Revolving Door September 2017 Whither War? AFGHANISTAN The office of the Prime Minister in seems to have The officeofthe Prime MinisterinPakistanseems to have The office of the Prime Minister in Pakistan seems to have The officeofthe Prime MinisterinPakistanseems to have a revolving door that prime ministers use to vacate their a revolvingdoorthat primeministersusetovacate their a revolving door that prime ministers use to vacate their a revolvingdoorthat primeministersusetovacate their office beforetheir termisup.Whydoesthishappen? office beforetheir termisup.Whydoesthishappen? HH PrinceKarim Aga Khan SPECIAL FEATURE New WineinBottles PAKISTAN INSIDE Birth ofaNew Axis INDIA Border Trouble NEIGHBOUR

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Contents 12 Mujhe KiyunNikala? No prime minister has completed his term in Pakistan.

Afghanistan Whither War? A new U.S. policy to 28 end the war.

Pakistan Sri Lanka 22 Back to Square One New Wine in Inviting the Tamils back. New Bottles 30 Trump is for loans, not aid.

The Maldives Rabbit Hole of Dictatorship 32 Democratically elected president tries iron hand. 26 Bangladesh Limping Judiciary Legal tussle in a country where democracy is supposed to be supreme.

4 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 REGULAR FEATURES

Editor’s Mail 8 On Record 9 Briefs 10 COVER STORY

Mujhe Kiyun Nikala? 12 Term Stinted 14 The Judiciary’s Role 16 Legacy of Failure 18 REGION

India Birth of a New Axis 20 Pakistan New Wine in New Bottles 22 All In The Family 24 42 Bangladesh International Limping Judiciary 26 Canadian Politics Afghanistan The other side of Trudeau. Whither War? 28 Sri Lanka Back to Square One 30 The Maldives Rabbit Hole of Dictatorship 32 OPINION 54 Pakistan at 70 – A Personal Perspective 34 Crime SPECIAL FEATURE Wronged Women Bangladeshi women HH Prince Karim Aga Khan 37 need more security. INTERNATIONAL

The Reluctant Prime Minister 42 NEIGHBOUR

Forgotten People 44 Infrastructure FEATURES

Bridge of Gender Equality Determination What’s in a Name! 48 The Padma Bridge is fast 50 nearing completion. Infrastructure Bridge of Determination 50 Social Evil Killing Fields 52 Crime Wronged Women 54 Human Trafficking Modern Slavery 56 44 Technology Neighbour New Frontier 58 The Forgotten Violence People Another Murder 60 The Uighur Muslims in China are having SOUTHASIA 15 Years Ago 62 a hard time.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 5

COMMENT

Pakistan Needs a Foreign Policy Reset

resident Donald Trump’s charge sheet against Pakistan and his praise for SEPTEMBER 2017 Vol.21 Issue 9 India in America’s so-called new South Asia strategy has sent shock waves Pacross Pakistan and among its friends. Giving a clear warning to Pakistan, PRESIDENT & EDITOR IN CHIEF Trump said, “We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars, at Syed Jawaid Iqbal the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. That will have to change and that will change immediately.” The more alarming fact is MANAGING EDITOR his enhancement of the role of India in Afghanistan's political and economic Zeba Jawaid growth. What would be the impact of this on Pakistan’s fight against terrorism? EDITOR The situation is pretty precarious and would give further impetus to the joint Javed Ansari CIA-RAW activities which would further aggravate things for Pakistan. ASSISTANT EDITORS Trump’s stance is a clear deviation from the policy followed by Bush and Obama and even earlier US presidents. Despite repeated frustration, they chose Faizan Usmani – Khawaja Amer Syeda Areeba Rasheed to use money and diplomacy to help Pakistan in its effort to root out terrorist sanctuaries from the country and earlier in resisting the spread of communism. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR In recent years, Pakistan received massive aid but repeated advice to ‘do more’. S. G. Jilanee In fact, a lot has been done and the successes of Operation Raddul Fasad bear testimony to the fact. As such, at a time when Pakistan has almost achieved the CONTRIBUTORS target of eliminating terrorists from its territory, Trump’s words have definitely Dr. Moonis Ahmar – Syed Zeeshan Ahmed – S. M. Hali come as a big shock. Trump administration’s preference for the stick rather Muhammad Ali Ehsan – Shakeel Farooqui than the carrot at this point is really frustrating. But then it shows Pakistan’s Muhammad Omar Iftikhar – Farhia Jabbar – S.G. Jilanee inability to compete with India on the diplomatic front. Modi’s meeting with Dr. Raza Khan – Zehra Khawaja – Taha Kehar Trump and his much publicized ‘Jadu ki Jhappi’ did work. While Modi was Dr. Syed Ali Madni – K. A. Naqshbandi busy lobbying in the US, was busy defending the Panama case. S. Mubashir Noor – Iqbal F. Quadir Moreover, the unceremonious ouster of Tariq Fatmi, a career diplomat, left the foreign office without a real boss. In fact, the foreign office till recently was GRAPHICS & LAYOUT functioning without a foreign minister which very obviously affected Pakistan’s Kamran Ghulam Nabi diplomatic moves and lobbying in the US. Had Pakistan taken some time out Haroon Rasheed Riaz Masih from its internal political bickering and attended to its foreign relations and had taken actionable initiatives against terrorism, it could have avoided Trump’s GENERAL MANAGER MARKETING & SALES charge sheet. Syed Ovais Akhtar It is quite surprising that while the US President unfairly criticized Pakistan, in response the Pakistan government chief (namely, Prime Minister Shahid MARKETING MANAGER Hira Sarwar Khakkan Abbasi) did not utter anything and it was the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa who responded to America and made it clear that Pakistan BRAND MANAGER Muhammad Aamir did not want any material or financial assistance from the US, but trust and respect and acknowledgement of the sacrifices the country had made. The army CIRCULATION & COORDINATOR chief added that such efforts were not to appease anyone but in line with the Aqam-ud-Din Khan country’s national interest and policy. It needs to be noted that the Pakistan economy has, over the past 16 years, suffered a loss amounting to over one EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICE 20-C, Lane 12, off Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Phase II billion dollars and has lost more than 70,000 military and civilian lives. The Extension, DHA, - 75500, Pakistan COAS also informed the US ambassador who came calling on him, of Pakistan’s Phones: 92-21- 35313821-24 reservations over giving India an enhanced role in Afghanistan. It was good to Fax: 92-21-35313832 see Pakistan’s close friend China responding very strongly to Trump’s allegations Website: www.southasia.com.pk that Pakistan was not doing enough to shut down safe havens of terror groups in Email: [email protected] its territory. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying categorically said, “Pakistan lies on the front line of the anti-terrorism struggle and has made MIDDLE EAST ‘great sacrifices’ in battling insurgents who pose a threat to the region and the REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE world.” The response from Russia and Iran was equally encouraging. Pirana Advertising JLT This is a wake-up call for Pakistan and the time has come to tell the US PO Box 486207, 1704, Level 17, HDS Tower, and the world very clearly and loudly about the achievements of Operation Jumeirah Lake Towers Cluster F, Dubai, UAE Raddul Fasad and, before that, Operation Zarb e Azb. A refusal on the part of Phone: +97-14- 4508309 Fax: +97-14-3688487 the U.S. to listen to Pakistan’s side of the story can be termed as a diplomatic Email: [email protected] failure and poor lobbying by the country’s foreign office. So far, despite its stand and constant actions against terrorism, has failed to counter allegations against it with any encouraging results. The reasons may range from SouthAsia is published every month incompetent diplomacy in Washington and other world capitals to its failure to by Syed Jawaid Iqbal for and on behalf of successfully woo world media. Now that Khawaja Asif has taken over as a full- JAWZ Communications (Pvt.) Ltd. fledged foreign minister, his ministry must pull-up its socks and start projecting and printed by Union Graphics, Karachi. Pakistan as the pivotal country in the region and the war in Afghanistan rather than being unceremoniously pushed to the side and its many sacrifices Views expressed by the contributors are appearing as of no consequence. not necessarily shared by the editors.

Published since 1977 as Thirdworld, the magazine was re-launched in 1997 as SouthAsia.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal EDITOR’S MAIL

rules and regulations are really needs it. Pointless applied. Someone needs Culture to be accountable for the Farzana Siddiqui, ongoing lota culture. Islamabad, Pakistan.

Mohib Akhtar, “No Loo, No I Karachi, Pakistan. Do” A New Escape The women in India are It seems like the former refusing to marry in a family prime minister Nawaz that doesn’t have a toilet. Sharif could not hold It’s a movement nicknamed the defeat he sustained “No Loo, No I Do”. Many when the Supreme women have come forward Court announced his telling stories about how disqualification from they have to wake up at 4 Modi and Amit Shah mean holding public office in a.m. in the dark to go to by the slogan. Does it mean a landmark decision. the fields trying to squat in the end of the Congress in The so-called lion on a sari while holding a cup terms of being a political his journey home made of water and also looking entity? If this is the case, a last-ditch attempt out for rapists. Open then I must say that they to undo a devastating defecation is the biggest have been quite successful Supreme Court decision challenge India is facing in as the Congress has been that could land him and terms of sanitation. More reduced to just 44 Lok Sabha his family in jail. During than 53% of people in seats and their government the rally, from inside a India are defecating openly is only in a handful of states. purpose built shipping because of which more More clarity on the meaning container, he was noted than 200,000 children die and purpose of the slogan This is with reference to saying that the people of from diseases caused by could only be possible if last month’s cover story on Pakistan have rejected his faecal contamination. This both Modi and Amit Shah Lota Culture. Although the disqualification. It seems is an emergency not only clear the air. word Lota in means like Nawaz Sharif was only of public health and safety a spherical water vessel making efforts to please but also of human dignity. Priya Lalwani, having the tendency to himself as the people of Access to toilets can’t hurt, , India. roll over in unpredictable Pakistan know what kind unlike the chronic, acute directions when kept on of unrest the country went shame, embarrassment and uneven ground, but it can fear that Indian women and Binding Ties be synonymously used girls must deal with at least The Bangladesh with Pakistani politics once a day, every day. government has initiated as it has been playing a a new project to improve very important role since Aakash Oberoi, the infrastructure of three the very start. The word New Delhi, India. land ports namely Shaola is dangerously used for in Sylhet district, Bhomra people who frequently Modi’s in Satkhira district and switch loyalties from one Ramgarh in Khagrachari party to another for the Congress- in order to raise trade with sake of benefits. Recently India. It is indeed a very as well as after the Panama mukt-Bharat positive idea for both the Papers case surfaced, some It is clear that Narendra countries as the security changes were observed in Modi’s call for Congress- system in Benapole will also the parties. Some people mukt-Bharat, which he be modernised. The new joined hands with PTI made back in 2004 when approach will also increase leader , as he’s he was the prime ministerial the import and export the one who may be next candidate, was not just a activities of Sutarakandi in power, while some other through when Nawaz melodramatic tool but a port in Karimgani district relocated themselves to was in power. I just wish serious statement. But we of Assam state. After the other parties. The shuffling someone would be there failed to understand as to Padma Bridge, the most can continue to be a part to console Nawaz Sharif what to get from it and costly bridge in the world, of Pakistan’s politics if no as this is the time when he secondly what Narendra the flow of cargo at Bhomra

8 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 ‘s

ON RECORDSLUG

“Pakistan is a “The entire peace loving nation is proud and respon- of the sacrifices sible country. We rendered by desire tranquil security personnel and harmonious in ridding the coexistence with motherland from all countries of the world, particu- the menace of larly our neighbours.” terrorism.” Pervez Musharraf, , former Prime Minister of Pakistan

“The diversity “We won’t of India, of our civi- tolerate any sort lization, is actually of terrorism and a thing of beauty, militancy and which is something won’t allow our Where is My Name? we are extremely land to be used proud of.” for carrying out There are some terms that Afghan men use to Narendra Modi, terrorist acts against any country.” relate to their women which are considered as a grave Prime Minister of India Wajid, dishonour worthy of violence. The few nicknames Prime Minister of Bangladesh are: Mother of My Children, My Household, My “While protecting Weak One or sometimes, in the far corners, My Goat the country’s main “Do not ever or My Chicken. Focusing on this, a social media religion Buddhism, threaten an campaign has been running in recent weeks to put we also protect Afghan with vio- an end to the custom. The campaign is initiated by the rights and lence. We will rise young women coming up with a hash tag in local freedom of Hindu, as one and we will languages that translates as #WhereIsMyName. The Muslim, and Cath- face every threat main aim of this campaign is to challenge women olic people in practicing their reli- the way we have to reclaim their most basic identity and to break the gion and create consensus among taken on thousands of previous deep rooted taboo that prevents men from taking them to build up this country.” armies and conquerors.” their women and female relatives’ names in public. Maithripala Sirisena, Ashraf Ghani, The campaign is indeed a very good step in changing President of Sri Lanka President of Afghanistan the gibberish pattern of society. “What is about “Electricity is like Maham Khan, to happen to oil for us and is Kandahar, Afghanistan. Faafu Atoll is the most abun- something that dant resource; my would feature the target for Bhutan Maldives on the is a 70 percent world chart more reduction in fossil boldly than anything else.” fuel imports by Abdullah Yameen, 2020.” President of the Maldives Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan “I want to assure “You can’t run both China and a government India that we from one single will not let our person. What territory be used instead matters is against either that leadership be nation.” about gathering Sher Bahadur Deuba, around extraordi- Prime Minister of Nepal nary individuals and getting the best out of them.” “See, the poor Justin Trudeau, dream all their Prime Minister of Canada port will also boost further increase in communication lives of getting and traffic movement. The value of the Ramgarh land enough to eat and “The refugee crisis port will also rise affecting trade with India’s Tripura state. looking like the shows we can’t be Both Bangladesh and India are making their full efforts to rich. And what do isolated from the continue binding ties for mutual benefit. the rich dream of? world’s geopolitical Losing weight and troubles.” Lalit Das, looking like the poor.” Emmanuel Sharjah, UAE. Aravind Adiga, Macron, Indo-Australian writer. President of France

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 9 BRIEFS

PAKISTAN Microcosm on Display n exhibit called ‘Microcosm was on Display’ was put at the Gandhara Art and Space Museum in Karachi Afrom July 20 to August 12. The festival explored the young artists and their choice of artistic media which were daring and socially awakening yet personally driven in their conceptual concerns. The show’s curator, Adeel uz Zafar, carefully selected 13 artists for their diverse socio-economic backgrounds and unique media, providing a thrilling visual experience. As each artist contextualises their personal they end up representing society itself, turning each work into experience within broader themes of our societal construct, a microcosm of our collective experience.

PAKISTAN Gwadar Welcomes he Bank of China plans to open the biggest bank in Gwadar along with other national and international banks. As the Gwadar deep sea port is Tbecoming operational, several of China’s commercial banks are interested in opening their branches there and the Bank of China is one of them. Chairman Dostain Khan Jamaldini of the Gwadar Port Authority said that the work on Gwadar Free Zone has started and both China and Pakistan are working shifts to get the work done as soon as possible. He also revealed that the Summit Bank and the Bank will soon be merging in September, forming the second biggest bank in Pakistan.

INDIA Rail App ow one can book rail tickets through a new mobile application to be offered by the Indian Railways. The integrated mobile app will cater to Nvarious needs of passengers from booking a porter to booking a retiring room, booking train tickets and ordering food. It is being developed by the CRIS, the software arm of the Indian Railways at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore. Mobile app users need to search and download each application separately and create a single window interface for these services. The project was announced in the Railway Budget for 2016-17.

INDIA

New Corridors o decongest traffic on Delhi roads, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to construct a Regional Rapid Transit System corridor on NH 1 from Delhi Tto Panipat, and NH 8 from Delhi to Rewari via Gurugram and further towards Alwar. The length of the corridor via Sonipat is 111km and its estimated construction cost would be Rs. 16,500 crores. The estimated cost of the 180 kilometer long Delhi to Alwar corridor via Gurugram and Rewari is Rs. 37,000 crores. The construction period of the projects is 36 months and a major portion of the road has already been completed.

10 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 BANGLADESH IT Infrastructure major software company Wipro recently announced that it had won a five-year-deal to manage the IT A infrastructure of Grameenphone Ltd, Bangladesh’s leading telecom operator. Telenor group, the world’s leading mobile operator holds the majority equity stake in partnership to deliver the business results as per plan,” Grameenphone and being a client of Wipro, the contract said Grameenphone Chief Executive Michael Foley. with Grameenphone will only strengthen the relationship. Grameenphone Ltd operates a digital mobile telecom “We selected Wipro to manage our services after evaluating network based on the GSM standard in 900MHz, 1800MHz its offerings and domain expertise. We have trust in the and 2100MHz frequency bands.

SRI LANKA

Industrial Park ri Lanka will set up a 150-acre industrial park in Millaniya, Kalutara at a cost of 3.5 billion rupees with a company from Thailand. The park to Sbe built on a rubber estate belonging to the Horana Plantations would be completed by the end of 2018. An exit at Palpola on the Southern Highway between Bandaragama and Kalutara has also been proposed to provide easier access to the zone. Chai Vinichbutr, vice president of Rojana Industrial Park said that the investment climate in Sri Lanka was good and this was the reason they decided to set up the industrial park.

THE MALDIVES Leisure Development he official ceremony to mark the construction of world-class leisure development will enhance Maldives’ international reputation as Tthe world’s top tourist destinations. The overall development, when fully completed, will extend across nine islands and meet the leisure- destination desires of the world’s large and rapidly-growing medium to upscale the leisure segment. The project township will have 1,300 rooms with 5,000 job opportunities, reigniting and stimulating the country’s tourism economy. The Township and Phase One are to be completed in late 2018 and the second phase will go on for the next five years.

NEPAL Liver Transplant ribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Nepal is launching a liver transplant service by February next year. The hospital has already received Rs 110 million Tfor the development of necessary infrastructure and is ready with surgeons and other human resources but special anesthetists for critical care, radiologists and highly skillful surgeons for liver transplantation are still needed. The Japanese government has pledged to provide medical equipment to the hospital. Human Organ Transplantation-2073 had paved the way for liver transplantation in the country and a new law allows receiving of organs when people died.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 11 COVER STORY Mujhe Kiyun Nikala? Why was I sacked, is a question that Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif cannot stop asking. While he went on legal grounds, the advice he received was faulty and played a major role in his unmaking. Pakistan’s first prime minister, , was assassinated. But after him prime ministers have been regularly shunted out for their ineptness.

