WEEKENDER
TW. Volume 01-09 Regd PB-23
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Ranikot Fort
Jamshoro
A
mysterious edifice, Ranikot Fort is located at Jamshoro, home of the
University of Sindh, in district Dadu. An astonishing feat of ancient en-
gineering the fort is sandwiched between Lakki Mountain of Kirthar
Mountain Range, 30 km southwest of famous town of Sann. Reputed
to be the largest fort anywhere, Ranikot Fort spans an area of 26 kilometers in
circumference with fortification walls spread over 35 kilometers. It suddenly ap-
pears on the horizon astonishing passersby and visitor alike.
Built in an isolated area the fort does not appear to be a fortification designed
to protect anything. Equally enigmatic is the origin of the fort as its history is
shrouded in mystery. Historians speculate that it was built in ancient times by
Persians during Greek advance in the east. Some parts of the forts were added
by Mirs of Sindh in the 17th century particularly by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur
and his brother Mir Murad Ali at the cost of Rs.1.2 million. The fort constituted
the last capital of Amirs of Sindh before they came under subjugation of the co-
lonial rule.
Since 1993 Ranikot Fort is on the list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage
Sites. The large fortification walls are built with yellow sandstone that crisscross
over the stretched barren hills. 45 semi-circular bastions are installed at regular
. .
intervals of the walls that surround the fort on three sides. The northern side
is covered by hills that serve as a natural barrier. It is estimated that only 8 km
of the walls are man-made while the rest of them are surrounded by hills and
mountains. The fort spreads out in a zigzag form with four entry gates consti-
tuting entry gates in the shape of a rhomboid. Along with the main fort exits a
fortress known as ‘Meeri’, reputed to be the residence of Mirs of Sindh.
26-01 JUNE 2018
Enchanting Pakistan 32
The
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T Caretaker round!
he race for getting positions in caretakers set up has been
going on for some time. One prospective candidate, who
held prestigious offices in the country and abroad, failed
to hold his drink and admitted to his intense lobbying for
the job. The assortment of candidates for the position of caretaker
PM is nothing but a bunch of opportunists who value this vacuous
office so highly that they are willing to go to any extent to get hold
of it. Some candidates are promoting themselves through the media
hoping that their mention for the top slot in newspaper reports will
Lull before storm in Kashmir facilitate them in their other ventures. Unfortunately, no one in the
Page 3 land appreciates the waste of resources that the dissatisfying exer-
cise of installing a toothless top executive comprising of people with
peripheral experience of real governance will bring about. It is also
not realised that the caretaker experience has singularly failed in
Pakistan as was amply illustrated by four months of dharna against
.
2013 elections held under the ‘vigilant’ supervision of caretakers.
Repeating a failed exercise without realising the intense folly inher-
ent in it speaks volumes about the lack of capacity of all elements
associated with governance. The caretakers will have their two
months of glory in which they will pay attention to everything but
the electoral process and the election itself.
Electoral Reform
Page 16
Bundle of hopes or just rhetoric
P
TI has unveiled a Pandora’s Box in the shape of impossible
promises that crisscrosses limits of intelligence and pru-
dence. The party that is already acting as the winner of the
coming elections is being advised to dole out mouth-watering
prospects to the electorate as it knows that the traditions entails that
electoral promises are not to be kept. It has gone off the rocker while
Pakistan and its alliances with the US promising 10 million jobs that has even evoked humorous disgust
Page 6 from the general public. The party leadership appears to be carried
away by popular response to its rallies and it thinks that everything
is possible and deliverable. Like its predecessors, PTI does not believe
in the credibility of its proclamations and is convinced that the people
are attuned to accept anything rolled their way. This is the typical para-
noia afflicting the political class of Pakistan. They willingly ignore that
disappointment is the first level of public orientation and its sets much
before the end of the 100 days allocated for fulfilling the tall promises.
It is however surprising to observe what on earth made the apparently
sane top leadership of PTI that includes fairly experienced private-sec-
tor guys to jump sky-high. Is it afraid that it may lose the electoral con-
test unless it attracts people with unbelieavable rhetoric?
Gina Haspel
First woman to head CIA Page 25
Is Harry right?
O
f all the places he met her on a blind date! Very
surprisingly the wacky prince had been dating
beauties of his times but fell for an ugly duckling.
The 33 years old prince who is sixth in line to the
British throne was bowled over by 36 years old American
lady of not a great reputation and did not mind bringing this
The right royal wedding
mixed-race person into his royal family. Well, on the face of
Page 22
it the match sounds a great leveller but on the practical side
it smacks of something nutty in the ginger-haired royal stud.
He is said to have inherited the frivolous side of his mother
and is carried away often. It is also said that a stern hand
is required to keep him steady but the tacky world of royal
.
privilege is famous for off-balancing its inhabitants. The love
match also reflects that the British royalty has not lost its
fascination for American female species as this happening
mirrors a similar thing that happened 82 years ago but then
it was the king who lost his crown and Harry has no chance
of ever wearing a crown. So just chill!
The one and only Alam Lohar
Page 26
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
T
he political temperature
in the country is going up
as much as the mercury
that has roasted the peo-
ple of Pakistan in recent days who
are left to suffer as mostly state-
owned utility providing agencies
have yet again demonstrated how
rotten they are. The governance
structure is completely ignorant of
the welfare of the people as well
as the complications inherent in
the electoral process and instead is
wasting its energies on nomination
of a caretaker government without
realising the futility of such a stop-
gap arrangement.
The political temperature usual-
ly rises as election time comes near-
er but this time the heat generated
is far above the expected levels of
temperature. It is not just the elec-
tion fever that is gripping the coun-
try but it is the divergence of prior-
ities of political groupings that are
causing temperatures to go high. It
is not only PMLN that has taken an
aggressive stance against the state
institutions but also populist eth-
nic and religious outfits that are, in
their own ways, contributing to in-
creasing heat.
To begin with Pakistani political
system had never been subjected
to divergent strategies of the party
in power and such a development
is unique in its nature. The vigor-
ous public meetings organised by
Nawaz Sharif throughout Punjab
are not only adding to the confu-
sion but also indicate the growing
chances of confrontation between
status-quo oriented Punjab govern-
ment whose chief minister has a lot
to lose once Nawaz Sharif’s singular
crusade gets nasty. Shahbaz Sharif
may get along with his elder broth-
To begin with
Pakistani political
system had never
been subjected to
divergent strategies
of the party in power
and such a
development is
unique in its nature
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Things heating up
er’s peregrinations but it appears
that he is fast reaching the end of the
tether as his cohort is getting jittery
by the day. The significant question
for PMLN election campaign will be
that what posture it will take on the
campaign trail. It will be very ugly
to see the party cadres being pulled
in different directions.
On the other hand PTI is prac-
tically gloating over its impending
success though the proverb there is
a lot of slip between the cup and the
lip specifically is meant for political
unpredictabilities. The party also
suffers from lack of coordination at
all levels and particularly its high
level often shows the visible cracks.
Its one point agenda of damning ev-
eryone else in the fray is a sure reci-
pe for adding fuel to already well-lit
fires.
PPP and its allies are busy trying
to capitalise on the support they
rendered during the senate elec-
tions and expect that some form
of political engineering will be un-
dertaken to benefit them. The MQM
fracas will not put water on burning
logs but will add to their potency as
the extremist element of the groups
Patron: Ayaz R.Qaisar Managing Editor and Publisher: Asrar Raouf
Editor: M Ali Siddiqi Consulting Editor: Saud Mirza Features Editor: Abdul Basit
Zoya Ansari, Nida Faraz
Graphics: Zeeshan Khan Computer Operator: Raees Muhammad
associated with it is waiting in the
wings to pounce on its politicos pre-
paring for the electoral contest. The
ferocity of competition between
various factions of MQM will create
a fire of its own.
Adding to the turmoil is the
resurgence of ethnic forces that
now have sprung from the north-
ern parts of the country and could
prove dangerous in the long run.
The insistence of such groups to
make the country aware of their
protestations with a view to carve
out a niche in the mainstream polit-
ical arena has not only worried the
state-apparatus but has also ran-
kled the fears of ethnic groups in KP,
Balochistan and rural Sindh.
The most unpredictable factor
in the current heat is the extreme
right factor that apparently has not
given satisfactory description of
its political strategy. The most po-
tent of these groups belong to the
religious sect most followed in the
country and it holds the most cred-
ible mosque factor in the land. Such
groups have normally shown the
tendency to emphasise the basic
ideological premise and seek votes
Editorial
The socio-political atmosphere in the
country is a powder-keg waiting to
explode. It appears difficult for the
authorities to come to grips with this
electric environment as they lack a
strong central guidance
on its basis. In recent bye-elections
the performance of these groups
surprised skeptics and they are
quite capable to repeat it.
The socio-political atmosphere
in the country is a powder-keg wait-
ing to explode. It appears difficult
for the authorities to come to grips
with this electric environment as
they lack a strong central guidance.
The regular official agencies have
hardly a clue about how to handle
the situation as is evident by the
laid-back attitude of the Election
Commission that is still not been
able to dispose of all petitions re-
garding delimitation of constituen-
cies.
The appointment of a caretaker
administration is surely going to
2 WEEKENDE
add to the problems as its bigwigs
will become immediately busy in
pursuing their own agendas as was
witnessed in the past. The tentative
nature of their job otherwise does
not allow them necessary leeway
and they usually resign to their
fates.
The need for a strong guiding
spirit is there as in the case of Pa-
kistan more democracy is not the
ultimate panacea. The democratic
process needs a strong hand to save
it from itself. The history of Paki-
.
stan implores us to realise that left
to political forces the temperatures
invariably reach the boiling point
and the pot often bursts. Some-
thing should be done before it is too
late.
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Leisure 31
Horoscopes
Aries Taurus
Mar 21 - Apr 19 Why not radically change the way you behave toward others, Aries? You’re in Apr 20 - May 20 This could be a good day to try relaxation techniques that are a little bit
the process of orienting yourself toward establishing relationships that are more solid and en- out of the ordinary. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even learn something from these unorthodox
riching, with far fewer risks involved. This wasn’t the case before. When you don’t try so hard to methods. Why not explore shiatsu or polarity? These techniques can do wonders for restoring
seduce and impress, your audience claps louder. Just be yourself, and gain approval. your energy, an element that has been in short supply for you lately. Give it a try. As the good
doctor said, “This won’t hurt a bit.”
Gemini Cancer
May 21 - Jun 20 Currently, you are in the midst of some profound questioning about your emo- Jun 21 - Jul 22 If you find your companions a bit too stodgy, today is the day to jostle them
tional attitudes. You’ll probably find yourself totally free of inhibitions, much to your delight. out of complacency. You may enjoy experimenting with a bit of naughtiness. For example,
It’s an opportunity to meet new people and perhaps become a bit more open-minded. You can how will the people around you react if you flout certain social taboos, such as talking openly
expect lively events and much pleasure from love. about sex? Since you’re comfortable with the subject, why not have fun stretching the limits
of convention?
Leo Virgo
Jul 23 - Aug 22 There is the likelihood that you’ve been a bit of a loner lately. It’s as though you Aug 23 - Sep 22 Is there some material need weighing on your spirit right now, Virgo? If you
decided to look at things differently from the rest of the world, rejecting the individualistic view- can’t see how to solve the problem alone, why not discuss it with your friends? They may have
point in favor of a more global one. Today, you may achieve a new phase in this process. You may some ideas. Today, the word “impossible” has been banished from the English language. Take
attain some summit of consciousness from which you finally have the ability to forgive! advantage of the opportunity to look for solutions in unlikely places.
Libra Scorpio
Sep 23 - Oct 22 Today’s prospects should suit the dynamic, idealistic being that you are, espe- Oct 23 - Nov 21 There’s an excellent day on the horizon, Scorpio. If you feel hemmed in by
cially right now. There will be some criticism in the air, and you won’t miss an opportunity to fears or uncertainties in your love life, the day ahead will give you the courage to discuss
punctuate your comments with your famous irony. Your viewpoints on corporate rigidity and these matters with your mate. Even if more time is necessary to settle things completely, you
conformist attitudes are well known, but today your sense of humor prevails and people listen should make good use of today’s clear communication channels. You won’t be disappointed
to you with pleasure! (and neither will your mate).
Sagittarius Capricorn
Nov 22 - Dec 21 You can expect to be more and more interested in new technologies these days, Dec 22 - Jan 19 For a while now, a certain number of planetary configurations have been
Sagittarius. What you once considered very progressive now seems much closer to reality. You’ll continually pushing you to become aware that you live on a whole planet and not just in a city
notice to what an extent it is now crucial for you to align yourself with the cutting-edge technol- or neighborhood. You’re becoming more aware of society at large, Capricorn. This means that
ogy that surrounds you. Don’t hesitate. You are by definition a pioneer, so full speed ahead to you may be increasingly attracted to large-scale movements. Now is the time to get involved!
these new frontiers!
Aquarius Pisces
Jan 20 - Feb 18 The current configuration of the planets will make you the bearer of a new phi- Feb 19 - Mar 20 You may feel that you’ve made real progress in your relationships, Pisces.
losophy, Aquarius. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be New Age, but more precisely that you’ll have
ideas that evolved from it. It’s easy to imagine you attending conferences given by the leading
And you’re right to feel this way. “Evolution” best defines the path you’re on right now. You can
be proud of yourself, because the work you do on an individual level is the best way for you to
minds of the day. Most assuredly, you’re searching for answers. Be careful about being too easily contribute to the development of society. This way of taking action is no less important than
convinced by any “truth” that comes your way. the work done by global organizations.
Crossword Maze
Across
1. Anteater (8)
4. Parts of a play (4)
8. Unfathomable (7)
10. Declare invalid (5)
11. Permit (5)
12. Mariner (7)
13. Denunciation (6)
15. Polar region (6)
19. Amalgamated (7)
21. Publish (5)
23. Din (5)
24. Aromatic herb (7)
25. Hazard (4)
26. Edible snail (8)
Down
1. Intransigent (7)
2. Majestic (5)
3. Gusto (6)
5. Devise or invent (7)
6. Storage towers (5)
7. Cab (4)
9. Darned (5)
14. Dried grapes (7)
16. Salary increase (5)
17. Cigar (7)
18. Detestable (6)
19. Relating to an arm bone (5)
20. Notion (4) Last week’s solution
22. Vernacular (5)
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Rabia Anum & Sami Khan hosting Geo TV’s special Ramzan
Transmission
Students of VIP Public School Hyderabad
PTCL’s Hike Trip in Islamabad
Peshawar Zalmi launches first ever school cricket league
Funfair hosted at Sukkur
Social roundup
Meeting between Punjab University and Arizona State University
in Lahore
Meeting between Punjab University and Arizona State University
in Lahore
KGS student wins ESUP public speaking competition
Seminar on critical perspectives of art and education
Three days exhibition Blue Fair in Multan Sindh Madarsatul Islam students visit Pakistan Monument in Islamabad
30 WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Lull before storm in Kashmir
Muhammad Rafique is concerned about
the plight of the Kashmiri Muslims
T
he Indian government capitalised
on the religious observance of
Ramzan that is dawn-to-dusk effort
undertaken by the Muslims to seek
the munificence of Almighty Allah. The Mus-
lims prefer observing the fast and keeping
themselves devotedly busy in religious offer-
ings throughout the day and most of the night.
The Indian government does not realise
that the lull witnessed during Ramzan in the
freedom campaign launched by Kashmiri
freedom fighters also results in a renewed
Sanam Baloch vigour in them for their cause and that they
do not take Indian proclamation of ceasefire
as a specific concession given to them but
treat it as the opportunity to focus on acquir-
ing the God’s will and assistance for their
struggle. Accordingly the resistance has is-
sued no comment on Indian offer indicating
that it does not feel bound by it.
The violence in Kashmir is gradually wors-
ening as the first five months of this year
saw a loss of 115 lives and April proved to
be worst month as casualties exceeded the
high mark of 50. Violence in the valley is
indiscriminate and the bullets prone to hit
anyone. The unfortunate demise of Dr Rafi
Bhat assistant professor of sociology at the
University of Kashmir whose bullet-riddled
body was found out of town in Shopian indi-
cates a growing alienation from Indian rule.
The professor repeatedly showed his anger at
the hard line attitude taken by Indian military
in Kashmir.
Urwa Hocane The grit and icy determination of the
Pakistan is emerging as
a strong constituency in
Kashmir more so because
the insurgency is
indigenous in nature and
the Kashmiris have given
their blood to show that
they do not want to live
with India
Mountain Dew’s extreme biking
Kashmiris were also revealed when Naeem
Fazli, principal of a government school an-
nounced the martyrdom of his son, Esa Fazli
on Facebook and led his funeral prayers with-
out shedding a tear. This incident is a mas-
sive proof of the involvement of all Kashmiris
irrespective of their age and gender in the
freedom struggle and that they consider it as
the ultimate form of achieving independence.
Such feelings are simply irrepressible and it is
futile to suppress them.
The arrogant and stymied policies of BJP
government have done more harm to the In-
dian cause as toughening up the security has
given rise to incessant violence that has bred
alienation. The blind-alley Indian government
finds itself in has made Pakistan to emerge as
a stakeholder despite the maximum attempts
of successive Indian governments to preclude
such a possibility since seven decades. Keen
observers of the situation now have started
conceding that Two-Nation theory was in ac-
tual fact the correct depiction of the widening
Dr. Rafi Bhatt
Naeem Fazli at his son Esa Fazli’s funeral
gap between Muslims and Hindus and that
such a gap cannot be bridged.
Pakistan is emerging as a strong constitu-
ency in Kashmir more so because the insur-
gency is indigenous in nature and the Kash-
miris have given their blood to show that they
do not want to live with India. Their inclina-
tion towards Pakistanis is the natural reac-
tion of the repressive policies of followed by
India in Kashmir. The situation has come to a
pass where no reversal is possible and no one
seems to have a remedy for it. Already an en-
tire generation has fallen prey to the violence
and the need for solution is urgent.
New Delhi is widely accused of violating
human rights in Kashmir and the growing in-
ternational murmur has compelled the Indi-
an government to engage All Parties Hurriyat
Conference (APHC) and through it to estab-
lish a dialogue with Pakistan. Up till now the
situation in the valley aggravated due to the
no-dialogue approach of the Indian govern-
ment. The Indian government needs to wake
Opinion 3
India should also be aware
that fierce and bloody
resistance cannot be
contained by engaging
with political and social
leaders who have little
control over their armed
cadres
up to the reality of the situation and should
initiate dialogue sooner than later.
It is very clear that the Kashmir problem
cannot be solved through coercive means.
History dictates that long-term conflicts re-
quire engagement with affected groups so
that their demands are met. In case of Kash-
mir the writing on the wall is very clear. The
resistance has proven its merit and it is not
going to go back unless its basic demands are
met.
India should also be aware that fierce and
bloody resistance cannot be contained by en-
gaging with political and social leaders who
have little control over their armed cadres. It
may be possible that the current political ven-
ues in Kashmir have become redundant for
the major part of the resistance movement.
Any dialogue with such interlocutors will
prove meaningless as the freedom fighters
will not accord recognition to them.
The Kashmir freedom movement has ex-
tremely recognisable signs and it should be
appropriate to engage with it directly. Pa-
kistan can very well facilitate the dialogue
process and can assist in providing conducive
environment for parleys. Though Pakistan is
not a direct party but the majority of the re-
.
sistance movement has shown willingness to
Pakistan’s participation in the dialogue. The
resistance movement has made it explicitly
clear that it considers Pakistan to be the via-
ble stakeholder and it would welcome it to be
included in the process.
Muhammad Rafique is associated with
trade and industry
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Nabeel Zafar draws attention towards an
issue that needs urgent solution
F
ederally Administered Tribal Areas
(FATA) is a small speck in the vast
