issue

Not likely to commit a breach of peace again

Sarmad Mansoor, a 52 year old PPP worker from Gujrat, was arrested under MPO section 16 and died in police custody only ten days later

  By Aoun Sahi

On June 22 Islamabad Police arrested Shahid Jameel Qureshi, former state minister for communications, for his involvement in the murder of Canadian national Kafila Siddiqui after the court denied to extend his pre-arrest bail. Two days later, the ex-minister was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) as his blood pressure shot up during initial investigation, according to police. Later he was referred to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi. Since then he has been receiving 'cardiac treatment' there.

But this is just one side of the picture.

In another case on June 5, some 10 days before the visit of suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to Faisalabad, Gujrat police knocked at the door of Sarmad Mansoor, 52-year old finance secretary of Pakistan People's Party Gujrat chapter, at around 4:30 in the morning. "He was preparing to offer his Fajar prayer at that time," his elder son, Saad Sarmad, tells TNS. But he was not allowed to do so. The police picked him in front of all of his family under preventive detention law (Maintenance of Public Order section 16). These laws permit the authorities to detain people without trial for up to three months (a review board can extend such detentions up to a limit of eight or 12 months depending on the grounds of detention) if they are considered to be "acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order or considered likely to commit a breach of the peace, disturb tranquility or do any wrongful act".

In the afternoon the family was informed that Sarmad had been shifted to Gujrat Hospital, a private hospital in the city, due to some cardiac problems. "He had a long history of stomach and cardiac problems," says Saad.

According to him at around 11pm in the night, police deputed there to make sure that "he would not escape from the hospital" told the family that they had to shift Sarmad to the police station. The doctors, Muhammad Akram and heart specialist Salim Azeemi, refused to discharge him owing to his condition. But the highups of police told them they were under immense pressure to do so. "The doctors asked the police official on duty to give them in writing that the police will be responsible if anything happened to Sarmad which they did and took him to A-division police station at midnight," Saad tells TNS. This was the last time Sarmad met his family members. On June 6, at around 4 in the morning, he along with some other political workers arrested under the MPO 16 were shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore.

Saad met his father the last time on June 9 in jail. "He seemed okay but was unable to eat due to stomach problem. He asked me to bring fruits for him. The jail authorities had shifted him to a hospital within the jail premises but there was no specialist in that hospital. He complained about the scorching heat in jail."

Saad's next meeting with his father was due on June 15. But a day earlier he got call from jail authorities asking him to reach Lahore immediately. When he arrived at around 8pm, he was told that his father had died of heart attack. He got the dead body in the middle of the night, around 3am, and reached his house at 6am on the next day.

"I do not know who to blame for the death of my innocent father. He was not politically very active; he never took part in any political protest. He was made PPP finance secretary because he always supported the party financially. His other sin was that he was very helpful to the poor and that was the reason he was very popular in Gujrat, says 21-year old Saad, who now has to look after his family and business. He tells TNS that his father had a Dera (political office) very near to Zahoor Palace, residence of Chaudhries of Gujrat. "Because of his friendly nature, the candidates who enjoyed support of my father used to win from this area. That may be the reason why he was arrested."

Saad is not thinking of lodging a legal case against any person or institution for the death of his father. "If the party initiates a legal battle, I would have no objection." He says that the party has extended exclusive support to their family "but nothing can compensate the loss we have suffered."

According to party officials jail authorities were well aware of the condition of Sarmad and they also tried to convince them to shift him to some hospital. People's Lawyers Forum President Hanif Tahir and a delegation of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) met the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent on Thursday, June 15 and requested him to shift Sarmad to a hospital for treatment. But according to Chauhdry Ghulam Abbas, general secretary PPP-P Punjab chapter, the authorities turned down the request stating that Sarmad was enjoying good health.

Qamar Zaman Kaira, PPP-P MNA from Gujrat is convinced that Sarmad's death is nothing short of a murder. "He was a thorough gentleman and the party is consulting its legal advisors on the issue and very soon we will sue the people responsible for his murder," he says. Kaira questions as to why arrested political workers were being shifted to far flung areas. Those arrested from Gujrat were shifted to Lahore, others arrested from Lahore were shifted to Multan and so on. "Are they really so dangerous?"