By Khawaja Amer

hy have none of the elected requirements and expectations, he prime ministers in Pakistan would just sign on the dotted line on Wfailed to complete their each file sent to him by the PSO. respective tenures? The answer is very The only exception was however, simple; they never ruled the country Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, though his and it was the bureaucracy that right-hand man J.A. Rahim was actually ran the day to day affairs a bureaucrat. A close study of of the government. In fact, they the unceremonious exit of the are still the masterminds behind elected prime ministers reveals all the important decisions that there has always been taken by the government. a public servant and not the The inability of the elected public behind their removal. heads of government to For instance, who was take independent decisions behind the unceremonious based on the consensus of exit of Nawaz Sharif? the elected assembly and Obviously his Secretary complete dependence on Fawad Hassan Fawad, a career the bureaucrats left them civil servant who continued with no option but to remain to serve despite reservations in power as long as they (the from ministers and bureaucrats) wanted them to parliamentarians, including see them in power. Every prime his son-in-law Capt. Safdar. minister, soon after assuming Ignoring the advice of Fawad, power, looked for a bureaucrat had he accepted the TOR of his choice for appointment submitted by the opposition, as his secretary or Principal the Panama case would have Staff Officer (PSO) and been settled in Parliament after briefing him instead of going to the about his court. According to

12 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 a report published in , a case became convinced that in private industries were nationalized, against Fawad’s alleged corruption is order to make Pakistan a sound, solid private schools were taken over by the pending before the Islamabad High and cohesive nation, a new political government, and generic names were Court (IHC.) It alleges that Fawad and system would have to be brought in. given to medicines so far sold under his brother secured a commercial plot The system would have to be home- brand names. in Rawalpindi’s Saddar area as part grown plant and not imported. It A summit of Muslim heads of state of an exchange with Gul Zareen – would have to suit the genius of the and government were organized in on the basis of certain promises and people. As such, he decided to take Lahore, liquor was banned, night clubs without any cash payment of the total over the reins of the government. He were closed and a number of decisions amount. The two are alleged to have said that the object of military rule were taken which gained support for exchanged a residential plot on Haider was to return the country to sanity. Bhutto from the rightwing Islamic Road, Rawalpindi for this commercial He blamed the politicians who were organizations. Bhutto was sitting easy plot, opposite the General Post Office playing in the hands of bureaucrats in 1976 as petrodollars began to pour (GPO). Apart from the construction of for the mess. While enforcing military in and he had quietened the opposition a commercial plaza, the petition also rule, he said, “Ever since the death of from the left as well as the right. Feeling leveled several other allegations; the Quaid-i-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, confident, he announced elections gift of a large plot in Okara, shares in politicians started a free for all type of almost a year before they were due the New City Project in Taxila and the fighting in which no holds were barred. to secure an absolute majority in the Lahore Motorway City project, etc. His There has been no limit to the depth National Assembly so that he could involvement in the famous JS and Sprint of their baseness, chicanery, deceit rule with ease and aplomb. He sought Energy scandal regarding CNG stations and degradation. In this mad rush for intelligence report which said that it may also be probed, the petition says. power and acquisition, the country would be difficult to get 75 per cent Nawaz Sharif was so dependent on and the people could go to the dogs as of PPP candidates elected. He decided him that despite all the allegations and far as they were concerned.” to take the district commissioners in complaints from the parliamentarians Once the politicians were confidence and they rigged elections. he could not afford to remove him. temporarily removed from the scene In this some bureaucrats and even PPP Another person who may have been and the armed forces firmly entrenched politicians crossed all limits. responsible for the unceremonious exit in the saddle of power, Pakistan The PNA cried foul, boycotted the of Nawaz Sharif (now famous for his returned to sanity. But then, as we provincial election and decided to start question – Mujhe Kiyun Nikala?) – was now know, absolute power corrupts a protest movement. Bhutto called in his own daughter, Maryam Safdar. She absolutely and nothing is sweeter and the army and imposed long curfews did not have any political experience addictive than power and as someone but even this failed to stem the protests. but she continued to give advice to her said, “The unlucky soul this demon Soon after Gen. Ziaul Haq, the army dad who took it – meekly. possesses, if he is not sacrificed on chief, took over and imposed martial Let’s study the role of the bureaucracy its altar, will sacrifice others to get it.” law. Bhutto was arrested and tried in Pakistan in more detail. After the Ayub Khan not only abrogated the 1956 under charges of having given orders creation of Pakistan, the imminent Constitution but up came with a new for a political murder. Again, it was the and eminent problems faced by the one to get himself elected as president bureaucracy that was behind the rigged emerging nation, it has been stated by directly through basic democrats --- elections, which led to Bhutto’s hanging, many scholars, forced its leadership to his own brand of democracy. He was with the military being in the forefront. look towards the bureaucracy for the very much under the influence of Altaf There is no denying the fact that those consolidation of the state institutions. Gauhar, a career bureaucrat. He played who were considered to be very close This, of course, reinforced their a very significant role in the making of to Bhutto and were instrumental in already dominant position. The civil Ayub Khan, the politician and there is a the formation of the PPP included two servants had a pronounced penchant general belief that his book ‘Friends not retired bureaucrats - J.A. Rahim and Aziz for keeping the elected representatives Masters’ had also been written by him. Ahmad. under their thumb. The civil servants Deriving confidence from the support As long as prime ministers continue of those days, mostly trained at British of this civil servant, he challenged the to depend on the bureaucracy, they will institutions, could not provide an will of the people and contested against never be able to complete their terms. intelligent blueprint for the professed Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, the Founder’s The only way out is that the political and often proclaimed egalitarianism sister. Though he won the presidential parties start grooming leaders and not of an Islamic state. The bulk of the elections with the support of the district mere workers. This country needs a leadership left the daily routine of commissioners, he failed to control the statesman who can represent the people running the country to the civil servants people’s uprising and finally passed on with proper decorum, respect and and spent their time and power in self- the baton to Gen. . Since knowledge of what's happening in the projection and making money, ignoring Yahya was not interested in power world. Henry Kissinger rightly said, “The public interest. Naturally, they failed to politics and was happy with wine and statesman's duty is to bridge the gap deliver and, as a result, were ousted. women, he conducted the fairest (so between his nation's experience and his The armed forces, the most far) general elections in the country. vision.” organised and respected institution of Without going into further detail Pakistan needs leaders who are the country, was silently observing the and sticking to the subject, let’s begin more educated, more experienced and activities of the civilian governments with the most powerful prime minister more qualified than the bureaucrats so of course with full support and help of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a that they can guide them and give them from the civil servants, then considered charismatic leader who knew the art the right orders. Mediocre leaders will to be the only educated, intelligent, of winning the people’s heart. He was always be easily overpowered by the refined and ‘master of all’ class, but probably the only prime minister known intelligent civil servants. when the frequent change of prime for dictating to the bureaucrats instead ministers started adversely affecting of taking dictation from them. His reign The writer is a veteran journalist the country’s progress, Army chief Gen. can be termed as an era of social change; and a member of the staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 13 COVER STORY

Term Stinted No prime minister in Pakistan’s history has ever completed his 5-year term. They are scuttled from power for one reason or other. The last elected PM was shown the door because the Supreme Court gave a judgement against him – and he is still under investigation for financial misdemeanours.

By Shakeel Farooqui

o understand the reason why none ambitious presidents or removed by But they had an even stronger gun, their of Pakistan’s prime ministers have adventurous generals or asked to step- belief,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Tso far been able to complete their down by the honourable apex court. Erdogan said while addressing the first 5-year term, there is a need to study the The elected parliament in Pakistan has anniversary of the failed coup attempt conditions and forces which resulted in seldom been able to impose its authority, on July 15. In fact ‘Belief’ foiled the the unceremonious exit of these heads of allowing the external forces to govern the military coup attempt in Turkey. This the government. Frankly speaking, most state of affairs using the august body as a historic event proves that people and of them were not only dishonest but mere rubber stamp. In short, democracy people alone can play a major role in unfortunately failed to run the country in Pakistan remained a jigsaw puzzle defending any onslaught on democracy. sincerely and effectively, which created for the ordinary citizens of the country. But for that they must have a firm belief space for nonpolitical forces to enter the The generals always cashed in on the in democracy. Unfortunately, the people political scene. They themselves were situation and managed to overpower the of Pakistan no more trust the champions responsible for the fate they met. They weak parliament, the meek leader of the of democracy though they do believe in joined politics not to serve the people house and hoodwink the deceitful leader democracy. So the so-called champions but to make money. For them it was a of the opposition. of democracy are to be blamed for the business so what happened to the country The question is why the Pakistani unexpected end of the elected leader of soon after the death of the Father of the people never tried to foil such attempts the House. nation was pretty interesting. Twice the and readily accepted the defeat of the How is space being provided for country’s constitution prepared by the government of the people at the hands non-democratic forces to rule the democratically elected governments of the non-democratic forces. For a country? Gen. Parvez Musharraf in a was repealed (1958 and 1969) and three convincing answer there is a need to recent interview to BBC Urdu said, times it was suspended (1977, 1999 revisit what happened almost a year ago “Dictators set the country right, whereas and 2007). No prime minister was able in Turkey. Millions of Turkish citizens set civilian governments brought it to ruins, to complete his or her term. Liaquat Ali aside their political, cultural and ethnic military rule always brought progress Khan was assassinated in 1951. After differences to form a united front against to Pakistan.” The statement though it that, prime minister of the country kept the plotters, who tried to suspend their sounds a bit sweeping, definitely has walking in and out rather frequently. country’s constitution, shot at innocent some truth in it. History will bear out that was removed through civilians and bombed the parliament. perhaps the most corrupt and worse era a military coup in 1977 by General Together, the people of Turkey refused in the country was during the rule of two Ziaul Haq. After his long rule which to allow an armed group to rob them popular political parties. During the rule ended with his death in an air crash in of democracy, liberty and their way of of these parties the civil service structure 1988, beginning with , life. “Did our citizens have guns in their was destroyed, nepotism was promoted prime ministers were either sacked by hands? They only had flags in their hands. and state servants, including the police

14 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 and bureaucracy, were turned into private servants. The situation deteriorated by the loot and plunder of the political leaders. Stories of Swiss Bank accounts, Surrey Mansion, Mayfair flats, kickbacks, fixed percentage in prestigious projects of the country, Hajj scam, Ephedrine case, to name a few, are still fresh in the memory of all those people of Pakistan who read newspaper or watch TV. Probably that is why, unlike Turkey, people in Pakistan rejoice after the fall of a democratic government. The incoming military rulers always received Pakistan’s prime ministers a red carpet reception from the public. It’s undoubtedly an irony of fate that 1. Liaquat Ali Khan (August 15, 1947 to October 16, 1951) people of Pakistan have never come 2. (Oct 17, 1951 to April 17, 1953) out on streets to defend the leaders 3. Muhammad Ali Bogra (April 17, 1953 to August 12, 1955) they elected themselves. Naturally, 4. (Aug 12, 1955 to Sept 12, 1956) because with each and every passing 5. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (Sept 12, 1956 to Oct 17, 1957) moment a new narrative of corruption 6. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (October 17, 1957 to Dec 16, 1957) against politicians surfaces, exposing 7. (Dec 16, 1957 to Oct 7, 1958) the dubious character of the leaders they 8. (Dec 7, 1971 to Dec 20, 1971) voted to power. What is more surprising 9. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Aug 14, 1973 to Jul 5, 1977) is the fact that despite being booted 10. (March 24, 1985 to May 29, 1988) out, they manage to get elected again. 11. Benazir Bhutto (Dec 2, 1988 to Aug 6, 1990) The reason seems to be the immaturity 12. (Aug 6, 1990 to Nov 6, 1990) of the voters, who believe that changing 13. Nawaz Sharif (Nov 6, 1990 to April 18, 1993) a mere face may result in emergence of 14. Balakh Sher Mazari (April 18, 1993 to May 26, 1993) a leadership that would be sincere and 15. Nawaz Sharif (May 26, 1993 to July 18, 1993) honest enough to solve all their socio- 16. Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (July 18, 1993 to Oct 19, 1993) economic problems. Public memory is 17. Benazir Bhutto (Oct 19, 1993 to Nov 5, 1996) short-lived and this is what encourages 18. (Nov 5, 1996 to Feb 17, 1997) politicians to exploit the masses time 19. Nawaz Sharif (Feb 17, 1997 to Oct 12, 1999) and again. Moreover, talk shows on TV 20. (Nov 21, 2002 to June 26, 2004) channels, which can safely be termed as 21. Chaudhry (June 30, 2004 to Aug 20, 2004) a media circus, keeps the common man 22. (Aug 20, 2004 to Nov 16, 2007) hooked with one sensation or the other 23. (Nov 16, 2007 to March 28, 2008) so that he loses track of the shocking 24. (March 28, 2008 to June 19, 2012) stories of corruption and nepotism 25. (June 22, 2012 to March 25, 2013) committed in the past by the political 26. Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (March 25, 2013 to June 5, 2013) leaders. They forget the corruption cases 27. Nawaz Sharif (June 5, 2013 to July 28, 2017) and get involved in gossip like the Imran- Gulalai spat or the Ayesha Ahad-Hamza Shahbaz scandal. The irresponsible role the fact that unforgivable acts of treachery It is time to understand that political of media in a way is also responsible for and a complete loss of integrity in fact led stupidity like dharnas and abusive political instability in the country. our prime ministers to fall into the abyss behaviour of party leaders will give Here it would be pertinent to state of their own quagmire of corruption. It undemocratic forces room to rule. that a political leader’s qualities are was this lack of honesty and patience in “With our dismal record in democratic generally supported by skill, experience, the leaders that helped military coup- tradition, we as a nation now are on a intelligence and integrity. But then makers to send elected governments crucial trial of our history to determine the foremost is of course honesty, packing. Unfortunately, with Quaid- how we restore Pakistan’s raison d’etre trustworthiness and reliability, enough e-Azam’s untimely demise, Pakistan and cope with the challenges of our capability to make decisions and accept was orphaned in its very infancy and times, including our global image as responsibility for his actions and words. was left without any sense of direction the hotbed of ’religious extremism Ask the voter if he is aware of any leader and in a state of political bankruptcy. and obscurantism,’“ argued Shamshad who possesses any of these qualities. The The leaders with their weaknesses, Ahmad, former foreign secretary in a answer will definitely be a firm NO. So corruption and lack of vision, pushed the recent article. The time has come to do why on earth do they vote to power the country towards chaos. Barring Quaid-i- away with feudalism, tribal leadership same corrupt and dishonest leader again Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, the rest of and dynastic politics. Ordinary people and again? They may say they have no the leadership was still immature and must be given a chance to participate in choice as they have to select between unskilled in politics. As such the socio- political activities. Only their inclusion two parties. They reject the party which political situation rapidly deteriorated, in mainstream politics would make betrayed them after getting elected and resulting in frequent changes in the democracy stronger and save the country vote for the other party in the hope civilian government. Naturally, the army from corrupt, dishonest and mediocre that they must have learned from their being the most organised and powerful leadership. mistakes. But then, old habits die hard. entity overpowered the civilians despite The people are helpless because of very the fact that they were elected by the The writer is a free-lance limited choices. The reason boils down to people. journalist.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 15 COVER STORY The Judiciary’s Role Pakistan’s judiciary has come a long way from pampering dictators to taking sagacious decisions.

By S.G. Jilanee

t is not the executive branch of Governor General Malik Ghulam amendments in the constitution the Pakistan government that Mohammed asked the prime minister, revoking Malik Ghulam Muhammad’s Iemits an overpowering stench of Khwaja Nazimuddin to step aside and, power as governor general under incompetence, corruption and other upon his refusal to comply, dismissed which he had previously dismissed associated vices. Its judicial branch is him in exercise of his special powers. Khawaja Nazimuddin’s government, also not far behind. Its contribution in Nazimuddin knocked the door of the he also dismissed the constituent stifling democracy and encouraging Supreme Court but the Chief Justice, assembly on the ground that it did not the exercise of arbitrary powers by Mohammad Munir, instead of ruling represent the people of Pakistan. rulers is second to none. on the legality of the dismissal, forced An appeal against his order The sordid history started very new elections. was filed in the early - within 10 years of the country’s Later, the same year, when the by the President of the Constituent independence, when, in 1954, constituent assembly made some Assembly, Maulvi Tamizzuddin Khan.

16 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 The Sind High Court ruled in favour imposed martial law and took over the been found guilty of contempt for of the petitioner. But in the appeal reins of government. He also ruled for refusing to comply with a Supreme against the ruling, which was heard almost a decade until he died in an air Court order to reopen dormant fraud in the Chief Court of Pakistan (later crash. Finally, in 1999, Gen. Pervez investigations against President Asif designated as the Supreme Court), Musharraf, the army chief, toppled Ali Zardari. Justice Muhammad Munir set aside the elected prime minister Nawaz After being found guilty and the verdict of the Sindh High Court Sharif and took over power as chief convicted, Gilani served a token jail and ruled in favour of the Governor executive. term in the courtroom which lasted General. The Supreme Court of Pakistan barely 30 seconds. But a conviction In passing the judgment, the Court justified all military coups, under the is a conviction. The duration of relied on the doctrine of necessity. same law of necessity. Petitions filed detention is immaterial. Therefore This doctrine is based on the writings to challenge the coups were set aside the Chief Justice clarified that being a of the jurist Henry de Bracton (1210- and dictatorship legitimized. convict, Gilani had been disqualified 68) and William Blackstone (1773-68) However, it is not in regard to the as a member of parliament. Some commentators were outraged that the head of government should be deposed by anything other than After being found guilty and convicted, parliament. They likened the order to Gilani served a token jail term in the a "judicial dictatorship." The superior judiciary has been courtroom which lasted barely 30 active in other fields as well. For example, it has arbitrarily banned Altaf seconds. But a conviction is a conviction. Hussain’s appearance and relaying of his statements in the media, both electronic and print. No valid reason was advanced. No charges were an English Jurist. Both jurists lay down judiciary’s support to dictators only, brought against Altaf Hussain or an that an act to restore order could come that its decisions have been critiqued. opportunity given to him to defend under the purview of the ‘Doctrine of They have drawn widespread flak on his position. Yet, he was deprived of Necessity, while another jurist, Sir Ivor other issues as well; most prominent the right of free speech which is a Jennings stated that the well-being of among them was the trial of Pakistan’s fundamental of democracy. the people was the supreme law. erstwhile prime minister, Z. A. Bhutto These inroads into other fields have That was the first blow to the and the death sentence awarded to been termed by jurists as “judicial sapling of democracy in Pakistan, him. activism.” struck by the very people who were Many analysts find the whole trial In the latest instance, the Supreme supposed to be the watchdogs of reeking with bias. Some have called Court has not only disqualified the constitution. In their lordships’ it “judicial murder.” Bhutto was from Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister, but judgment, Ghulam Mohammad’s Sindh. His alleged victim, Ahmad also deprived him of the membership dismissal of the prime minister and Raza Khan Kasuri was from Punjab. of the Shura under Article 62 of the the constituent assembly were acts So the trial became almost a vendetta Constitution, which requires that a that ensured the “well-being of the of a Punjabi against a non-Punjabi. person must be “sagacious, righteous, people,” in order for them to apply the This ethnic divide was manifest non-profligate, honest and ameen,” doctrine. However, no “restoration of throughout the trial. In the first to qualify for the office. Cited against order” was involved in these cases. instance, when Bhutto began his him were the dubious deals relating Since then this doctrine came to testimony on 25 January 1978, Chief to fabulous properties owned outside be applied every time an adventurer Justice of the Lahore High Court, the country, as exposed in the Panama seized power. In 1956, for instance, Maulvi Mushtaq closed the courtroom Papers. a fracas broke out between political to all observers. Thereupon, Bhutto The verdict is a landmark as it has factions in the East Pakistan assembly refused to argue further. He also exposed Nawaz Sharif’s dishonest that resulted in the deputy speaker demanded a retrial, accusing the Chief practices. It is popular because, for Shahed Ali Patwary being injured. Justice of bias, after Mushtaq allegedly the first time, a head of government Patwary later died. But his death was insulted Bhutto's home province. But in Pakistan has been proven guilty a coincidence and not a premeditated the court refused his plea. of amassing wealth by questionable murder. In any case, the law of the In the final judgment by the means. land was competent to take care of the Supreme Court awarding him the Yet, the rigid application of Article situation. And yet, the confrontation death sentence, the judges were 62 has raised question among jurists, was used as a pretext by President sharply divided on ethnic lines. The because no proof is demanded from Iskander Mirza to declare martial law four Punjabi judges including Chief any candidate about his or her being on 7 October 1958. Justice, Anwarul Huq, convicted “sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, Gen. Ayub Khan pushed Iskander Bhutto, while the three non-Punjabi honest and ameen,” before swearing Mirza out and ruled for 10 years. After judges - Dorab Patel, Abdul Haleem them in as members of the Shura. the fall of Dhaka there was a brief and Ghulam Safdar Shah, in their Nonetheless, the judiciary has interregnum from 1973 to June 1977, dissenting judgments, acquitted him. demonstrated its power. during which an elected government In recent times, Supreme Court was in power, under Zulfikar Ali Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry The writer is a senior political Bhutto as prime minister. On 5 July disqualified Prime Minister, Yousuf analyst and former editor of 1977, Gen. Ziaul Huq deposed Bhutto, Raza Gilani, from office when he had Southasia.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 17 COVER STORY

The sacking or exit of prime ministers in Pakistan suggests that actual power lies somewhere else in a seemingly democratic set-up.