territorial space of Pakistan but its
turbulence since the last decade has
kept it on top of the news in the country. The
territorial area FATA occupies is 10,510 sq
miles and it is considered an unsettled area in
the parlance the British used while describ-
ing the extremities of north-western parts
that Pakistan inherited from them. The small
territorial region is littered with difficult ter-
rain and at some points it is considered im-
passable.
The areas considered parts of FATA com-
prise of seven tribal agencies and six frontier
regions directly administered by the federal
government that in itself is quite an anoma-
ly as rest of the adjacent province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is an autonomous entity
of the country run by a provincial administra-
tion. FATA, on the other hand, is given to the
provincial governor of KP to administer cre-
ating a dyarchy in the governance system that
probably is the basis of most of the troubles
emanating out of the region.
The most disturbing feature of FATA is re-
lated to its archaic draconian criminal laws
coded in the shape of Frontier Crimes Regula-
tion (FCR) that were framed by the British in
1901 to penalise the recalcitrant tribals who
were not willing to abide by normal regula-
tions. Since its inception FCR was termed as
‘black law’ that since more than a century has
wrought havoc on successive generations of
people inhabiting FATA.
The inexplicable delay in bringing FATA
into national mainstream has caused tremen-
dous disturbance in Pakistan. Currently FATA
is run by the governor of KPK through Politi-
cal Agents (PA) operating on ground and oth-
er personnel managing the FATA Secretariat.
The arbitrary nature of governance has given
rise to high levels of corruption. The FATA
Development Fund, recently abolished by the
government, gave discretionary powers to
the PA to impose taxes on people to meet ex-
penditure incurred on administration.
The vastness of discretionary powers
Natural beauty
FATA imbroglio
The vastness of
discretionary powers
made available to the
PA is evident by his
sole authority to
decide the rate of the
tax and its
collection mechanism
made available to the PA is evident by his sole
authority to decide the rate of the tax and its
collection mechanism. All items of daily use
like flour, vegetables, and cement etc entering
FATA from KP and neighbouring Afghanistan
are made taxable and the taxes are arbitrari-
ly collected by the PA. The proceeds of such
taxes are never entered in official logs and no
receipts for the collections are given and this
head of account is not audited.
The region
A small speck
The huge advantage hidden in managing
FATA has resulted in the post of PA fetching
Rs.300 to 500 million in bribes enriching the
exclusive secretariat of FATA headed by the
provincial governor. The income generated
through other means such as widespread
smuggling also adds to the advantage of
running FATA. The massive opportunities of
plunder are the major cause of lingering on
with the final solution of the issue as a large
segment of federal and provincial bureaucra-
cy stalls prospects of a solution.
The government has finally agreed to con-
sider the merger of FATA with KP. It has abol-
ished FATA Development Fund and has prom-
ised holding local elections in October this
year. It has also decided to draw appropriate
legislation for giving cover to all adminis-
trative actions. All these developments are
enveloped however by ambiguity as prime
minister created doubts regarding elections
in FATA for the provincial assembly of KP. In
addition, CM KP Pervaiz Khattak announced
that FATA would be merged with KP in 2019.
Nevertheless allowing representation to
the people of FATA in KP Assembly is the first
step towards the merger process. It is import-
ant to ensure that the impending merger is
not made controversial by bureaucratic con-
tent controlling the area currently. The lack
of organised administrative apparatus has
Viewpoint 4 WEEKENDE
already given rise to organisations such as
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement who have tak-
en the merger issue through a narrow ethnic
streak. A quick merger will surely dampen the
popularity of such movements.
The tribal areas have remained a hub of
turbulence owing to the faulty political and
administrative measures prevalent there
since more than a century. It has been ob-
served that FATA people want to join Paki-
stani mainstream and want to live like any
other Pakistani. They freely move within the
country and settle anywhere where they are
engaged in productive activities. Their be-
coming part of KP will encourage more move-
ment on their part that will augur well for the
country.
FATA is a very beautiful region made in-
accessible by negative activities of a bunch
of extremists who have been controlled by
the armed forces after a protracted struggle.
Bringing the region in the national main-
.
stream will open up good opportunities for
development of tourism that will help bring
prosperity to the region. It should be borne
in mind that in isolation FATA had become a
national problem but an open FATA will be
become a matter of national pride.
Nabeel Zafar works in the private sector
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
The indefatigable Roger Federer
Umair Jalali about the tennis legend of
modern times
T
he balletic grace with which Roger
Federer flits around the length and
breadth of a tennis court belies his
age. For the 36 years old Federer,
25 is the new 36! He always responds to the
reverential banners festooned by his sup-
porters “Quiet! Genius at Work,” and never
lets them down by sheer dint of his playing
virtuosity. He burst on the international cir-
cuit in 2001 by beating all time favourite Pete
Sampras and never looked back though he
experienced travails inherent in maintaining
number one position.
Born to Swiss father and South African
mother in Basel Switzerland, Federer was a
child sports prodigy as he showed proficiency
in tennis from the tender age of 8 and was rat-
ed among the top three junior tennis players
at 11. He practiced regular six hours a week,
spent three hours at conditioning and played
three tournaments a month. He adored his
heroes, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.
Federer became national junior champion
in Switzerland and joined the Internation-
al Tennis Federation junior tennis circuit in
July 1996 gaining his first sponsorship at 16.
Just before turning pro in 1998 he won junior
Wimbledon title and the Orange Bowl and
was recognized as the ITF World Junior Ten-
nis champion of the year.
At his first big splash Federer caused a
sensation by beating reigning singles champi-
on Pete Sampras in the fourth round in Wim-
bledon in 2001. 2003 proved is big year as he
became the first Swiss man to clinch Wimble-
don crown. Victories followed fast: in 2004
he won Australian Open, the U.S. Open, ATP
Masters and retained the Wimbledon singles
title. He was ranked No. 1 in 2005 and his
successes that year included third successive
Wimbledon singles title and the U.S. Open.
He was relentless in his playing pursuits
and retained his No. 1 ranking from 2004 to
2008. During this time in 2006 and 2007 he
won Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S.
Open. In 2008, Federer beat Andy Murray at
the U.S. Open - his fifth win. But the heavy toll
on him played its part as he lost to Rafael Nad-
al both the French Open and Wimbledon and
lost to another young rival Novak Djokovic
the 2008 Australian Open losing his number
1 ranking after four years.
Federer came back with a bang in 2009
winning French Open and completing career
A child prodigy
The rejuvenated champion
With his parents
The young champion
Grand Slam and his victory at Wimbledon
Beginning as a player beat Sampras’ for a record 15th Grand Slam
At his first big splash Fed- singles title. Federer’s career went up again
in 2012 when he won record-tying seventh
erer caused a sensation by Wimbledon singles title. 30 year old Feder-
beating reigning singles er retained his No 1 ranking and established
champion Pete Sampras in a record with a total of 302 weeks atop the
world rankings.
the fourth round in From 2013 Federer’s career took a nose-
Wimbledon in 2001 dive as he struggled to win matches. In 2014
he lost all major tournaments and the same
thing happened in 2015. After laying off for
six months in 2016 Federer came back to win
Australian Open as his 18th Grand Slam title.
In 2017 Federer set a new record by winning
his eighth Wimbledon title as the oldest play-
er to win it ever at the age of 35. Federer kept
on his victory track by winning Australian
Open in January 2018 extending his record to
an astounding 20 Grand Slam singles champi-
onships. Additionally, the victory gave him a
record-tying six Aussie titles.
Federer does not do anything by half as
is evident from his children: two twin girls
and two twin boys! Astonishingly he started
performing miraculously well after birth of
his twin sons. He is considered to be playing
magnificently well than he was in his prime
12 years ago. This is despite the fact compe-
tition at the top is tougher than it was ever
before. His primary rivals Nadal, Andy Mur-
Grandstand 29
ray and Novak Djokovic are four to five years
younger, an eternity in elite sport.
Federer’s long stay at the helm is also
surprising from the point that so much has
changed about men’s tennis since he came
to fore in 2001. Technology has made rack-
ets resemble a weapon and the huge power
they generate also requires extraordinary
all-round fitness and flexibility to control ball
laden with intense of topspin. The rallies to
win a point are much more demanding than
they were in old times.
Roger Federer is, to some extent, quite
unique in the annals of tennis. His revival is
symptomatic of sweeping changes in men’s
tennis. His longevity stands in stark con-
trast to legends such as Bjorn Borg and John
McEnroe who quit top-level game by their
mid-twenties and Sampras retired at 31.
There are signs that Federer’s winning ways
epitomise a transition in sport to a robustly
healthy middle age: the current top five male
players are 30 and older and four of them are
fathers. Bio-regulation and Gerontology has
allowed pushing their bodies so hard and
revolutionary changes in training regimens
have undoubtedly played a part. The secret
to Federer’s longevity may partly come down
to the regime that he has followed off-court
for the past two decades that emphasises im-
portance of agility training and a lightweight
regime to keep him injury-free.
Federer possesses aggression, swagger
and ruthlessness in equal measure. He began
by playing classic serve-and-volley tennis
before becoming a more habitual baselin-
er, combining today’s power tennis with the
deft touch of the bygone era associated with
wooden rackets. Federer’s longevity is also
due to his uncanny ability to brush off pres-
sures of life as the premier sportsman. He re-
markably discharges his responsibilities as a
sports star and very competently negotiates
the trappings of celebrity. His dealing with
the media and his relations with tournament
.
organisers are full of sincerity and affection.
Lately, he joined tournament staff for dinner
in their canteen and joked with them. His fans
are usually subjected to his affectionate atti-
tude and he comes off as a noble and serene
character.
Umair Jalali teaches in KASB University
and is an avid sports fan
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
T
he recent storm over the state-
ment given by former PM Nawaz
Sharif hinting involvement of Paki-
stani non-state actors in Mumbai
terrorist attacks of 26 November 2008 has
shifted the onus back toward the book writ-
ten by Elias Davidsson who paints a different
picture about the events of that fateful day.
Mumbai attacks began on 26 November 2008
and lasted till 29 November 2008 resulting in
a death toll of 164 people and wounding at
least 308. This outrage was widely reported
internationally and took Indo-Pak relations to
the rock bottom as India routinely shifted the
blame towards Pakistan.
The lack of objective reporting of the event
by the Indian government and media prompt-
ed many dedicated individuals to retrace the
sequence of events and provide some an-
swers to the mysterical contents of a barrage
of reportage the incident provoked. The au-
thor suggests that the event netted a bonanza
of funds for Mumbai police and resulted in a
21 percent hike in Indian military spending.
The author mentions that both Pakistan
and Lashkar-e-Taiba denied responsibility of
having anything to do with the atrocity and
draws the conclusion that that they did so
for good reason. In a well argued conclusion
he leaves it to the readers to assess separate-
ly the actual attacks and the Indian state’s
investigation of the attacks. He is very clear
when he says that it is ‘highly plausible that
major institutional actors in India, the United
States and possibly Israel, were complicit in
conceiving, planning, directing and executing
the attacks of 26/11’.
He goes on to mention that the evidence
of a deceptive investigation is even stronger:
‘The first definite conclusion of this book is
that India’s major institutions, including the
Central government, parliament, bureaucra-
cy, armed forces, Mumbai police, intelligence
services, judiciary and media, have deliber-
ately suppressed the truth regarding 26/11
and continue to do so. I could discover no hint
of a desire among the aforementioned parties
to establish the truth on these deadly events’.
The inference drawn from the analyses of
the author clearly points out to a deceptive in-
vestigation aimed at obscuring facts. It must
be borne in mind that cover-up is a crime
and that those covering up a crime implicate
themselves in the original crime. If they were
not directly involved in the commission of the
crime, they are at least accessories to it.
The author focuses on three recurring
themes and the first deals with the fact that if
officialdom is aware of the identity of the per-
petrators it will hammer this information for
general consumption that will ultimately aid
in cover-up. During Mumbai attacks the Indi-
an PM repeatedly implied that the terrorists
were supported by Pakistan.
The author expresses grave doubts about
the recurrent theme of incompetence at-
tached with the investigations and he takes
it as a deliberate attempt to wrong-foot skep-
tics. He specifically mentions plenty of in-
congruence about investigations that could
simply not be attributed to just incompetence
and rather smack of deliberate attempts to
mask them as the consequence of incompe-
tence.
During the trial process there was no
timeline given for the events related to the
sole surviving suspect. Key witnesses were
not called to testify. Contradictions were not
sorted out as one victim was brought from the
dead to testify against Pakistan. A second vic-
tim died in two different places while a third
died in three places! The number of terrorists
kept on changing and the crime scenes left
unexamined. Forensics of the events failed
to produce a single AK-47 bullet despite the
Book Reviews 28
The author focuses on
three recurring themes
and the first deals with
the fact that if
officialdom is aware of
the identity of the
perpetrators it will
hammer this
information for general
consumption that will
ultimately aid in
cover-up
claims that they were exhaustively used. The
bodies of the Israeli citizens were whisked
away to Israel citing religious reasons along
with a large safe found at the crime scene.
Additionally the surviving alleged terror-
ist had no public trial and no transcript of
his secret trial was released. One lawyer who
agreed to defend the accused was removed
by the court and another was assassinated.
Members of an elite Indian commando unit
that showed up with between 475 and 800
members to battle eight terrorists were not
allowed to testify in court. Despite tall claims
of extensive CCTV footage, very little was re-
leased.
The author expresses surprise at the ten-
or of the investigation and equates it with the
kind done in police states and not in ‘the larg-
est democracy’ in the world. The excessive in-
terest FBI took in the event is also highlighted
by the author. FBI was provided with remark-
able access to the arrested suspect and eye-
witnesses.
The 900 page saga produced by Davidsson
.
is rich in detail and asks more questions than
provides answers. It is a chronicle of pro-
found deceptions commonly detected in cur-
rent process of war on terror. The motifs and
fictions manifested in the book may open up
many hitherto guarded vistas of reality.
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan
for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS)
Schehram Siddiqi hopes that Pak-Afghan
relations are on the right track
P
akistan Afghan relations have been
a cause of concern regionally as well
as internationally. An extremely de-
stabilised Afghanistan has been a
constant worry for Pakistani policy makers
who had been the direct affectees of nev-
er-ending power struggle in Afghanistan that
has a history of spilling over into Pakistan. Af-
ter a hectic series of parleys Pakistan and Af-
ghanistan have recently agreed to operation-
alise a substantial mechanism for dialogue
aimed at bilateral comprehensive engage-
ment on key issues including actions against
irreconcilable elements in both countries.
A long-awaited breakthrough came during
a recent meeting between Pakistani prime
minister and Afghani president that decided
to start working on Afghanistan-Pakistan Ac-
tion Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS),
a joint action effort for cooperation in all
areas concerned with mutual security. The
two war-weary neighbours finally decided to
“deny use of their respective territory by any
country, network, group or individuals for an-
ti-state activities against either country.”
APAPPS recently became operational with
both sides hoping that its implementation
would contribute to promoting peace in the
region. After a meeting between Pakistan’s
foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua and Afghan
deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Kar-
zai a joint statement by foreign ministries of
both countries stated: “Both sides agreed that
effective and full implementation of APAPPS
would contribute towards the common objec-
tives of eliminating terrorism and achieving
peace, stability, prosperity and development
of the people of the two countries.”
The APAPPS framework will revolve
around seven guiding principles agreed be-
tween both the countries and they cover all
important areas of friction. The first task they
will work for will be that Pakistan would sup-
port the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace
and reconciliation. The second principle un-
dertakes that both two countries would un-
dertake effective actions against fugitives and
the irreconcilable elements posing security
threats to either of the two countries. This is
one of the basic reasons of discord and ad-
dressing it would remove a major irritant.
The third principle pertains to yet another
difficult issue that has negatively impacted the
relationship and it states that both countries
would deny use of their respective territory
by any country, network, group or individuals
for anti-state activities against either country.
This point recognises the most contentious
issue hampering good relationship and aims
to rectify the situation. The fourth principle
concerns placement of a joint supervision,
coordination and confirmation mechanism
through liaison officers for realisation of the
agreed actions.
The fifth principle relates to initiating and
following territorial and aerial violations of
each other’s territory and doing their utmost
to avoid such actions. This again is a very diffi-
cult point in the Afghan-Pakistan relationship
and often creates hurdles to peace and amity.
The sixth principle merits special attention as
it agrees that there would be no public blame
game and instead APAPPS cooperation mech-
anisms would be utilised to respond to mu-
tual issues of contention and concerns. The
seventh principle undertakes to put in place
working groups and necessary cooperation
mechanism under the guidelines and auspic-
es of APAPPS.
To oversee the proper implementation of
the initiative both sides have operationalised
six working groups, including the ones on se-
curity and intelligence cooperation. It must
be borne in mind that APAPPS is a Pakistani
initiative speaking volumes about the positive
attitude Pakistani policy-makers bear for mu-
tual relationship. It however augurs well for
Parleys
Heads of Pakistan and Afghanistan’s foreign ministries
the plan that it enjoys the backing of both Chi-
na and the United States.
APAPPS eventually highlights the issue of
recalcitrant elements that are continuously
engaged in sabotaging peace between both
neighbours. It provides for the space to take
action against all such elements operating on
both sides of the border and inside the re-
spective countries. It also brings to fore the
fact that it is not just Pakistan that is blamed
for inciting negative elements to refuse to join
the peace process and acknowledges that it is
actually such elements themselves who fol-
low their own agenda.
The appreciable aspect of APAPPS is that
it is essentially bilateral in content and re-
veals the willingness of both countries to
solve issues on their own instead of soliciting
regional and international assistance to find
In-step 5
APAPPS eventually
highlights the issue of
recalcitrant elements that
are continuously engaged
in sabotaging peace
between both neighbours
solutions for them. The best part of the plan is
that it has earmarked specific working groups
for each of the principle as they would be pro-
vided with opportunities to sit face-to-face to
share concerns and find out a solution. This
important step will help in bridging the trust
gap.
Perhaps the most important agreement
is the tacit acknowledgement of the fact that
Afghan conflict could not be resolved through
military means. APAPPS is clearly indicative of
the lessons both sides have learnt pertaining
to the fact that the solution to the apparently
intractable problems lies in devising a politi-
cal approach. It is widely acknowledged that
peace in Pakistan is interminably linked to
peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan would do
everything possible to help achieve it. More-
over, peace in Afghanistan has its own divi-
dends to pay as it is also crucial to regional
connectivity and will enormously contribute
to the success of CPEC in which Pakistan has
the highest stakes. Any view to the contrary is
a negation of the ground realities.
Pakistan is sincerely well placed to of-
fer peace initiative to Afghanistan as it has
proved its worth in waging a successful war
on terror whose tentacles were spread over
Afghanistan. Pakistan has exhibited strong
.
commitment to peace and its credentials in
this context are hard to ignore. A peace desire
coming from Pakistan carries real weight and
it is good fortune of both Afghanistan and Pa-
kistan that the process of peace has started to
roll.
Schehram Siddiqi ia an industrialist based
in Lahore
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Pakistan and its alliances
with the US
Asrar Raouf on shifting sands of
Pakistan’s alignments with the US
P
akistan came into being two years
after the end of Second World War
in a power vacuum created by the
withdrawal of British power from