Chuahdry Gulam Abbas says that Sarmad's tradition of supporting people is being kept alive even after his death. "The very next day after his death, Punjab government released 100 political workers who were above 40 years and arrested under preventive detention laws from different jails of province."

Spreading the writ of God

The Lal Masjid authorities seem to have taken a bite bigger than they could chew. Would the government act now in the face of this negative publicity?

By Noreen Haider

Lal Masjid is not only a mosque Affiliated with the Lal Masjid is Darul Ifta where people come to seek guidance and help in resolving their personal and collective problems. Daily, scores of fatwas (religious edicts) are issued by a panel of muftis of Darul Ifta in the light of Quran and Sunnah.

"When the Wana operation was in full swing in 2004, a fatwa based on the solid support drawn from the Quran and Sunnah was issued by Darul Ifta. The fatwa declared the killing of its own people by a Muslim army as haram. This touched a raw nerve of the government whose wrath descended upon Maulana Abdul Aziz, head of Darul Ifta and myself, says Ghazi Abdur Rashid.

"At first, pressure was brought to bear upon us by government functionaries (including the ISI) to withdraw the fatwa. No amount of reasoning that a fatwa was not like an official notification which could be withdrawn on anyone's whims... and that its withdrawal meant denial of the injunctions of the Quran and Sunnah had any effect on the authorities. Our inability to comply with their wishes was taken as defiance on our parts. We were threatened with dire consequences if we didn't conform. From then on began a campaign of vilification and slander not only against Maulana Abdul Aziz and me but also against Lal Masjid itself which was pronounced as a 'safe haven' for 'terrorists' by the government. Thereafter, an unending process of harassment and victimisation was unleashed upon us," says Ghazi Abdur Rashid. The statement can be seen on the website of Lal Masjid.

Tension has been mounting in the Pakistani capital ever since.Maulana Abdul Aziz, one of the two brothers running the Lal Masjid, recently told 3,000 worshippers that he 'reserved the right' to declare a jihad and unleash suicide bombers if authorities ignored his various demands and raided the mosque and adjacent madrasa.

On the other hand, in spite of severe criticism against its policy by civil society and the media, the government has shown a great restraint against the use of force against the madrasa authorities. On its part, the government conveyed to the people that a government-ordered raid on the Lal Masjid would provoke unprecedented violence across the country's madrasa belt.

In the following months, things alternated between looking critical and better. Negotiations with the cleric brothers were led by none other than PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain himself.

But the latest incident of the abduction of men and women from a Chinese massage parlour seems to have sabotaged the talks once again. It was after the intervention of Ch Shujaat Hussain and the Islamabad authorities that the clerics announced the release of the abductees.

"We don't want to harm anyone. In fact we took very good care of the Chinese women. They were served Chinese food as requested by them and they were well taken care of. We just want the message to reach the masses that Pakistan is an Islamic country and we do not want any immoral activities against Islamic Shariah here," said Ghazi Abdul Rashid while talking to TNS.

When asked if breaking and entering into a private residence was not illegal he said, "there is a law of the land and that is considered sacred by people but what about the law of Allah. The truth is that a large number of government officials and bureaucrats were visiting the parlour and patronising the place. We don't want to name any names but we know what we know," said Ghazi

On the surface, the government seems clearly divided on the issue. There are people like Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who are against the use of any force on this issue. "I have talked to the cleric brothers and they agreed to the release right away. The problem has been resolved," said Ch Shujaat while talking to TNS. "The problem would not have aggravated at all if people like Ijaz-ul-Haq had not talked of military operation and bringing 111 Brigade into action against the Masjid. It would have been solved easily and to me it is still not a big issue. As for the library the Islamabad authorities will have to deal with it."

Talking to TNS the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Ch. Muhammad Ali, however, said that they had received no complaint against the parlour either from the Masjid authorities or the public. "Had we received any complaints we sure would have acted accordingly."

The fact is that this time round the Masjid authorities have taken a bite bigger than they could chew. The Chinese government got involved at the highest level and according to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain the ambassador received continuous phone calls from the Chinese President on this issue. The government can ill-afford this negative publicity and the continuous challenge to the writ of government. The final countdown for the Lal Masjid story has perhaps begun.