By Faizan Usmani

The 111-Brigade soldiers enter the PTV HQ in Islamabad on October 12, 1999.

hown the door for the third time, in legal interpretations too, nothing can be Nawaz Sharif has failed again to more dangerous than the rule of law itself. Scomplete his 5-year term in office. The recent sacking of the prime minister Though on the first two occasions, he can be taken as a coincidence, but such was ousted through indirect and direct an eventuality takes place regularly in the involvement of the military, the end of national political scenario and it affects his third term has been sealed by a five- only those who are chosen through an member bench of the Supreme Court that electoral process. Much to one’s chagrin, had earlier issued a split 3-2 judgement the predestined disqualification or the and had ordered formation of a Joint scheduled ousting of the PM is not a matter Investigative Committee (JIT) to further of fate, but the trend suggests a bitter but probe the case and submit the report inevitable phenomenon, indicating the within a period of three months. presence of a rather supreme authority Apparently, the former PM was called ‘the establishment’ that clandestinely disqualified by the judiciary over operates in the grey area beyond legal and concealment of assets and being illegal boundaries and it keeps orchestrating untruthful, but his removal has again political order to serve its objectives unknown raised the perennial question as to why an to anyone but a few. elected prime minister in Pakistan fails to Since being deposed, Nawaz Sharif has complete his term. This time, are there any been asking the question, “Mujhe Kiyun invisible hands behind the judicial ousting Nikala?” (Why was I ousted?), but he is not of Nawaz Sharif, who had apparently that innocent or clueless as he appears to be. performed considerably better than on Instead, he should have raised the question, previous occasions. “Mujhe Kisne Nikala?” (Who ousted me?) to The believers of conspiracy theories identify the elements that work behind the argue that removal of an elected prime scenes. minister in Pakistan is bound to happen The word ‘establishment’ is one of no matter how well he is able to perform the most popular terms used in Pakistan. for the long-term welfare of the country. However, what constitutes the establishment However, this time he was not dethroned is not a straightforward matter and is open in a military coup d'état, but it were his to various interpretations. As per general own faults that paved the way for his early perception, the establishment consists of departure. the civil and military bureaucracy, but If this justification stands true, one those in the know define it as an oligarchy wonders how a non-elected military comprising civil bureaucrats, serving and dictator is able to prolong his stay in power retired generals, former diplomats and and why the judiciary does not move ambassadors, politicians in office and some against the unconstitutional government in the opposition, as well as a few of the set-up that gets legal endorsement coupled highly influential businessmen. with a further extension merely on the However, Javed Hashmi, a senior basis of the doctrine of necessity. If the politician, says America is also the part of the necessity remains the mother of inventions Pakistani establishment and has a decisive Legacy of Failure of Legacy

18 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 mandate to push through its objectives and programmes, enjoying an almost veto power when it comes to appoint key government representatives and officials. If his observation stands true, one cannot rule out China as well. Though Pakistan’s closest ally says it does not believe in interfering in others’ internal policies and matters, growing Chinese influence on Pakistan’s economics is a tipping point that heralds the addition of a new member in the elite establishment club. Whatever defines the establishment, it tends to be quite a euphemistic term referring those who know how to play Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meets COAS Gen. Pervez Musharraf with the fate of the nation in the name of somewhere in the Northern Areas. political engineering. Despite bringing in added chaos in an already anarchic state structure, the perpetually-blessed breed is not accountable to the people of the country. They are always able to establish their writ in the state through adventurous and violent means, but their modus operandi can never be challenged in the civil courts and those who try to hold them responsible for their actions bite the dust in the end. From derailing a democratic setup to destabilising national politics for vested interests, the establishment is always able to thrive and, if taken collectively, they operate being a state within the Gen. Pervez Musharraf addresses the nation on Oct 13, 1999 as Chief Executive. state with all the powers to rule over the majority for keeps. Pakistan’s national history is tainted are on the same page regarding politician Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed by a number of military coups that keep development and prosperity of the shared the biggest lesson he has learned surfacing at regular intervals. Since country.” after devoting a major chunk of his life 1947, the country has spent a period of He is perhaps wrong because to politics. He said, one cannot deny the three decades under military rule from the government and the evergreen strong role of the military establishment 1958 onwards, excluding some failed establishment can never be on the same in national politics and obeying its terms. coup attempts as well. However, other page. They carry a different book in This tends to be an inevitable reality that than enjoying exclusive governance their hands. If the elected government today’s politicians and legislators need. authority for almost half of the country’s has to consult National Constitution, the Being a highly-specialised military history, the army is perceived to be other side has its own ‘Book of Rules’ in to becoming an all-purpose institution the most active agent in making things which the doctrine of necessity, as well involved in different civilian jobs, happen on the political and electoral as the urge to flaunt its muscle power the army alone cannot be blamed fronts. With regard to the role of every now and then prevails over the for the shortcomings of the elected the army in toppling elected prime constitutional obligations and ethical representatives, who, time and again, ministers, this institution overshadows considerations. have been miserably failed to perform the civil authority. It can call its 111th The government is elected through in spite of a heavy public mandate or Infantry Brigade to action whenever it an electoral process, but for a period of despite having substantial experience in feels there would be a greater public 5 years if it is lucky enough to complete office. interest in coming back into the saddle its term and has so far not happened. Like it or not, the 111 phenomenon and taking charge of the government. In contrast, those invisible hands that seems to be more prevalent and decisive As per the Constitution, the army openly play their cards as the movers than over 180 registered political parties operates under the civilian government and shakers of the country are there to representing more than 200 million and must always seek policy guidance stay for good and their ability to enforce people of the country. This is the answer from the government about national and implement their decisions is as true to Nawaz Sharif’s question ‘Mujhe Kyun security matters. As things do not always as the world is round. Nikala?’ and it will continue to happen happen by the book, the army reigns During his first term as PM, Nawaz till the day that the man who enters supreme and its ability to overthrow a Sharif was reportedly slapped by a the prime minister’s office after being democratically elected government is military officer to place his resignation elected for five years will not do justice well-proven. on the table. The sacking of an elected to his job and all the people of Pakistan "The elected government is the public representative in such a way instead of just benefiting his own clan actual establishment," says Prime shows this is where the actual power lies or, at the most, his province. Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He in a seemingly democratic process. says there is no confrontation among In his interview to a leading Urdu The writer is a member of the state institutions and “all the institutions daily some years before, veteran staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 19 REGION INDIA

Birth of a New Axis When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel, a new atmosphere of cooperation emerged between the two countries, leading to the creation of a new axis that, with the backing of the U.S., will create a new dimension in world politics.

By S.G. Jilanee

or three days this year, from the respect historic, as Modi became the “marks a path breaking journey of 4th to the 6th of July, India’s prime first Indian prime minister to visit Israel engagement.” And he proved it with Fminister, Narendra Modi visited in the 70 years since his country became India’s drastic policy shift with regard to Israel. Except that it lacked the pomp independent. the Palestine Authority. With one stroke, of a state visit, the event was in every Modi himself claimed that his visit Modi upended the policy followed

20 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 by India for 70 years, by avoiding a for a market for its arms. And India is in other areas where India can benefit customary visit to Ramallah, seat of the now its biggest buyer. New Delhi, the from Israeli expertise and technological Palestine Authority. world’s second-largest developing- advancement but this advancement There was an overflow of welcoming world arms buyer, is currently sourcing isn’t possible in a situation of restrained sentiments. Netanyahu received Modi $1 billion worth of weapons systems recognition. at the Ben Gurion Airport, warmly from Israel on an average, which is a That is principally why India is eager embraced him and said in Hindi: “Aapka major leap from the 1990s. to engage in a very public courtship of swagat hai mere dost.” Later, he took his Israel became India’s third- Israel, even to Israel’s pleasant surprise, guest around on a sightseeing tour. highest arms supplier at the turn of which sees in Modi’s visit a tacit approval Modi acknowledged the welcome the millennium and by 2016-2017, of its hardened approach towards the he received from the Israeli president, according to one report, it rose to Palestinian conflict. Reuven Rivlin, saying in a tweet; “The the top spot, outstripping the US and However, though both nations President of Israel welcomed me so Russia. Business Standard reported in are laying a lot of emphasis in areas warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark April that Israel Aerospace Industries of mutual interest such as water of respect for the people of India.” (IAI) has bagged contracts from India conservation, there are challenges and Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi’s worth “almost $2 billion (Rs 13,000 politically tricky factors for Modi to visit ground-breaking and said that crore)” for missile defence systems that consider. he sees ‘history in making’ in their includes medium range surface-to-air For instance, experts such as Ashok talks. India and Israel signed seven missiles (MR-SAM) and long range (LR- Gulati and Gayathri Mohan from Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, writing in the Indian Express, have noted that India’s rapid descent towards water scarcity With one stroke, Modi upended the can be arrested by coordinating with Israel who has a meagre per capita policy followed by India for 70 years, by availability of less than 200 cum yet “exports high-value agri-produce to avoiding a customary visit to Ramallah, Europe and many other parts of the world” and is known for “innovations seat of the Palestine Authority. in water management, drip irrigation, recycling of urban wastewater for use in agriculture or desalinization of seawater for drinking.” agreements in key areas like space, water SAM) anti-ship missile defence systems As the authors note, India has about management, energy and agriculture. (better known as Barak 8). Israel is ready nine million hectares under micro- A memorandum of understanding was to give armed drones which New Delhi irrigation but this number needs to go up signed to set up a $40 million worth really wanted and Washington did not substantially. Though it seems a dream India-Israel Industrial Research and give. fit, but Indian realities are different. Lack Development (R&D) and Technical Modi’s visit, therefore, is also an of political will in initiating land reforms Innovation Fund. acknowledgement of the fact that Israel or putting a price tag to a precious, Two agreements were signed in the has been more willing to transfer latest diminishing commodity such as potable sector to increase cooperation on water technological development in the world water, has made things difficult. conservation and state water utility reform of weapons systems to India than either As Institute of Peace and Conflict in India. Both countries also agreed for Russia or the US. The Economic Times Studies Senior Fellow Abhijit Iyer-Mitra India-Israel Development Cooperation, had reported in April this year that India writes in Business Standard, India a three year work programme in the is slated to get its first armed drones — lacks the resources to meet energy- agriculture sector. They also launched a the Heron TP — that may aid in cross- guzzling desalination plants or a proper five-year technology fund. border strikes. Tel Aviv is even ready to technique to deal with their high-salt Modi addressed the Indian shift production lines to India to match discharge. Indian irrigable land holdings community in Israel at the Tel Aviv Modi’s Make in India initiative. are fragmented and may not be suitable Convention Centre. During the meeting However, it appears that both for Israeli drip irrigation systems. Even he promised direct flights connecting countries are trying to frame their if these problems met with a solution, the two countries. He also announced burgeoning relationship away from India hardly has the structural capability that an Indian Cultural Centre would defence into non-security areas such to tackle the increase in crop produce. be set up in Israel and invited Israeli as water conservation, irrigation Modi’s Israel visit was, no doubt, a companies to come and participate techniques, higher education, science landmark event, not only with regard to in the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the and technology, transfer of expertise the benefits accruing to India from the government. in areas of IT, machinery and transport several agreements, but also from the The two leaders made a joint equipment, among others. The attempt new strategic partnership between India statement on varied fields like terrorism, to publicly share the breadth and depth and Israel. technology and defence. On the of Indo-Israeli ties is noticeable from Because, it is America's staunchest developments pertaining to the Israeli- both ends. ally and one who has huge bipartisan Palestinian Peace Process, the leaders It wasn’t until BJP’s comprehensive influence in Capitol Hill, a close synergy reaffirmed their support for an early mandate in 2014, though, that a with Israel, completes the picture of a negotiated solution based on mutual government at the centre found political US-Israel-India axis alignment. recognition and security arrangements. confidence in taking the ties out of the At the back of the new found closet. The NDA government obviously The writer is a senior political analyst camaraderie, however, is Israel’s need feels that the time is ripe to strengthen ties and former editor of Southasia.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 21 REGION PAKISTAN

New Wine in New Bottles See it ever which way you can but it seems the US administration under Donald Trump is hell-bent on converting military aid into loans and, in the process, losing some of its traditional allies.

By S. M. Hali

n order to prop their country’s ailing reported the proposal, said the foreign The Pentagon's specific defence economy, the Trump administration's military grants could affect Pakistan, request is for $574.5bn, an increase of Ibudget proposal aims at converting Tunisia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Colombia, 4.6pc compared to fiscal year 2017. some of the United States' foreign the Philippines and Vietnam. There The $11.5bn decrease includes a re- military grants to loans, affecting appears to be a method in the madness shaping of the way some countries several countries, including Pakistan. since the cuts to programs under the receive military aid from the United The exercise is part of a larger effort State Department are in part meant States. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to slash spending on diplomacy, aid to fund an increase in the US’s own gives countries loans or grants to buy and programmes abroad by more than military spending. White House budget US military equipment. 29 percent. The United States would documents showed total defence As per norms, the US State spend 29.1 percent less on the State spending for the 2018 fiscal year at $603 Department decides which countries Department and other international billion, about 3 per cent higher than are given the financing while the programs in the 2018 fiscal year President Barack Obama's proposed Pentagon executes the decisions. Under compared to 2017, a decrease of $11.5 2018 fiscal year defence budget. The the Trump proposal, many current billion. That decrease includes a re- $603bn includes funding for nuclear grants would instead be converted to shaping of the way some countries weapons programs at the Department loans. The rationale being provided receive military aid from the United of Energy and other national defence is that a smaller number worth of States. programs as well as the Department of loan guarantees enable the affected The Wall Street Journal, which first Defence. countries to actually purchase more

22 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 defence equipment. allied non-NATO ally of the US and to stop the attacks by Taliban was The exception to the proposed started receiving military aid as well incompetent and corrupt; the assaults reduction is that military aid to Israel as the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). If continue to-date. Both the US and and Egypt, two close US allies in the the NATO forces failed to achieve their Afghan governments blame Pakistan Middle East and the biggest recipients objectives, they have only themselves for providing safe havens to the Taliban of US military assistance, will remain to blame. leadership, which is not true. Using this unchanged. In 2003, US and NATO interest in pretext, the US has been threatening a US military assistance to partners Afghanistan dwindled because Iraq cut in funding to Pakistan. Now it has and allies reached $13.5bn in 2015, or became the new theatre of war, which the perfect excuse to reduce Pakistan’s 28pc of all US foreign aid spending that provided a much needed respite to military aid in the garb of turning them year, according to the Congressional the Taliban to re-equip and launch into loans. Research Service. Most grants through attacks on the NATO forces. This time One essential impact that is coming the FMF programme go to Israel, Egypt, no external forces were supporting the to the fore due to the switch from Jordan, Pakistan and Iraq. Taliban. grants to loans for military aid is that It is not a done deal yet since the Come 2007, the US realized that it countries will not be able to afford US US Congress ultimately controls the was losing the war in Afghanistan so it military equipment, forcing them to government purse strings and may started looking for excuses. Pakistan was go elsewhere for supplies. The direct reject some or many of the Trump made the fall guy and made to bear the beneficiaries will be China and Russia. administration's proposals. Republicans brunt of the reasons for US failures in Countries that the US is sidelining will and Democrats in Congress have Afghanistan. Threats of reducing military have other options to resort to for their criticized the size of the cuts to the aid and suspension of the CSF started military needs. The US is thus depriving State Department and US Agency for reverberating in the US Congress and itself of the option to build capacity International Development. Senate. That is the time drone attacks with its partners through the grants and Let us look at the effect of the on targets within Pakistan commenced. have interoperability with its allies. reduction on Pakistan, which has been Various studies show that very few Pakistan is not the only country in the crosshairs of US lawmakers for actual terrorists were eliminated in the that will be affected; the conversion over a decade. Ever since the war on drone attacks but owing to collateral from grants to loans will be a challenge terror in Afghanistan started going damage, the survivors of the drone especially for smaller military aid awry, the US State Department as well attacks were wooed by the Taliban to recipient countries like Macedonia and as the Pentagon started making Pakistan join the terror groups. Tunisia. a scapegoat for their own failures. Relations between Pakistan and the Unlike parliamentary democracies Despite massive aerial strikes, excessive US came to their lowest ebb in 2011. such as India and the UK, where the ground operations and the deployment Raymond Davis, a US security agency finance minister delivers the budget of over 130,000 military personnel Blackwater operative killed three speech on the floor of the parliament, in the Afghan theatre of war, US-led Pakistanis in broad daylight in Lahore in the US the White House sends international forces in Afghanistan failed and was arrested. The US demanded copies of the president's budget to create even a dent in the Taliban his return, falsely claiming diplomatic proposals. The decision is not final war-making capacity. The US should immunity for the undercover secret yet and the Trump administration has have learnt lessons from the botched agent. The standoff lasted for nearly two left it for the State Department to take invasion of Afghanistan by USSR in the months. On May 1, 2011, US Navy SEALs a final call. This is one of the options that the administration had explored in its internal deliberations, but the request itself does not make that If the NATO forces failed to determination. The White House has clarified, indicating that it might revert achieve their objectives, they have to the original financial grant to Pakistan to sell military hardware. Whether only themselves to blame. the funding is through grants or as a subsidy for a guaranteed loan, the State Department can choose any option to 1990s. Guerrilla tactics of the Afghan eliminated Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin ensure American foreign assistance Mujahedeen aided and abetted by the Laden from a house in Abbottabad, best supports its national interests, the CIA brought the mighty Soviet forces apparently without informing Pakistan, White House said. to their knees and they had to retreat souring relations further. The straw that US military may need the additional in ignominy. In the aftermath of the broke the camel’s back was an attack funding that may be available because Afghan debacle, the USSR crumbled on a Pakistani military check-post at of the budgetary cuts to foreign aid. into pieces as it failed to sustain the Salala near the Pak-Afghan border Trigger happy Donald Trump is hell economic crunch that resulted because on November 25, 2011 in which 25 bent on attacking North Korea. China of the overextended Soviet military Pakistani military personnel lost their has signaled that it may remain neutral. operations in Afghanistan. lives. Pakistan stopped the Ground Lines The US may well be drawn into another At that time, the US and a number of of Communication across its territory quagmire like Vietnam in the 70s of allies including Pakistan were supporting and logistic supply to NATO forces in the last century and Afghanistan since the Afghan guerrilla fighters. Afghanistan suffered terribly. 2001. The invasion of Afghanistan, which Relations were restored in 2012 came about as a repercussion to the but the deep fissures continued. In The writer is a practising journalist. 9/11 terror attacks, had the forces of 2015, the bulk of NATO and US forces He contributes to the print media, NATO countries led by USA calling in Afghanistan were drawn down. The conducts a TV show and produces the shots. Pakistan became the most Afghan National Army that was created documentaries.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 23 REGION PAKISTAN All In The Family Pakistan has the choice of coming out of the ruling family syndrome and moving towards a truly democratic setup or continuing to stay in the ‘family’ groove and keep suffering.

