/ed b the tragic murder of Shah>eb -han# The oung man. son of a senior "olice officer. !as shot dead in -arachis Defence area late last month. re"ortedl follo!ing an argument# As in/estigations ha/e mo/ed slo!l . the Su"reme 9ourts orders to the ad/ocate general and "ro/incial "olice chief of Sindh to file a re"ort !ith the court b Ean I are not sur"rising# The sus"ects. !ho are absconding. are said to belong to "oliticall !ell$connected families+ as the chief 4ustice noted. the authorities ha/e failed to make "rogress in the case due to :immense "olitical "ressure;#
The young man3s death has caused a considerable stir in ci$il society, with demonstrations calling for #ustice for the $ictim 2t is a shame the police has displayed a lack of interest in pursuing the case, despite the fact that the $ictim3s father is a deputy superintendent in the force <$en more disturbing are media reports that some black sheep within the police are tipping off the suspects thus pre$enting their capture The $ictim3s father also claims he faced resistance while trying to register the F2R 2f the son of a senior police official can be murdered in cold blood, what can guarantee the security of the common citi=en3s life7 2t is unfortunate that it was the police3s lackadaisical approach that caused the ape+ court to step in to ensure the case was followed up 2t is important that the suspects are caught, prosecuted and punished if found guilty 2t would send a powerful message that the high and mighty cannot get away with murder simply on the basis of their clout and connections
The list e)"ands

T%E Ne! Year has begun on a dark and ominous note for -h ber 'akhtunkh!a. much like the last ear ended# The killing of se/en "eo"le. including si) !omen. associated !ith an NG* o"erating in S!abi. is doubl confounding because it is not clear as et !h the !ere s"ecificall targeted# 0as it because the dead !omen !ere NG* !orkers or school
teachers or because the organisation the !ere !orking for has been "art of the effort to eradicate the "olio /irus in 'akistan7 Such is the nature of the !ar against modernit b the militants that it is difficult to kno!. e/en after the e/ent. !h certain targets are selected# 0hat it is. though. is frightening and almost certainl linked to an understanding of "s chological !arfare b the militants# 0hen blo!ing u" schools loses its shock /alue. the turn on teachers+ !hen killing teachers loses its shock /alue. the turn on !omen# ,uch the same has ha""ened !ith the attacks against "olio /accinators. !here "ublicised threats ha/e gi/en !a to murderous attacks on !omen# The louder the crime is am"lified in the media. the better it suits the militants "ur"ose#
The answer, though, is not to discourage publicity of the militants3 crimes against society but for society to respond in greater measure /here is the outrage and anger against the militants7 /here is the pressure on the state to re$erse the decline of the public3s safety and security7 & terrified but confused society has still not been able to generate from within the pressure that can help wilt the militant threat 5ontrast this with the response to the *elhi gang rape $ictim6 protests across 2ndia, a society responding to outrage at the sickness within and a go$ernment scrambling to respond to citi=en outrage !ere in 4akistan, it is the state that has in large part been responsible for the rise of militancy and the decline of security of the a$erage indi$idual ,ut powerful as the state may be, its raison d3Ntre is to pro$ide a better life for its citi=enry 5i$il society, and women3s groups in particular, must rise to confront the latest threat
Ignoring histor
T%E slogan is eeril similar# Tahirul =adris refrain to sa/e the state. not "olitics. is reminiscent of the one raised during Gen Ciaul %a5s time. :"ehle ehtesaab. "hir intikhab;. !hich !as used to dela a democratic change of go/ernment for o/er a decade# The conte)t toda ma be different. but the "olitical rhetoric is familiar# As the =adri$,=, team asks the arm to su""ort its long march < and not to follo! orders from a sitting go/ernment to "re/ent it < it is rightl raising fears about militar inter/ention 4ust as the countr !as "re"aring itself to /ote out one go/ernment and /ote in the ne)t for the /er first time# Des"ite the bitter lessons of 'akistans histor . there are some !ho still seem to be clinging to the notion. des"ite their "ro$"eo"le language. that this countr s citi>ens are not !orth of democrac #
/hat is most alarming is that the real agenda of *r Aadri3s mo$ement remains unclear, hidden behind claims that are self-contradictory and illogical /hy suggest a Tahrir (1uare-like re$olution for a country that, far from being under one man3s dictatorship for 9" years, has finally managed to pull off a full democratic term7 /hy build such a mo$ement on a one-point agenda of Ielectoral reformJ @ and what e+actly does this consist of @ when an independent chief election commissioner has been appointed and can be appealed to without drama and talk of re$olution7 /hy the need to push for the immediate installation of a caretaker set-up when that is less than three months away7 /hy initially hint at postponing elections and then deny that was the intent7 /hy claim to be in fa$our of democracy while asking for the army not to follow the orders of an elected go$ernment7 &ll that is clear is that behind this is an agenda @ whether fully thought-out or not @ that is not being re$ealed There is an entirely different path *r Aadri could take /ith the ability to draw large crowds that he has demonstrated at his rallies, the right thing to do would be to contest elections to pro$e widespread support for his cause and then work to impro$e the system from within The same applies to the %A%, a party that has contested polls and come into power on the strength of public support but is choosing to go along with those with an unclear but worrying agenda There is no doubt that 4akistan3s democracy is not #ust imperfect but flawed, built on nepotism, corruption and entrenched power rather than true representation of the people ,ut only letting the system continue, not interrupting it repeatedly, will allow it to impro$e

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12/12/2012 Dawn news editorials monitoring Too soon From the Newspaper | 8 hours ago 0

#llegal transmissions From the Newspaper | 8 hours ago 0

Not a long$term solution

on as an alternati/e to the e)isting legal s stem#

'olitics and state

8lemas fat!a From the Newspaper | 1" hours ago

Hictor for ,orsi

Time for action

&ena>ir murder trial

Another fla!ed scheme

The challenge ahead

#C deadline $or arrest o$ Ogra e%-chie$ ends toda&

To ban or not to ban7

In the line of fire

Nature of the threat

The list e)"ands

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