the region. America was the growing power
post-Second World War and it effortlessly slid
into the void created by British leaving the
scene. Since the US practised the same gover-
nance principles as the British did the change
was quite a natural shift.
The end of War gave rise to strife between
two superpowers in shape of Cold War that
gripped the globe for the next 45 years till the
dissolution of the Soviet Union. Despite being
surrounded by communist regimes, China
and Soviet Union, it appeared quite natural
that Pakistan, as the legatee of British system,
would not consider communism conducive to
its way of thinking. Moreover, Pakistan was in
a double bind as its existence was contested
by India whose leadership vociferously de-
fined it as a short term aberration that was
expected to return soon to the wider fold of
the subcontinent. Pakistan therefore natural-
ly tilted towards America and it was a matter
of time before it entered into formal alliances
with it.
After initial parleys focused predominant-
ly on security concerns, Pakistan entered a
security umbrella aimed at containing com-
munism but in actual fact its emphasis was on
obtaining defence cover as well as arms and
ammunition for safeguarding its territorial
integrity. To the advantage of Pakistan India
refused to play ball with America and decided
to form a separate non-aligned block that was
apparently soft towards Communist Block
but steered clear of super power rivalry.
After a highly meaningful visit of General
Ayub Khan, Pakistan’s first indigenous army
commander, to America, Foreign Minister Sir
Zafarullah Khan successfully negotiated a US
– Pakistan military alliance titled Mutual De-
fence Assistance Agreement (MDAA) and by
virtue of this agreement, Pakistan became a
member of Southeast Asia Treaty Organisa-
tion (SEATO). Pakistan, a year later, joined
the wider US communist containment ar-
Presidents Ayub Khan and Johnson
rangement dubbed as Baghdad Pact formally
known as Central Treaty Organisation (CEN-
TO) along with Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
The pacts elicited help of US military and
economic aid assisting the badly equipped
Pakistan army. However, US military weap-
onry the US supplied to Pakistan consisted
of weapons systems rendered surplus after
Korean War and declared obsolete owing to
advancement in weapon technology. In actual
fact, for America the weapons transfer had lit-
tle financial impact but for Pakistan the arms
significantly enhanced its war fighting poten-
tial.
The initial alliance with America held
good for ten years but imposition of Ameri-
can sanctions on export of American military
hardware on both India and Pakistan during
the 1965 India-Pakistan war dealt a mortal
blow to the alliance. While the sanctions had
little impact on India as its reliance on US
military weapon systems was minimal, for
Pakistan, whose armed forces were primarily
dependent on US weapons, the severance of
weapons supply hurt the nation’s war logis-
tics so badly that it had to agree to a ceasefire
three weeks after the conflagration began.
The total military aid disbursed to Pa-
kistan by USA during the period was in the
region of slightly more than $4 billion in ad-
dition to around $15.7 billion as economic
assistance (figures adjusted to their current
value). In return, Pakistan provided an air
base from where US spy planes flew recon-
naissance missions over Russia and China.
Pakistan drew a lot of Soviet flak when an
American U-2 spy that took off from US-op-
erated Badaber airfield was shot down inside
Soviet Union. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
drew a red circle around Peshawar as a possi-
ble target of retaliation.
Since the primary objective of Pakistan
joining the US alliance was to shield itself
from any military offensive of India, the US
weapons embargo in the midst of life-and-
death struggle defeated the very purpose of
Pakistan’s military association with the US.
Although the US justified its decision quot-
ing the fine print of the agreements but Pa-
kistan treated such an action as a perfidious
maneuver of its closest ally. In the end Paki-
stan repulsed Indian attack but the conflict
Pakistan and the US
left a very bitter taste in the mouth of Paki-
stani policy makers. In addition, Pakistan’s
alliance with USA was viewed as a hostile act
by the Soviets during the Cold War and not
surprisingly USSR aligned itself with India
and threatened vetoing UN Resolution 47 on
holding a plebiscite on Kashmir.
Pakistan-US relations remained dormant
for almost 15 years when the unexpected So-
viet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 brought
both countries together again. The next major
military cooperation between Pakistan and
USA lasted from 1981 to 1990. The belea-
guered government of Gen Ziaul Haq joined
hands with the US to ‘save’ Afghanistan from
communist influence. The decade of cooper-
ation witnessed USA as the principal arms
provider with funds provided by Saudi Arabia
for ousting Soviets from Afghanistan. In the
process Pakistan became the supply conduit,
training ground and launching pad for Af-
ghan Mujahedeen in an asymmetric warfare
against the conventional Soviet military. Pa-
kistan paid a very heavy price for its involve-
ment in Afghan war and is still unable to extri-
cate itself from the imbroglio.
The Soviet campaign against the Afghan
resistance crumbled owing to the solid assis-
tance rendered by Pakistan in martialling rag-
tag Afghan elements and turning them into a
highly disciplined and motivated force. USSR
lost its will to fight in 1988 and after pro-
tracted parleys, resulting in Geneva Accords,
withdrew from Afghanistan. The financial
woes experienced by an unmanageable Soviet
Union coupled with its humiliating defeat in
Afghanistan hastened its dismemberment in
1991. With the end of Soviet Union America
became the only superpower of the world and
an era of unipolarity began.
The US owed its victory to the efforts of
Pakistan as, despite spending a massive for-
tune in its communism-containment policy,
its efforts brought about a stalemate till Paki-
stan entered the fray. The financial cost to the
US of neutralising the communist threat was
$3 billion given to Mujahedeen and $9.2288
and $3.855 billion in economic and military
assistance respectively.
The only positive advantage coming the
Pakistan way was the ambivalent US stance
towards Pakistan’s nuclear programme en-
Analysis 6 WEEKENDE
The other cumbersome
effect Pakistan faced
during its alliance with the
US in Afghan struggle was
the emergence of
extremist religious outfits
that were particularly
encouraged by Saudi
Arabia, the other partner
in the alliance
abling Pakistan to acquire this vital facility.
But on the negative side Pakistan was sub-
jected to a never-ending influx of Afghan ref-
ugees whose maintenance cost Pakistan very
dear not only in financial terms but also gave
rise to social issues. The drugs and gun cul-
ture that accompanied Afghan refugees as-
sumed grave proportions for Pakistan and it
is still grappling with them. The true cost in
life, limb and resources because of the Afghan
refugee factor was horrendous and almost
impossible to calculate.
The other cumbersome effect Pakistan
faced during its alliance with the US in Afghan
struggle was the emergence of extremist re-
ligious outfits that were particularly encour-
aged by Saudi Arabia, the other partner in the
alliance. The strategy actively promoted the
concept of Islamic Jihad against the infidel So-
viets that mushroomed into Al Qaeda, Taliban
and a host of splinter groups inside Pakistan
and internationally that used violence to jus-
tify their ends resulting in 9/11 attacks on the
twin towers in New York spinning a chain of
events that brought about the third phase of
Pakistan-US relations.
The third and most controversial of US-Pa-
kistan alignment kicked off immediately after
9/11 terrorist attacks on mainland USA. In
this case Pakistan was coerced into support-
ing the US when it launched Operation En-
during Freedom as a string of reprisal attacks
against the Taliban government in Afghani-
stan which it blamed was harbouring foreign
elements responsible for carrying an out-
rage against it. A wide air corridor through
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Bina Ashraf is spellbound by a story told
with panache
D
irector Krasinski’s (of The Office
fame) extraordinary told tale has
raised a unique challenge to hu-
man psyche that it has to remain
quiet to avert disaster. Termed as a “smart,
wickedly frightening good time” its sequel
is currently in development. The film de-
picts an unprecedented mental tip-toeing
over dangerous eggshells while brimming
with anxiety. It is a remarkable exposition of
the self-containment as the film breaks new
ground and brings to fore a prospect that may
become reality in some weird circumstances.
The film is set in a post apocalyptic waste-
land that could be applicable to any place irre-
spective of the specific attributes of its locale.
This sci-fi thriller brings to bear upon human
mind something very unconventional. On the
other hand, it may be conceded that the appli-
cability of the concept of keeping mum to save
oneself is nothing new to human existence.
Written by horror specialists Scott Beck
and Bryan Woods and directed by John Kra-
sinski who developed the screenplay with
them and stars of the movie particularly his
wife Emily Blunt the movie portrays intense
fear of the survivors of some sort of ecological
disaster who have to remain silent to avoid
attack by giant reptile predators who stalk
the land. The predators are blind but possess
extraordinary sense of hearing so a hyper-si-
lence by the survivors is required to stay un-
molested.
Krasinski and Blunt play a couple who are
trying to survive in a place where law and or-
der is completely broken down. The children
of the couple are well prepared for the new
soundless, wordless discipline but they are
aided in the effort by the fact that one of them
is hearing impaired and the family already
knows how to communicate in sign language.
But the family faces a problem because Em-
ily is pregnant and they all wonder how she
is going to have the baby without modern
anaesthetic and without making a sound. A
world of horror is on the way.
A Quiet Place provokes the curious feeling
that is it possible that life be lived without
Cinepage 27
A Quiet Place
The movie
sound. It asks the question whether silence
is a workable natural mode that humans may
somehow adapt to. It raises the spectre of
developing a quiet way of life that may be a
saner way to circumvent difficulties. It also in-
vites attention to the fact that by internalizing
one’s fears the efficacy of a serene existence
becomes manifold.
The family has developed a habit of joining
hands before they eat their meals indicating
that they invoked divine approval for their ac-
tions. But it also represents that suppressing
noise makes them yearn for it that it depicts
by pressing flesh. The undeniable faculty of
communicating through sound is repeated-
ly stressed by its complete absence and it
appears to be draining the human soul for a
meaningful existence.
The film is superbly simple in its treat-
ment and it is fascinating to see such a com-
plex concept dealt with in plain but pithy The message
scenes. It probably was the only way to deal
with such an unusual aspect of human life.
The director is very careful not to depict the
monsters in typical big-bang style and reveals
their ferocity through a cleverly conceived ex-
treme close-up of the beast’s hideous, undu-
lating ear. The eerie portrayal very effectively
convinces the audience about the actual com-
plexity of the situation.
The film has helped start a conversation
and people who watch it are earnestly com-
menting on it. It is called as the early front-
runner for the sparsely intellectual horror
movie of the year that provokes intense curi-
osity and encourages provision of answers to
some basic questions of human existence. The
film though giving the impression of a silent
film is actually not a silent venture but it is
the first of its kind within the modern horror
genre for how little spoken dialogue it actual-
.
ly has. The rare moments of dialogue actually
help give depth to the movie. A Quiet Place
raked in $50 million on its opening weekend
and it proved very successful at the box office
grossing $293 million to date. It is praised by
critics for its originality and substance.
Bina Ashraf has reasonably good
experience of retail trade and is a cinema
Stay quiet buff
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
The one and only Alam Lohar
Noor Israr on the folk legend
A
lam Lohar was known to be acci-
dent prone. He was involved in
many accidents but always came
out lucky till the final disaster
struck him. His prescient composition, ‘wajan
mariaan bulaya kayi waar mein kisi ne meri
gal na suni’ came eerily true when he met an
accident and died on the road before receiv-
ing medical help.
Alam Lohar was an ace folk singer with a
distinct style and his voice had an amazing
range that overcame everything in its way.
Born in a family of blacksmiths in village Aach
Goach of district Gujrat he opted to sing in-
stead of following the family trade. Blessed
with a prodigal talent and retentive memory
he honed his singing skills and rendered cen-
turies old folk lore. He gained renown when
he rendered Heer Waris Shah’s in 36 styles
and forms and his performance was rated
second to none. He is known to have recorded
his first album at the age of 13 and his musical
output has outsold all other singers in Paki-
stan according to records of HMV Pakistan in
1979.
Alam Lohar dominated folk singing genre
from 1930s till his untimely demise in 1979.
His folk singing was unique in its content
and rendition. His high tenor voice suited to
mesmerize his large audiences. He pioneered
singing with the typical ‘Chimta’ that added
lustre to his inimitable performance.
Alam Lohar was very active on stage and
hogged attention all the time he was perform-
ing. He was adept at keeping a grip on his
audience by incessantly moving on the stage.
Jugni
Shahnama-e-Karbala
Alam Lohar was widely
known in Punjab as
Sher-e-Punjab’ or ‘Heer-
ah’ and he was feted for
his extraordinary
contribution to folk
music
His incredible stamina while performing in-
tricate nuances of classically composed folk
tunes was greatly admired. In his childhood
he was very good in rendering Sufiana Ka-
laam, Punjabi folk stories and would perform
for gatherings of elders.
His rural performances were ultimately
noticed and he was recognised as a folk prod-
igy. His unusual style, profound rendering and
unmistakable stamp of veracity gave him an
added advantage. Subsequently his perfor-
mance was internationally lauded in 1970s
when during British Queen’s Jubilee celebra-
tions he participated in a singing competition
in the UK between all Commonwealth coun-
tries in which Alam Lohar won the award of
best performance and was also presented
with a gold medal.
Alam Lohar was widely known in Punjab
as Sher-e-Punjab’ or ‘Heerah’ and he was fet-
ed for his extraordinary contribution to folk
music. Alam Lohar was also a poet and wrote
many of his songs himself that were marvels
of simplicity and poetic pathos. He also had
another quality that he used books of Sufi
saints and stories and brought them in song
format which gave his songs a lyrical content
which could make people cry and exclaim
with joy at the same time
As the pioneer of introducing the writings
of Saiful Malook and Mirza Shabaan in song
format Alam Lohar could sing all night long
and sometimes without music. Once famous
he organised a full-fledged theatre compris-
ing of orchestra and budding singing talent.
He along with his entourage toured all over
Punjab for religious and seasonal festivals
and was one of the first Pakistani singer to
sing internationally in almost all countries
where Pakistanis reside.
His singing repertoire was extremely rich
His final resting place
With his vinatge Chimta
His unique style
and he did not need much apart from that
because his audience would insist on hearing
his popular numbers. His famous numbers
are Dharti Panj Daryavan Di, Dil wala dukhra
nahin kisse noon sunayee da, Saiful Malook,
Qissa Hazrat Yousaf, Mar ke modha hauly jaye
sorry akh gaye, Bol mitti diya bawiya, Jugni,
Mirza, Qissa Karbala, Kalam Baba Bulleyh
Shah and Sohni Mahiwal.
Presentation 26
Alam Lohar died in an
accident near Sham ki
Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979
and was laid to rest in Lala
Musa, the town made
famous by Malika-e-Mau-
seeqi Roshanara Begum
His outstanding rendition that acquired
international popularity was Jugni that he
sung in different modes. He created and de-
fined his Jugni differently as a symbol of so-
cial awareness and happy tidings for people.
Jugni is now a recognised folk addition sung
by many artists in the length and breadth of
the country. It is the strength of Alam Lohar’s
performance that Jugni is not only confined to
rural areas but is very popular in urban towns
and cities.
Alam Lohar died in an accident near Sham
ki Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979 and was laid to
rest in Lala Musa, the town made famous by
Malika-e-Mauseeqi Roshanara Begum. His
.
contribution was recognized and feted by
the government of Pakistan by posthumous-
ly awarding him the Pride of Performance
medal. Alam Lohar and his contribution will
always remain a part of Pakistani folk lore
which he so painstakingly embellished.
Noor Israr has a discerning taste in music
and he is a trained singer
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
US Pakistan relations since September 2001
In the comparative
analysis American
campaign in Afghanistan
has cost Pakistan
enormously in financial
terms and it is estimated
that it has incurred loss
of over $120 billion in
revenue under various
heads
Pakistan was provided to the US air force to
conduct offensive air raids against Taliban in
Afghanistan. In addition, two airfields were
made available for logistics support and as
emergency recovery bases for American com-
bat fleet of airplanes participating in the op-
erations. Additionally, the US was given full
access to Karachi for movement of logistics.
After removing Taliban government from
power and ferociously using air power to an-
nihilate Taliban strongholds the US deployed
“boots on ground”. US spent $3 billion in the
first three months of the campaign and was
very ably assisted by intelligence surveillance
carried out by Pakistan. The US provided
$4.681 billion as economic and military assis-
tance during 2001 to 2004 which was a paltry
sum compared with a very risky venture Pa-
kistan entered into having far reaching nega-
tive consequences for Pakistan.
America has still not been able to extricate
itself from the Afghan imbroglio. Its NATO al-
lies have considerably distanced themselves
in the process. Estimates about the cost of
America’s longest military engagement vary
from $841 billion given by Anthony Cordes-
man to $2 trillion provided by Neta Crawford.
From 2001 to 2013, Pakistan was reimbursed
an amount of $25.91 billion under the heads
of economic assistance, military aid and Coa-
lition Support Fund. Since then financial as-
sistance started to tone down and it was com-
pletely stopped in 2018.
In the comparative analysis American
campaign in Afghanistan has cost Pakistan
enormously in financial terms and it is esti-
mated that it has incurred loss of over $120
billion in revenue under various heads. The
most painful aspect of armed conflagration
has been the loss of lives of over 80,000 cit-
izens that include about 8,500 security per-
sonnel in terror related attacks. Pakistan has
endured more losses than gains in its alliance
with the US as the estimated quantum of fi-
nancial emoluments provided to it by Ameri-
ca since 1947 comes out to about $86 billion
whereas just the financial cost to the nation
since 2001 amounts to $120 billion.
The fact of the matter is that Pakistan al-
ways delivered on all counts during its three
phases of alliance with the US but has never
been appropriately reciprocated. In the first
15 years of its alliance with the US it helped
prevent the spread of communism east of Af-
ghanistan; in the second decade of alliance it
Mujahedeen in first Afghan war in 1980s
was a key player in the dismemberment of
USSR thus promoting USA as the sole super-
power of the world and in the current span
of its cooperation with the US it had proved
instrumental in uprooting the Taliban gov-
ernment and letting the US prevent chaos in
that country as well as securing its mainland
from terrorist attacks from non-state actors.
In return Pakistan has received not a great
deal of financial compensation and that too
grudgingly.
On the flip side Pakistan’s alignment with
the US in the 1950s antagonised the Sovi-
et Union whose veto threat prevented any
meaningful solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Moreover, the US abandoned Pakistan during
its existential war with India in 1965. Paki-
stan’s social fabric was badly fractured in
the 1980s due to its support of Afghan Mu-
jahedeen and the burden of hosting 3 million
Afghan refugees badly mauled its financial
viability. In hindsight it appears that Pakistan
would have been better-off not cooperating
with the US in the first Afghan war.
Historical precedents suggest that the US
legislators and administration should have
heeded Pakistan’s viewpoints on internation-
al relations more carefully. Historical review
suggests that the US policy makers would
have benefitted from Pakistani advice provid-
ed they came down the lofty pedestal of their
invincibility. The current mantra of ‘do more’
is symptomatic of high-handed American per-
ception about smaller countries like Pakistan
whom it considers to be incompetent in deal-
ing with international issues. By making Pa-
Analysis 7
kistan the scapegoat for failure of the US mil-
itary strategy in Afghanistan may pass-on the
blame but it will not solve the essential issue.
Successive US administrations were con-
ditioned to exploit weaknesses of Pakistani
leadership that allowed it to forge military re-
lationship with the latter that overwhelming-
ly favoured the former. Pakistan today is still
vulnerable on many fronts but it is under ex-
treme public pressure to call American bluff.
The enunciation of full spectrum nuclear de-
terrence has given confidence to policy mak-
ers that the US will deter from following pol-
icies it followed in Iraq and Syria. With CPEC
on the anvil Pakistani policy makers feel con-
fident enough to forge regional alliances and
shun any future strategic collaboration with
America in future.
The history of Pakistan – US military al-
liances is full of unconventional turns and
tribulations. The relationship has brought to
fore the asymmetry of entering into a sub-
ordinate alliance with a superpower. It has
exposed the vulnerabilities of both Pakistan
and the US and has convinced policy mak-
ers that an unequal association brings more
harm than advantage. It is time now to review
.
the dubious advantages of a lopsided alliance
as existed between the US and Pakistan and
develop ties on the basis of a limited mutual
cooperation that is always better than a larger
alliance that turns a state into a client instead
of a partner.
Asrar Raouf is a former civil servant
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Opinion 8 WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Profile 25