By Dr. Moonis Ahmar

ike many Third World countries, has happened in Pakistan where two directed the National Accountability Pakistan is also a victim of the families have ruled this country over the Bureau (NAB) to send references on L‘family fiefdom culture’ where last three decades with the exception the charges of corruption and nepotism the reins of power are controlled by of President Musharraf who remained against Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hasan those who belong to the same family. in power from October 12, 1999 till and Hussain Nawaz, daughter Maryam If a country is under monarchy, family August 18, 2008. Safdar, son-in-law Captain (R) Safdar rule is not a matter of surprise but if In its historic and landmark judgment and Federal Finance Minister . in a democratic setup a family tries on July 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Since all of them belong to the Sharif to monopolize power by all means, Pakistan in the light of a report of a Joint family, it is for the first time in the history then one can expect serious negative Investigation Team (JIT) disqualified the of Pakistan that the highest court of the implications. This is exactly what sitting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and country has taken such an action against

24 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 several members of the ruling family. and appointed Ishaq Dar, another close able to get support from people as the Will Pakistan break the tradition of relative as the Finance Minister. But, it voters have no other option. However, being ruled by a “family fiefdom”? Are was in the third term of Nawaz Sharif as there are three political parties that do there indicators to prove that democracy Prime Minister that his family members not have a family or dynastic basis i.e. in Pakistan will be strengthened when monopolized various power positions Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat- people vote on the basis of merit like his brother again took over as i-Islami (JI) and Mutehada Qaumi instead of being carried away by those Punjab’s Chief Minister and his samdhi Movement (MQM). The leadership of who belong to powerful families or (son’s father-in-law) as Federal Finance these three political parties is above clans? How Pakistan, and for that Minister. Abid Sher Ali is also related family connections. matter, other South Asian countries like to the Nawaz family and he became Shahbaz Sharif will remain as the Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka can the minister of state for Power. Hamza Chief Minister of Punjab, therefore one get rid of “family fiefdoms” and move Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab’s son thing is certain: power would remain in to a democratic culture which puts is a member of the national assembly the fold of the Sharif family till the holding emphasis on electing candidates on and so is Capt.(R) Safdar, Nawaz Sharif’s of next general elections in 2018. The the basis of their calibre and integrity son-in-law. Sharif’s daughter Maryam substitute prime minister Khaqqan Abbasi instead of their affiliation with various Safdar, though not a member of the says he is only a stand-in and Nawaz families? These are the questions which parliament, holds a powerful position Sharif is the real prime minister. When are raised while examining the culture as in-charge of the media cell in the Maryam Nawaz says that they belong to of family patronage, power and fiefdom prime minister’s office. She was staying the ruling family, it means, the addiction in Pakistan in the light of Sharif’s with her father when he was prime of power has permeated deep inside the disqualification and impending cases minister. Furthermore, unlike Nawaz Sharif family and Nawaz Sharif’s ouster against various members of the Sharif Sharif’s second term, in his third term from power by the Supreme Court or family. the influence of his family deepened his party’s predictable loss of power in There are two opinions about the because of the inclusion of several of 2018 elections would not be acceptable phenomenon of family rule in any them in his cabinet or holding other to them. Unfortunately, the Sharif family country. First, family rule is a negation positions of power. does not seem to have read history of democracy because of “conflict of Pakistan is still a feudal and tribal because it possesses a very naïve idea interest” and the culture of favouritism, society where patronage, favouritism, about how history matters in terms of the nepotism and corruption which is nepotism and corruption help various rise and fall of people from power and created by those who belong to the families maintain their hold over grace. Ironically, despite being thrown same family and monopolize power. power. And it is not only the case of out of power three times (1993, 1999 and Critics arguing against family rule hold the Sharif family which can be blamed 2017), the Sharif family has not learned the view that family rule experienced by of monopolizing power and restricting lessons from history and still expresses Pakistan since 1988 deepened the level it to Central Punjab. It is also true in its confidence or rather over-confidence of corruption and nepotism. Second, case of several hundred families who that no one can detach them from power. family rule can be beneficial for a are controlling the reins of power With such a mindset, there can only be country if ethics and professionalism through inter-marriages and other social pity for them because history is replete are not compromised. For instance, the bonds. Such families have bureaucratic, with examples about how powerful United Arab Emirates is ruled by a family military, feudal, tribal, business, political ruling families and dynasties were wiped and is not a democratic country but the and even clergy links, regardless of their out and even their trace cannot be found level of development and modernization ethnic and sectarian identities. All the today. there is far better than countries under four provinces of Pakistan, including The wishful thinking that even after democratic rule because the ruling Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, are the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, family has a clear vision of development connected through such families whose it will be all in the family, is a serious and is not involved in corruption number has swelled to several hundred. error on the part of those who subscribe or corrupt practices. Furthermore, The only link which threatens their hold to such a notion. The expression of Singapore, which transformed from a and monopoly over power is when there seeking popularity or sympathy by Third to a First World country under the is inter and intra-elite conflicts as is addressing public rallies and meetings as leadership of Prime Minister Lee Kuan happening these days because of serious Nawaz Sharif’s trip first from Islamabad Yu, also experienced family rule because schisms which exist between PML(N), to Rawalpindi and then from there to when Kuan Yu stepped down in 2004, PTI and PPP. The three major political Lahore, showed, was a foolish journey. his son, Lee Hsien Loong took over. parties are rivals but their leaders are It was undertaken by a person who had The culture prevailing in most of the connected with each other through been disqualified by the highest court Third World or developing countries blood or family ties. For instance, the of the country and created a wrong is such that nepotism and corruption Governor of Sindh, Mohammad Zubair precedence. It reflected poor judgment get an impetus when family rule is has affiliations with the PML (N) and was on the part of those who still live in the established and that too through so- close to Nawaz Sharif when he was in past and are unable to reconcile with called democratic elections. When power whereas his brother Asad Umer, the truth. If this continues, the country Benazir Bbutto became Prime Minister is a member of the National Assembly will plunge into a serious political crisis for the first time in December 1988, she and a key PTI leader. which may be exploited by those who, appointed her mother as There is no quick fix solution to since the inception of this country till senior minister and her spouse Asif Ali eradicate family rule in Pakistan because the present, have taken advantage of the Zardari was holding a cabinet post in of two main reasons. First, the majority of ineptness and imprudence of those in her second tenure. Zardari was accused the people of Pakistan lack the courage power under the so-called democratic of massive corruption and nepotism to challenge exploitation, corruption setup. while Benazir was in power. When and nepotism because of a low level Nawaz Sharif became prime minister of literacy, meagre proper political The writer is a Meritorious Professor of in his second term, his brother Shahbaz awareness and the culture of patronage. International Relations at the University Sharif became Chief Minister of Punjab Second, ruling families in Pakistan are of Karachi.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 25 REGION BANGLADESH Limping Judiciary

The in Bangladesh is fighting hard to have a significant judicial decision reversed. Prime Minister Hasina Wajed is in quest of absolute power and, in that pursuit, she would take anyone to the cleaners who dares to undermine her power.

By Zehra Khawaja

ormer U.S. Supreme Court Justice was damaged and destroyed by Prime 16th amendment of the constitution as Sandra Day O’Connor recently Minister Sheikh Hasina and the apex null and void, the Bangladesh Supreme Fsaid, “Judicial independence does court proved that judicial independence Court has clipped the parliament's not happen all by itself. It is hard to does not happen all by itself; it is power to fire top judges, in a bold create, and it is easier than most people hard to create --- an exemplary effort ruling strengthening the independence to imagine to damage or destroy.” by the judiciary to win back its lost of the country's judiciary. Can you beat The judiciary of Bangladesh is a fresh independence. it! The apex court restored a military example where judicial independence In a historic move declaring the rule-era provision which allows only

26 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 a Supreme Judicial Council, headed to the president the government and the a review petition against the verdict. by the chief justice, to terminate party's stance on the verdict." In short “But, AL leaders are putting pressure judges found violating the judicial the ruling party is fighting tooth and and making unguarded remarks against code of conduct. The military rulers of nail to reverse the significant decision. the chief justice to change the verdict Bangladesh therefore also deserve some It seems that in quest of absolute by force," he said. The foundation of commendation for granting absolute power, Prime Minister Hasina is ready any democracy, whether Western or independence to the judiciary despite to even punish the man who dared to Asian, is of course the rule of law and being the usurpers of democracy. The undermine her power. that means an independent judiciary decision has been highly hailed by Commenting on the post-decision is an absolute must which provides an the lawyers ‘as a crucial safeguard for activities of the members of the ruling environment where judges can make the freedom of the Muslim-majority party, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar decisions independent of the political nation's secular judiciary.’ The leading Sinha warned that the consequence winds that are blowing. But the rulers Bangladesh daily, The Daily Star in would be very serious if the law in pursuit of attaining absolute power its editorial writes, “We welcome the ministry officials try to dominate the never want an independent judiciary Supreme Court's verdict that finally Supreme Court. “A little learning is a for they know that only a free court can reinstates the fundamental scheme dangerous thing,” the chief justice said stop them from political maneuvering of our Constitution that separates out of frustration. “Those in the law for personal gains. powers between various organs of the ministry rank from assistant judges to As explained by Schlafly Phyllis an American constitutional lawyer and con- servative activist, Judicial Supremacy is the liberal, elitist view that courts are In a historic move declaring the 16th "supreme" over the other two branches of government and the Constitution amendment of the constitution as null and that courts have the authority to tell the president and Parliament what and void, the Bangladesh Supreme Court they may or may not do. However, the has clipped the parliament’s power to fire powers given to the judiciary differ from country to country. For instance, top judges. America has a system of judicial review and judicial supremacy, meaning federal courts may strike down laws they believe are unconstitutional, and state. It will, therefore, be prudent for senior district judge. If they feel that the executive and legislative branches the legislators to see the merit of this the Supreme Court will act under their must follow the courts’ judgments. verdict, instead of a setback, which decision, they will commit a serious Though the extent of the supremacy should help end any tussle between the mistake,” he remarked. He is known of judiciary has always been debated, judiciary and the executive. Certainly, for a number of high-profile judgments there are no two opinions about the the verdict upholds the dignity of the including those on the killing of former independence of judiciary. The best judiciary and the fundamental values of President and comment on justice probably came the Constitution.” the 5th and 13th amendments to the from Prime Minister Winston Churchill The verdict is being termed as a Constitution of Bangladesh. In a South during the Second World War. When major blow to Prime Minister Sheikh Asian country like Bangladesh, will he he was briefed on the casualties and Hasina who brought the constitutional be able to survive trying to pick a fight economic collapse, he asked, “Are the change allowing parliament -- with a prime minister who enjoys an courts functioning?” When told that controlled by her ruling Awami League absolute majority in the assembly and the judges were dispensing justice as party -- to remove top judges in is safely poised to win the forthcoming normal, Churchill replied, “Thank God. September 2014. With this decision, in general elections and that too with an If the courts are working, nothing can a way, the prime minister will have no overwhelming majority, successfully go wrong.” dominance over the judiciary, hence top cornering her arch rival Khaleda Zia Now there is a conflict between the judges will no more be ‘subservient’ to and very smoothly heading towards head of the judiciary and head of the the government as they would no more one-party rule. She is all set to go for a government in the land of Kazi Nazrul be under constant threat of removal review petition challenging the historic Islam whose activism for political and by the ruling junta. Law Minister verdict. social justice earned him the title of Anisul Huq, however, said his ministry On the other hand, terming it as ‘Rebel Poet.’ Whether the followers would not go for any step against Chief people’s victory, BNP has welcomed of the rebel poet can muster enough Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha over the the Supreme Court verdict and in an courage to stand against Hasina’s move annulment of the 16th amendment to instant reaction over the verdict, the to undermine the judiciary or not is the Constitution. “Rather, the verdict BNP senior joint secretary general not so easy to predict, keeping in view will be faced legally,” the minister Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, ‘The Supreme the ruling party’s hectic move to undo confirmed while addressing a public Court declared the 16th amendment the decision by hook or by crook. meeting. Food Minister Qamrul Islam illegal, we think the court’s decision is However, the political observers say even demanded removal of Chief a victory of people. The government’s the next general elections expected to Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha while plot to grab the judiciary has failed be held sometime in January 2019 in confirming that the government would through the apex court’s decision.’ Bangladesh may not be a cakewalk for file a review petition. Road Transport He also alleged that the ruling Awami Hasina even if she manages to reverse and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, League is trying to change the Supreme the decision in a review petition. also general secretary of the Awami Court's verdict on the 16th amendment League, told journalists, "We conveyed by force. There's a legal process to file The writer is a free-lance journalist.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 27 REGION AFGHANISTAN

Whither War? The war in Afghanistan has continued for years but there seems to be no end in sight. While the Afghan Taliban have made a resurgence, the U.S. Administration has developed a new Afghan policy to counter the development. This is a double-edged sword and the ordinary Afghan continues to suffer in the tussle.

By Muhammad Ali Ehsan

he big question that has been to terrorists. The attainment of this President Obama’s Administration asked by strategists for over goal has so far eluded the Americans went all out to execute a deep surge Ta decade and a half is: what and their many military and strategy in Afghanistan thus raising the would make a stable Afghanistan? political strategists tried their luck cost of the Afghan war by spending Post-9/11, the stability of the world unsuccessfully. The latest addition $100 billion a year on maintaining has been associated with the stability to that list would now be the Trump a troop surge of over 100,000. Two of Afghanistan – billions of dollars Administration which unfolded its of America’s best generals – General have been spent in a stalemated war new Afghan policy. It is different from Stanley McChrystal and General David being conducted there to convert it the one proffered by President Clinton, Petraeus executed the best possible into a stable and peaceful state that Bush or Obama because now Pakistan military doctrine in an irregular may eventually become inhospitable is out of the equation and India is in. warfare implementing COIN (counter

28 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 insurgency operations) and through it obliterating the Taliban leadership Americans as supporting a government focused on ‘winning hearts and minds’ through drone strikes, the Taliban that was corrupt and not people- in a political and military strategy that preferred to wait out the Americans friendly. Afghanistan didn’t need just had the clear and unambiguous aim rather than concede to their offers of the military action, it needed huge of ‘clearing, holding and building’ dialogue that they considered non- Afghan governmental strides in social, Afghanistan. But the efforts proved serious. political and economic reform – that insufficient to turn the tide. Seen in At the height of the troops surge never came. hindsight, the United States employed and with the military presence that the Showcasing a well financed and counter-terrorism as its core strategy in Americans maintained in Afghanistan, well resourced ‘winning political and Afghanistan – executing air strikes and pushing out the terrorists should not military plan’ why did America fail conducting special operations raids have been their most sought after goal in Afghanistan? A large part of the which didn’t have a lasting impact. – ‘getting rid of the bad guys and the American excuse for this failure is put The counter-insurgency strategy was post-war peace will take care of itself’ on Pakistan’s shoulders. The US terms only introduced and implemented in was an American assumption that the Afghan insurgency as made in 2010. Even the US troops’ presence never materialized. Pakistan. In the ‘slow motion version’ in the Taliban stronghold districts like Utilizing the space and time to of the U.S. defeat that the world has Helmand and Kandahar was negligible build a corruption-free and legitimate witnessed, Pakistan also has had its and these districts were secured Afghan government could have been share of losses. Contrary to the fact with military presence only after the the other important goal. Ignoring the that the world looks at violence being beginning of the counter-insurgency making and creation of a political end exported from Pakistan to Afghanistan operations in 2010. state of Afghanistan was a mistake. – violence in its worst forms has One of the big mistakes made in Improving civil services, the Afghan continuously entered Pakistan from Afghanistan have been the American justice system, doing everything to the Afghan border. The movement and assumption that only military actions allow the rule of law to take root by organization that the world recognized will contribute to an overall strategic improving the political system and as that of the Taliban has over the win. Military actions as is historically making the executive accountable years evolved and now converted proven only create suitable conditions were very much achievable targets. from being a unilateral, independent and an environment for a political The former Afghan President Hamid monolithic actor to a ‘difficult to solution. Was initiating ‘political Karzai was considered by many as keep united’ and fragmented alliance activism’ more important than nothing more than a mayor of Kabul of many factions. Today very few conducting military operations in yet the Americans did little to change Taliban reside on the Pakistan side of Afghanistan? It seems that American this equation and do anything to the border since the military action political and military strategy in extend his authority. against them has pushed them to the Afghanistan has been marred by its Max Boot who is a senior fellow Afghan side. lack of ability to define a priority - was for National Security studies at the In any ground war, less than one Whither it good governance or was it defeating Council of Foreign Relations made a third of the troops can be sent to a the Taliban? Or was it both with the very sound observation when writing battle at any given time – others are result that in the end America ended up a piece for Foreign Affairs Magazine usually recovering from an already achieving neither. If it were assumed (Nov/Dec 2014) – ‘More Small Wars fought battle or preparing to move that good governance will follow the – counterinsurgency is here to stay.’ into a new one. The long logistic tail Taliban’s defeat than neither have the He stated that the ‘State Department and the supply line that the Americans Taliban’s been defeated nor has the and other government agencies had to maintain and sustain was a big governance in Afghanistan improved. could never provide enough skilled reason for the rising cost of the Afghan Today as the Trump Administration’s personnel in Afghanistan in such war both in blood and treasure. new policy in Afghanistan is eagerly areas as governance and economic To summarize, the American awaited, one thing seems certain – development to complement the military intervention in Afghanistan War? Afghanistan may slide back into a full military’s efforts; soldiers wound up amounts to fighting to sustain scale civil war if Washington stops filling many of the jobs.’ themselves rather than to achieve providing serious and sustainable In hindsight, when one looks their mission and the world may help. at the amount of money that the witness a similar military disaster if Since the time they have been Americans poured into Afghanistan, it the Trump administration does not ousted from the government the is not only the Americans who failed learn lessons from a hard fought Taliban have been fighting a violent but actually the Afghans themselves as Afghan war in which it hip-hopped, war with the aim of getting back if well. A lack of national reconciliation executing one strategy after another. not all than some share of power in and lack of effective government The new Afghan policy needs to have Afghanistan. Had the early American only added to the choices that many a well-defined political component intention been to seek a deal with the tribes in Afghanistan made to side that should extend across the legal Taliban rather than try to attack with with the non-governmental actors status to the Taliban as a political drones and bomb their leadership such as the Taliban rather than siding party thus providing them space for into defeat, the political and strategic with an unpopular, non-delivering political participation and Pakistan environment in the Afghan war today and dysfunctional government. If should be a key player. Otherwise, may have been entirely different. the Americans wanted to project there would never be an end to the Fighting a guerilla war, the Taliban themselves as the protectors of Afghan war in Afghanistan and the contest always had time on their side. society, the people of Afghanistan in stamina will continue between the Witnessing the lack of American never accepted that and when the opposing forces. willingness to withdraw their forces Afghan government like the one of from Afghanistan and the continuity President Karzai was as corrupt as The author is a PhD in International of the American military goal of it was, the Afghans only looked at Relations.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 29 REGION SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan government officials standing with USAID representatives. Back to Square One If the US cuts development assistance to Sri Lanka, the insurgency situation in the Tamil inhabited areas could return to from where it all started in the early eighties.