Taal Matol

Racias!

  By Shoaib Hashmi

What do the names Guenivare, Hary Potter, Sonia and Gul Bano have in common? Apart from the fact that they all seem slightly mis-spelt? The first two are 'Guinevere' and 'Harry' Potter. I'll give you a hint, they are part of a series which also contains Royal Luck, Royal Fish, Royal Gambler and King of Gujrat -- and no they have nothing to do with the left-overs of the last royalty from the Punjab which was Ranjit Singh.

They are all names of race horses who appear at the Lahore Race Club. It is an alien and mysterious world which us ordinary people are barely aware of but which has always existed in our midst, and we are paid back in our own coin because the Racias who regularly frequent it are equally unaware of our existence and in fact don't give a damn!

It used to be slightly better when the race course was where the Race Course Park is now, and passing on Jail road or the GOR one caught a glimpse of some horse droppings, but then it moved, lock, stock and barrel to Kot Lakhpat and we lost all track of it. But it is a world unto itself for whom horses, and their 'Form' is more important than the war on terror. They publish their 'Form Books' and keep abreast of every form, and among themselves talk of nothing else.

They are welcome to it, what intrigues me is where they come up with the picturesque names they think up for their ponies, and they are a scream! I am not really impressed by all the 'royals' because you can add a royal on to anything, but it takes a mind to come up with 'Great Bulbul'! The owner obviously has great filial affection for his horse to name it for a nightingale.

A similar affection is clear from the name 'Hamza Joy' which probably belongs to someone named Hamza, and causes him much happiness; and an even deeper affection is inherent in the name 'Jaanu Love'! There are also made up names like 'Moment to Moment' and 'Trust Again' and 'Beyond Belief' not to mention 'Mixed Blessing' but what was he thinking of when he decided to name his foal 'Tun Baba Tun'?

There are mere ordinary names which the owner has not spent too much effort on like 'Sweet Smile' or 'Jack In The Box' and 'Sweet Grandy' is a variation of the first; 'Bewitched' comes from the ancient TV series and 'Fantasia' from the old Disney film, no great shakes, but there is also a 'Baap Re Baap' and a 'Hal Chal'.

There are names which hover at the edge of understanding but tickle the fancy nevertheless like 'Cheeta Aya' and 'Puma the Great' and I wonder where he picked up 'Sharp Burg' which is actually Sharpsburg and a town in the US; and even I can't make anything of 'Willhewish' which starts out as vaguely German and ends up Jewish. 'Kiss of Luck' is easy enough but what about 'Dil Vil'?

'Shah Pari' is another one on the royal theme, and 'Princess Arab' is on the oriental theme, but there are also 'Blue Fire' and 'Richy Dancer'! And then there are the ones which completely floor my trying to decipher their antecedents like 'Inshu' and 'Shirraca' and 'Tariq Baraan'. You work out the rest!

politics

No exit strategy

  By Naveed Ahmad

Caught in the multitude of storms, the nation is clearly stranded in confusing times. With little sense of direction, the government is attempting to maintain a facade of control over affairs of the state. Ever since the passage of the financial bill for 2007-08, rumour factories have spun into action, with some of its products earning credence from the top political circles.

As it was prior to March 9, the re-election of General Musharraf for yet another presidential term remains the biggest question before the ruling coalition. While the talk of deal with Benazir Bhutto is far from over, the chaudhrys of Gujrat are drawing parallel scenarios in their bid for survival. But this time, anti-PPP stakeholders within the pro-military coalition have a good reason to stay in sync with each other. Federal minister Sheikh Rashid and Ijaz-ul-Haq may not like the chaudhrys but that arrangement is more acceptable than than sharing power with Benazir and her partymen. 

Talking to TNS after a National Assembly session, Sheikh Rashid minced no words about the negotiations with PPP. "Well, it is the time for them to make their mind and show their cards. General (Musharraf) sahib is set to be re-elected for another presidential term in July with or without their support.". In his trademark taunting manner, Rashid said, "Time is running out for BB and she can't hold her cards close to the chest any more."