What will be there for caretakers

Zoya Ansari encapsulates the career of
top American sleuth

to take care of ? G
ina Haspel is the first female chief
of CIA in 71 years of the existence
of the organisation. She is the first
American woman ever to occupy
this central position in the murky world of
Abdul Basit looks at the possible aspects
the caretaker administration will espionage and counter-insurgency. Never-
concentrate on theless, Gina Haspel, 61, will not be the first
woman to head an intelligence agency as in

P
Britain not only one but two women, Stella
akistani democratic process is quite Rimington and Eliza Mannjingham-Buller
unique as it requires an interim set- headed the very effective British intelligence
up to supervise the crucial electoral service MI5 and it is also widely expected cur-
process required for determining rently that a female professional will be head-
the future course of governance. This anom- ing the more potent British intelligence outfit
aly has been so deeply rooted in the political MI6 that was created in 1909.
system of Pakistan that no one shows any A native of Kentucky, Haspel was raised as
skepticism about it anymore. Pakistanis are an ‘army brat’ and grew up around the world
sheepishly given to accept any fait accompli as the daughter of an air force serviceman.
they are subjected to without releasing a sigh She worked undercover for nearly all her
of protest. three decades at the CIA in Africa, Europe and
The caretaker administration comes with classified locations around the globe. Once
all the paraphernalia of governance and in- nominated, she received strong backing from
tense lobbying is undertaken to join its ranks. former intelligence, diplomatic, military and
It is a misnomer that it is installed for ac- national security officials. Among those who
complishing a specific task as its installation supported her nomination were six former
provides it an opportunity to do everything it CIA directors and three former national intel-
considers essential during its limited tenure. ligence directors.
In the ultimate analysis it is therefore not just Western intelligence operatives normally
a mechanism to ensure smooth transition of serve with discretion and avoid controversy
Gina Haspel
power but its very position entails its dab- to any extent possible though, after quitting

bling into all aspects of governance.
The first task the caretaker government
will face is related to the economic situation
currently prevalent. The economic prospects
the caretakers emphasise the less than sat-
Are they the only ones to decide
er governments that provided financial data
terests of Pakistan. The disrupting signs have
Gina Haspel
their positions, many of them get their tales
printed for hefty monetary packets. Within
the discreet atmosphere of intelligence op-
erations Gina Haspel generated quite a bit of

First woman to head CIA

are gradually showing signs of being man-
aged on ad hoc basis by the current PMLN
government. The most problematic situation
pertains to the external account where the
current account deficit is estimated to run
to a whopping $15-16 billion that is equiva-
lent to almost 5 per cent of GDP. The direct
offshoot of this difficultly will lead to further
accumulation of foreign debt as remittances,
imports/exports and FDIs are showing un-
tenable signs and do not appear to be calcu-
lated with a degree of certainty.
The caretaker government’s performance
therefore will be measured by the efficiency
and vision of its economic team that would
be entrusted with the job of minimising fiscal
deficit and current account deficit. Usually
isfactory performance of their predecessors
and try to discredit them by presenting a
negative picture of their days in power. There
are strong chances that the caretakers will
employ this tactic to denigrate the supposed
economic strides PMLN government had con-
sistently propagated.
The caretakers may adopt a different ap-
proach for handling the circular debt of the
power sector that may result in improved
power supplies castigating the performance
of the government they have replaced. They
may also revise the pattern of provincial cash
flows that may temporarily arrest the gallop-
ing fiscal deficit.
The caretakers may well repeat the trick
followed by one of their predecessor caretak-
to IMF that revealed ‘figure-fudging’ tactics of
the government they replaced. Such a tactic
could be done in the name of ensuring trans-
parency in national monetary affairs although
it may be used for any other purpose than the
one described officially.
It seems quite certain that the caretaker
set-up will add to its credibility by present-
ing all financial implications of CPEC trans-
parently to the chagrin of their predecessors
who tried hard to keep them under wraps.
The caretakers will clarify CPEC loans and im-
ports in their realistic perspective.
Apart from economic affairs, the focus of
the caretakers will be on maintaining satisfac-
tory law and order situation that will certain-
ly be disrupted by all forces inimical to the in-
started emerging as is evident by escalating
level of violence in the country. Additionally,
the caretaker government will be expected to
control electoral activity-related violence that
has the potential to massively erupt as polit-
ical temperatures in the country are running
high.
The familiar spectre of catering to the de-
mand of elements of ‘entitlement’ that have
been neglected by PMLN government will
once again raise its head. If the previous ex-
perience of similar caretaker administrations
is taken into consideration then the prospects
of many improper deals could not be waived
off. It is quite obvious that the intense jock-
eying for positions in the caretaker setup
is done with a very pressing object in mind.
Unfortunately, there is no way to put a stop
to such practices that now are an accepted
phenomenon.
Handling foreign affairs could be a chal-
lenging task for any administration but not
for the caretakers as they may not be given
the leeway to take any effective steps about it.
To conduct repairing deteriorating relation-
ship with the Trump administration will re-
main out of their mandate and so the regional
relationships.
The main task of the caretakers will be to
ensure their non-partisan actions during the
election campaign, polling and election re-
sults. In the past any controversy associated
with the entire process was shifted on to the
Election Commission but this time round it
controversy during her more than three de-
cades old career. Her contentious initiatives
and associations, particularly her involve-
ment in the torture of Al-Qaeda detainees,
were reflected in the split in the US Congress
Intelligence Committee that approved her ap-
pointment by 10-5 vote. The senate accord-
ingly stamped the decision by 54-45, with
half a dozen opposition Democrats bucking
Western intelligence
operatives normally serve
with discretion and avoid
controversy to any extent
possible though, after
quitting their positions,
many of them get their
tales printed for hefty
monetary packets
their party and supporting the controversial
Haspel’s nomination.
It is generally acknowledged that in Haspel
what you see is what you get. Not surprisingly
her entire professional career is built around
fighting terrorism as her period in CIA saw
America taking over as the sole superpower
that had to spread its intelligence tentacles
unbelievably wide. The US policy makers be-
came aware that the American intelligence re-
sources had to be brought to the level where
they became globally credible and devastat-
ingly potent. Considered a Russian specialist
she spent her career in the clandestine ser-
vice.
Fearing the imminent return of the neo-
cons, Haspel’s appointment was negatively
viewed by the Republican Senator John Mc-
Cain who suffered torture as a prisoner in
Vietnam War and he tried to stop her endorse-
ment on the pretext that Haspel had refused
to acknowledge that the brutal interrogation
methods used after the 9/11 attacks were
“immoral”. Haspel however reiterated her
opposition to the practice going forward in
a letter stating “With the benefit of hindsight
and my experience as a senior agency leader,
the enhanced interrogation programme is not
one the CIA should have undertaken.”
During her confirmation hearings it was
also brought to fore that she refused to de-
classify the matters so as to protect her im-
age. The tough scenario she was expected to
encounter at one time compelled her to offer
to withdraw her nomination but a host of
Trump staffers led by Sarah Huckabee Sand-
ers, the White House spokeswoman scur-
ried to discourage Haspel from withdrawing.
White House however prepared contingency
plans to replace Haspel’s nomination with
that of Susan Gordon, the deputy director of
national intelligence.
Despite her confirmation going through,
the clouds of controversy still hang over her
head as during her 33 years at CIA she over-
Haspel had twice served as
London-based chief of
European operations and
during her assignments
she learned both Russian
and Turkish languages
assignments she learned both Russian and
Turkish languages. She was also credited with
nabbing two of the bombers of US embassies
in Africa in 1998. Her profile also mentions
the assistance she rendered to Mother Tere-
sa in efforts to get food for needy people al-
though the destination where the help would
go was not made public.
Haspel had quite an exotic career after
joining CIA in 1985 as reports officer. In the
beginning of her career she served on many
undercover overseas assignments and gradu-
ally progressed to become station chief. Her
first field assignment was from 1987–1989
in Ethiopia followed up by her stationing in
Central Eurasia, Turkey and Europe. From
1996 to 1998, Haspel served as station chief

.
appears that the actions of the caretakers will saw a CIA overseas facility dubbed as “black in Baku, Azerbaijan. In Washington, she has
be very strictly scrutinised. The media has al- site” in Thailand in 2002 where harsh tech- held several top senior leadership positions

.
ready started focusing on the possible course
of action the caretakers will take and what
strategies they will adopt to ensure not only
a transparent transfer of power but also how
they perform and what they did during their
limited stint in power.
Abdul Basit works in finance and industry
Intense lobbying and is well versed in commercial affairs
niques were used for interrogating suspected
terrorists. Haspel was also chief of staff to the
director of the National Clandestine Service
in 2005 when the CIA tapes of interrogations
were destroyed. It was reported that she was
passed over for promotion during Obama ad-
ministration as CIA sought to distance itself
from the interrogation programme.
Haspel had twice served as London-based
Haspel’s confirmation hearings chief of European operations and during her
including deputy director of the National
Clandestine Service and deputy director of
the National Clandestine Service for Foreign
Intelligence and Covert Action.
Zoya Ansari has a good deal of teaching
experience and possesses a keen historical
sense
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Culinary delight 24 WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Comment 9

The wonderful sandwich and

its variations

.
Izay Ayesha on mouthwatering snacks Club sandwich: A typical colonial snack this

D
multilayered dish is hugely consumed in
escribed as Britain’s biggest con- Pakistan. Its multiple layers contain a selec-
tribution to gastronomy, sandwich tion of grilled chicken, cheese, egg and salad
is now part of global snack mar- immersed in tasty mayonnaise that is often
ket in various shapes and forms. served with French fries..
It was a recipe conceived by John Montagu,
fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92) hailing
from Kent. He was a successful politician who
occupied many important offices of state. The
story associated with his originating the leg-
endary sandwich is that as a habitual gambler
who abhorred leaving the table for a meal No boots Important responsibility
during his long hours of play he would ask