By Dr. Raza Khan

he recently proposed plans by the around 30 percent, and to combine the and of late on good governance and United States of America to cut two institutions. USAID provided US$ economic development. All these areas Tdown aid to developing countries, 22 million in assistance to Sri Lanka in are critically important for the civil war- if implemented, would severely affect 2015, and has provided over US$ 600 affected the Indian Ocean nation. the foreign supported development million in assistance to the country The cut in assistance to developing initiatives in Sri Lanka and long term since 2001. This assistance has been a countries including Sri Lanka is part of political stability in the country. lifeline for the cash-strapped nation to US President Donald Trump’s policy The US State Department improve quality of social services and of “America first.” During his election documents published by the Foreign governance in the country. campaign President Trump repeatedly Policy publication showed that Sri It is very important to note that vowed to use all American financial Lanka would lose the entire US$ 38 the USAID assistance in Sri Lanka resources on the development of million in funding under the USAID has been focusing not only on social America and its inhabitants instead Economic Support Fund. This cut services delivery and governance of spending them on far off countries is a part of US President, Donald but also on more specific areas like and regions, bringing no benefits to Trump‘s plan to reduce the US State tsunami relief, rehabilitation and America. A critical aspect of the plan Department and USAID budgets by reconstruction, prevention of conflict is to merge the USAID with the US

30 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 State Department in an effort to cut slashing the budget of organizations millions of dollars, whatever process of spending. The merging would obviously like the Bureau for Food Security development that has moved forward not have any negative impact on the by 68 percent. This would reduce in the country could in all probability Washington-supported uplift initiatives development aid geared towards reverse. This would again increase the in developing countries particularly preventing food shortages in countries risk of conflict in the future. In other conflict-affected states like Sri Lanka. like Sri Lanka which is also facing the words, the genesis of the civil war in Sri The US aid cut is coming at a vicissitudes of rapid climatic changes. Lanka was in the discrimination, which time when the country is facing a The cut in US assistance would greatly the Sri Lankan state, since its birth in growing role of the military in civilian affect the efforts to control the situation 1948, had been perpetrating on the and governance matters. It may be and prevent the threats of tsunamis. In Tamil ethnic dwelled areas in economic mentioned that the military continues to encroach upon civilian space in Sri Lanka with the main concentration of the forces personnel and projects in the civil war-affected areas in the country’s north and east. Militarization of Sri Lankan society and state goes on unabated despite the end of the deadly Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009). Against this backdrop foreign aid and economic assistance to Sri Lanka is of extreme importance because unlike many other developing countries, Sri Lanka has been lacerated by the long civil war. The LTTE was a separatist group struggling for a new state for the minority Tamil population. However, the separatist insurgency waged by the LTTE was ultimately crushed by the Sri Lankan forces after more than 25 years of violence and atrocities by the state forces and terrorism by the militant An American relief package for Sri Lanka. group claiming hundreds of thousands of lives apart from colossal economic fact, Sri Lanka is one of the countries development and provision of their losses. which would be most severely affected political and social rights. It was large- Despite the end of the insurgency by the phenomenon of climate change. scale underdevelopment of the Tamil the sense of deprivation and Because of melting glaciers and the areas versus the Sinhalese dwelled areas estrangement is very much ingrained consequent rise in sea level, the island that resulted in a deep-rooted feeling of in the Tamil population of Sri Lanka. of Sri Lanka is most at risk. deprivation and disempowerment. The The Tamil community, which is largely Sri Lanka is unfortunate in the sense cut in US economic assistance and the concentrated in the country’s north and that it not only would be deprived consequent stalling of the development east, would be affected the most due to of the development assistance from process would increase the sense of the proposed US aid cut. Washington but even economic deprivation among the Tamil population In the post-civil war the Sri Lanka support fund. This is despite of the which would be sowing the seeds of the military was given or appropriated fact that Trump’s policy regarding the future ethnic and separatist conflicts. for itself a huge and definite role in Third World countries is to increase the In Sri Lanka the best way the the reconstruction and development economic support fund while curtailing government could improve the quality process. The development process in the development assistance. This strategy of governance and prevent conflicts Tamil dominated north and east, which might have helped Sri Lanka to improve from resurfacing is to build the capacity had been the theatre of the insurgency its economic growth and generate funds of local civilian administration and has not only been marshalled by the indigenously to support development to ensure increasing participation of military but also implemented by it. instead of relying on foreign assistance. local communities and individuals in The US aid to Sri Lanka has had some Nevertheless, a more sound and the governance and administration. In strings attached by asking the recipient rational strategy on part of Trump this way a sustainable governance and country to use it in the Tamil-inhabited could have been to provide economic administrative structure could be put in areas so that their ruptured lives could support and developmental assistance place. be assuaged and their rights could be simultaneously to states like Sri Lanka As the future of a peaceful and restored. After the aid and economic to attain desirable results. developing Sri Lanka depends on the support cut from the US, the military The analysis of the decades of equitable opportunities in all spheres in Sri Lanka would have a pretext to terrorism by the LTTE in Sri Lanka, for all the citizens of the state, the cut in either altogether stop the process of particularly in the Tamil inhabited US development and economic support development in the Tamil areas or regions, reveal that it was the outcome funding to Colombo would greatly spend the developmental funds in of lack of development of the undercut the capacity of the state to such a manner that Tamils get minimal people and their participation in the create equitable opportunities. benefits from it. governance and uplift process besides An important aspect of the proposed denial of their economic rights. Now, The writer is a political, economy and US administration plan to cut down with the curtailment of developmental security analyst holding a doctoral assistance to developing countries is aid and economic assistance worth degree in International Relations.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 31 REGION THE MALDIVES Rabbit Hole of Dictatorship The Maldives is again deteriorating into a dictatorship as winds of change blow across the islands, bringing with them an increase in the personal power of the rulers and getting rid of any democratic norms that may have taken root.

By S. Mubashir Noor

President Abdulla Yameen Former President Mohamed Nasheed

he ill wind of dictatorship again confidence motion, were summarily 2013 Freedom of Assembly Act passed sweeps through the Maldives. stripped of their seats. by current President Abdulla Yameen TAfter a brief, four-year tryst with The Maldives’ Supreme Court, restricts them to areas sanctioned by democracy between 2008 and 2012 notoriously partisan toward the status the home ministry. The ministry in that promised to restore power to the quo, ruled that the lawmakers fell foul turn declared all areas surrounding people, the country is again hurtling of a new “anti-defection” directive government buildings as no-go unless towards a state of affairs deeply after the four crossed the aisle to bring the police granted approval. reminiscent of the three decades of down Maseeh. Anticipating a large This crackdown on opposition tyranny that preceded it. In late July, protestor turnout following the court activities is the result of Yameen’s fears the police warned the opposition ruling, the Maldives Broadcasting the impeachment of his ally the speaker parties to stay clear of the capital city Commission immediately issued a will trigger a domino effect that could Male as any “unlawful gatherings” blanket ban on media coverage of eventually reach his doorstep. Indeed, would spur officers to disperse them the “unlawful gatherings,” threatening parliamentary business has ground by force. The warning came after four rebel media houses with hefty fines. to a halt since opposition lawmakers lawmakers, part of an opposition plan Though the constitution guarantees submitted the no-confidence motion to vote out the Speaker of Parliament citizens the right to assemble without against Maseeh with 45 signatures Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed via a no- seeking permission from the state, the in early July. Backed by some 10

32 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 PPM loyalists who changed camps, the fever of change first gripped the turned contentious and was rife with this motion made clear that some in Maldives, citizens hoped for the best electoral conspiracies. From the rubble Yameen’s administration did not dispute but were prepared for the worst. in 2013 rose new President Abdulla the systemic corruption charges leveled The island nation’s ragtag opposition Yameen, half-brother of Gayoom - a against the government and wanted forces then rallied around charismatic politician also inclined to oppression to rid parliament of the bad apples. ex-journalist and political prisoner as a tool of statecraft. Many opposition Specifically, opposition lawmakers Mohamed Nasheed and his fledgling figures were either thrown in jail on mobilized to impeach Maseeh after he Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). false charges or forced to flee abroad refused to summon officials charged Instead of petering out in fear of to retain their freedom. A procession with corruption. retribution, however, public presence of allies quickly received and then lost On July 24, the day parliament was at anti-Gayoom rallies snowballed and his favour in distinct Trumpian fashion. primed to vote on the no-confidence the world realized it was witnessing Nasheed himself faced languishing motion, the police needlessly tear- the Titanic-meets-iceberg moment of in prison for 13 years on contrived gassed and pepper sprayed opposition Asia’s oldest dictatorship. Gayoom by terrorism charges before concerted lawmakers under the pretext of 2008 had run out of political tricks and international pressure forced Yameen maintaining public order and ruefully called elections. to let him travel to the UK on medical consequently kiboshed the session. Nasheed and his MDP easily won grounds. Later, Eva Abdullah, a prominent the national vote after promising to Most alarmingly, a few years opposition leader, told Reuters “After usher in an era of governance by the into Yameen’s tenure, a rash of new Yameen (lost his) parliament majority, people, for the people, a country free laws targeting the opposition and he is trying to use both military and of corruption, nepotism and tyranny. press have surfaced. Among them, police to suppress the opposition.” These proved to be pie-in-the-sky anti-terror legislation has been used For ordinary Maldivians, the Yameen promises. A political system built on to silence critics or to simply make government’s heavy-handed approach kickbacks and cronyism over many them disappear from the public stage. to silencing opposition voices is decades was not simply going to Similarly, the draconian Defamation depressingly familiar. For three decades roll over and let the upstart Nasheed and Freedom of Speech Act severely prior to 2012, they lived through the repressive, soft authoritarianism of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who, This crackdown on opposition activities is the though a civilian, displayed alarming shades of dictatorship. result of Yameen’s fears the impeachment Former president Gayoom ruled the Maldives for 30 years using a toxic mix of Islamic nationalism, isolationism of his ally the speaker will trigger a domino and psychological repression. A money savvy despot, Gayoom turned effect that could eventually reach his doorstep. the Maldives’ pristine beaches into a world-class paradise for western tourists whose hard currency kept the country’s wreck its gravy train. And once the penalizes dissent with jail time and economy afloat and thus dissuaded the MDP leader began auditing shady weighty fines. Yameen’s eagerness to lowest strata of society from mounting deals in earnest, the very institutions consolidate power has not even spared mass protests. The social contradictions that were the cornerstone democracy relatives. only grew sharper though. Tourists were began hankering for a Gayoom-style Also in July, police booked Faris discouraged from mingling with the dictatorship and plotted Nasheed’s Maumoon, the president’s nephew, locals and whereas westerners could downfall. This included his deputy, on bogus bribery charges after he skinny-dip in the crystal clear waters then Vice President Mohamed Waheed repeatedly criticized his uncle for while enjoying piña coladas, alcohol Hassan. playing tyrant and jumped ship to join was strictly banned for Maldivians. Things came to a head in 2012 opposition parties in their campaign The PPM government banned all when a frustrated Nasheed had the against parliamentary speaker Maseeh. religions except Islam and adultery chief justice of Maldives’ criminal Moreover, the Maldives looks set to tear was punishable by 100 lashes and courts, Abdulla Mohamed, sent to jail up a six-decade old moratorium on the exile. Moreover, Gayoom put into for abusing his position. This gave the death penalty that would put it “on the practice one of the oldest plays in the country’s tainted judiciary the perfect wrong side of history,” says South Asia Machiavellian manual of governance: excuse to push Nasheed out of power. director at Amnesty International, Biraj pitting the forces of race and religion A fake opposition funded by public Patnaik. against one another. Since his political monies was immediately cobbled Though the UN has over the years opponents generally adhered to liberal together, helmed by the ambitious applied rhetorical pressure on Yameen and progressive values, Gayoom Waheed who presented himself as a to change tack, its reluctance to covertly backed radical Islamists sanguine peacemaker between the impose financial sanctions has simply to counter them. He dismissed the warring factions — MDP and Gayoom emboldened the president to continue emergence of homegrown extremism, loyalists — to the international expanding his personal powers in the the imminent byproduct of this strategy, community. Loath to inspire bloodshed, guise of national interest. Where does as a necessary risk to staying in power. Nasheed backed off and agreed to fresh the Maldives go from here? History Not surprisingly then, the Maldives, polls despite knowing that corrupt suggests further down the rabbit hole per capita, has sent more jihadist election commission officers on the of dictatorship. fighters to Syria since 2014 than any payroll of the regime loyalists would other country in the world. rig them. The writer is an Islamabad-based Consequently, in 2005, when Sure enough, the run-up to the polls freelance journalist

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 33 OPINION

Pakistan at 70 A Personal Perspective

By Iqbal F. Quadir

his 14th of August, Pakistan can survive without a virtuous and What are the nation’s problems? celebrated the 70th Anniversary strong justice base. Today most ills in “Mushkilein mujh par itni parin Tof its Independence. Yet the joy of Pakistan exist amongst the majority of ke asaan ho gaen.” (I faced so many independence this year has been rather the population because of the absence of difficulties that everything began to look sombre and tempered by the first ever adl. The prevalent general lack of respect easy). Currently exists a plethora of un- application by the judiciary in Pakistan for the law was a proof of the edict indexed laws, court rulings, ordinances of a law based on Islamic moral values. “Kharboozeh ko dekh ker kharbooza (some for periods much longer than The fact that the person found guilty was rang pakarta hei,” the top being most allowed), SROs and a multitude of other Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the elected visible since its aberrations get more orders by anyone having any authority, head of government. This has set a new easily copied; a human weakness. Now designed mostly to suite certain sections precedent for adl (justice) and become that the judiciary has taken the first bold of society or individuals, being unknown cause celebre’, hope and optimism for step in the most required direction, it to all and even less understood by the two hundred million Pakistanis who for needs to be followed up vigorously large confused and uneducated public. decades had been seeking equality of and strengthened by allowing courts As a result, just because there has justice for all. their own investigations in cases where been no rule of law since 1953 when This act of the Supreme Court was a the honourable judges feel available Ghulam Muhammad and civil servants much wanted step in the right direction evidence is short of facts, as was clear in overthrew the elected government with and a unique gift of God as no society some recent cases. support of Chief Justice Muneer Ahmed

34 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was formed after an extended effort General Ayub Khan, all egged on by the by Nawab Khawaja Salimullah of arch feudal Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani. Dhaka with other Muslim leaders. It was literally a free-for-all depending This delay allowed a free-run socially, upon power, pelf or connections. No economically and politically to the wonder, outsiders considered Pakistan Indian National Congress created by an to be in a state of anarchy. Englishman but completely dominated After rule of law, the second important by Hindus. Moreover, the Muslim building block for a country, nation or League became dormant after the death society is education. Its importance and of Nawab Salimullah in 1916 and was its dearth amongst the Muslims was revived only in the early nineteen thirties pointed out by Quaid e Azam to me under the leadership of Muhammad Ali in 1946 at Simla (now Shimla) when Jinnah for the first elections to provincial with my younger sister boldly walked Khawaja Nazimuddin assemblies in 1937. Therein Muslims through the Cecil Hotel to his suite had been granted separate seats. I was and despite his Secretary Khurshid only seven at that time but remember Ahmed’s objections, to our great my father saying, “In future we will elation Jinnah postponed the Working speak only Urdu or English at home and Committee Meeting scheduled in the neither Kashmiri nor Punjabi. Urdu was next five minutes for half an hour and the language of the Muslims (of India).” took us to tea in the hotel lobby. There, The 1937 provincial elections proved amongst other things, he emphasized to be a watershed of Hindu-Muslim and the importance of education, saying British India’s unity. Addressing a public Pakistan would be formed but that no meeting of a lakh of people (including country could make progress or develop myself) in New Delhi in 1941, Jinnah without educated people. He pointed narrated reasons for the newly passed out the dearth of educated Muslims resolution in 1940 at Lahore demanding in British India and strongly urged the Pakistan. Amongst others he highlighted younger Muslim generation to acquire General Ayub Khan that the Congress reneged on a pre- good education. But after independence election agreement to form a coalition and early death of Quaid, followed by of independence unfortunately is government in the United Provinces Ghulam Mohammad’s coup, education general chaos, lack of respect for the after elections, creating doubts about lost its priority and Pakistan gradually Constitution or Islamic values in every the Indian Congress’ sincerity towards slid behind even those countries whose field of administrative and political Muslims after independence and, students initially used to come for studies activity. Incidentally, politics was the secondly, after winning elections here. The annual financial commitments art and science of public administration in almost all provinces, the Hindu for education in those years and after and not what we presently observe in dominated Congress Party abolished was enough proof of that neglect. Pakistan, India or, for that matter, even in zamindari (large landholdings) in the The third important building block advanced countries. And, according to United Provinces only where Muslim Pakistan at 70 was good administration. It was ironic an ex-Inspector General of Forests who landholdings dominated but not in other that at the time of independence when together with an ICS stalwart went to provinces where Hindus and Sikhs had riots broke out in the whole of Punjab congratulate Khawaja Nazimuddin on larger landholdings. These two actions and in Delhi and millions of refugees becoming Prime Minister, Khwaja sahib of the Indian National Congress forced poured into Pakistan from India, while remarked that politicians had negligible the Muslims to consider safeguards a similar number migrated from all over administrative experience and therefore for themselves by demanding two Pakistan together with nearly all local success of democracy would very much Muslim majority areas of their own in government administrators and business depend on quality of the advice the civil a confederation, each having the right community (Hindus and Sikhs). With servants gave to their ministers. But, to opt out after ten years. But Congress India withholding transfer of Pakistani as stated earlier, civil servants led by policies forced the division of India at share of finances and stores, despite Ghulam Muhammad pressumed they independence in 1947. the troubled conditions, absence of knew better and took over the reins Another important issue, which administrative staff and lack of resources, themselves with the results that followed together with the language dispute, there was peace and amity amongst the and engulf the nation today. led to the breakup of Pakistan in 1971. people with everyone contributing to How all this came about? Earlier, it had been the Muslim League the best of his/her ability in building a The legacy of Pakistan dated back high command’s decision under Quaid new nation. to the downfall of the Muslim Empire in e Azam to abolish zamindari. Being How different was this from the India when English replaced Persian as a provincial subject, chief minister present general, administrative and the official language and the new rulers Khawaja Nazimuddin immediately law and order situation, after over sixty preferred non-Muslims for official and went ahead in East Pakistan while other years of foreign financial, economic private jobs. Initial Muslim resistance provinces delayed it till the Quaid died and military assistance plus loans to learn English did not help either. A and then announced their inability. As and charges for services rendered bad decision was to avoid participation early as in 1955, the US diplomatic by Pakistan. The foreign debt burden in politics till about three decades after mission wrote home expressing doubts now must be around a staggering $60 Municipal Committees were introduced as to whether unity of the two wings billion and another $45 billion on the by the English rulers. All this contributed could last for long, one feudal and the way for CPEC, the anticipated vehicle to the increasing Muslim backwardness other led by the middle class? In 1968, of future economic development. All in a new society. It was not till December an East Pakistani elder who was well Pakistan has to show after 70 years 1906 that the All India Muslim League familiar with national politics, remarked

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 35 OPINION

that two powerful federal secretaries Martial Law with himself as President and would break up Pakistan to save West Army Chief General Ayub Khan as Chief Pakistan’s feudal order. The power of the Martial Law Administrator. feudal group had been so strong that However, Ayub Khan soon realized even Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as Prime Minister the total dependence of his civilian failed to enforce his Land Reforms which masters on the army and decided to take amounted to abolishing zamindari. over as President and Chief Martial Law Incidentally, like Quaid e Azam, he Administrator. Thereafter the reins of the (Bhutto) too wanted friendship towards all country and of the Establishment passed as a bulwark of Pakistan’s foreign policy. If into the GHQ’s lap. There were three only our zamindars had learnt how agro- other important outfalls of Pakistan’s based Taiwan and South Korea converted defence pacts (Baghdad Pact, CENTO themselves into industrial giants! and SEATO) on the country. First, foreign As can be inferred from the genesis policy became simple -“Keep the USA of the current state of affairs, it all started Happy.” Second, to satisfy the American with Ghulam Mohammad’s coup in 1953. people a façade of democracy had to be He threw the Quaid’s vision of “Friendship maintained in the form of a parliamentary towards all and enmity towards none” government, the peoples’ representatives into the trash bin and signed the Baghdad who were mostly feudal were more easily Pact (later CENTO) with the USA and manageable. Afterwards, consequent to other countries against the Soviet Union. US economic aid, as business tycoons and Pakistan already had defence pacts with industrialists emerged, those interested got the USA and Britain but these were for herded into politics too. Third, after the acquiring weapons for its defence and 1954 survey of the situation in Pakistan, for training of its men in those countries the USA feared the country was ready for and not against any third country. The communism and to avert that possibility USA already had a defence arrangement it was decided to allot residential plots with India for its military aircraft to transit to defence service officers as a means of India through two bases and another two motivation to defend the nation’s interests for use by US aircraft spying over China. against communism. The USA also operated some electronic This political situation has persisted warfare units from bases along India’s ever since except for the short period frontier with China. Yet, despite Ghulam when ZA Bhutto was the prime minister. Muhammad’s overtures to the USA After the Quaid, he was the only true for military and economic assistance leader of the country and of the people but almost since independence, Washington for his wadera culture and haste to bring responded only in 1953 after the Soviet changes in domestic and international Union turned hostile and became a threat politics leading to differences with the to U.S. interests worldwide. The USA Establishment as well as the superpower, needed similar facilities in Pakistan against the consequence was his fall. To make the Soviet Union as it had in India against the domestic system people friendly and China after the1949 Communist takeover. to achieve parliamentary supremacy, After joining the Baghdad Pact, a patience was required so that a greater quick American survey of the situation in understanding, trust and unity amongst Pakistan brought out that though an elected various building blocks could be Parliament existed till 1953, there were achieved. Only this could also stop the only two well organized institutions, the game of chess which some outsiders Civil Service and the Armed Forces where were playing in Pakistan with their direct the Army was dominant. It was therefore contacts with each building block in decided that all military assistance from the the country. Also, since justice needed USA would be handled directly between to be done, education was the prime the Pentagon and GHQ while for civil aid objective if Pakistan was to develop and a body called ECNEC, composed of civil make progress as a country of substance. servants, would be created. With these Its leaders of all hue and colours also agreements in force, in 1954 all powers needed to realize that phenomena, practically passed into the hands of civil such as that of Imran Khan was like the servants with the Army in the background. Bhutto phenomenon under Ayub Khan However, by October 1958 the Parliament and a people’s cry for association with (more about it later) led by Speaker Maulvi the running of the country and their Tamizuddin Khan, despite all efforts of local affairs. It was similar to what East the Establishment, managed to complete Pakistanis had felt that led to 1971. Finally the famous 1956 Constitution that, after what the country needed most was more legal vetting, came up for authentication positive action towards Adl and economic by President Iskander Mirza. Fearing development than words by the political ceding the Establishment’s power to the leaders. Parliament simultaneously as the law and order and economic situation in the The writer is a retired Vice Admiral and country began to deteriorate, he ordered former ambassador.