But time is of essence for the military ruler as well. With the judicial proceedings on the presidential reference as well as the legal fraternity stealing the headlines away from the rulers, the 'creative' anxiety amongst the intelligence agencies' political cells and within the PML-Q ranks has so far brought to surface a few possible scenarios. 

The latest of the envisaged plans favours dissolution of assemblies and calling of early general elections to get a vote of confidence from the new house. In this case, the general might not need to revisit his electoral college i.e.the provincial assemblies.

While another proposed plan suggests re-election of Musharraf from the existing electoral college and then followed by their dissolution in July and an interim government. A federal cabinet member from central Punjab said: "It is all about securing a fresh presidential term and the month of July would be decisive either way.". Disagreeing with Sheikh Rashid on re-election in July, he said, "There is no definitive plan yet as everything is subject to a variety of factors." He also ruled out the possibility of dissolution of National Assembly in July in the run up to presidential vote from the provincial assemblies. "Dissolution of the assembly would add to the judicial crisis significantly instead of easing the way for re-election and putting us in a favourable spot for general polls," he said. 

The plan the Chaudhry's are favouring spells out disaster in the opinion of some cabinet members but none would talk on record. "It is not a sane option. It would rather spell out disaster, another crisis after the March 9 mega blunder," said a close confidant of Musharraf holding an important cabinet portfolio. 

Syed Kabir Wasti, senior vice president of PML-Q, has been a strong supporter of a deal with PPP leadership, seeking face-saving for both Benazir Bhutto as well as Musharraf himself. "I would go far ahead than reconciling with the PPP. I support a grand reconciliation so that the next parliamentary term is not fraught with controversy and turmoil," he told TNS. Wasti said General Musharraf would have to decide whether he wants better credibility for the next dispensation or seeks his re-election from the existing assemblies, reflecting lack of confidence in his own self as well as his supporters. Like some cabinet members, he admits that utter confusion prevails in the presidency and the ruling coalition over the future political decisions.

The recent visit by key US diplomats was of little help to the Musharraf regime as reportedly the messages conveyed in close-doors resounded PPP concerns keeping in mind the future of war on terror along the Afghan border. Analysts believe that when the US speaks of free and fair elections, what it really means is elections producing a government that would not jeopardise the US project in Afghanistan. Though the two senior State Department officials kept mum on the uniform question, they repeatedly expressed hope for free and fair elections in the times ahead. In Washington, US ambassador-designate to Pakistan Anne Woods Patterson is confident Islamabad government would accept the Supreme Court's eventual verdict on in the chief justice's case.

The talk of free and fair elections sounds bizarre in the current scenario. The much-publicised computerised electoral rolls have ignited a fresh controversy over the missing voters. The number of voters should have increased to over 82 million by now given a 2.8 per cent increase in the population, but the provisional lists show only around 52 million voters, raising questions where 30 million voters, more than one third of the total voters, have disappeared.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance has claimed that 20 per cent of minority voters do not figure in the electoral rolls. The number of women voters has decreased by 96 per cent in Fata, 41 per cent in Sindh, 37 per cent in Punjab and 19 per cent in Islamabad. In the NWFP, female voters have decreased by 45 per cent from 3.92m in 2002 to 2.17 million in 2007, according to a study by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency.

The PPP took the lead in challenging the draft electoral rolls in the Supreme Court of Pakistan while terming it as another attempt for pre-poll rigging. Earlier, NADRA (National Database Registration Authority) refused to electronically share its database with the Election Commission while the constitutional body had all the authority to seek access to citizen registration records.

Kanwar Dilshad, secretary of Election Commission, defended the draft electoral rolls saying that bogus voters and multiple entries have been deleted in the fresh lists, thus the numbers of voters has plummeted. He told TNS on phone, "These are the most credible rolls ever prepared by the Election Commission." He was confident to improve them further with the feedback from voters.

While figures like former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali and PML-N leader Tehmina Daultana are amongst many who find no mention on the electoral rolls, it is highly unlikely that the political parties would accept the electoral rolls after some modifications by the EC, jeopardising the entire electoral exercise. 

So much for presidential and snap elections! The judicial crisis is only deepening with affidavits from both sides making the situation worse. Both government counsels -- Sharif-ud-Din Pirzada and Malik Abdul Qayyum -- have been scoring goals against their own team while Aitzaz Ahsan continues to engage the lawyers as well as the public upbeat and interested in the chief justice's saga.

