Lessons taught by the Taliban

Besides suicide-bombing-made-easy, there are actually a lot of lessons Pakistani society needs to learn from the ongoing insurgency of the Taliban. The whole Taliban debacle has certainly opened up Pakistani society just a wee bit. People have now started talking on issues which were previously considered taboo. People now do tend to analyze religious clerics and what they stand for. The Pakistani society did stand up for the murdered Christians of Gojra and showed their rejection to the politics of hate. But we still have far to go before we can claim Pakistan as a religiously tolerant society and following lessons should be learned:

Why do we have such fiery religious clerics?

All Muslims say that Islam is a religion of peace yet we continue to see the system producing successive militant clerics. These clerics blame all our troubles to be caused either by America or Israel or India, yet they never bother to address issues which are all around them and can be solved just by taking a small initiative. Our society should look into the system which is producing such hatred. There is now a strong need that we start looking at our religion from a fresh perspective.

Can there be a moderate Taliban?

Can there be such a thing as a moderate Taliban? I certainly don't think so. Taliban follow a very rigid religious philosophy according to which they have right to eradicate social evils by taking matters into their own hand. They consider it their rightful duty to prevent girls being sent out to schools, shaving of beards, etc. Those who advocate talking to ‘moderate' Taliban should know that these moderate Taliban will always make life miserable for the people by enforcing their own brand of Islam. If moderate Taliban are let loose, we will continue to see baton-charging-burqa-brigades and morally-right-mullahs.

Education for the people

It seems that the Taliban were following a very well thought out strategy by blowing up schools in Swat and other adjacent areas. Around 100 schools, mostly girls' schools, have been blown up. This strategy shows that the Taliban wanted to keep the masses, especially women, illiterate. By keeping the poor illiterate and by allowing no commercial activity, the Taliban wanted to induct more and more deprived people to their ‘noble' cause.

Justice to the poor

Pakistanis took really serious note of the Taliban issue when government announced enforcement of Sharia Bill in Swat. The Sharia Bill called for speedy justice handed down by the Qazis (religious judges). The Taliban, through this Bill, wanted to get hold of civil administration in Swat by exploiting the corruption and inability of the conventional courts. They had very wisely realized that their movement will get strong support if they start dispensing justice quickly.

As Pakistanis, it is very important for us to take serious note of these lessons as taught to us by Taliban so that we may never again face such an insurgency.

Human rights abuses in Swat: is it a balanced view?

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for an independent investigation on reports of extra-judicial killings by Pakistan army. HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehangir said that the commission had documented accounts of mass graves found in the Swat valley and reports of suspected Taliban militants being thrown out of helicopters and of relatives of suspected terrorists being dragged in public. The army spokesperson, Major General Athar Abbas, on the other hand, has said that his outfit is ready for a full-scale investigation in the presence of independent journalists who would be provided full security.

Now the question which burns in my mind is whether HRCP is really taking a balanced view here? In order to analyze HRCP's stance we should consider that the army operation was called an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis who were disgusted with Taliban's utter disregard to the value of human life and were fed up a series of suicide attacks on civilians. We should also consider numerous Taliban propaganda videos showing army personnel literally being slaughtered using blunt knives.

From my point of view, it does seem that the army had been carrying that grudge for a long time and went in all guns blazing when they got the opportunity. Now I ask myself, was the army wrong in doing whatever it did?

I know that whatever happened in Swat is against basic human rights but is the other option of trying Taliban under a civilian court is even remotely feasible? They will simply be out on bail for lack of evidence and go back to their militant ways.

We should also consider the past beatings, public floggings, beheadings and other numerous other human rights violations committed by the Taliban. Did HRCP consider its duty done just by condemning those heinous crimes against humanity?

Lastly, the role of HRCP acting only as a ‘watchdog' in situations like these also comes to my mind. Is it their only duty to stand on the line and cry foul in such a deep rooted insurgency situation?

I hope if I have made the readers catch my drift as I certainly don't have any answers to these tangled questions. I would request readers to give their comments on this issue.

Textile Policy 2009-14: hard work still ahead

The first ever Textile Policy 2009-14 was announced by the Federal Minister of Textile Industry Rana Farooq Saeed Khan on Wednesday. The policy sets an ambitious target of achieving $ 25 billion over the next 5 years as compared to exports of $ 9.6 billion achieved during last fiscal year.

The policy is really a broad based document which encompasses areas like technology up gradation, infrastructure development, skill development, etc. and addresses rationalization of fiscal measures for the ailing textile industry along with removal of regulatory bottlenecks.
The government has for the first time, addressed all sub sectors of this industry separately with special emphasis on the value added sectors.

The policy provides many measures to address the falling trend of textile exports, but the most notable are as under:

Tiered drawback scheme with maximum benefit to the value added sub sectors.

• Full refund of past R&D Claims.
• The availability of export refinance at 5%.
• Priority in gas and electricity load management.
• Relief on existing long term loans.
• Zero rating of exports.
• Tax free import of machinery.