36 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 SPECIAL FEATURE

His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 37

SPECIAL FEATURE

A Prince in Love with Peace and Progress By Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani Member, National Assembly of Pakistan

he Ismaili community across the Shah, who became Aga Khan II, played a the extent to which the Western world world is celebrating the Diamond pivotal role in maintaining close relations trusted the Aga Khan. The refugees from TJubilee of their beloved spiritual with other communities. Uganda later played a pivotal role in leader Prince Karim Aga Khan IV with Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, who bringing prosperity to Canada’s pluralist zeal and enthusiasm. In 1957, a 20-year succeeded Aqa Ali Shah as Aga Khan society. III, was one of the In another incident, Prince Karim most active and Aga Khan decided to raise the standard dynamic leaders of living through education during his of the Pakistan first visit to Gilgit-Baltistan. Today, the Movement and a literacy rate of Gilgit-Baltistan is the close aide of the highest across Pakistan. He also founded Quaid-e-Azam. He the Aga Khan Development Network was also one of the (AKDN), which operates in more than 35 founders and the countries across the globe. The AKDN first president of the agencies are active in the spheres of All-India Muslim education, health, rural development, League (AIML). institution-building and economic He was a strong development. supporter of Sir The Aga Khan looks after various Syed Ahmad Khan’s welfare initiatives, such as the Aga vision that the Khan Foundation, the Aga Khan Health HH Prince Karim Aga Khan with Muslims of India Services, the Aga Khan Planning former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. should first focus and Building Services, the Aga Khan on strengthening Economic Services and the Aga Khan old Prince Karim Aga Khan succeeded their economic conditions through Agency for Microfinance. Through the his late grandfather as the leader of the education before entering politics. In Aga Khan Trust for Culture, he is taking Ismaili community, which is spread this regard, he also offered the Aga Khan steps to preserve Islamic heritage sites, across the world and has some 15 Foreign Scholarship for talented Muslim particularly the historical buildings million followers globally. students at Aligarh University. belonging to the Fatimid Dynasty in The Ismailis reject all forms of After the creation of Pakistan, Aga Egypt, the tomb of Mughal Emperor violence and extremism and are globally Khan III, on the request of the then prime Humayun and the ancient city of Agra known as the most peace-loving minister Feroz Khan Noon, purchased in India. people. They have been rendering great Gwadar from Oman and gifted it to The international community has services, promoting quality education, Pakistan. Gwadar is now considered to also announced various awards for advocating tolerance and empowering be a game-changer for the region due to Prince Karim Aga Khan in recognition of the community. CPEC. At this crucial juncture when such In 1957, at the age of 20, Aga Khan evils as terrorism and extremism are IV Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini being promoted globally to serve the succeeded his grandfather as the 49th evil interests of a few, I believe the Imam of the Ismaili community. He prime focus of Prince Karim Aga Khan’s also inherited his grandparent’s positive 60-year struggle has been to promote agenda that was based on tolerance and quality education, advocate tolerance serving mankind. As a British citizen and empower the community. who was born in Switzerland, raised in The Aga Khan – whose roots can Kenya, educated at Harvard and lived in be traced to the Egyptian and Persian a French chateau, the life of Aga Khan empires – has enjoyed cordial relations IV is a shimmering example of pluralism with the elite classes of various countries. and global harmony. Even in British India, the Viceroy of India In the 1970s, when racial had formally recognised the title ‘Aga discrimination was on the rise in the Khan’ for Prince Karim’s predecessors in African continent, Ugandan nationalist 1887. leader Idi Amin began expelling people Aga Khan I, whose real name was of Asian descent from the country. Hasan Ali Shah, was also awarded the The then prime minister of Canada, status of ‘Prince’ by the British government in response to the Aga Khan’s request, and he was the only religious community accepted as many as 7,000 Ugandan leader in British India who was granted Asians as refugees on humanitarian The Prince shaking hands with Justin a gun salute. After his demise, Aqa Ali grounds. The specific incident reflects Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 39

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Myth of the Aga Khan’s Affluence

“I do not seek to do things, in fact I have stayed away from things which did not seem to me to be good sense, where it was affluence for the sake of affluence.” – Imam Shah Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV Queen Elizabeth greets His Highness.

s for the Western media’s relentless charge that the Aga Khan lives a ‘lavish’ or ‘affluent life’, the Ismaili Imam has answered and dismissed the Averacity of these claims on multiple occasions. "I am not affected by suggestions in print that I live a luxurious Western life, while most Ismailis live in underdeveloped Eastern countries (he went on). These are just smears by cheap magazines. Serious publications are aware of the work we do and of our achievements in many countries. Such smear stories never appear in Asian publications." At the personal level, the Aga Khan does not live affluently at all. During his final year at Harvard, when the Imam completed the last 1.5 years of In conversation with Indian PM, study in just 2 semesters, the Aga Khan owned no car and took public transit despite having access to the funds of the Imamat. Even his Harvard Narendra Modi. roommate Stevenson noticed how the Imam owned very little in personal assets. While many people charge the Imam with “extravagance” for owning property in Sardinia and developing its tourism industry, they would be surprised to learn the actual reason why the Ismaili Imam even spends some of his time there. The Aga Khan was overburdened with work and frustrated with the Western media’s misunderstanding of his role as Imam so he sought to find a place where he could find some calm and privacy. The demands of the Imam’s mission and extensive work have also taken a toll on his family life. The Imam even makes his decisions on whom and when to get married based on the well being of the Ismaili Muslim community. The Aga Khan even gives the Ismaili community greater priority A meeting with Afghan President, in his life than his own wife and children. The Aga Khan’s biographer Willi Ashraf Ghani. Frischauer records the Imam saying the following when he married his first wife Begum Salima in 1969: his lifelong services to poverty alleviation "I would not marry a woman who I did not believe and literacy growth. Around 50 countries could help me. I hope to reorganise my life so as to have conferred national awards on have a little more time to be with my wife — and him while leading universities across my children — though not at the expense of the the world have also awarded honorary community." degrees to him. Since he became the Imam of the Ismaili The reason behind the respect that Muslims in 1957, the Aga Khan has received the Aga Khans have earned is their religious dues from his followers called zakat ability to serve mankind by making or dasond. These religious dues are given to the the best use of their wealth which they Imam by his murids as a key practice of Shia inherited from their ancestors. Despite Islam and the Imam manages and spends the their leading role in the creation and religious dues on the community and institutional development of Pakistan, we could not development that benefits all people. However, give them the credit they deserve. We the religious dues given by the Ismaili Muslims also owe a lot to the Ismaili community are never sufficient to cover these needs and that has been pursuing the sole agenda the Aga Khan has consistently drawn upon his to promote literacy and alleviate poverty own personal funds to support the institutional from the region. needs of the Ismaili Muslims and other On the occasion of the Diamond communities. Jubilee celebrations of Aga Khan as the From 1960 to the present day, 49th Imam, the there are a number of documented should highlight his greater services and examples of the Imam make the new generation aware about spending his own money the Aga Khan’s valuable contributions to to sustain the institutions the country. On this historic occasion, of the Ismaili Muslim we must request him to serve as a Community and the Aga bridge between the Muslim world and Khan Development the West. The Aga Khan is truly a role Network. model for all of us.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 41 INTERNATIONAL CANADA The Reluctant Prime Minister Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been getting largely a positive press since 2015, when he assumed office. But there is another side to him that needs to be examined by those sympathetic to his humanitariasm.

By Taha Kehar

n May 7, 2017, 39-year old Emmanuel Macron became OFrance’s youngest president since the “little tyrant” Napoleon Bonaparte. His victory in the recent presidential vote marks a significant turning point for European politics that were steadily edging towards ultranationalistic hubris. While right wing parties across Europe from Britain to Germany to the Eastern bloc are steadily gaining strength on anti- immigration and anti-globalization planks, the traditionally pessimistic French chose to stay the centrist, reformist course by voting Macron into power. In the process, they rejected the economic and social isolationism championed by his main rival, the National Front’s firebrand leader Marine Le Pen. Sanity prevailed, for now at least. But appearances, as most Shakespearean tragedies will reveal, can be deceptive. The hype surrounding Trudeau’s persona has carefully disguised a slew of policy failures that have dented his government’s credibility in the global realm. The effects have become all the more palpable with time. The latest rankings released by the World Economic Forum indicate that Canada’s score has dropped by one spot. To add insult to injury, the forum has carried a note of caution for the country suggesting that ‘Trudeau fatigue’ has seeped into the sociopolitical fabric. As per the forum’s analysis, Canada’s international polling data and its domestic approval ratings have collectively contributed to the slump in the country's score. It is difficult to discredit the findings of such reports as they are based on cold logic that has yet to be

42 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 understood: in his mission to refute criticism on Israel. He viewed such role as an honest mediator, the Trudeau Stephen Harper’s policies and push censure as a form of anti-Semitism. administration has deepened Canada’s the liberal agenda, Trudeau has done On the other hand, Trudeau’s strategy military role in Iraq. little to improve Canada’s image as a is far more sophisticated as it creates For many years, Iran remained multilateral player. the illusion of progress on the surface a pariah state for the Harper-led The trouble, as many would expect, while cradling a separate agenda that is Canadian government. It was included begins at home. M-130 -- which is the entrenched in the system. For instance, in the list of countries that were billed final nail in the coffin for Islamophobia his administration has restored $25 as state sponsors of terror. A diverse in Canada -- may have been passed million worth of funds to establish a menu of sanctions was imposed on the under Trudeau’s watch with full UN relief agency for the Palestinian country. support from his administration. government, which had been scrapped As Trudeau seized the reins, the But there is a far more lethal force in Harper’s tenure. pressure on Iran was gradually lifted. that threatens to weaken Muslims in The liberals have also stepped back But not all sanctions were done away the country: the Anti-Terrorism Act. on a string of humanitarian causes that with and the selective approach to During Harper’s tenure, the liberals they had fervently advocated during their removal led many to believe that -- who were in opposition at the their years in opposition. When the there was a hidden agenda behind the time -- were vociferous critics of the Tories were in power, the opposition new government’s change in strategy. legislation. Now, nearly two years after tirelessly spoke about the three Commentators are of the view that forming the government, the Liberals Canadians who had been tortured the sanctions were lifted to serve the appear reluctant to do away with this in Syria. However, when the tables sectional interests of Canada’s business exploitative legal tool. Under the act, were turned and the liberals found community. Since it was driven by people can be detained for seven days themselves at the helm, this refrain was mercantile considerations, the removal and the police can arrest people on the forgotten. of sanctions was little more than a basis of a mere suspicion or fear that Canada, like the US, has also found token step. At this stage, changes they will carry out terrorist activities. itself at the heart of the surging conflict appear to be inevitable. After all, The secrecy in law-enforcement has in the Middle East. However, instead of Canada has an embassy in Iran. Then led the state to selectively apply the playing the role of an honest mediator, why hasn't the Trudeau administration law and discriminate against Muslims. the Trudeau administration has either broken away from the skepticism of the In addition to the blanket oppression involved itself to an excessive degree past and struck Iran’s name off the list against Muslims that appears to have or found itself in cahoots with the of states that sponsor terror? It is this been inherited from the policies aggressors. very question that has irked many and adopted by the Harper administration, Israel is part of the reason for the driven people away from supporting Trudeau’s government has made Trudeau government’s blinkered view his policy framework. copious attempts to undermine of the Middle Eastern crisis. Canada’s Canada’s involvement in Yemen requests made by Palestinians who are foreign minister has maintained that remains yet another inconvenient truth based in Canada. These veiled attempts Israel is the centerpiece of his country’s that has added to the growing spell of to sideline Palestinians stem from an role in the Middle East. Israel’s security, Trudeau fatigue. His administration’s unreasonably strong bent towards by extension, remains the cornerstone complicity in the Saudi-led insurgency Israel. of Canada’s policy in the region. This in Yemen cannot be overruled. Like For two years, Palestinian Canadians stance appears somewhat redundant Harper, Trudeau has not shied away have asked their prime minister to issue as excessive US backing and Israel’s from selling armoured vehicles to the a public statement on Nakba Day. military and arms arsenal are already Saudis even though they are flagrantly The day commemorates the loss of working overtime to ensure the misused and often target civilians. Palestinian territory when the state of Zionist state's security. Following in At this stage, the Trudeau Israel was created. An official statement the footsteps of his predecessor and administration’s irresponsible approach issued by the PM on Nakba Day would deploying the military in Israel will in the Middle East has been clouded by serve as a watershed in Canada’s only show that Canada is far from the generosity towards Syrian refugees. foreign policy. It would define the being a mediating force in the troubled However, 25,000 refugees is not too country’s stance on the dispossession region. To the contrary, it will prove vast a figure for the government to of Palestinians and Israeli atrocities in that Canada is actively involved in boast about. Other countries with the war-ravaged state. stoking further tensions. fewer resources have done more to However, Trudeau has remained The mayhem in Libya and Canada’s put an end to the humanitarian crisis largely unwilling to issue such role in preserving the spirit of violence and the sheer extent of their efforts will statements. As a result, he appears and insurgency also casts a shadow put the Trudeau government’s efforts to reluctant to deviate from Harper’s one- on the latter’s role as an arbitrator. shame. sided policy on the Israel-Palestine Analysts believe that it was the Trudeau has emerged as the anti- imbroglio. The anti-Palestinian Conservatives that plunged Libya into Trump and humane depictions of him biases do not end there. Canada also disarray and despondency. Trudeau’s in the media and they have managed to maintained a shocking silence when support for further military action in cobble together the image of a sensitive the UN Security Council voted 14-0 to Libya will only add fuel to an already and popular leader, his foreign policy condemn the Israeli settlements along smouldering fire. initiatives and ambivalence towards a Palestinian territory. Iraq is another warzone that has series of issues is likely to weaken his Commentators have argued that attracted Canada’s attention. While role in global politics. These areas need Trudeau’s approach to the issue is it was previous regimes which began to be carefully reviewed if Trudeau devoid of the rigour and myopia that bombing the country, it is Trudeau’s wants his popularity to remain intact Harper had fostered over the plight policies that have consolidated for the next elections. of the Palestinians. When he was Canada’s interference in what is now in power, Harper had discouraged an ISIS stronghold. Flouting its avowed The writer is a journalist and author.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 43 INTERNATIONALNEIGHBOUR CHINA CANADA

The Forgotten People

China’s over-cautious approach towards the Xinjiang-based Uighur Muslims is all but reprehensible.

By Faizan Usmani

ordering such Muslim countries Xinjiang is a Muslim-majority province populations. A Turkic ethnic group, as Pakistan, Kazakhstan, in Western China and is home to over Uighur Muslims live mostly in the BTajikistan and Afghanistan, a 10 million-strong ethnic Uighur Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

44 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 Chinese soldiers in Urumqi.

and are officially recognized as an region finally came under China’s rule cultural and religious identity owing to ethnic Muslim minority out of a total in 1878. This was in the 1940s, when a total ban on practicing Islam, while of 55 minorities currently living in the the Uighurs managed to create the Uighur-language schools, seminaries People’s Republic of China (PRC), a East Turkestan Republic, a separate and customs were officially outlawed. constitutionally socialist state. state created with the help of the Those who raised their voice More than eighty per cent of former Soviet Union. However, it was against state-orchestrated persecution Uighurs live in the Tarim Basin that quite a short-lived independence, as and repression of Uighurs were lies south-west of Xinjiang, while the in October 1949, Xinjiang became a all but exterminated and from the remaining Uighur population in China part of Communist China. 1950s to the 70s in particular, ethnic resides in Taoyuan County located in “As close cultural and ethnic tensions in Xinjiang were at their the south-central Hunan province. cousins of the Uighurs, the Turks peak, thanks to the mass migration Other than China, Uighurs are found lent a hand in the administrative and of millions of Han Chinese into the The Forgotten in Turkey and in such Central Asian cultural shaping of the republic. But predominantly Muslim province of countries as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan it didn’t last as five years later, the the country. Revolving around the and Kazakhstan. They are also found in USSR’s loyalties switched to Chairman Han immigration, the government’s small numbers in other such countries Mao and the Russians helped the strategy helped dilute the Uighur as Canada, Australia, Afghanistan, Communist People’s Liberation Army population in the province. Belgium, Germany, Norway, Russia, recapture the nascent state,” according “Beijing continues to encourage Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the Netherlands to Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul. Han movement into the region; the People and the United States. Under the chairmanship of Mao typically strict rules limiting internal However, the Xinjiang region has Tse-tung, from 1949 to 1959, his migration in China are relaxed for this had a turbulent history as the political harsh agricultural policies escalated specific ethnic group and destination. and geographical control of the region to the point of famine in Xinjiang and Han Chinese now make up 58% of was repeatedly shifted between the severely affected the rural Uighur the Xinjiang population, up from just Qing dynasty, the last Chinese dynasty, communities, who had to migrate to 6% in 1949,” say Lindsey Kennedy and rival Chinese warlords, despite the USSR in that era to avoid further and Nathan Paul. numerous rebellions by the Uighurs, disaster hovering over them in the The fall of the Soviet Union in the say Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul, form of ethnic cleansing. 1990s brought Uighurs a ray of hope U.S. based demographic researchers. The most tumultuous period for and they started reorganising their Having had occasional China-based Uighurs brought them efforts to achieve an independent independence and short-lived a series of added calamities as well, state under the name of Uighurstan sovereignty in different periods, the as they were left with no distinctive or East Turkestan. For Uighurs,

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 45

NEIGHBOUR CHINA

The systematic political repression, pervasive human rights violations and state persecution of the Uighurs has become a norm in today’s China.