The most recent filing of corruption reference against the prime minister, with reportedly more to follow, cannot be ignored as a non-issue. The tit-for-tat reference alleges Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of causing the stock market crisis and earning a huge sum of money by illegal means as well as approving the privatisation of the country's strategic asset the Pakistan Steel Mills. When contacted, Law Minister Wasi Zafar said he was least interested in replying to the allegation. "It is a  mere a piece of paper and the affair a non-issue," said the minister.

The political scene is neither normal nor favourable for the ruling coalition and its mentor General Pervez Musharraf. With scores of variable factors complicating the equation each passing day, chaos seems the only constant and stable outcome of the situation. Thanks to the sane advisors, Musharraf did not send the much-trumpeted second reference against the chief justice.

The only hope for the government, however, remains a sharply divided opposition. The talk of deal has effectively divided the ARD and the JUI-F's lust for power has broadened cracks within the MMA. However, the deepening judicial crisis can singularly become a binding force for the government whenever a schedule for polls is announced in the months to come.

Email: navid.rana@gmail.com

Simple solutions

Complex problems can have simple solutions, provided there's some creativity involved...

  By Q. Isa Daudpota

Recently I found myself in the ramshackle town of Bara Kau, a 15-minute ride from the Federal Secretariat in Islamabad. After negotiating some narrow streets my friend, who had insisted that I accompany him, parked outside a single storey modest building. It housed a charitable school for the poor neighbourhood kids; we had come to attend the celebration of its 5th anniversary.

About 50 students sat on durrees on the floor, while the invited guests were lodged on chairs along the wall. With only two ceiling fans barely moving the air, the room was uncomfortably warm. The children's poorly presented recitals of verses, stories and songs reminded me of an insufferable, 1950s Radio Pakistan's programme for children that used to be aired every Sunday morning, and may still be there. Watching the youngsters perform, I felt that nothing had changed in these 50 years -- even the same old, joyless songs being delivered in the same shy, shaky voices. No spark of delight or creative enthusiasm -- exactly as I remembered from my childhood. 

After the kids had done their bit and were applauded by the adults, there came the turn to praise the founders for this venture. They were commended for offering the students a free meal, daily. This was a notable achievement, which recalled India's way of reducing dropouts using a state-supported school meal as bait. In this case it was done courtesy of the founders and friends of the school.

Then the visitors related their success stories with feigned modesty. The achievements of a Sardarji from NASA was highlighted, who had not only managed amazing feats for the US space programme but had also set up schools for the unprivileged in India. A well-meaning guest wanted to teach the students ethics and religion and was willing to donate money for religious books. Several stated the obvious that given the chance these kids could do as well as those in elite private schools. Another insisted that since these kids were to compete with these richer cousins it was essential that the school be upgraded to that of elite private schools. He volunteered to contribute funds to make that happen; while others, fearing this to be bluster, tried hard to change the subject of the conversation. Some passive types sat looking at the floor sheepishly. It was not necessary for this school to ape the others asserted one. It could serve a valuable purpose if the students learnt skills that would get them moderately good jobs, he explained. We were reminded that standards had fallen only in the last 20-30 years, indicating that all the adults in the room had been lucky to receive their schooling in a golden era. The state was uniformly criticised for not doing enough for education.

One of the visitors, clearly tired of the heat -- largely caused by the sun's rays beating directly on the roof -- and aggravated by the profundities of the elders, opted to entertain himself by asking the kids what they found most interesting in Bara Kau. Silence! After some prompting by the teachers and the other elders, four kids shyly declared that they found a 'house' to be most interesting. I wondered whether this was a particular house or the home of each kid. This became clear when the questioner asked these four to draw the house. Everyone drew the same house -- with the same inverted V-shaped sloping roof common to places that receive heavy precipitation. I doubt that there's a single house in Bara Kau sporting this kind of roof! Obviously, they had all seen pictures of such houses in some book and were merely reproducing it. One of the teachers awkwardly explained that these kids spend the summers in Murree, where such sloping-roofed house are a common sight!