Boots are not coming

his servants to bring him a piece of salt beef
between two slices of toasted bread. Soon his
boon companions took to this novel way of
eating and would order ‘same as sandwich’
giving the snack his name.
It is often said that prior to Earl Sand-
Club sandwich
wich’s invention the Arabs had already start- Brig (R) Shuja SH Khwarzami is dismis- The defence institutions are very mindful executive was politely nudged to refrain from
ed stuffing meat inside pita bread as a conve- sive of the rumour mills of Pakistan being subjected to disastrous gov- dilly-dallying and take appropriate action. The defence leadership is

nient snack particularly during long working
hours. The idea however branched out far and
wide with people getting fond of this form of
fast food. From its humble beginnings, sand-
wich over the years has mushroomed into
countless varieties of fillings and breads. Ev-
erything from salami on rye to filet mignon
on ciabatta can claim the name “sandwich,”
and are available for consumption during all
hours of the day and night. Since it is not very
rich in content it is considered easily digest-
ible and puts less pressure on stomach. The
I
n an unraveling social structure rumours
are always a constant factor despite the
The hamburger: fact that the current unraveling is point-
ing towards new pastures that are full
of promise. The oft-repeated mantra is re-
The hamburger: The most popular form lated to the unfounded reports of a military
of sandwich was destined to be clinched by takeover because of the extremely below-par
the hamburger. The origin of this extreme- performance of the civil political forces that
ly tasty dish is in dispute as various parties has endangered the country. This impending
claim credit for it. The Menches brothers occurrence has become a standard format
claim they started to sell hamburgers in with which the chattering classes of Pakistan
ernance since the last decade and have exhib-
ited exemplary restraint despite tremendous
pressures of public opinion exerted on them.
They have consistently adhered to the desire
that political affairs should be managed by
political elements but they expect, like any
other Pakistani that the management of the
country is kept on an even keel. Like every
other Pakistani they are naturally perturbed
when things go wrong and no effort is made
to put them back on the rails.
It is a pity that things have come to the
The defence leadership is well aware of
the exigencies of situation and is very vigilant
to see that it prevents it from going out of con-
trol. It is doing everything to maintain a bal-
ance in the region and is quietly goading Af-
ghanistan to parley with Pakistan for peaceful
solution of problems as was witnessed by
beginning of Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan for
Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS). It has con-
tained the scourge of terrorism and has now
embarked upon the process of re-building.
It therefore would not be advisable to
well aware of the
exigencies of situation and
is very vigilant to see that
it prevents it from going
out of control
they can keep things on the right track with-
out being overtly seen to be doing so.
While saying so it should also be empha-
sised that it is the responsibility of the people

bread content provides much needed rough-
age very conducive in keeping digestive sys-
tem in order.
The different forms of sandwich have
gained currency world over with many tasty
variations added to it. Some of them are:
.
1885 whereas 15-year-old Charlie Nagreen try to besmirch the intentions of its most lev-
of Wisconsin served his customers meatballs el-headed institution.
stuffed between bread. The hamburger was Undoubtedly, Pakistan has a history of
first of its kind of sandwich that gained uni- military take-overs but that is a distant past.
versal approval and became the hot replace- While not justifying the take-overs it should
ment of sandwich. also be kept in mind that the extreme ac-
tions taken in the past were necessitated by
selfish and incompetent political elements
whose bad governance pushed the country
The Reuben
pass where national aspirations are yearning
for corrective measures. Unfortunately, the
political sector is least pushed about the na-
tional concerns and is engaged in internecine
warfare not only harming itself but under-
mining national interest in the process.
Despite an untenable situation the ulti-
mate defenders of the state are abstaining
from taking any untoward action. Their lead-
even consider the defenders taking any ex-
treme action that will not only harm them but
will also jeopardize the security of the coun-
try. Their leadership is very clear in its mind
about what is required to be done and it is
conscientiously doing it. It has learnt from the
mistakes of the past and is determined not to
repeat them. The worst lesson it learnt was
that the quarters that urged it to come to the
of Pakistan to exercise their right of vote judi-
ciously and keeping in view the performance
of their elected representatives. People have
a good deal of experience of the performance
of political parties and personnel and should
be able to evaluate it objectively. They know
that on their voting ability rests the strength
of ruling dispensations therefore the ultimate
responsibility of electing incompetent repre-

.
to the edge of disaster. No military take-over ership is hopeful that things will improve and fore and take charge, completely disappeared sentatives solely rests on them.
The Reuben: In 1926, grocer Reuben Kulakofsky of Ontario tried corned beef sauerkraut sand- emerged out of the personal wish of the com- is doing its bit by advising political leadership once difficulties started arising as is bound to Though not a very appropriate decision
wich to provide as quick food to his fellow poker players. The dish was quickly picked up by manders and they acted extremely hesitating- to get its act together as happened in the case happen. The defenders are satisfied that they but the army has undertaken to protect vot-
restaurants as it was not only tasty but also very filling. The origin of this invention is disputed ly when they saw national interest in danger. of FATA’s merger with KPK where the political have devised a cogent process through which ing rights of the people but being vigilant and
by Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in New York City who fervently claim that it was their responsible is the duty of citizens themselves.
invention. The army cannot interfere in the laid down
framework and guidelines stipulated by the
election authorities that have repeatedly been
exploited. Army is held responsible for not
detecting wrong voters’ lists etc without real-
ising that such matters do not fall within the
domains of its duty. It is widely known that
votes are sold but army cannot do anything to
preclude this possibility.
It is mandatory on the people not to be
carried away by false promises and should
employ their native wisdom to assess the
credibility of their candidates. In this modern
age of free flow of information it is definitely
not difficult to verify credentials and records
of their candidates. They should always bear

.
in mind that the people they are voting for
will remain in power for five years and noth-
ing could be done to dislodge them from gov-
The chicken sandwich Bun Kabab ernance. It is always better to vote with con-