according to political experts, the “declaring them illegal for containing The MoU says both parties call of independence from Chinese extremist content”, says Radio Free will collaborate in the fields of rule was based on logic as “their Asia, a US-funded outlet. development, justice, solidarity and closest cousins” just across the border The government has released a security and “will not interfere in the — Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and the list of banned baby names, including internal matters of each country.” In Kyrgyz — were able to form their own Imam, Saddam, Arafat, Islam, Quran, plain words, the MoU made the Jamaat- independent states with the dissolution Mecca, Medina, Hajj and Jihad. e-Islami back off from its earlier stance of the Soviet Union. Otherwise, children with those that openly supported the ongoing East Contrary to ground realities, names will not be issued a national Turkmenistan movement in the border Uighurs were confronted with an identity card, “a crucial document Xinjiang region. innocent desire to break away from that grants access to education, health Adding a black chapter to the China and this resulted in mass riots, care and social services,” reports The history of Jamaat-e-Islami, this protests and violent attacks across the Guardian. happens to be the only occasion when Xinjiang region, which ultimately led In addition to that, all Muslim Pakistan’s main Islamic political party Beijing to re-launch a brutal crackdown children under 16 are being forced and a staunch supporter of Islamic on the Uighurs in the 1990s. This still to change their names if found ‘over- separatist movements all over the continues today with all its severity religious’ or against the true spirit of world, moved away from its principled and intensity. Most importantly, the ruling party. Retired officials are stance and officially disregarded the Xinjiang lies at the centre of the Belt no more allowed to attend religious century-long independence struggle and Road initiative (BRI) of China, a ceremonies and in June, the Xinjiang of Uighur Muslims only for the sake of $900 billion development project that government officials expelled a Pakistan-China friendship. As rightly aims to link Asia with Europe for trade Communist party member for said by an American diplomat, “The and other exchanges by constructing attending religious activities at a local fact that you support one side one day a large-scale infrastructure. Pakistan mosque. Watching state television, and the other side the next day is what and China’s joint CPEC project is a listening to state radio and attending real diplomacy is all about.” part of this. However, the way Uighurs government rallies and conventions to The same goes for Pakistan, China’s are being dealt with, one wonders the pledge allegiance to the Communist closest ally and neighbour. Though the rationale behind Beijing’s policies that Party is mandatory. country leaves no stone unturned in seem to stoke the flames of rebellion. “Fundamentally, these rallies raising its voice against atrocities on The systematic political repression, are just a show of force, and part of Muslim minorities living in any part pervasive human rights violations the audience is the Han Chinese of the world, Pakistan maintains a and state persecution of the Uighurs population in Xinjiang, to show the diplomatic silence over severe human has become a norm in today’s power of the state. But in terms of the rights violations being committed by China. Religious freedom is being Uighur population, it’s difficult to see China against the Uighurs The spirit confined and numerous restrictions how these kinds of mass rallies will of Pakistan-China friendship, which is are enforced on the practice of Islam. win the hearts and minds over average said to be higher than the Himalayas Muslim women of any age are not Uighurs, and will likely do quite and deeper than the oceans, cannot allowed to fully cover their bodies the opposite,” says Michael Clarke, be sacrificed at the altar of principled or wear burqa (veil) in public places, a political science professor at the diplomacy. Muslim men cannot have abnormal Australian National University. Left alone in the lurch amidst beards and children cannot be given Comprising , 50 Muslim-majority countries, the such names that might “exaggerate Liaqat Baloch, Prof. Mohammad Uighurs of China happen to be the religious fervour.” Ibrahim, Sirajul Haq, Syed Munawar worlds’ most forgotten people today. In the third week of August 2014, Hasan and others, a seven-member On the one hand, China’s overcautious the local authorities in the region's delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) approach toward its own citizens is all capital Urumqi seized 259 jilbabs Pakistan was officially invited to visit but reprehensible and on the other, the (loose-fit coat or garment), 1,265 China by the ruling Communist Party fully state-controlled media in China headscarves and clothes printed with of China (CPC) in February 2009. On does not convey the true picture with star and crescent symbols. In August a weeklong visit, the JI’s leadership regard to the current state of Uighur 2014, the government officials also met with key government officials and Muslims. In simple words, when “rescued” some 82 children from Communist leaders. At the end of the Muslim persecution does not become studying the Holy Qur’an, according rather unusual visit, a memorandum news in mainstream media, it must be to Dawn. Local authorities have also of understanding (MoU) was signed taking place in China. started confiscating copies of the between the Communist Party and Qur’an published before August 2012, Jamaat-e-Islami. The writer is a member of the staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 47 FEATURE GENDER EQUALITY What’s in a Name! Village women in India are coming together to break long traditions of silence and talk about issues they had never even thought about before.

By Syeda Areeba Rasheed

n a small village called Walhe in in the community. The club in Walhe they could easily talk on such an issue Pune district, Maharashtra, nine is run by Rohini Pawar who for the without hesitation. The custom of a Iwomen have become a part of a past seven years has exposed practices woman not taking her husband’s name unique club that is becoming the talk of child marriages and people facing is dutifully imposed on them and no of the town. The club is one of the HIV/AIDS. According to her, “The club one has ever questioned it as they 56 run across 13 states in India and created a safe space for women and would be then considered wicked, is a part of the #KhelBadal campaign turned them into agents of change.” cunning and women with no morals. which is run by Video Volunteer. They The first video that Rohini decided The tradition is so deeply followed that men and women across India to report to screen in the discussion club was no thought is given as to why the ritual on everyday issues that concern them. for women who do not take their should be followed. The volunteers shoot short videos husband’s name. She chose this topic Before initiating the cause, Rohini which are then screened and discussed as she wanted to tell the women that first practised it at her own residence

A group of Indian women.

48 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 where she herself had not taken her husband’s name. She even shared a video of the moment when she called out her husband’s name in front of her mother-in-law. Her husband Prakash and mother-in-law both were in a state of shock but he then told Rohini to call him by his name from then on. The whole scenario gave confidence to Rohini and that is how she started with her first discussion club. Soon after the discussion ended, she told all the members to take their husband’s name in a variety of emotions from sad, happy, angry, love and so on. She also made the women realise that when they were not allowed to take their husband’s name for the sake of respect and their long life then why do the husbands take their names. There should be equal treatment for both men and women as they also respect their wives and want them to live long. Rohini said that during the activity a woman kept laughing as she was feeling too shy to take her husband’s name and another woman kept cursing her husband and his family out of frustration. The look on their faces was so ecstatic that it was hard for Rohini to forget it. Others too tried to take their husband’s name but only at home. A woman’s husband even called Rohini Indian women must stand up for their rights. and threatened her as to what she was putting in their minds, another called of women. Last year a Kangaroo Court They had laughed, danced and had out her husband’s name at dinner time sentenced Malati Mahatoto from sung together. They had even shared when the whole family was present the Indian State of Odisha after she those thoughts that were never given and when her mother-in-law stared at addressed her in-laws by name. She vent before. her she said that it was a mistake while was banished with her children to a While in many cases many of the some others said that Rohini had told home at the far corner of the village. women were not allowed to take their them to do so. For the past eighteen months, she had husband’s name, some were allowed Women are trying to stop other been ostracised by other villagers. as well but only in private. That is practices like wearing vermilion on From a very young age women still a step forward. The custom which their foreheads. They always question are told that their husbands are equal is less common in cities is deeply themselves as to why only they had to god and that they are not allowed patriarchal and the main aim of this to show that they are married. Rohini to take their names in order to show club was not passively accepting of once told her husband that if he would respect to him. The ban sometimes this patriarchy. The women who were be willing to wear vermilion then she extends to other members of the family very much aware are just waiting would wear it too. Her husband just inviting serious danger to the entire for an opportunity to push back in a laughed and since then she no longer family. The husband who is mostly thoughtful and considered manner wears it. from a higher cast supports his wife which perhaps would have a greater In many parts of India, women and so is considered to be the owner. impact. would go to any heights to avoid The tradition which has become more Rohini wanted to let other women taking the name of her husband or of of a taboo is still being practiced. The feel the same as her. She wanted any other older men in the family. In belief that naming the husband could women to stand up for themselves many areas women affirm that they bring bad luck and shorten the life of and raise a voice for their rights. It is are bound and socially pressured to the husband is just beyond idiocy. not necessary that only men should respect their husbands in the form Through this discussion club, have all the relaxation and the women of not taking his name. They fear the women feel safer that they could share should only get suffering. There should consequences of not following the their opinions and ideas. The club be equal treatment for both of them. traditions and this is the main reason members usually pack their lunches On taking the name of her husband, that has kept the tradition alive. and water bottles and go to the fields she said that sometimes it does feel Many men also reciprocate the as they do not want anyone to hear great to say some things out loud, no tradition by not calling their wives by them. In the past few months, many matter how small they may seem. their names but the consequences are of the women had celebrated their not that more unfair than in the case birthdays for the first time in their lives. The writer is a member of the staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 49 FEATURE INFRASTRUCTURE

Bridge of Determination

The Padma Bridge in Bangladesh is fast nearing completion under clouds of alleged corruption and refusal by the World Bank to fund it.

By Dr. Syed Ali Madni

o build or not to build the Padma Bridge following the refusal Tof the World Bank to finance the project at the eleventh hour was a major question which baffled the Bangladesh Government as it lent a fatal punch to a much-needed project. But one must admit that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has nerves of steel as instead of getting dejected she decided, to the great dismay of World Bank, to complete the project with local funding --- a decision considered as absurd by many. The construction of Padma Bridge through self-finance is undoubtedly an example for other Third World countries that failure can never overtake nations if their determination to succeed is strong enough. The courage and determination shown by Sheikh Hasina’s government in taking up this project of immense importance without World Bank funding has proved to be an exceptional example of self-belief and self-respect. The future leaders of the country would take a lot of pride as well as strength from this demonstration in handling a hopeless situation. In fact, in 2012, the World Bank brought Bangladesh to its knees when it said, “The World Bank cannot, should not, and will not turn a blind eye to evidence of corruption." The loan was originally approved in February 2011, but allegations of corruption in the tender process led

50 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 the Bank to freeze the loan by October. India could have made 19 bridges, and escalation of prices with time The World Bank said it had provided each the size of their biggest one, were taken into account. According evidence from two investigations into the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge. India’s to an analyst it would cost $5,000 per the bridge case to Bangladesh's prime newly inaugurated Bhupen Hazarika square metre for the 6.15-kilometre minister, minister of finance and anti- Bridge is about 1.15 km longer than bridge. It was $2,500 per square metre corruption commission chairman in the 6.15 km Padma Bridge. In width, for the Bangabandhu Multipurpose September 2011 and April 2012. "We Padma Bridge is 81.1 meters and Bridge over Jamuna River. The cost has urged the authorities of Bangladesh to Bhupen Hazarika Bridge 12.1 meters. doubled in the last 18 years, which investigate this matter fully and, where Padma Bridge’s construction costs have is not unusual, he said. He said the justified, prosecute those responsible exceeded the global average of bridge project's cost is not too high compared for corruption," the World Bank said. construction, creating a new record. to that of other bridges around the "We only finance a project when we The total construction cost was US$ world. Plus, there was no need to have adequate assurances that we 3 billion. India’s Bhupen Hazarika tame such a long river in case of other can do so in a clean and transparent Bridge’s construction costs are US$ bridges. For instance, the longest way," the Bank remarked. The $3bn 155 million. If the cost of this bridge bridge in the world, which stretches Bridge, planned to go into service in is record high then the decision to for 38 km, was built over shallow 2014, designed to carry a highway and build the bridge without World Bank waters in China. “But we have to dig railway line aimed at transforming the funding is even much higher. 120m deep, which equals a 40-storey country's impoverished south thus ran Bangladesh’s most prestigious building. Nowhere in the world has into snags. project Padma Bridge has been a bridge been built going that deep.” Keeping in view such an involved in controversy and Choudhury remarked. unexpected decision and that too conspiracy since its inception. The The cost has increased gradually, from a leader of a poor country, the World Bank claimed that they found, mostly because of expansion in the allegations of corruption leveled credible evidence supported by a scope of work and escalation in prices, against the government seem to be of variety of sources which point to he said. The project, when approved in less importance, though it definitely a high-level corruption conspiracy 2007, was supposed to cost Tk 10,162 requires an investigation. It is alleged among Bangladeshi government crore, but in 2011 it was revised that with the amount being spent on officials, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a upwards to Tk 20,507 crore. Later, the the construction of Padma Bridge, Montreal-based company executives, Executive Committee of the National and private individuals in connection Economic Council, chaired by Prime with the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Minister Sheikh Hasina, raised the cost Project. As such, the World Bank for the project again, to Tk 28,793.38 refused to sanction the proposed loan crore. Another reason for the hike in for constructing the bridge. However, the cost is the stronger dollar. A project the corruption allegations were which had to go through a number of subsequently found to be false and problems, including that of funding, without merit and the Canadian Court such escalation in the price of a mega dismissed the case. Following the project like Padma Bridge is not so decision of the Bangladesh Government uncommon. Even in a country as big to go ahead with the plan, on June 17, and as democratic as India, cases 2014 important progress was made of corruption have been unearthed. when a construction firm, China Major But once the project of public utility Bridge Engineering Company Ltd.,was is completed and the citizens start selected to construct the long-aspired deriving benefits the general public will bridge and China proposed building not be bothered about corruption. the bridge on the build-own-transfer According to the latest plan, (BOT) basis by investing $2 billion or the bridge will be completed by 70 percent of the project cost. Three December 2018. Road Transport and companies - China Major Bridge Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader Engineering Company, Daelim-L&T told the Dhaka Tribune: “Around JV and Samsung C&T Corporation 44 per cent of the construction - purchased the tender papers. But work had been completed till June. only the Chinese company submitted Hopefully the bridge will be useable their financial proposal on April 24, for transport by the end of next year.” 2014. The state-owned company An engineer of the Bridges Division has constructed structures like the said,“The Government would like to famous 36 km Hangzhou Bay Bridge, complete the work within schedule the longest sea-crossing bridge in the and we are working seriously as well, world. but the condition of the river bed is Comparing the Bhupen Hazarika unpredictable. So it will be a great Bridge with Padma Bridge, Jamilur challenge, but we are trying.” Reza Choudhury, chairman of the The bottom-line of the Padma Bridge government's panel of experts on story is; “The difference between the Padma Bridge said that the approved impossible and the possible lies in a cost for the Padma Bridge project man's (or woman’s) determination.” was not too high if issues such as expenditure in similar projects around The writer follows political and social the world, appreciation of the dollar developments in South Asia.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 51 FEATURE SOCIAL EVIL Killing Fields Poppy cultivation is on the rise again in Afghanistan and is further adding to the numerous problems the country already faces.

By Syed Zeeshan Ahmed

fghanistan has had a long history and political fabric for decades. From which had been 183,000 hectares has of poppy growing, and it seems the Soviet era to the time of the warlords increased by 10 percent, according to a Athe crop could be the source and Afghan War, the influx of the U.S. United Nations survey. This, has given of good yields again. The country has and NATO forces and the resurgence of rise to the illicit production of opium been the world’s largest producer of the Taliban, poppy cultivation has been and heroin throughout the region. Javed opium, which is derived from poppy. important in the country and continues Qaem, the Afghan deputy counter- Harvesting poppy has been an to be a problem. narcotics minister has said that the important aspect of Afghanistan’s social The total area of poppy cultivation authorities have been really concerned

A poppy field

52 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 trafficking. He added that security is an important reason, but there are indeed various other factors which Afghanistan produces an estimated 90% are fueling drug production and trade of all the world’s heroin and is the top in Afghanistan. He said the corruption at local government levels is also opium producer. responsible for encouraging poppy cultivation. The effect of this rise has been adding to the insurgency, violence and about these recent developments and areas under government influence. The other such issues. Furthermore, there expect that the narcotics production government has said that mostly the has been an increase in the private would further increase this year, conflict-hit areas are the ones where and public investments in Afghanistan. including in areas and provinces there has been an increase in drug These developments come laden with where previously there had been zero production and trafficking. Around the international concern that the opium production. Out of country's 34 50% of the poppy crop is produced Taliban, who have been fighting Afghan provinces, 13 were reported poppy- in the Helmand province which is in government troops in the country’s rural free last year, and this number has the southern part of the country and areas, are supporting the poppy trade come down to single digits this year, borders Pakistan. by engaging in trafficking and skimming according to Afghan officials. General Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, hundreds of millions of dollars in profits As per Afghan authorities, poppy, the Afghan deputy minister for to boost their militancy. For a country which has traditionally been grown counter-narcotics has said that opium like Afghanistan, which is already in the southern provinces, has now cultivation, production and trafficking ranked among the five most corrupt found fertile land in several northern has been taking place in remote areas states in the world by Transparency and northeastern provinces, including that are under the control of not just the International, this is nothing but bad Jawzjan and Balkh. Moreover, a large- Taliban but other militants and terrorist news. scale increase can also be expected in outfits as well. The Afghan counter- A reason for the poppy harvest places such as Badghis and Ghor in the narcotics police is said to have seized is a lack of proper alternatives to the northwestern part of the country. These almost 650 tonnes of contraband farmers. Since they don’t have other places were earlier known for small drugs last year. The drugs which were alternatives which could help their opium crops. According to a local confiscated included raw opium, heroin lifestyles, it becomes difficult and resident, poppy is cultivated in almost and hashish. Around 2,683 smugglers virtually impossible to give up poppy half of the province. This includes and traffickers, including 67 women, cultivation. But this is not a problem were arrested last year, according to that has emerged of late. Ahmadi. There has been criticism about the Afghanistan produces an estimated efforts of the Afghan government. Their 90% of all the world’s heroin and is the measures are falling short of what is top opium producer. It is not difficult to required. One reason is the necessity understand that the recent rise in the of the poppy crop. Farmers don’t have harvest will create even more hostility in alternatives to grow so they must resort the country and add to the turmoil. In a to poppy. The government has failed senate hearing earlier this year, the U.S. miserably in that aspect and has failed Director of National Intelligence Dan to provide short-term or long-term Coats said that Afghanistan is likely to solutions, and that naturally has led to see more armed violence this year. He the current situation. Moreover, critics said that the intelligence community have also accused the government for assesses that the political, as well as its lack of will, especially in counter- the security situation in Afghanistan narcotics. There is a system in place, a will almost certainly keep deteriorating framework that makes poppy harvesting through the year 2018, even with the and production of illicit heroin increase in the support by the U.S. possible. The authorities have failed to The comments by the director do understand this. cause further alarm because of the With recent political shifts in the involvement of the U.S. in Afghanistan. region, Afghanistan currently finds itself The U.S. has thus far spent more than in a tricky situation. Confirmed reports $8.5 billion in Afghanistan on counter- about the rise of poppy cultivation and narcotics. According to the Special the consequent increase in violence Investigator General for Afghanistan and insurgency in the country, point Reconstruction (SIGAR), this can be to a lot that needs to be taken care of. further divided into a huge amount of There is persistent criticism regarding $1.5 million a day - and it has not given the way the authorities are countering the desired results, it seems. the situation and it will not subside for Haroon Rashid Sherzad, former a while. Afghanistan must also realize Afghan acting minister of counter- that there is international pressure and narcotics said that there’s a “satanic there is a rough road ahead. triangle of smugglers, terrorists and corrupt government officials” which The writer explores subjects of topical is involved in drug production and importance.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 53 FEATURE crime Wronged Women With unreported rape cases, many buried in police and court files, Bangladesh must ensure a safe and a secure society for its female population.