The incident is illustrative of the continuing failure of education in Pakistan since the country's inception. The un-contextualised rote-learning evidenced in the kids' representation of the foreign houses, was reflected in the cliched problem-solving by the adults. No one talked about the need for developing creativity in the kids. This was possible only if they themselves had been brought up to think and learn in such an enlightened mode. Only one lady wisely remarked that the kids needed to be made conscious of their own surroundings. How contextualisation can be encouraged in our educational system needs to be discussed. But first, what's needed is the realisation that creativity is critical to any liberal educational system!

Let's continue the theme of 'heat' that I experienced in Bara Kau and what millions experience due to power outages throughout the country. Much of this is caused by a lack of creative thinking by our planners and implementing organisations such as WAPDA. To delve a bit deeper, I ask you to leave the newspaper you are reading this morning (and if it is in the evening, do it tomorrow) and climb to the top of your building. Look around while on the terrace and ask yourself, why the rooms below are so hot? You may point at the sun as the cause, which of course is true. Then you also realize that the south-facing walls do not have any trees to provide good shade. True again, but growing appropriate trees now will take time and changing the whole wall is so expensive that no one gets it redone. Just like the visitors at the school we are often too ready to blame past mistakes, largely that of others. The fact is that you can rectify the heat problem yourself once you recognise the correct source of it. In this case the source lies under you feet! It is the roof that needs attention. An inexpensive treatment can significantly cool your house and considerably reduce the electricity bill. And if done countrywide, this simple measure would greatly reduce energy demand nationally.

My previous cool, first-floor abode, build by the owner who is a civil engineer, had a white mosaic floor on the roof; in contrast, my current rented residence has dark red bricks. There may be some insulation under them, but during the hot summer day they absorb a lot of energy and then release it to the air above and also to the rooms below. In fact 90 per cent of the roofs, even in the United States, are dark-coloured. These low-reflectance surfaces reach temperatures of 150 to 190∞ (66 to 88∞C) and contribute to: (a) Increased energy use and higher bills; (b) Overburdening of the grid; (c) Reduced comfort; (d) Accelerated deterioration of roofing material. The temperature figures must be considerably higher in Pakistan.

In contrast, cool roof systems with high reflectance  (percentage of solar energy reflected back from the surface to the atmosphere without absorption ) and emittance (percentage of energy that is radiated back to the air after absorption) stay up to 70∞F (39∞C) cooler than traditional materials during peak summer weather. Conventional roof surfaces have low reflectance (0.05 to 0.25) and high thermal emittance (typically greater than 80 per cent). Benefits of cool roofs include reduced heat-gain and saving on summertime air-conditioning bills and reduce electric power demand.

Cool roof applications have a smooth, bright white surface to reflect solar radiation, and are little more than a layer of bright white paint. A wash with water and paint touch-up at the start of the season to increase its effectiveness will give heat protection for several years. An average house of 3 rooms could have its roof covered for less than Rs 2000. A far cheaper, temporary solution is to have a day labourer whitewash the roof with white lime at the end of spring. This very inexpensive washable paint will provide protection until the rains come, after which the weather cools down. This is of course for houses with dark roofs. With greater public knowledge of the basic physics of absorption and reflection of solar energy, more and more houses will be constructed with good insulation and white tiles or mosaic flooring to avoid the need for applying paint.

Once the idea has sunk into people's minds, they will also stop buying black cars or having dark upholstery in their light colored vehicles. Creative thinking may also force people in areas near the ocean, such as Hyderabad, to return to the wind catcher of yester years. With the craze for split level air-conditioners in rich homes it will become apparent that placement of these gadgets near the ceiling only ends up heating the hot air near the roof! Attractive public interest announcements on TV networks could easily make people aware of the practical applications of basic science and how they could help save large sums of money for the individual and the state.

The failure of society and successive governments to encourage creative thinking and the proper use of knowledge has had dire consequences. I have merely touched on two areas -- the case of rote learning in school, and the inability to see how a bit of thought could make our lives more comfortable, while saving money and reducing demand on the electric grid. Besides, being creative saves us from dullness and boredom. It's fun.

The author is a physicist interested in environmental issues.

