theSun | WEDNESDAY MARCH 18 2009 TELLING IT AS IT IS œ 13

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Is Pakistan trading
ing regulations would allow for some
elements of Islamic legal principles
practised locally throughout history,
public mandatory education of girls
would be guaranteed.”
One welcome change would be
to tackle prevalent grievances about
quickly. It should rebuild schools and
restart basic services to gain public
support – key to counter-insurgency
efforts – and revamp its failed mili-
tary strategy to prepare for any future
outbreak of hostilities.
Changing tactics may be necessary

Syariah for peace?

the costly and slow pace of justice for long-term stability and the rule of
that partly account for the support for law in Swat. In the short-run, it may
Taliban courts. Nonetheless, the fun- tragically require trading justice for
damental questions remain. Who will peace – a trade Swat’s people seem
be the ultimate arbiter of Syariah? If to have embraced for now having
the state, will the militants abide by swarmed the streets to celebrate
this order or wriggle out by declaring Muhammad’s peace march after the
the laws insufficiently Islamic? deal was announced. Still, the govern-
by Ziad Haider family ties: Fazlullah the other. They argue it dangerously In contrast to this legal murkiness, ment has undoubtedly gambled with
is his son-in-law. yields territory; emboldens militancy; what is clear is that the state has ut- repercussions for counter-insurgency
PAKISTAN is locked The deal essen- and will be short-lived, as have all terly failed to secure the Swat Valley efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
in an existential tially swaps Syariah previous such deals. Moreover, it over two bloody years. It must hedge as best as it can by
struggle with Islamic for peace. “We will will compromise basic rights in Swat The deal thus has three key consolidating the peace and its writ
militant groups in its hold talks with the and the very character of Pakistan upsides. First, it provides a reprieve in the interim. The possibility of lethal
frontier. While global Taliban and urge by ushering in Taliban-style Islamic for Swat’s war-weary people – a relapse looms large.
attention has focused them to lay down laws at the whim of militant non-state responsibility no elected government
on military operations arms,” said Muham- actors. can shun. Second, it drives a wedge
in the radicalised mad. “The aim of The government has downplayed between the Taliban and the TNSM The writer is a former Fulbright
federally adminis- Taliban and TNSM is Syariah-related concerns claiming whose collaboration distinguishes Scholar in Malaysia and a graduate
tered tribal areas, Freespace to enforce Syariah in labels may change but laws will this deal from previous ones. Third, student at Harvard University’s John
10,000 troops in the Malakand division. largely remain the same: “Although it gives the government a chance to F. Kennedy School of Government.
Northwest Frontier Where young views rule It has been achieved some technical amendments to exist- re-extend its writ. But it must move Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
Province’s Swat Valley and now there is no
have failed to subdue 3,000 local justification for taking up arms
and foreign fighters (primarily and attacking government instal-
Arabs and Uzbeks) led by a 34- lations.”
year-old Taliban commander Yet the specifics are vague. Is
named Fazlullah. introducing Syariah a precondi-
Two years of beheadings, tion to peace or vice versa?
floggings, and the burning of Moreover, what does Syariah
nearly two hundred girls schools entail? Islamic legal regulations
have terrorised and displaced were introduced in 1994 and 1999
thousands. From checkpoints to in the Swat Valley establishing
illegal radio broadcasts, “Maula- religious courts. Will these regu-
na FM”, as he is known, reigns lations be beefed up or radically
over 70% of the overhauled? On
territory – a mere security, Fazlull-
hundred miles Although ah has declared
from the capital, some technical an indefinite
Islamabad. amendments to existing ceasefire and
To re-estab- regulations would allow dismantled some
lish its writ, on checkpoints; the
Feb 16, the pro- for some elements of army has halted
vincial govern- Islamic legal principles operations. Now
ment announced practised locally what? No road
a controversial throughout history, public map exists for
deal with a moving for-
banned militant
mandatory education ward.
group, Tehreek- of girls would be “We are
e-Nifaz-e-Shariat guaranteed.” troubled and
Muhammadi confused about
(TNSM). Despite what happened
its leader Sufi Muhammad’s in Swat, because it is not an
armed struggle against the Pa- encouraging trend,” said Rich-
kistani state in the nineties for ard Holbrooke, the US special
the reintroduction of Islamic law representative for Pakistan and
or Syariah in Swat and against Afghanistan, who would later
US forces in Afghanistan, he has inform President Asif Zardari
gone from pariah to peace bro- that the deal was tantamount to
ker. The government is banking surrender.
its writ on this septuagenarian’s Indeed, critics are concerned
standing in the Swat Valley. And about the deal in principle on one
where fame fails, it is counting on hand and its Syariah contours on

letter
letters@thesundaily.com

Bring down prices

of essential items
THE financial stimulus packages
come up to RM67 billion. If you work
this out by our population of 27
million, the government is taking
RM2,481.48 from each taxpayer’s
kitty. Yet, the cost of living has gone
up.
As consumers, we like to know
why everything we eat, drink and
consume is still being sold at old
prices. By right, the prices should
come down, in view of the drop in
petrol prices.
Maybe, the government should
lower the price of petrol down to
RM 1.50 a litre for 97 octane type
petrol.
The domestic trade and consum-
er affairs minister should get his men
out in the field to enforce the law, to
see that prices of essential items,
cooked food, drinks and groceries
are lowered – otherwise revoke the
licences of errant traders.
A plate of char keow teow with
an egg is still sold at RM4.50-RM5
in coffee shops. It was only RM3.50
before the petrol price hikes. And,
a glass of Chinese tea is costs 50
sen-60 sen, and a glass of water 30
sen-40 sen.
The price of roti canai too had
gone up and stayed up even after
the drop in petrol price. Perhaps, the
restaurant operators are still paying
the old price for cooking gas.
The rakyat will only feel the dif-
ference or see a lower cost of living
if the government enforces the law
to get producers and distributors of
essential consumer items, cooked
and uncooked food, groceries and
cooking gas to reduce their prices.
This is will certainly help the rakyat
make it through the hard times.
Lau Bing
Chairman
Consumer Association of
Subang Jaya