By Muhammad Omar Iftikhar

he horror of rape etches itself as a nightmare in the victim’s Tmind. However, the law and order system in Bangladesh has failed repeatedly in providing any relief to those who have gone through this ordeal. According to the Women's Council of Bangladesh or Mahila Parishad, the country’s law enforcement apparatus recorded 1,050 rape cases in 2016 alone. Although the numbers may vary and seldom are official numbers released, over one thousand rape cases in 365 days is appalling. This echoes the inefficiency of the police department and the influence of the culprits in exercising their power, will, and hegemony over the victims’ families in keeping them silent. Moreover, according to the Women’s Council of Bangladesh, 44 women were murdered after rape while 166 cases of gang rape were also reported in 2016. A recent gang rape case occurred in March 2017 in the area of Banani, Dhaka where two girls were gang-raped by two culprits while the third kept videotaping the incident. Women in Bangladesh are becoming more and more vulnerable to incidents of rape and violence, which only indicates the dwindling state of its police and state institutions responsible for bringing culprits to justice and making an effort to Bangladesh, a large number of rape principles of Islam having such a rate curtail such heinous acts. Until July cases do not end up in court. However, of crime against women puts to shame 2017, over 130 rape cases had been even if the cases reach the court, the the law and order apparatus of the registered in Bangladesh, which shows decision does not come at all. country, which has had two females as to what extent this social menace has Reports claim that rape is the Prime Ministers: Khaleda Zia (1991 - seeped its way into society. There are second most reported violence 1996, 2001 - 2006) and Sheikh Hasina many reasons behind this atrocity. against women in Bangladesh, the (1996 - 2001 and 2009 till date). According to Ummehani Binte Ariff, country having a 61.5% literacy rate A number of factors lead to the Barrister, Advocate, Supreme Court of (UNESCO). A country founded on the rise in rape cases and such cases do

54 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 and dedicated services providing victims with continuous mental and In Bangladesh, a large number of rape emotional support. cases do not end up in court. However, even The mentality prevailing in Bangladesh akin to other South Asian if the cases reach the court, the decision countries is the same. The rape victims attempt to hide under a veil after an does not come at all. assault but if she decides to rise up and face the challenges to bring her assailant to justice, her immediate not end in conviction. Naznin Atia Apart from these factors, a family, friends and society discourages and Sharmin Tanjina in their research backlog of cases is another impending her for fear of possible retaliation from study reveal that lack of adequate fact reducing the efficiency of the the culprit. Even if the victim does evidence is a basic factor leading to courts in solving all criminal cases raise her voice, the possibility of her rape cases not being properly filed including those of rape. Where the being killed or kidnapped is high. in court. Moreover, the prosecution’s low rate of conviction encourages the With a corrupt system harbouring weak presentation also affects the perpetrators, the rise in rape cases is a the criminals, the police officers too credibility of the cases in reaching threat to humanity. It puts an immense seldom take corrective action and a conclusion. An insufficient police mental and emotional stress over every leave the victims hanging by a thread investigation is another major cause woman who does have to leave home in the hope of receiving any justice. of rape cases not reaching their to complete personal chores or go to This only aggravates the pain of the definitive conclusion. Corrupt officers office. Living under such a perpetual victim’s immediate family, especially wanting to work in return for money stress only hinders growth and puts the parents and siblings. In May 2017, person under undue tension, leading a 55-year-old father jumped in front to diseases. of a moving train with his 8-year- The judicial system of Bangladesh old daughter when he could not get must be overhauled to provide a steady justice for the girl who fled from the flow to the victims and their families clutches of a man trying to rape her. starting from the initial investigation to Her father presented the case to the conclusion. The system must consider Union Parishad (UP) authorities in the a number of variables to enhance the Gazipur district but his efforts went in delivery of justice. First, the pending vain. In the same month, a 60-year- cases at the witness’ end must reach old man raped a 22-year-old speech the court with the police officers impaired victim in Madaripur. The diligently working to ensure the victims third rape case in the same month receive speedy justice. Second, many surfaced when a 14-year-old boy in cases are dismissed because of a poor Bagerhat sexually assaulted a three- charge sheet. If the police can help the year-old girl. How will Bangladesh victims and does not remain biased, curb this social menace when such then an appropriate charge sheet can animal instincts are engraved in the be developed to benefit the victim to minds of boys and men of all ages? It assist them in court. will take a lot of cleansing on all fronts According to Human Rights and - society, police, and government, Legal Aid Services (HRLS) working before the evil of harassing females is under Building Resources Across uprooted from the Bangladesh society. Communities (BRAC), the HRLS It is a disgusting fact that rape has facilitated over 1400 rape cases out become a common occurrence in of which 695 cases were discarded. Bangladesh. The non-governmental However, the court reached a verdict organizations (NGOs) working in in 89 cases. This meagre number Bangladesh must take notice of this indicates the level of integrity and rise, prepare a report and present intelligence with which the entire it to the government asking for the justice system works in Bangladesh. revival of the police apparatus. If the In addition to these appalling facts, criminal is able to fulfill his demonic reports claim that nearly 73.77 percent desires and is still not in jail then the of the perpetrators have been bailed police system needs to be seriously out of jail, increasing their chances of restricted from the grassroots to the top committing the same heinous crime hierarchy. Similarly, the government for the second time and more. must establish centres in various – in the form of bribes or kickbacks – Where the need of the hour is to districts and regions of Bangladesh hamper the investigation and increase strengthen the judiciary in Bangladesh where rape victims and their families the gap between justice received and along with hiring competent police can file reports under the supervision justice denied. However, when the officers who know how to investigate of a dedicated government officer who criminals and the culprits either have a criminal offence without affecting works in coordination with the police associations with influential people, their decision because of an outside in investigating the crime and bringing the police have no option but to aid force, the government must also the offenders to justice. them which obstructs the investigation provide support services, including process. rehabilitation centres for rape victims The writer is a free-lance columnist.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 55 SLUGFEATURE HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Modern Slavery Houseworkers, especially maids, from such countries as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines are being maltreated and forced into slavery by their employers, mostly Arabs, in Middle Eastern countries. The practice needs to be dealt with forthwith and besides the affected governments, international organizations must look into the problem on a war footing.

By K. A. Naqshbandi

lavery, now called human Incidentally, housemaids suffer the a research report by Siddharth Kara, trafficking is an acute form most at the hands of their employers. a US slavery economist that showed Sof labour exploitation where Driven by a global demand for cheap, slave traders today make a return on women, men and children are often unskilled, exploitable labour, human their investment 25 to 30 times higher lured by false promises of decent jobs trafficking is now the second largest than their counterparts from more than and better lives and then compelled criminal industry worldwide, after drug two centuries ago. to work against their will by force. trafficking. The Guardian has revealed With slavery’s global profits

56 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 estimated at $150 billion a year, it is image of the country compelling the foreign ministry officials and the now a criminal industry at par with Lankan Foreign Ministry to take some Association of Licenced Foreign arms and drug trafficking. According drastic action to stop the menace. Employment Agencies (ALFEA) have to an ILO report, nearly 21 million A long time back, the Sri Lanka also emphasized the need for serious people are victims of forced labour embassy in Riyadh rescued a Lankan scrutiny of demand for maids and across the world, trapped in jobs house maid who had been kept in transparent processing of recruiting which they were lured or deceived slavery by her employer for 17 years. Lankan women as housemaids for into and which they cannot leave. She was paid no salary and was foreign countries, particularly in Despite being forbidden in almost prevented from communicating with Middle Eastern countries where every nation, slavery remains a her relatives back home. Local Saudi malpractices have been spotted. The business --- a thriving business. papers reported that this was one requirement of properly streamlining Though it is now an open fact that of the many cases of the notorious job opportunities, through channels maids are being secretly transported ‘housemaid market’ in Saudi Arabia. which abide by local labour laws so from countries like India, Pakistan, The case was discovered after the that dubious and fake employment Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia daughter of the maid who lived in Sri agents can no more play with and Sri Lanka to the Middle East and the Lanka informed the Foreign Ministry the lives of Lankan women. The Arab world, the revelation that Lankan that her family had not been in Government, while taking action maids are being secretly ‘auctioned’ contact with her mother for 17 years. to curb malpractices in the foreign into modern slavery has compelled Sunil Wijesinghe, labour welfare employment sector is working out a human right activists to study afresh the officer at the Sri Lankan embassy new action plan to ensure that foreign dreadful business in the context of the raised the matter with the concerned employment agencies in turn ensure civilized world we are living in. Along Saudi authorities to release the maid a healthy income for the innocent job with the large number of skilled and and pay her the outstanding salary of seekers while maintaining their dignity unskilled workers getting jobs in Arab SR54,000. and safety when they are abroad. countries, a fairly large number of Sri Regretting the plight of Lankan According to Human Rights Watch Lankan maids also manage to obtain maids who are maltreated, the foreign estimates, tens of millions of women jobs through dubious employment ministry official pointed out that and girls are employed as household agents and remit home an estimated the situation had snowballed into a “domestic workers,” and it is estimated US$ 7,241.5 million --- the single major crisis to the extent that Lankan that millions of poor women from largest foreign exchange earnings missions, in those countries, are faced countries such as Bangladesh, the of the country. Despite the fact that with the problem of accommodating Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and some maids back home revealed their runaway maids who have somehow Nepal, work as “household maids” horrifying stories, Sri Lankan maids in managed to escape from the clutches in the countries of the GCC. Men and a bid to make a fortune want to reach of their original sponsor for returning boys are hired too for menial tasks the land of opportunities by hook or home. Since the owner retains the and exploited inhumanely. crook. A major chunk of Sri Lanka’s passport, the embassy has to make Kevin Hyland, Britain’s Independent foreign remittance comes through arrangements for their departure Anti-Slavery Commissioner says, “The these maids despite the fact no action accordingly. A significant number sad and simple truth is that the anti- is being taken against the human of Lankan maids have even returned slavery movement has so far failed. traffickers. to Sri Lanka injured and in a state of Modern slavery continues to boom as However, the revelation made by shock due to ill treatment by those an industry, and criminals continue to Secretary to the Sri Lankan Ministry of who had employed them. The ‘secret view it as a low risk and high reward Foreign Employment, W.J. Vithanage, bidding’ for Lankan maids, which has crime. Multilateral efforts against recently to ‘Ceylon Today’ jolted been disclosed by a senior foreign slavery are siloed and fragmented, his ministry and shocked the entire ministry official created quite a stir with little effort made for strategic country. Talking to the newspaper, he in the Sri Lankan public who are coordination. And nations that are said, “A well-organized mafia network demanding a proper investigation major sources and destinations of is exploiting Lankan women who seek so that appropriate action may be trafficking schemes and victims are jobs abroad and the manner in which taken to curb this ugly new trend and more often than not unwilling to share the auctions of Lankan maids is carried to protect innocent Lankan maids data and coordination of activity. out, highlights that slavery still exists as well as to break the backbone of Globally, nearly 21 million people in Arab countries where women, from the mafia engaged in clandestine are victims of human trafficking, underprivileged backgrounds, are put slavery. Foreign Ministry sources according to the UN’s International through torment.” The description have revealed that the bulk of the Labour Organization. An estimated given by him exposed the new trend in malpractices involving Lankan maids 4.5 million of them are forced into the job market in Arab countries which have been reported from Kuwait and sex work.” is by all means simply horrible for they Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent, Whatever Sri Lanka is doing to are playing with the lives of innocent other West Asian countries. stop the secret bidding of maids, there maids. Lankan missions in those With the evidence available so is also a need for a concerted effort countries are receiving complaints far, the Sri Lankan government is all from the UN to curb this menace. from the maids of maltreatment by set to take prompt action against the It will need a consistent, planned the employer on a daily basis. Several human traffickers and develop proper and coordinated final push to such tragic stories have come out in some coordination with the countries practices. Yet, notwithstanding newspapers on the pathetic state of that employ Lankan maids, in large the challenges, it is time for doing innocent Lankan maids who find numbers, to ensure that maids something on a war footing to do employment abroad, particularly in exported to these countries are away with this nuisance. the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. Such treated according to the prescribed stories have certainly tarnished the human rights rules. The Sri Lankan The writer is a free-lance journalist.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 57 FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

New Frontier The e-commerce sector in Nepal is rapidly developing and evolving towards market success.

By Muhammad Omar Iftikhar

epal, a landlocked country, is to put another feather in its cap by domain. Nepal Television began pursuing its digital dreams with boosting its e-commerce industry – a broadcasting in 1984 and after nearly Npassion and persistence. It has feat that may take the country to new 33 years, Nepal is setting foot in the Mount Everest but it is now struggling heights in the world’s e-commerce digital space with aims of expanding

58 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 its e-commerce business. and diplomatic ties with other South show that criminals might pounce According to reports, Nepal’s Asian countries and even beyond. over an opportunity to conduct promising e-commerce business may Although Nepal already has immoral acts once the e-commerce receive a lift in the right direction banks that offer online banking portals in Nepal are flourishing. through its banking sector. Already through which users can transfer According to www. in the beta phase, an online trading funds and check their balance, the internetlivestats.com, by July 2016, system has been introduced by Nabil introduction of the e-commerce there were 4,962,323 internet users Bank. Later, the Himalayan Bank platforms will boost Nepal’s digital with a penetration of 17.2%. In 2010, launched its own online trading presence. It will definitely take time however, this figure was 2,131,260 portal. Although both these portals for Nepal to come at par with leading with a penetration of 7.9%. It is are in their initial phases with quality e-commerce businesses of the world; perhaps because of market research tests being conducted for effective nevertheless, it is a first step and must and studying online market dynamics of Nepal’s citizens that the Nabil Bank and the Himalayan Bank decided to launch their respective e-portals. It can be expected that with the rise Nepal’s promising e-commerce of the e-commerce industry, more people may buy internet services to business may receive a lift in the right conduct online trading or purchase of goods and services online, which direction through its banking sector. will eventually also boost the telecom industry in the country. The birth of e-commerce portals in Nepal will also upgrade its standard of living. New companies – physical operations, the two banks are taking be appreciated. and online – emerging to compete Nepal into the future of online Once the Nabil Bank and the in the race for digital businesses will banking. Moreover, adding credibility Himalayan Bank officially begin provide employment opportunities to their purpose are companies such their online services, debit and while adding value to Nepal’s as Mastercard and Visa, which have credit cardholders can shop online economy. Since there was previously guaranteed customers to make their via websites and e-commerce sites. no such e-commerce project initiated transactions in a safe and secure It is imperative that these websites in Nepal, it shows that no company environment. These banks have made integrate their payment gateways to or financial institution was willing efforts in taking Nepal into the future these two banks. Time will tell how to take the risk of venturing into as these services will be the first of many online businesses will integrate unknown territory. Moreover, such their kind. their payment modules with these investors in Nepal who are reluctant Account holders will use these banks as it will herald a new era of to invest in new ventures because digital services for purchasing revenue generation and business of fear of failure can start their own of goods from online stores and strategy. In 1995, Nabil Bank, then e-commerce businesses and control e-commerce portals. The banks will Nepal Arab Bank, first introduced their assets accordingly. also provide users the opportunity credit cards in Nepal. This goes to However, the e-commerce sector to engage in online trading using show that after nearly two decades, in Nepal must realize that much their electronic cards. The only there is much proliferation in debit effort, dedication and resolve along restriction, as of now, is that Union and credits users in Nepal. According with loyalty, honesty and morality Pay International, American Express, to the Nepal Rastra Bank (Central are needed to begin a business and Mastercard or Visa should operate Bank of Nepal), by mid-August 2014, then take it towards success. The these electronic cards. Perhaps the the total credit cards in circulation in e-commerce sector in Nepal is in its banks want to limit any unforeseen Nepal were 57,898 while by the same introductory stage, as per the product incidents or errors, which is why time, the debit cards issued stood at life cycle. The next stage will be the they are allowing only those global a staggering 3.69 million. According growth stage when new businesses payment and technology companies to the Central Bank of Nepal, banks will enter. Will a single company that already enjoy brand credibility and financial institutions have issued create a monopoly in this business across the world. Perhaps in future, nearly 5.1 million debit cards in the sector is yet to be seen. Since the Nepal may allow other companies to country while 64,140 credit cards are e-commerce setup will also deliver introduce their electronic cards. in circulation as per latest figures. orders at the doorstep of buyers, a With the advent of this online With the e-commerce initiative system of logistics and transport will initiative, Nepal’s residents can expected to have a bright future, the be needed to meet this objective. carry out trading in the digital government along with concerned This again will not only provide jobs environment, purchase goods and authorities should implement strict to the needy but will also develop the services from e-commerce portals measures to prevent online users logistics and transport sector in Nepal or open their own portals. If such becoming victims of cyber crimes. as goods to be sold on the websites online initiatives go according to According to the Metropolitan Crime must be delivered to a warehouse plan, the Nepalese can emerge as Division in Teku, Kathmandu, around where inventory is managed and regional online entrepreneurs and 560 cases of cyber crime have been stored. enhance their standards of living and registered in the first six months of bolstering Nepal’s regional, trade fiscal year 2016-17, which goes to The writer is a free-lance columnist.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 59 FEATURE VIOLENCE

Yameen Rashid

Another Murder Is the Maldives a free Muslim nation or is it hemmed in by the authoritarianism of religion which is negatively affecting its future course?

By Farhia Jabbar

he Maldives has always been A rising threat of targeting bloggers spoke out against the government of considered as an attraction for is becoming a serious concern in the the Maldives and radical Ttourists because of its beautiful Maldives. Several bloggers have been was brutally stabbed to death in his beaches and scenic serenity. But the targeted for voicing their opinions about apartment building in Malé. Because of calm waters of the country do not the politicians of the country. Recently the country’s strategic location on one reveal the reality of the undercurrent in blogger and social media personality, of the world’s most critical oil routes, the the real world. Yameen Rasheed, 29, who regularly Maldives’ tilt towards fundamentalism

60 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 is bound to have global consequences. Approximately 1 million tourists visit the Maldives on an annual basis. These tourists are mainly from Western Europe, including France, Britain, Germany and Italy who are attracted by the calm and tropical paradise. But the real Maldives is different. There are clear demarcations of the local islands from the resorts not just in terms of their geographical dissimilarity, but also because of the variance in culture and financial differences. The country is 100% Islamic and has established norms like ban of alcohol (outside the resort islands) and limited liberty of expression. Fundamentalism had existed for a long time in the country and it steadily made its way up as the locals needed a vent to express themselves. With the social media growing in all directions, bloggers like Yameen found their voice. After the murder. He identified himself as a ‘disobedient writer’ online, and had often criticized radical Islam in his posts and made fun of politicians while blogging. Out of a population of 400,000, The country has been experiencing fanaticism but such brutalities are clear approximately 200 young Maldivians have signs of danger. Out of a population of 400,000, approximately 200 young gone to the Middle East to fight for ISIS. Maldivians have gone to the Middle East to fight for ISIS. This is one of the reasons why the foreign office has warned of a ‘heightened threat’ to Brits who visit the The killing of the blogger is not bloggers who are found guilty of Maldives for a holiday. the first episode of such a gruesome slander. Such a divide between the tourist- killing. It has happened before and is Harbouring such fanaticism and centered areas and the local areas in a rising concern. This is not some ad not taking any action has given these terms of religious beliefs, economic hoc hate crime that can be dealt with sects the strength to spread their wings prosperity and education has not been independently of the political and and infest society. Killing an individual given due attention. The government religious scenario. The killing was in line because he voiced his opinions is an has not played its due role in curbing the with the political tension that increased alarming situation and it’s a point where situation and lessening the difference. in the country after the unsuccessful the government should take a stand. Yameen had been receiving death attempt of the opposition to prosecute However, it is apparent that because threats for a long time on social media the parliamentary speaker. A partnership of its vested interests, the government because of his blog. Even though he of opposition parties which was led is letting this trend grow and not kept a public record of these threats and by Nasheed was trying to undermine curbing the extremism. In fact, despite comments, no legal action was taken by President Yameen before the elections complaining to the police, no action the government. The wave of radicalism to be held next year. Such an act also was taken when Yameen and others had existed for long and for a liberal spells out the rise of fanaticism and how like him were threatened. Yameen had Muslim country, the Maldives had its such hate crimes are taking over a once been terrified and had approached youth being radicalized because of low peaceful country. This growing unstable the police several times but to no educational levels, gang crimes and environment and dangerous mindset in avail. Then questions arise: is Yameen increasing social problems in society. the Maldives, all in the name of religion Rasheed’s murder really to be blamed Yameen Rasheed was from the new has not only contorted Islam but is also on the fanatics or is the police equally generation of young and progressing an alarming situation where freedom of involved? Why did not the police take Maldivians who constantly stand speech doesn’t exist. action and protect him? Is the state truly against the constraints of authority and This is only the beginning of an liberal or is it webbed in by extremist support a liberal, secular and complete ongoing struggle as all the opposition views and has engulfed the freedom democracy. They are liberated in their leaders are either in exile or imprisoned of words in its truest sense? Of course mindsets and thought processes and following a crackdown on rebellion such negligence by the government will are not afraid to spell out the state’s under the President’s leadership. Such a cost the country its freedom of thought, abuses of power even though they political state of the country has raised voice, action, economic downfall and live in the shadow of an authoritarian fears over its stability and marred its rear a new breed of mindset which will government. They do not have absolute image as a tourist paradise. Yameen’s affect not only the locals but the entire beliefs but they do not compromise government has restricted freedom of region. where their advocacy of human rights speech and assembly, imposing heavy is concerned. fines on journalists and social media The writer is a member of the staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 61 Southasia 15 Years Ago SLUG

Southasia, 2002

62 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017