RIPPLE EFFECT

'Divine wrath' and a pliant media

  By Omar R. Quraishi

Of the 240 or so who died in last week's stormy weather in Karachi, as many as nine were killed when billboards fell over them. The wise chief minister of Sindh, Abrab Ghulam Rahim, in a statement (which was carried in several newspapers) then said that the collapse of signboards and billboards during the rains was "divine wrath". The statement released by the chief minister further said the following: "Almost all the companies advertised their productions through obscene and vulgar pictures of women in Karachi and it was an un-Islamic act in our Muslim society." The chief minister also said that the Met office was 'incompetent' because it had not informed people on time about the weather.

One could understand this if someone like the khateeb of Lal Masjid, the chief of the Taliban or Maulana Fazlullah aka 'Polio' of Swat had said something like this but coming from the chief executive of the country's second largest province is downright chilling. For starters, the Sindh chief minister's comment is tantamount to an insult to all the families of those who died as a result of the billboards falling on them. In fact, such a statement is more disingenuous than anything else because it is a novel way to deflect criticism from the Sindh government and the Karachi City Government for allowing these billboards to be installed in such dangerous locations in the first place. Clearly, the tragedies happened not because of 'divine wrath' but because the billboards were allowed to be built by government agencies in violation of bylaws and regulations.

In fact, over the years, many of Karachi's concerned citizens had written about the dangers of the seemingly unchecked proliferation of billboards in the print media but such concerns were all ignored or treated with contempt as representing an anti-development lobby whose sole purpose is to hold back the development of the nation. Also, what about those who died as a result of electrocution -- did they also die because the heavens above were angry with their immoral lives? In most years, the majority of rain-related deaths in Karachi are on this count mainly, so one would like to hear the chief minister's view on this matter as well.

Rahim's comments also send a terrible signal to extremist elements in the province. The next time they ponder the pros and cons of embarking on a billboard blackout campaign, they will feel reassured that even though the law may deem their actions illegal, they will have the moral support of the province's chief executive. In addition to this, it would be interesting to see what many of the foreign investors apparently rushing to Karachi (as the government would have us all believe) to plough in their hard-earned dollars would think of meeting the local top politician who has such views on outdoor advertising. The chief minister would be well-advised to refrain from further making comments that insult the intelligence of ordinary people and instead direct his efforts towards ensuring that his government provides relief and assistance to those displaced and affected by the rains.

************

One happened to be in China recently to attend a seminar on interfaith dialogue and harmony. One of the sessions was moderated by a senior editor from Xinhua, the state-owned press agency. Given the immense pressure on the media these days in Pakistan, with the PEMRA ordinance (which was taken back but now will be apparently modified to include a so-called 'code of conduct' drawn up by a government-media committee) and so on, one looked forward to this visit because China is one of the few countries with no media ownership in the private sector.

The beginning of the session was most instructive with the moderator reading what sounded more like a mission statement -- that the primary role of the media in a country was to assist in national development. This got the sparks flying with several European journalists present, myself and the managing editor of The Jakarta Post, asking the moderator to explain what she meant by national development and that who would define it. One thought that the primary role of the media is to (in descending order of importance) inform, educate and entertain and above all, depict reality as far as accurately was possible. This all co-existed with its other key role of being a watchdog over government policies and of being a crucial level in a society's system of checks and balances over the legislature, executive and judiciary. From what the Chinese journalist was saying, it seemed that the media was merely another arm of the state, and in that sense what it projected would be nothing more than (and certainly in the literal sense of the word) propaganda. When she was told this, she conveniently changed the subject.

To show to her colleagues that the media in China had changed, the moderator gave what she said was the example of ordinary Chinese increasingly turning to the media to point out instances of corruption. But asked whether this included corruption in the government or a corrupt act by, say, a senior Communist Party official, the moderator said that the instances of corruption related to the business and corporate sector. Surely, the whole purpose of the media being able to exercise its function of watchdog over government decision- and policy-making would be lost in such a situation.

Only then it dawned on me, that with all its warts and pimples, being a journalist was a far better proposition in Pakistan than in China. And one began to understand just why the western media makes such a fuss of the state of human and political rights in China and gets angry when western governments so clearly ignore much of these issues. More on this trip later.

The writer is Op-ed Pages Editor of The News.

Email: omarq@cyber.net.pk

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