.
scientious care rather than voting wrongly

.
The chicken sandwich: Bun Kabab: The indigenous Pakistani version of sandwich is the traditional bun kabab that and then calling desperately for help.
This immensely popular version of sandwich was created by Atlanta restaurant owner Truett is held in great esteem and has not lost its lustre despite aggressive onslaught of hamburgers
Cathy in 1946. He put pieces of boneless chicken in a bun and named it the “Chick-fil-A.” But the and sandwiches. Its contents include beef patty with spicy chutney garnished with onion and
Brig (R) SSH Khwarzami had a
growth of its popularity made its inventors to change their slogan “We didn’t invent the chick- tomatoes stuffed between a soft bun. Its vegetarian version contains potato with same combi-
distinguished career in law enforcement
en. Just the chicken sandwich.” Chicken sandwich became the rage of the time as popularity of nation of spices as in the meat version..
now is a social activist
white meat gained ground that saw corresponding increase in usage of poultry.. Izay Ayesha is into linguistics Voters
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
The uphill electoral count that will
take Imran Khan up the hill
Dr Fahd Ali calculates the magical
formula
I
n the bid that entails winner-takes-all
the electoral count becomes supreme.
The political scenario anywhere is com-
plex but not as unpredictable as it is in
Pakistan where the determinants of the entire
exercise change every few years. Usually elec-
toral contests are fought and won by men and
women according to certain codes earmark-
ing association, purpose, future course of
action and electoral strategy but in Pakistan
nothing of the sort exists. Pakistani political
system is weaved around obtaining electoral
numbers by any means possible therefore the
democratic process here retains its untenable
nature.
Imran Khan emerged on the political scene
protesting against the inequities of the elec-
tion process and professed to change it com-
pletely. But as was expected he eventually
succumbed to the exigencies of the electoral
politics and is now assiduously counting his
numbers required to become prime minister
of Pakistan. He is fast adding to his tally of so-
called electables and expects that many pro-
spective politicos are waiting in the wings to
jump on to his bandwagon.
Imran Khan requires 137 out of the direct-
ly elected 272 members of the National As-
sembly to clinch the most coveted office in the
land. To begin with, he has created a problem
for himself by categorically declaring that he
will not enter into any post-election alliance
with PPP, PMLN and JUI. As is obvious, in the
absence of an alliance with the major politi-
cal parties Imran Khan has considerably nar-
rowed his possible coalition partners.
Imran Khan is wooing Karachi that con-
tains a bag of 21 seats according to the cur-
rent delimitation of constituencies’ formula.
It is widely reported that MQM’s vote bank
is holding strong in 12 seats and rest of the 9
seats may face tough competition. In addition,
MQM may grab two seats from Hyderabad. On
paper MQM looks to be a possible coalition
partner with almost 15 seats but the problem
is that MQM is now divided into as many as
five blocks: MQM-London, MQM-Pakistan,
MQM-Bahadurabad, MQM-Haqiqi and Pak
Sarzameen Party (PSP).
With the chances of MQM-London not con-
testing elections the rest of the four will carve
up the MQM vote bank. The general belief that
whatever the composition of the MQM win-
ning blocks it will be conveniently nudged to
follow a particular course may prove wanting
in the peculiar circumstances. For the sake of
convenience we may assume that at least sev-
enty percent winners will follow the lead and
that count finally comes to 15 MNAs willing to
side with Imran Khan. On its own PTI is capa-
ble of winning one seat from Karachi.
It will be difficult for PTI to defeat PPP in
interior Sindh though it may be able to pro-
cure the fringe seats captured by Pir Pagara’s
PML-Functional which, in its new shape as
A powerful challenge
The contest in Punjab
Grand Democratic Alliance is expected to pick
up four seats and join PTI in a coalition. Mov-
ing over to the Punjab scenario PMLQ will be
a willing partner of PTI but it may not be able
to win more than three seats as the main bat-
tle will rage between PMLN and PTI.
Many electables have joined newly-formed
Balochistan National Party and it is expected
that it will muster 6 seats out of the total 16
seats earmarked for Balochistan and since
its bigwigs collaborated with PTI in getting a
Balochi elected as Chairman Senate therefore
they may support PTI. Imran Khan may be
successful in winning one seat from Baloch-
istan.
PTI’s strongest support base is in KP from
where it bagged 18 seats out of the total 39
seats allocated to the province in 2013 elec-
tions. PTI is trying hard to repeat its perfor-
mance but as is usually the case with electoral
contests it may come back with a reduction of
Comment 10
at least two seats taking its tally to 16 seats.
PTI may additionally win one seat from Islam-
abad.
The most important factor in forthcoming
elections will be independents as they are ex-
pected to improve upon their 10 seats share
of 2013 elections and the share may go up to
20. The growing clout of PTI may be able to
attract at least 15 independents in its fold.
Punjab with its 141 seats holds the key to
any electoral success. The breakdown of the
NA representation in Punjab is that 95 belong
to North and Central Punjab and 46 are allo-
cated to South Punjab. The prediction is that
PTI will be able to win 15 seats out of South
Punjab’s total tally.
Let’s count the probable numbers as have
been enumerated above: 15 Independents,
15 South Punjab, 15 Karachi, 16 KP, 6 BAP,
4 PMLF, 3 PMLQ, 1 Karachi and 1 Islamabad.
The tally comes to 76 seats in all creating a
shortage of 61 seats to form government at
the centre. The question is whether PTI will
be able to win a clean 61 seats out of the re-
maining 126 seats of South, North and Central
Punjab as it currently hold only 6 NA seats
from Punjab.
While answering this question it may be
kept in mind that the religious parties will
split vote particularly in Punjab. It should
also be remembered that PMLN has done well
in Punjab and is also using its incumbency
to dole out benefits to predominantly South
Punjab’s agricultural electoral belt.
Winning 61 seats out rightly from tightly
held Punjab may not be easy. PMLN as a par-
ty has not been decisively broken as yet and
the chances are that it may maintain its unity
. .
even after the installation of the caretakers.
PMLN’s vote bank also appears to be intact as
was proven time and again through various
by-elections that were thoroughly won by it.
It is not easy for Imran Khan to climb to the
top.
Dr Fahd Ali is prominent for looking after
interests of overseas Pakistanis in the USA
and has deeply studied Pakistani electoral
process
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
ever the bride’s African-American roots were
reflected throughout that heightened the
sense of diversity.
The ceremony was subjected to the ener-
gy of the Chicago-born preacher, Bishop Mi-
chael Curry whose 14 minutes long oration
provoked contrary emotions as he evoked
the power of love with fist-pumping vitality,
invoking Martin Luther King Jr and the resil-
ience of faith during slavery. His performance
was certainly not a traditional royal fare end-
ing very unconventionally on “We gotta get
y’all married.”
A host of VIP guests added to the lustre as
actor George Clooney and lawyer wife Amal,
Oprah Winfrey, tennis star Serena Williams,
Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Carey Mulligan
were spotted along with David and Victoria
Beckham and Sir Elton John. Harry’s former
girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas
were also invited and the whole lot sat op-
posite the Queen, Prince Philip and a full
brace of senior royals. The ceremony was
brightened by ten bridesmaids and pageboys
including Prince George and Princess Char-
lotte accompanying the bride as she walked
through the 15th-century chapel. She took
the arm of Prince Charles acting as a last-min-
ute stand-in to give her away in the absence
of her father.
Harry, his grandmother’s favourite, is also
loved by Brits who have conveniently ignored
his bit of weed, Vegas nudes and a Nazi cos-
tume since after he flew combat missions as
a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. Harry is ac-
knowledged as the strong but sensitive type,
a man who never shies away from talking
about mental health on television shows. On
his wedding he was dressed in the frock coat
uniform of a major in the Blues and Royals
regiment and displayed more nervousness
than his bride who looked very composed.
The mother of the bride, Doria Ragland, 61,
a yoga instructor and social worker from Los
Angeles accompanied her to the church in the
bridal car and stayed glued to her chair with
a smile fixed on her face throughout the cer-
emony. She was given a supporting hand by
Charles when she rose to witness the signing
of wedding registers.
The bride, whom the British tabloids are
not quite sure what to make of, is the whole
package. She is a feminist, consummate me-
dia performer who looks thoughtful and elo-
quent while describing her experiences and
proved herself more assured than her hand-
some prince. She wore a five-metre-long silk
tulle veil trimmed with hand-embroidered
flowers from the 53 countries of the Com-
monwealth. It was held in place by the Queen
Mary diamond-and-platinum tiara which the
queen specially lent for the occasion.
After the service the couple made their way
through Windsor’s streets in an Ascot landau
pulled by four Windsor grey horses and ac-
companied by a guard of the Household Cav-
alry, plumed and polished with breastplates
and helmets gleaming. Tens of thousands of
spectators lined the route along three miles
of bunting and thousands of flag-waving fans.
Outside the castle grounds fans had travelled
from France, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland
The family
Happy couple
with few of them sleeping overnight on the
street. As the carriage finally pulled into the
gated grounds of Windsor Castle, Harry ap-
peared to say to his new bride: “I’m ready for
a drink now”.
The royal wedding is estimated to have
cost about US$45.8 million or Rs.5.3 billion
which registered an increase from Prince Wil-
liam’s marriage in 2011 that cost an estimat-
ed $34 million including $8.7 million security
expenses and $4.9 million in overtime pay
for the police. The British economy benefit-
ted financially by over 1 billion pounds (US$
1.346 billion or Rs155 billion) through tour-
ism, TV broadcast rights, retail sales and food
and beverage. Royal family pays major chunk
of expenses. Meghan Markle bought her own
exclusive double bonded silk dress that cost
between $500,000 to $600,000 and was quite
expensive compared to Kate Middleton family
Exposition 23
The total list of invitees
came to 2,640 people who
were seated in the
enormous grounds of
Windsor Castle, a
venue that has hosted
royal weddings for more
than 150 years
that reportedly paid $4, 34,000 for dresses.
The total list of invitees came to 2,640
people who were seated in the enormous
grounds of Windsor Castle, a venue that has
hosted royal weddings for more than 150
years. The construction of St George’s Chap-
el at Windsor was started in 1475 by Edward
IV and completed by Henry VIII in 1528. The
town of Windsor, from whose the royal family
draws its title, is situated 34 kilometers west
of London and is full of history of the mon-
archy.
The ceremony was watched by an estimat-
ed global TV audience of 1.9 billion as the sun-
ny Windsor proved its money’s worth. A glib-
tongued commentator, Dickie Arbiter, former
press secretary to the queen hoped that Harry
and Meghan will be able to create a stable life
despite the surreal conditions of the environ-
ment they exist in. At a reception after the
event hosted by Charles for 200 guests many
present were brought to tears when he lov-
ingly described ‘my dear old Harry.’
Unfortunately, the bride’s father, Thomas
Markle Sr. was thousands of miles away in a
hospital in Mexico recuperating from a heart
illness and media-induced tension. He saw his
daughter enter the chapel as Meghan Markle
and leave it as HRH Princess Henry of Wales,
the Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbar-
ton and Baroness Kilkeel carving her name
in history. Who says there are no more fairy-
tales?
Hoor Asrar Rauf has remained a
swimming champion and is a budding
entrepreneur
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
The right royal wedding
Hoor Asrar Rauf delineates the
peculiarities of the marriage of Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle
S
ymbolism was writ large on the scin-
tillating royal wedding in London
that was conspicuous for the fact
that Prince Harry is in the direct line
of succession (he is sixth in line) and that it
will be a long time before another prince of
the line, Prince George, will get married in the
same fashion. The marriage was also unique
in the way that the couple chose to do things
their own way.
Symbolism was also woven into almost
every aspect such as the bride’s bouquet of
spring blooms contained several flowers from
their garden handpicked by Harry himself.
Forget-me-Nots were included in memory of
his mother, late Princess Diana. Myrtle, from a
plant grown by Queen Victoria, was incorpo-
rated as is traditional with royal brides.
The incongruence of this very traditional
British royal event was evident in its very na-
ture. In the process Meghan Markle became
the first mixed race person in history to mar-
ry a British royal from direct line of succes-
sion. She found fame in the US legal drama
Suits playing the character Rachel Zane and a
number of her former co-stars including Pat-
rick J Adams and Gabriel Macht, were there
for her big day. To add to the extreme surreal
Exposition 22 WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Perception 11
Political parties and distributive
nature of the whole drama, Prince Harry, 33,
and 36-year-old Ms Markle became engaged
mechanism
following a whirlwind 16-month romance af-
ter going on a blind date in London! Shahmir Kazi dwells upon the essential litical parties because only they possess the
The royal British family finally accepted responsibility of political parties capacity to channelize distribution of collec-
A
a divorcee as a royal bride after dethroning tive resources of a nation state. It is because
King Edward VIII for intending to commit a s is the wont, accidental uncertain- of political parties that states became nation
similar ‘sin’ when he insisted on marrying ty breeds great events of evolu- states. It was therefore natural that orga-
twice-divorced American socialite Wallis tionary nature. The formation and nized political parties transform themselves
Simpson in 1936. This ostracizing principle growth of political parties is such into vehicles of political power. With the pas-
worked both ways as Princess Margaret was an event. Prior to that, the venerated cradle sage of time their all pervasive presence has
forced to give up her love affair with Group of democracy, Greece, had no political parties placed them at the top of institutional pyra-
Captain Peter Townsend, an equerry to her and although in the Roman Senate, the Patri- mid in a nation state. They are temperamen-
father, the King. And over half a century lat- cians representing nobles and the Plebeians tally different than any other congregational
er, Prince Charles was ultimately allowed to representing wealthy merchants as well as platform owing to their unique claim to prag-
marry his divorced long-term partner Camilla the middle class voted as factions but people, matism in a polity.
Parker-Bowles who however is not allowed to represented by organized platform, had little It is now widely argued that political par-
be anointed queen once Charles ascends the voice in politics. ties and their organization are more import-
throne. It was the searing whiff of a rumor spread- ant in explaining democratic outcomes than
The intensity of not-marrying- a- divorcee ing through England in 1678 (Popish Plot) in- the levels of per capita income of a country
principle emanates from the traditional role sinuating that Roman Catholics were plotting or the extent of inequality or a resource con-
of the British monarch as Supreme Gover- to kill King Charles II that forced an alarmed straint because they preside over distribu-
nor of the Church of England that historically Parliament to bar all Roman Catholics from tive mechanism. It is also becoming obvious
refused to bless the unions of anyone with a public office. Ironically the king viewed the that the relationship between class alliances
living ex-spouse. The church softened its po- action as Parliamentary challenge to royal and their link to political parties may well
Distributive justice
sition in 2002 to allow divorced individuals to authority and struck back by dissolving Par- hold true in most countries. It is now quite
remarry under “exceptional circumstances.” liament. Those who urged the king to call a manifest that stable class alliances in asso- ing each country’s independence movement class was exploited by military rulers who
In 2005 Prince Charles tested the relaxation new Parliament, Petitioners, transformed into ciation with strong political understanding critically impacted its post-independence conveniently netted in corporate interests as
by marrying Camilla Parker-Bowles but the Whigs, who as later day Liberal Party repre- are pre-requisites to sustainable democratic regime type. These different social classes well as land owning classes thereby depriv-
couple was not allowed to marry in a church sented ordinary people to have more rights process. created political parties which varied in their ing civilian political forces of the tools of re-
and tied its nuptials at Windsor Guildhall lo- The invite and control of government. Those who backed In this connection it is worthwhile to re- strengths and this strength was the most source distribution. Bereft of this essential in-
cated outside the grounds of Windsor Castle. the king’s deed, Abhorrers (they abhorred any fer to the contemporary analysis delineating important explanation for each country’s re- gredient of governance, political forces were
attempt to control the king’s actions) devel- causes responsible for sustaining democratic gime stability upon independence. Resultant- easily marginalized and left with no recourse
It is very well known that oped into Tories, who as Conservative Party governance in India and its failure in Paki- ly in India the urban middle class made an but to play second fiddle to military regimes
advocated rule by a strong King. stan. The differing trajectories of develop- alliance with the dominant peasantry, India’s or to agitate against them. In the process the
royalty invented pomp, The transformation of hybrid monarchies ment in India and Pakistan were usually ex- ‘rural middle class’. military establishment carved out a corpo-
pageantry and gilded into nation states was due to the realization plained as the result of differential colonial Indian Congress managed a coherent dis- rate identity obtaining a powerful economic
spectacle that governance, as the primary distributive
system, uniquely encompassing all aspects of
inheritance, economic growth or income in-
equality, varying religious and ethnic factors
tributional coalition composed of members
of the middle class that shared an interest in
base to operate from.
Viewed in this backdrop the resurgence of
human existence, cannot function without po- and even international influences. But their more favourable treatment whereas the pre- democratic political activity in Pakistan saw
In this connection it is empirical bases and explanatory efficacy are dominantly aristocratic Muslim League elite, PMLN emerging as a dominant political force
Moreover, the Queen did not attend the cere- weak because the kinds of social classes lead- dependent on large Muslim landholders in willing to accommodate the converging inter-
mony because of her role as the head of the worthwhile to refer to the ing each country’s independence movement Punjab opposed to any economic redistribu- ests of the land owning elements and urban
Church of England, which frowns on divorce. The make-shift giveaway contemporary analysis and the strength of the dominant political tion not only failed to forge an alliance but middle class that provided sustenance to its
party at independence were the most import- also fell short of delivering on the promises electoral appeal. Despite political engineer-
But she and her husband Prince Philip did at-
tend a formal church blessing of the marriage dress designed by British designer Claire
delineating causes ant causes of India’s and Pakistan’s divergent of economic redistribution it made to Bengali ing of military regimes altering the inherent
after the ceremony. Interestingly three of the Waight Keller at the French fashion house responsible for sustaining democratic trajectories. peasant cultivators on whom it was equally representative landscape of Pakistan and
queen’s four children Charles, Princess Anne Givenchy. It was also reported that she would democratic governance It was the existence of stable class alli- dependent. This was an obviously unstable shrouded by militaralistic perceptions of the
and Prince Andrew have been divorced. be making a speech at the evening reception. ances and link with a strong political party alliance because the interests of these two polity, PMLN took root as dominant national
All such traditions were blown off when It is very well known that royalty invented in India and its failure in that explains why India democratized while groups were antithetical to one another. political presence. Contrary to oft repeated
Harry married Markle on Saturday as they pomp, pageantry and gilded spectacle. It was Pakistan Pakistan did not. The class interests dominat- The crucial failure of Pakistani political assertion it is the very cement of familial con-
were not only wed in St. George’s Chapel on evident throughout as the royal Ascot Landau trol that has kept PMLN afloat. This familiar
the grounds of Windsor Castle but the cer- carriage pulled by a pair of father-and-son pattern of organizational control in South
emony was performed by the archbishop Windsor Grey horses, Archbishop of Canter- Asian politics with its emphasis on well-knit
of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who leads the bury bedecked in his robes and the Choir of close fraternal connections suited indigenous
Church of England. The couple also sprung St. George’s Chapel belting out the choral an- social gravitational practices. Moreover it
many surprises as the bride chose her own thems to the rafters. In direct contrast how- provided for connection between politics and
society through the intercession of family
system so revered in South Asian societies.
Imran Khan and Co. precisely challenged
this familial hold underpinning distribu-
tive mechanism inherent in political party’s
raison d’être. His challenge is peripheral in
essence because he cannot avoid compul-
sions of distributive mechanism as has been
evident in his handling of government in KP.
By uprooting Nawaz Sharif the political spec-
trum has just removed the familial hold but
.
the reality of political party as a distributive
mechanism still holds ground. The earlier Pa-
kistani political class realises the importance
of this mechanism the better otherwise it will
be cornered by fissiparous forces already
challenging it.
Shahmir Kazi works in the private sector
Unveiling the bride Distributive network Politics is community and authority with interest in socio-political affairs
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Pakistan’s services sector’s
contribution to GDP
Ashraf Ali comments on the crucial role
played by IT in services sector
P
akistani economy has done well in
services sector that is now rated to
be contributing something like 50
percent of the GDP of the country.
Not only that it substantially adds to the na-
tional income but it also provides vast num-
ber of employment opportunities to people.
It is estimated that the services sector has
performed exceedingly well in the valuable
services provision whose international val-
ue is estimated to be responsible for netting
US$4.9 trillion in global terms.
As compared to global earnings Pakistan’s
trade in services amounts to $16.20 billion
that is off course very little in content but
reveals that there is enough vibrancy in the
sector to make its contribution felt strongly
in Pakistan. By the look of it services sector
in Pakistan is gradually gaining strength and
it is expected that it will grow exponentially.
The growth of services sector in Pakistan
encouraged Pakistan to liberalise trade and
venture into areas that have tremendous po-
tential for growth. The four areas where Pa-
kistan sought recognition and assistance are
architectural services, construction and engi-
neering services, energy related services and
environmental services. Pakistan solicited as-
sistance during the Doha round of the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) and requested
countries to provide opportunity to Pakistani
services.
The efforts undertaken proved fruitful en-
The growth of services sec-
tor in Pakistan encouraged
Pakistan to liberalise trade
and venture into areas that
have tremendous potential