Although the textile policy is a very comprehensive one and covers almost all the relevant areas of the textile industry like skills development, market support, zero rating of exports, incentives for employment of women and disabled persons, etc. but the government will have to devise a proper SOP framework in order to implement and monitor policies which are contained in the policy. It is really advisable that the government should consider a fast and transparent procedure for the disbursement of funds allocated for various programs. By breaking the overall target of $ 25 billion into intermediate yearly targets will also help the industry in monitoring its own progress. Only timely government decisions will make this policy meaningful and any delay in framework formulation will make this policy ineffective.

Textile Policy 2009-14 is certainly a welcome initiative taken by the government. This policy seeks to revive the ailing textile sector through some key immediate measures and sets a vision for transforming the present textile industry into a new era. The policy looks at the industry from almost every perspective and identifies key areas where investment can bring about fruitful results.

Now that the policy has been unveiled, hard work follows. The government now needs to set its priorities and bring about a framework which will give practical meaning to this policy. Needless to say that this framework should be formulated ASAP, keeping in view that it should be transparent, works fast and should be meaningful to the industry.

By presenting this policy, the government has also recognized that only textile sector can be an engine for rapid growth for Pakistan's economy. If this policy is properly implemented and if due market access is provided, Pakistan's textile industry certainly has the capacity to bring about rapid progress and prosperity which may not be limited to industrial areas only and which may easily spill into the remote areas where progress is really needed.

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=76139

Pakistan: “Schools out” for legislators

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: The federal cabinet decided on Wednesday to do away with the condition of bachelor’s degree for candidates for the Senate and the national and provincial assemblies, in line with the Supreme Court judgment of April 21 last year. Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Pakistan was the only country to have such a condition in a democratic dispensation. (Dawn news)

Now why do legislators need education in Pakistan, as it is certainly an exercise of futility for them and when this exercise spans atleast 14 years, it would certainly seems like a life imprisonment for them. Why would they need education when they can surely confirm parliament seats for their next generations by having this law done away? Do they need to be taught manners which education teaches us? They certainly don’t need it. Why would they need education when their entire world revolves around their huge mansion, their shiny SUV’s and their endless police escorts? Why would their children need education when they are surely to follow in their fathers’ footsteps? What good does education brings when they only have to nod at their party bosses? What good would it do to a legislator by reading this article? We ordinary Pakistanis need ask this first from ourselves and then from our esteemed legislators.

What a great rationale has been given by our Information Minister that as the whole world doesn’t have that condition, therefore Pakistan should follow suit. Do I need to remind the honorable minister that our literacy rate is one of the poorest in the world and by throwing away this a law he is spelling doom for our country? Would he even care about that?

If the same rationale is followed then why do we need education afterall? Why do we need to throw away 20 odd years of life after this exercise in futility? If I can become a legislator without having one why can’t I become a doctor or a lawyer without it?

Maybe we need more of such legislators who first hailed the enforcement of Sharia in Swat and within one week turned around and applauded the army operation. Maybe we need more of same kind who termed killing and burial of women in Balochistan as their ‘custom’. Maybe it would do good for all of us if we just let Taliban blowup all the schools allover Pakistan?

Maybe I should immediately take my child off his school and enlist him in a political party as he certainly don’t need the bloody education and I certainly don’t have the spare money to go through his laborious exercise in futility which in the end would do him no good.

Change we really need (part II)

The Repentance

"And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you the skies pouring abundant rain, and add strength to your strength: so turn ye not back in sin!" Verse # 52, Surah 11. Hud (The Boundry?)

And so Greed Inc. under the able leadership of its CEO, Mr. Adam Smith, may have closed its doors for now but there is a big chance that the corporation would stage a stronger comeback unless something is done about it.

The change which we now look forward is the change in concept of ‘equity’ in corporations. Why can’t the concept of ‘equity’ can now be changed from one of amassing wealth to equal distribution of wealth? Now why the true strength of corporations judged not from the monetary reserves which they have but rather from the prosperity which they distributed to their employees and their communities? Why would only shareholders continue be the stakeholders?
This is indeed the true change we now need from the future generation of entrepreneurs who will now be flexing their wings to take flight. This is certainly the change expected from them which will herald a new era of change elsewhere in our lives.

It is He, Who doth show you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope: It is He, Who doth raise up the clouds, heavy with (fertilizing) rain! Verse # 12, Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder)

Textbooks on biology do not tell us that the human race is actually a parasite, but I consider it so. We continue to suck out vital natural resources from the belly of our host body, the mother earth, which are badly needed by us in order to sustain our daily business. Scientists are looking to the stars for our continuing survival and the mankind will hop to some new planet as the mother earth slowly dies. The change we really need now is to look for alternate ideas which are in harmony to nature rather than our ‘slash-and-burn’ policies which are actually spelling our doom.

I ask myself if I am too big a dreamer to dream of change in governments and their attitudes towards their people. We certainly need and would welcome a change in this regard. Why would people continue to be a number in the hands of economists only to show how many have died of hunger and malnutrition? Why cant people replace statistics? And why market forces be allowed to roam free forcing farmers to destroy their excess crops when millions go hungry everyday?

Now its our choice whether to pay heed to wakeup call from God or we have a choice to go about our ways and wait for yet another wakeup call which may be not as subtle as this one.

And if indeed thou ask them who it is that sends down rain from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death, they will certainly reply, "(Allah)!" Say, "Praise be to Allah." But most of them understand not. Verse # 63, Surah 29. Al-‘Ankabut (The Spider)