for growth
abling Pakistan to request for seeking com-
mitments from the European Community, the
USA, Saudi Arabia and other member coun-
tries in four areas of activity mentioned above.
These requests pertained to liberalising trade
in computers and related services, to the
movement of workers without the distinction
of skilled and unskilled persons, cross-border
supply and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) ex-
emptions. The facilities sought through these
requests provide ground-breaking opportu-
nities for Pakistan to increase its exports of
services.
The mainstay of Pakistan’s services growth
has been Pakistan’s IT industry in which the
country excels due to the talent of its entre-
preneurs and natural ability of its workforce.
In the fiscal year 2016-17 Pakistani IT indus-
try generated revenue of $2.9 billion, and en-
couragingly enough, 88 percent of this reve-
nue came from the export of IT and IT-related
services, a figure amounting to almost $2.55
billion. The robust performance of the IT in-
dustry of Pakistan is due to many factors that
have exceedingly contributed to its growth.
To begin with IT and its related compo-
nents of services are independent of large-
scale physical capital and infrastructure and
depend are more upon the skills of human
workforce and the capacity for employing nat-
ural talent. Moreover, IT has an international
demand and it is not restricted by domestic
demands. Additionally, the international mar-
ket for IT is growing rapidly and nearly 500
IT related companies operating in this sector
belong to developing countries. These factors
augur well for Pakistan’s IT industry and pro-
vide it with an unrivalled chance to carve out
a niche in this field.
Pakistan’s IT matrix is expected to be giv-
en a huge boost by the CPEC connectivity
endeavours that will provide unprecedented
links to Pakistan’s IT industry. Pakistan also
has a comparative advantage in exporting
professional services like construction, archi-
IT bonanza in Pakistan
Comparison
tecture, legal and engineering because of the
availability of cheap labour and a large pool
of professionals and engineers related to the
field of construction.
Though Pakistan finds itself placed itself in
favourable position but there still are hurdles
to overcome. The biggest hurdle in enhancing
this trade is the free mobility of labour for
Pakistani nationals. Another important factor
is a lack of access to export financing and a
lack of efficient infrastructure in the country.
Pakistani IT industry lacks enough financial
sources to compete in international markets
as the banking sector and other financial in-
stitutions provide export financing to only
those exporters who have enough securities
and resources to acquire new loans.
The additional drawback faced by IT in-
dustry is related to unreliable telecom ser-
Opinion 12
The additional drawback
faced by IT industry is
related to unreliable
telecom services that are
indifferently provided and
casually manned adversely
impacting outsourcing and
direct export potential
vices that are indifferently provided and casu-
ally manned adversely impacting outsourcing
and direct export potential. The unreliability
of provision of energy also creates problems
for this industry and so is the lack of transport
services. These adversities increase costs of
production of services and decrease the de-
mand for Pakistani services internationally.
The lure and productivity of IT sector are
enough incentives to work hard to remove
the deficiencies experienced by this sector.
One way to overcome these difficulties is to
achieve specialisation in services and scaling
up their production that will surely result in
achieving a higher growth rate. Furthermore,
there is a need to fundamentally revitalise
the trade-related services sector in Pakistan
by introducing efficiency enhancing reforms
through institutional changes, better human
capital and provision of technical education.
Pakistan’s services sector will do well by
imparting vocational training to meet the
growing demand of a skilled labour force.
The government is required to make large
investment in this sector that can work won-
ders for it. Notwithstanding all difficulties the
.
IT sector in Pakistan has shown remarkable
potential of growth that is evident from its
outstanding results. IT startups in Pakistan
have increased in leaps and bounds and are
providing this sector ample opportunity to
develop.
Ashraf Ali is with electronic media
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018 Close-up 21
Mostly out of sight
Talha Mansoor comments on
superfluous governmental agencies
W
hile a lot of fuss is raised
about cash guzzling white el-
ephants, Public Corporations,
but scarce attention is paid
to government departments that, although
subjected to official controls, are run inde-
pendently. These entities perform important
preventive and punitive functions with far
reaching national consequences but, except
self-serving periodic press releases they is-
sue from time to time, precious little is known
about their actual functional performance.
Their hybrid existence reveals the classic
blurring of operational lines between civil
and military areas of governmental functions
that are required to be streamlined.
There is no denying the fact that narcot-
ic production, usage and smuggling is a long
standing issue in Pakistan whose existence
and tremendously negative effects are usually
brushed under the carpet. The periodical cer-
emonial burning of narcotic hauls by Customs
and their occasional ‘discovery’ of it on trav-
elers to the Middle East are futile attempts as
Pakistanis smuggling narcotics are regularly
apprehended and beheaded in Saudi Arabia.
The fact of the matter is that no efforts are
ever made to realistically assess the extent of
the menace let alone devising a cogent strate-
gy to eradicate it.
All this happens under the very nose of DG ANF Maj Gen Mussarat Nawaz Malik
Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF), a federal executive
agency mandated to combat narcotic produc- cies are also entrusted with narcotics preven-
tion, usage inside the country and smuggling tion and eradication such as Airports Secu-
abroad. The ANF is headed by a superseded rity Force, Pakistan Coast Guards, Customs,
two star general (Maj Gen Mussarat Nawaz
Malik (Arty)) although its regulations state
Provincial Excise and Taxation, to name a
few. This subject is a devolved subject and all
that any competent person may be appointed federal and provincial agencies dealing with it
its Director General. As civil law enforcement have made a hash of it. Furthermore, ANF is
agency it has been granted policing powers a considerable drain on national exchequer as
but its predominantly military decision mak- it runs its own ANF Academy without produc-
ers have very little acquaintance with civil ing corresponding results.
laws and procedures.
To compound matters further, other agen-
Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) is a para-
military uniformed law enforcement organ-
isation working under the civilian control of
Ministry of Interior headquartered at Karachi
and commanded by Brigadier Ateeq-ur-Rah-
man. PCG is entrusted with the task to protect
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency ANF Pakistan
coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan and it
.
also is supposed to be prepared for riverine Britten-Norman Defender aircrafts. The best appear very opaque in content. They resem-
warfare. these high sounding agencies frequently do ble the futility of ERRA in presence of fully
A similar organisation, whose functions is to haul hapless Indian fishermen fishing in fledged NDMA. The national exchequer of
overlap with PCG, is Maritime Security Agen- Pakistani waters and publicise their plight on Pakistan requires reducing off extra burden
cy (MSA) run by Pakistan Navy to defend television screens! MSA was headed by Rear and it could well do to reevaluate the need for
coastal areas and conduct military operations Admiral Jameel Akhtar who has since been these agencies.
to maintain maritime law enforcement. MSA elevated as Chairman KPT.
is extravagantly equipped with four corvettes The existence of ANF, PCG and MSA looks Talha Mansoor is an Advocate
ships, nine fast response boats and three not only superfluous but their operations also
DG Pakistan Coast Guards Brigadier Ateeq-ur-Rehman
WEEKENDE
The
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Fahad Ali is concerned about incremental
increase in Israeli violent activity
T
he recent spate of violence, dubbed
as the worst single incident in the
region, saw 58 Palestinians lose
their lives and more than 2,700 sus-
taining injuries when Israel used brutal state
force to repress the waves of protests that
have become a way of life there. The reason
for protest was very legitimate as America
has declared Jerusalem, an occupied territory
in recognised international parlance, as Israe-
li capital and has agreed to open up its diplo-
matic legation there.
The occasion gave a very gory look as just
a few miles away Israel and the US were en-
gaged in joyfully inaugurating the American
embassy in Jerusalem. President Trump’s
bigoted and hard line Jewish son-in-law Jar-
ed Kushner and his docile wife Ivanka Trump
were photographed smiling along with Israe-
li PM Netanyahu at the ceremony and Jared
Kushner remark uttered there tells the whole
story: “those provoking violence are part of
the problem and not part of the solution.”
It is an unfortunate but regular feature of
the international arena that Israel arbitrari-
ly employs disproportionate military force
to put down the legitimate resistance of the
Palestinian population living in their own ter-
ritories that were forcibly occupied by Israel
in 1967. It is painful to observe that there ap-
pears no end to the miseries of the subjugat-
ed Palestinians and there is no force to curb
Israeli streak of violence that has failed to
abate. Even the Arab countries and the Mus-
lim world feel themselves powerless to pro-
vide succour to the ravaged Palestinians suf-
fering at the hands of an intransigent Israel.
The plight of the Palestinians currently
is witnessed in Gaza, a narrow strip of land,
about 40 kilometers long and between six
kilometers and 12 kilometers wide that is
squeezed between Israel, Egypt and the Med-
iterranean Sea. It is the third most densely
populated area in the world after Singa-
pore and Hong Kong that is enclosed with-
in boundaries with over 5,000 people per
square kilometers crowding this small piece
of land. Israel has augmented the Gaza border
Growing Israeli violence
with most advanced technological devices
that constantly monitor it and in addition it is
defended by an overwhelming Israeli military
force.
Israel treats this tract of land as an effec-
tive and extensive Israeli buffer zone within
the Gaza Strip and makes it sure to keep this
area off-limits to Palestinians living there. The
besieged Palestinians number something be-
tween 1.9 million and their population is pro-
jected to grow up to 2.1 million by 2020. With
the rise in population the area promises to
become completely unlivable. Unemployment
currently stands at 29 percent in the Pales-
tinian Authority but it is above 44 percent in
Gaza and well above 60 percent among the
youth, according to the World Bank. Around
80 percent of the population relies on human-
itarian aid to survive.
With tacit American help Israel is exploit-
ing the presence of Hamas in Gaza to kill in-
nocent civilians and is following a strategy
to occupy the land, force people out of their
homes and then build an illegal wall to contin-
ue the occupation. But despite brutal Israeli
actions the mass resistance movement by
Palestinians in Gaza to demand the return for
Palestinian refugees of 1948 and an end to the
12-year-blockade by Israel has been growing.
It is very strange to observe the 360- degree
turn in American policy that was once instru-
mental in putting enormous pressure on all
parties in the region to sign and implement
successive peace accords.
However the US-Israeli nexus is heroically
defied by the Palestinian youth against the in-
tolerable conditions they find themselves in.
With each passing day protests along the bor-
der over the past month have been peaceful
despite the lethal response by the Israeli De-
fence Forces. Young Palestinians are fervently
defying the most advanced military force and
weaponry in the hands of trained snipers by
flying kites across barbed-wire fences, at-
tempting to beat back tear-gas canisters with
tennis rackets or simply showing that they
Inauguration plaque
Expose 20
Worst inhumanity
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at opening of US Embassy in Jerusalem
won’t be cowed by bullets even at the risk of
Israel treats this tract of
their own lives. land as an effective and
extensive Israeli buffer
zone within the Gaza Strip
and makes it sure to keep
this area off-limits to
Palestinians living there
Whatever the Israeli propaganda implies,
its citizens have suffered no casualties and
even the soldiers operate safely whereas the
death toll among the Palestinians of Gaza is
now well above 100 and more than 12,000
people have been left critically injured by live
ammunition or tear-gas canisters that have
been lobbed on peaceful protesters. Pales-
tinians rightly fear their ethnic cleansing and
will naturally do everything to avoid such
a fate. They expect that the complete turn-
around of American policies is aimed at their
ultimate annihilation and Gaza is the first step
towards it.
Israeli subjugation of Palestinians is now
.
considered the worst in human history and
the historical irony is that it is perpetrated
by the people who continuously remind the
world about the harrowing massacres they
faced during Nazi Germany’s domination of
Europe.
Fahad Ali is associated with maritime
trade
WEEKENDE
The
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What’s in CPEC for China?
Raja Nazeem-ul-Ameen explore China’s
interest in the game-changing project
E
ven if CPEC is a gift of China to Pa-
kistan as vociferously proclaimed by
Pakistani politicians holding office
since 2008 but a gift also contains in
itself not only some obligations but a potent
but hidden quid pro quo. Gifts are a symbol of
sustaining a relationship that is based on mu-
tual advantages and in which one’s advantage
is looked after by the other and vise-versa.
In economic terms gifts are associated with
pro-rata sharing of windfalls.
CPEC has interdependence stamped on it in
capital letters. It is a project that bears sig-
nificance both for Pakistan and China. Appar-
ently, the prospective delineation of CPEC is
tilted towards unprecedented opportunity
coming Pakistan’s way but the cooperative
process in it surely would have substantial
advantages for China as well.
Up to now the Chinese side of the initiative
describes strategic considerations prompting
China to develop a corridor facilitating access
to the Indian Ocean via Gwadar Port. China
by opening up an extra door plans to avoid
any prospective chances of getting blockaded
in future keeping in view its ambitious BRI
policy. China is developing BRI due to press-
ing domestic concerns dealing with creating
new markets for Chinese goods. It also aims
at utilising the industrial overcapacity it has
acquired during its economic dominance.
China is equally mindful of the growing
prospects of slower growth, overcapacity,
consumption- trailing investment and sat-
urating construction aspect that may prove
harmful to it in the future. Moreover, China is
keen to develop its various mainland regions
and cities spread across it and BRI will assist
in becoming a catalyst for inland development
particularly its borderlands. The prominent
area to derive advantage out of this policy is
Xinjiang Autonomous Region that the Chinese
government wants to integrate closely with
the national economy.
Chinese planners have given special atten-
tion to Xinjiang and have categorised it as an
essential hub to ‘open to the West’. They also
want to exploit Xinjiang’s geographic location
as a gateway to deepen communication and
cooperation with Central, South and West
Asian countries. They intend developing it as
a key transportation, trade, logistics, culture,
science and education centre and a core area
in the overall BRI.
China does not say it publicly but the secu-
rity concerns associated with Uyghur terror-
ism where East Turkestan Islamic Movement
(ETIM), a Uyghur separatist movement is
active in pursuing a separatist agenda, have
The advantages
The scope
caused quite an anxiety in China. Its prox-
imity to Pakistani borderlands has also mo-
tivated China to improve the economic lot of
the area. Recently China requested Pakistani
authorities to launch a crackdown on ETIM
militants who threatened to harm Chinese
workforce connected with CPEC.
China takes Pakistan as a central part in
its transition from regional to global power.
Pakistan has proved its credibility in a long
term relationship with China and it has never
faltered on any front where Chinese priorities
are concerned. China is so confident of Paki-
stan’s well-meaning policy towards it that it
has virtually made it a junior partner in its
global enterprise. China expects Pakistan to
Analysis 13
stay its course and support CPEC as much as
it can.
BRI is Chinese vehicle for regional domi-
nance whose tentacles are made to spread
further as the time goes by. CPEC is a subsidi-
ary vehicle that will test the waters for China
in the region. China had dabbled in many in-
frastructural projects elsewhere in the world
but they were not of the level of CPEC. To Chi-
nese planners both the credibility and capaci-
ty factors play crucial role in case of CPEC.
China is quite sure that the returns from
CPEC will be very valuable for it in the longer
run as Pakistan will be economically viable a
place after CPEC is fully implemented to re-
turn the loans. China is also confident that the
security of its vast project will be adequately
maintained by Pakistan. It may be borne in
mind that CPEC is the pilot project China is
undertaking to increase regional and global
connectivity and the success of the entire BRI
venture depends on the success of CPEC.
The strategic leverage China will gain
while pursuing CPEC is hidden from no one.
China requires strategic cooperation with
another nuclear-armed country in the region
to counter the designs of India that is openly
opposing CPEC and collaborating with Amer-
ica to contain the venture and thereby China’s
advance.
China has surely worked out the short and
long-term social, environmental, financial
and geo-strategic aspects of not only CPEC but
also BRI. Chinese planners have very shrewd-
ly calculated the Pakistani potential of bring-
ing CPEC to fruition. China also is aware of the
massive mineral potential of Balochistan and
mountainous regions of Pakistan. The vast
.
shores of Pakistan are unexplored and are
open to development that surely the Chinese
would have in mind. CPEC is no doubt a win-
win situation for China and it has persistently
pursued the project despite difficulties inher-
ent in an unraveling Pakistan.
Raja Nazeem-ul-Amin is Minister/Vice
Chairman Board of Investment
Gilgit-Baltistan
WEEKENDE
The
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Uncertainty grips stock market
Kamal Ahmad Khan glances at the
current trends in stock market
T T
hese are uncertain times for the
national economy as the unpre-
dictability surrounding the im-
pending change of government has
rendered everything untenable. At the onset
of elections, widely predicted to result in a
hung parliament that would certainly bring
in more uncertainty, the economic cycle has
slowed down considerably.
Pakistan stock market showed tremen-
dous bullish tendencies for a long time but
has recently been overtaken by bearish
trends and profit-taking. It is therefore the
third successive week that the stock market
has witnessed reduction in its share values.
Consequently, the benchmark KSE-100 index
dropped to 1971 points, a fall of 4.5 pc that
is taken as the biggest weekly loss in current
year.
The downward trend in stock trade is pre-
dominantly due to the changes in political
situation with the former prime minister ap-
pearing to mount an offensive political chal-
lenge that is interpreted to give rise to politi-
cal instability. The statement of Nawaz Sharif
criticising the security establishment had an
unnerving impact on the stock trade circles
and it responded by losing 2.5 pc of its value
by shedding 1,096 points right after trading
began on Monday. The index eventually set-
tled at 41,624 points.
The fall in the market was although expect-
ed as it was bound to react at the impending
Sector-wise trade
change of government that has held the reins
of governance for five years. Such changes
affect equities throughout the world as mar-
kets hold their breath before such changes
occur and watch the process of change very
closely. If they view the political changes to
benefit economic causes then they according-
ly react and resume the bullish trend. In the
Current index
Equity trade
meantime stock markets undergo technical
correction as they average out the trading
volumes.
The stock trade in Pakistan is also appre-
hensive about other economic indicators that
are not showing healthy signs. The spectre of
depleting foreign exchange reserves is also
causing concern for investors who fear its
consequences. There occurred a $8.5 billion
jump in the country’s external debt and lia-
bilities to reach $91.76bn in FY18 while the
State Bank of Pakistan’s reserves plunged
3.26pc to $10.8bn.
The investor community is also worried
about by foreign selling of local equities that
is depleting the capital investment of the
stock exchanges. The 2018 semi-annual re-
view by MSCI portrayed Pakistan’s market as
static and its weight in the emerging markets
index revealed no change.
The current fall in the market is also
caused by abysmally low participation of in-
vestors as both individuals and institutions
prefer to wait it out on the sidelines due to
absence of any positive triggers for enhanced
trading volumes. Moreover, the shortened
trading hours in Ramzan do impact trading
flows as the market remains dull.
Review 14
Despite the earlier setbacks during the
week the trading volume rolled back by 31pc
over the earlier week to 115 million shares
while the average daily traded value fell 22pc
to $44m.The week also saw one of the worst
days in regard to investor participation when
the traded value sank to 46-month low on
Thursday.
The maximum selling was reportedly done
by foreigners who disposed off $20m worth
of stocks during the week, almost five times
their sell-off in the preceding week. The local
banks however absorbed all of the $20.2m
equity sold by the foreign investors. In addi-
tion selling was also reportedly done by mu-
tual funds who sold shares valued at $16.8m.
It was reported that commercial banks led
the spree of sector-wise selling along with
selling undertaken by foreign investors. Con-
sequently cement decreased by 304 points,
fertiliser 273 points, exploration and pro-
duction companies 229 points and oil and
gas marketing companies 134 points. The
largest hit was taken by Lucky Cement that
witnessed its share value going down by 167
points, Habib Bank 118 points, Engro Cor-
poration 117 points, Pakistan Petroleum 94
points and Nestle 87 points.
Amid all doom and gloom, few rays of hope
are clearly visible as it is expected that an
economist may head the caretaker set-up and
provide necessary incentives to stock mar-
kets. Pakistani stock trade is usually amena-
ble to caretaker administrations and has
showed healthy financial returns during their
tenures. Going by the historical precedent it is
expected that stock markets will resume their
bullish tendency after the installation of the
.
caretaker government. The trade may also
have benefitted from early announcement of
interim government and its delay has caused
jitters. Similarly early announcement of spe-
cific date for general election will encourage
the equities.
Kamal Ahmad Khan has over 32 years
experience as a Banker, treasurer, investor,
wealth manager, financial consultant/ad-
visor and private fund manager
WEEKENDE
The
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The irrelevant Arab League
Malik Nasir Mahmood Aslam on the
downfall of a premier organisation
he end of Second World War saw
the rise of Arab nationalism after
the fall of Ottoman Empire liberat-
ed the areas inhabited by the Arabs
in the Middle East and adjoining areas. The
Arab nationalism was purported by Egypt,
Syria and Iraq that was essentially against
the old world order represented by Ottoman
hybrid imperialism. The Arab nationalists,
however, could not isolate monarchical states
from the wider idea of Pan Arabism while
creating an Arab block. Resultantly, the Arab
League was formed in 1945 in which Arab
states of Arabia, North Africa and Horn of Af-
rica were included. Initially it consisted of six
members Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi
Arabia and Syria.
Arab League was one of the first estab-
lished regional organisations that ultimately
consisted of 22 states with the aim to “draw
closer the relations between member States
and co-ordinate collaboration between them,
to safeguard their independence and sover-
eignty, and to consider in a general way the
affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.
With the passage of time Arab League
was often criticised for its failure to justify
the very premise of its existence as it was not
able to solve issues for it was created. Over
the years, Arab League’s unifying slogan “one
Arab nation with an eternal mission” has
steadily muted and it has lost its status as a
representative body and has lost approval of
the Arab world.
The gradual degradation of the organi-
sation could be gauged from the fact that in
2016 Morocco initially postponed the annu-
al leader’s summit and then finally scrapped
It also is obvious that
Arab League’s
inefficiency is not the
outcome of external
factors as outside
powers have a long
history of
shifting loyalties in
quest of their changing
priorities
Its irrelavance
it altogether. The Moroccan statement about
the matter was quite eye-opening: “Amid the
lack of important decisions and concrete ini-
tiatives to submit to the heads of states, this
summit will be just another occasion to ap-
prove ordinary resolutions and to pronounce
speeches that give a false impression of uni-
ty”. In a sad reflection of the organisation, in
the end only seven of the league’s 22 leaders
attended the meeting subsequently held in
Mauritania.
It is also observed that any subsequent
sessions of Arab League will fail to bridge
the political divide as its role has become ir-
relevant in the ongoing crises in the Middle
East. It is usually assumed that League was
afflicted with paralysis since the 2000s and
that proved to the unprecedented aspect of
the organisation. It has been always subjected
to sporadic forays of unity usually spurred by
fierce opposition to Israeli actions and then
falls into unending spurts of disunity owing
to internal squabbles within the states such
as Egypt in 1978 when Anwar Sadat visited
Israel ditching all other Arab states and Iraq’s
invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Actually a real geopolitical shift occurred
in 2000s when US power in the region
reached its high point as it was seen des-
perately bent upon destroying Iraqi regime
Focus 19
Arab League summit in Jordan
despite the opposition of Arab League. In all
probability American hegemony in the region
has seen its best days as is evident by a resur-
gent Iran and the breaking out of Arab Spring
and subsequent policies of Arab states. Wash-
ington is gradually distancing itself from ac-
tive involvement in the region and is focusing
more towards Asia.
Despite the rather free space given to Arab
League to fill-in the void it has been unable
to fill it in appropriately. The intra-League
rivalries have become its bane coupled with
the fact that its member countries suffer from The Arab League composition
internal sovereignty problems. The signifi-
cant failure of the organisation pertains to its
ditching of Hezbollah denying the basic tenet
of its existence and subsequently failing to se-
cure a role in Jerusalem debate.
It also is obvious that Arab League’s inef-
ficiency is not the outcome of external factors
as outside powers have a long history of shift-
ing loyalties in quest of their changing priori-
ties. As a matter of fact the geopolitical factors
have a substantial role to play in the decline of
the League. With the demotion of Iraq, Syria
and Egypt as major players in the region the
pan-Arab politics has shifted decisively to-
wards the Saudi camp. Saudi forays into Ye-
men taken with the aim to counter growing
Iranian influence in the region has changed Its logo
its dynamics altogether. The foreign powers
are averse to rebalance the region leaving it
to its own mechanics.
Arab League’s continued existence de-
spite it being unfanged is primarily due to
the propensity of regional alliances to lin-
ger on irrespective of their relevance. It is a
cumbersome task to dissolve a regional en-
tity because it usually signifies the failure of
.
member nations about their intentions which
nation states do not like to admit. The notion
that Arabism is still a potent glue to hold Arab
nations together may be one of the reasons of
the existence of Arab League though the real-
istic scenario is fast making it redundant.
Malik Nasir Mahmood Aslam is a seasoned
Virtual paralysis social activist
WEEKENDE
The
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Baqar Bilal Hussain assesses the feelings
of a large segment of population
T
he presence of youth is what makes
Pakistan an exceptionally viable
venue for change. Youth actually
represents change because the tra-
ditions filter through young minds and often
their essential attributes are altered. The
change of perception enables the sociological
matrix to adapt to the altered variables and
usher in a modulated perspective about ev-
erything a society stands for.
It is estimated that almost 63% of Paki-
stani population comprises of youth out of
which 58.5 million are 20-to-24-year olds
while 69 million are aged under 15. The trou-
ble with the youth bulge of Pakistan is that it
is the most stressed out segment of the popu-
lation of Pakistan. Though Pakistan is rated as
the fifth largest country having a young pop-
ulation but its citizens between the ages of 18
to 33 years are under tremendous socio-eco-
nomic strain. There is no denying the fact
that if the millennials of youth are exposed to
stress it will be very harmful for the future of
the country.
In addition there are around 30% youth
that is illiterate whereas almost 9% suffers
from unemployment as it possesses no vo-
cational training and technical skills. It is es-
timated that 55 per cent of the youth live in
Punjab, 23 per cent in Sindh, 14 per cent in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and four per cent in Ba-
lochistan. The remaining four per cent inhabit
Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and FATA.
Despite negativity surrounding all over,
the youth of Pakistan has not given up and
they are boldly expressing their aspirations.
They have taken full advantage of the techno-
logical advancements that have trickled into
Pakistan and are making their best use. Well
over one-half of the youth possess mobile
telephones and though only 14 per cent have
access to the internet, they are able to connect
to the world by using the social media. The in-
tense activity on social media is indicative of
the urge of Pakistani young men and women
to be heard in the Pakistani mainstream.
The youth is already impacting the politi-
cal process of Pakistan with all major political
groupings trying to woo them to their side.
Their rising presence in political rallies point
out to their political awareness and this facul-
The expectations of
Pakistani youth
ty may change the political fortunes in 2018
general elections. Out of a voter count of be-
tween 135 and 140 million eligible to vote in
the forthcoming elections, it is expected that
voters between the ages of 18 to 30 years will
constitute almost 50 million or 35% of the to-
tal voters. The involvement of Pakistani youth
in national affairs is such that an estimated
90% male and 55% female young voters will
vote in elections 2018.
The UN Development Programme pre-
scribes three expectations for youth and that
also hold true for Pakistani youth. They ex-
pect quality education, gainful employment
and meaningful engagement. Any governance
set up can no longer neglect the expectations
of young people of Pakistan and it has become
mandatory to accord them due priority.
Vibrant
A blessing
Education has been a major drawback for
the youth of Pakistan that has kept them be-
hind in all spheres of activity. Pakistan’s expe-
rience of imparting education through state-
led apparatus has not been successful and
resultantly private enterprise has come into
it. It is expected that private sector will keep
on catering for providing quality education to
Pakistani youth.
Pakistani youth has shown a marked ten-
dency for acquiring education in the fields of
science, technology, engineering and math-
ematics. Unfortunately the youth has not
shown any interest in making careers in agri-
culture, retail commerce, transport and con-
struction as these fields are considered rather
backward forms of gaining employment. The
lure of making prosperous careers in relative-
Perspective 18
Pakistani youth has shown
a marked tendency for
acquiring education in the
fields of science,
technology, engineering
and mathematics
ly modern sectors of the economy matters
more.
It is noted that the youth is quite interest-
ed in the employment opportunities inherent
in CPEC as it is full of modern technological
skills particularly computerised operations.
The range of CPEC is vast and will enable
youth inhabiting both urban and rural areas
to take advantage of it. The Chinese assis-
tance in this respect will be indeed fruitful as
they have acquired an expertise in generating
employment in modern sectors and they are
already bringing these skills to Pakistan.
The Pakistani youth desperately expects to
be recognised as a part of the governance ma-
trix. It expects that it will be given a deserving
role to play in the affairs of the state. They
expect political inclusiveness and would be
greatly disappointed if they are denied that.
It is a foregone conclusion that it will be the
youth of Pakistan that will control of the des-
tiny of the country and if it is not encouraged
to participate in national affairs then it will
not only be frustrated but will also become
prone to agitation.
The youth of Pakistan is a very valuable
.
commodity if its energies are channelized
purposefully and with sincerity. The youth
does not expect something out of the ordinary
but its expectations are very genuine and apt.
The youth has the potential to change things
the way it is required in Pakistan.
Baqar Bilal Hussain is a social activist
WEEKENDE
The
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The gradual fall of the MBA
Dr. Tahseen Mahmood Aslam on an image
that is fast fading out
T
here is strong feeling amongst both
academics and economists that the
days of MBA as the booster of busi-
ness firms are numbered. It was
considered a marvel that was credited with
advancing the science of management and
helping economies to grow. But there is an
equally strong point of view that reviled it as
an expertise of little practical value that pro-
duces intransigence instilled in its graduates
considered harmful for business and com-
merce. Like any dwindling academic disci-
pline the critics of MBA more loudly proclaim
its demerits than the hurrahs of its support-
ers. Unfortunately the critics appear to be
winning the argument.
It is generally believed that full-time MBA
degree has reached saturation point and it is
now being pursued by mediocres only who
usually run the race when it reaches the
finishing line. The typical MBA is fast been
overtaken by highly focused Master in Man-
agement that is not only cheap to acquire but
is also extended to undergraduate students.
The overall acceptability of MBA has declined
hugely as non-MBAs now attract 35% of peo-
ple sitting for de facto business entrance ex-
amination GMAT. It is now known that when
King’s College London launches a business
school in November, it will offer specialised
Masters Courses but no MBAs.
In case of Pakistan the degree still holds
value but is gradually losing its shine. The
emoluments offered to an MBA graduate are
fast matched by non-MBA professionals in
various commercial and business fields. Ac-
cordingly many business colleges in Pakistan
have started reviewing their policy of offering
large-scale MBA programmes. The most po-
tent chink in the armour of this once-infallible
qualification is the initiation of four year BBA
programme that is considered much more
sharp-edged than piece-meal MBA.
The MBA was based on the premise of
a business professional handling manage-
ment of it more appropriately then other
In case of Pakistan the
degree still holds
value but is gradually
losing its shine
Opinion 15
stakeholders in the business. The rise of this
professional class in Pakistan began in late
1960s when PIA took the entire class of IBA
Karachi graduates on its payroll. The result
was that the airline prospered to the degree
that it was able to proffer advice and training
to nascent, inexperienced airlines started by
the Gulf countries. It was however found out
that the regulation-laced business practices
were ill-suited to organisations with a larger
sprawl involving various strata of stakehold-
ers.
The enterprising batches of MBA’s initially
produced in Pakistan acquired further spe-
cialisation in respective fields. Pakistan saw
the era of hold of MBA’s when one caretaker
PM belonged to this group and a toady PM
Shaukat Aziz also hailed from their ranks. The
rise of the MBA qualified banker in Pakistan
astonished the banking trade itself as mon-
ey managers were catapulted to positions of The actual idea
economic managers, an extremely diversified
and different field than regular money man-
agement.
The current scenario in this field relates
to emphasis on management and is bereft of
instilling qualities of a business leader. The
dogmatic procedures followed by such busi-
ness managers actually work against the cor-
porate practices in vogue in Pakistan. To add
to the woes is the chronic shortage of teach-
ing faculties in business schools. The teaching
faculties usually place undue emphasis on
manuals written decades ago. Hiring teachers
with adequate experience and skill is usually
beyond the financial means of many outfits
such as KASB that depends upon its former
students to teach. Moreover, the extreme lack
of doctoral faculty at business schools ham-
pers research projects that are essential for
development of a business professional and
administrator. Unfortunately, the research is
taught by former graduates and postgradu-
ates of the institution. Self-explanatory
The main difficulty however pertains to
ever-widening gap between academia-indus- the underlying assumptions of a particular are no more worried about attending classes
try linkages. The practice of inducting fresh business let alone the industry. or being part of any research process.
.
business managers as exhibited by PIA is The part-time opening of MBA courses has MBA is fast running its course and unless
sadly missing. The industry now considers cast a dark shadow over the entire business its decline is arrested quickly it will become
employing a stuck-up fresh graduate a waste management programme. Part-time facility a laughing stock of the education scale of the
of time as he is quite unable to properly un- has badly eaten into the dedicated academic country with its qualifiers reduced to the po-
derstand the business techniques of Pakistani
industry. This pitfall opens up large vistas of
exercise that was thought to so gruelling in
content that it required full-time efforts of
sitions of glorified clerical accountants. It will
be sorry state to be in.
the nature of indigenous business practices pursuers. The degradation of the programmes
that is often lacked by book-worms of MBA have reached an extent that students now ex-
Dr. Tahseen Mahmood Aslam is an
courses. It has been found through a survey pect it to be a pursuit in which only cramming
educationist with wide experience
that in most of the cases MBAs did not know at the time of examination is required. They
Gradual decline
WEEKENDE
The
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M Ali Siddiqi analyses various aspects of
electoral reform in Pakistan
E
lectoral process is the mechanism
through which peaceful and consen-
sual transfer of political power takes
place in a democratic polity. Political
parties, the vehicles of democratic political
power, are driven to governance through an
election mechanism. As with all exercises as-
sociated with power the electoral process is
also not free from manipulation. The predom-
inantly subjective nature of electoral process
further complicates the matter. The intense
pull of this subject has resulted in a pletho-
ra of electoral reform proposals forwarded
by countless organizations, specialists, com-
mentators and wide array of public. Since this
is a public welfare measure affecting all and
sundry therefore a vast input from a cross
section of citizenry should always be encour-
aged along with wide publicity accorded to
this exercise.
Before proceeding further it may be men-
tioned that an electoral system is the only pro-
cess that determines allocation of parliamen-
tary seats commensurate with voting strength
of a party. The three systems generally in
vogue are Plurality system, Majority system
and Proportional representation. Elections
in UK and Congress in USA, Pakistan, India,
Bangladesh etc. are held under Plurality sys-
tem that follows first-past-the-post method
(US Presidential election is a combination of
Plurality and Majority systems). In Majority
system the electoral process moves forward
once candidates secure more than fifty per-
cent vote to qualify in more than one ballot.
It is practiced in Russia, France, Austria, Af-
ghanistan, Finland, Portugal etc. Proportional
Representation allocates seats equivalent to
number of votes secured. Although its appli-
cability is fraught with calculating difficulties
yet it is practiced in Germany and it is also
employed with certain variations in many
countries on different levels of public repre-
sentation.
Electoral malpractice is a universal phe-
Electoral Reform
nomenon. All but 2 of 57 US Presidential elec-
tions since 1789 were decided by Electoral
College (1800 and 1824 elections were tied in
Electoral College so House of Representative
made the final decision) till after more than
200 years USA encountered gross malpractice
in shape of ‘Chad’ controversy in Bush-Gore
contest necessitating judicial intervention.
The Mother of Parliaments co-opted members
to serve in parliament till 1801 when formal
election process started evolving. Since then
UK went through 55 general elections under
9 monarchs but malpractices are reported in
every one of them necessitating continuous
reform of the system. The evidence of elector-
al malpractice in English elections during the
2000s prompted the election commissioner,
Election Symbols
Analysis 16
The current position
Richard Mawrey QC, to derisively comment
on ‘evidence of electoral fraud that would dis- It is imperative to
grace a banana republic.’
It is imperative to deliberate upon ge-
deliberate upon genetic
netic composition, underlying assumptions, composition, underlying
inherent limitations and supple variations assumptions, inherent
of electoral reforms in Pakistan so that they
become all encompassing and considered le- limitations and supple
gitimate by citizenry. They should be aimed variations of electoral
to assist an institutionalized democratic sys-
tem by consolidating the right to rule. More
reforms in Pakistan so
importantly, the electoral process should be that they become all
considered a continuous national exercise encompassing and
irrespective of the fact that its occurrence is
periodic. One of its essential aims should be considered legitimate by
to improve quality and equality of represen- citizenry
tation. It should also address manageability of
party system since it could not solely be done
through legislative measures construed wide-
ly to favor political class only. The electoral
reform should clearly draw lines between the
roles played by executive and judicial sectors.
The fragility of Pakistan’s democracy is
unique even in nascent democracies. It is due
to an invisible arbitrary force that holds over-
riding clout in political domain and, to obtain
desired results, massively intervenes in elec-
toral process. The intervention is aggravated
by the fact that the perception and goals of
this arbitrary force are in direct opposition
to democratic ideals and practice. Therefore,
contrary to electoral reform in established
democracies where people value traditional
practices associated with electoral process,
Pakistan requires a real and complete break
with the past. It is easier said than done but
any reform content is required to make it
clear that any interference, overt or covert,
in an election by anyone from outside the
designated electoral machinery will be done
under pain of punishment. This aspect should
be widely publicized and independent watch-
dogs, local and international, should be ex-
horted to look into this aspect specifically. It
should become a mandatory part of proposed
WEEKENDE
The
R 26-01 JUNE 2018
Biometric verification
electoral reform package.
While considering electoral reform it
should be kept in view that adherence to
‘winner-take-all’ Westminster electoral prac-
tice complicates electoral process in Pakistan.
This method shuts out the loser from any
share in state’s resources even if the winner
gets minimum majority. Such radical loss for
half a decade plays havoc in an agrarian soci-
ety like Pakistan where influence of familial
connection runs supreme. The impact of such
win-lose situation is widespread because it is
estimated that almost 45% electoral repre-
sentation is vested in political families. Since
the watershed year of 1970 ushering in the
first one man-one vote polls in the country,
597 families collectively accounted for ap-
proximately 3300 of the 7600-plus seats in
the National Assembly, four provincial assem-
blies and the Senate over the course of nine
general elections (out of identified families
379 are based in Punjab, 110 in Sindh, 56 in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 45 in Baluchistan and
7 in FATA).
A minimal change was recorded in per-
centage of seats contested by political fam-
ilies over successive electoral cycles, regis-
tering a minimum incidence of 37 per cent
in 1977 and peaking in 1993 at nearly 50 per
cent. Although similar connections in polit-
ical arena are clearly found in industrialized
democracies but their impact there is mar-
ginalized by intense pluralism ensuring dis-
persal of equitable power to all stake holders.
The only relief granted in this respect could
be reduction in assembly tenure from 5 to 4
years. Five year’s tenure is rather long in the
Federal Elections 1977
Analysis 17
Proposed elctronic voting
The emphasis placed on
voter turnout should be
watered down. Democrat-
ic polities often complain
about voter apathy but
accept it nevertheless
because their long
electoral experience has
taught them that it is the
expression of average
General Will that counts
and not its level
current fast moving political environment.
The British reduced tenure of Parliament
from 7 years to 5 in 1911 and are now debat-
ing it to make it 4 years fixed tenure (5 years
is otherwise the maximum tenure). In UK,
since 1979 four general elections were called
after four-year parliaments, while three, in
1992, 1997 and 2010, were called after five
years (Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly
and Northern Ireland Assembly follow four
year tenures). Those parliaments running for
five years were symptomatic of falling gov-
ernment popularity pushing it to go the full
Dhaandli
length. Reduction in legislature tenures may
not adversely affect representative prowess experience has taught them that it is the ex- tention. Viewing this position in the back-
but may increase performance level. pression of average General Will that counts drop of cynicism prevalent in Pakistan since
The emphasis placed on voter turnout and not its level. In Pakistan the urge for the last three decades whereby a majority
should be watered down. Democratic polities high voter turnout is directly proportional of occupants of high public office is mostly
often complain about voter apathy but accept to rigging therefore it should be realistical- shunted out of office unceremoniously; (be
it nevertheless because their long electoral ly assessed, even curbed, if possible. A push it Chairman, PCB, PIA, WAPDA and the list is
to achieve higher voter turnout distorts the long) but the opprobrium faced by CEC is ex-
electoral picture, exposes it to manipulation ceptional. Barring the first 4 CECs who were
and increases election costs. It also attracts civil servants, rest of them were from judi-
smaller groups to resort to malpractices just ciary. The lip service paid to this office could
to prove their numerical influence. be well gauged from the fact that out of 24
Continuous delimitation of constituencies incumbents, 8 worked on acting charge and
should be an essential ingredient of electoral three CECs remained in office during Zia’s
reform package. A fixed time frame for de- presidency doing nothing between 1977 and
limitation exercise may be initiated keeping 1985. Since 1973 the position is constitution-
in view the relatively fast changing demo- ally allocated to judiciary. Keeping in view the
graphics and population shifts in the country. limited members of higher judiciary the posi-
It is rather surprising to observe that Paki- tion may be opened to civil service also (In-
stan with a population of 180 million elects dian CEC is traditionally a civil servant). The
.
a representative house composed of only 272 selection criteria of CEC should be specifically
directly elected members. Pakistan’s typical and objectively laid down instead of governed
political matrix may be better served if the ar- by practical considerations. The proceedings
eas of representation are reduced increasing of parliamentary committee for confirmation
number of representatives. Dispersal of polit- of CEC and members of Election may be tele-
ical mandate paves way for not only maximiz- vised for maximum transparency.
ing representation but also accommodating
disparate political ambitions.
M Ali Siddiqi is a writer who contributes to
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
leading periodicals
in Pakistan has always been a bone of con-