Any country or culture must produce good leadership from within; or
else, it will have one by default. Aristotle is known to have said
that nature abhors a vacuum. It indeed does, even if it lies between
a pair of ears. Our Achilles heel has been the lack of competent
leaders who can initiate and successfully implement viable policies
to tackle the humongous problems that plague us. We continue, ever
increasingly, to wallow in unprecedented socio-economic ills
including corruption, insecurity, poverty, illiteracy, rampant
crime, cartel galore, dearth of leadership and absence of
governance. Calling government and public figures to account may
sound mundane but is a central pillar of democracy and societal
reform. Public leadership requires greater levels of moral
authority. Only when these figures are held accountable do we have
the moral justification of propagating accountability in the society
at large. The present governing dispensation consists of those who
have become leaders and voices of our community by default. Minus
the NRO, many would have been making a beeline to the courts to
clear themselves, if not living in their off-shore mansions in
opulent luxury. The besetting temptation of our politics concerns
itself with the immediate present at the expense of the future of a
nation. Power is entrusted and is supposed to be used for the
benefit of the people at large, not for the personal gains of the
individual that holds it. If it does, it not only shreds the social
fabric but its precursor, the political fabric and the subsequent
economic fabric which ends in ruin. The much debated KL Bill is
being portrayed as a life saving remedy for the nation. Transparent
governance and a professionally honest management of just two of the
numerous public sector enterprises, PIA and Steel Mills, could have
greatly helped in avoiding a dependent state. The United States is
an empire and empires have vassals, not allies. If our robber barons
were made to bring back the billions they whisked away, for once
(mercifully), we could have seen a glimmer of truth in the slogan of
‘Pakistan khappay’. —Via email
Blasts at Islamic University
Aaqib Munawer Hussain
The recent attack on the Islamic University seems to have been the
final straw on the back of an already jaded youth which had come to
see political chaos as common place. The attack highlights a growing
trend- Apathy seems to have morphed subtly in to fear and mistrust.
As a student at LUMS, I witnessed with trepidation the few hours in
which people were unsure whether colleges were closing for the week.
The blasts at the Islamic University were really too close to home
for comfort. Considering that campus has always been considered a
safe haven, the idea that the student body was being requested to
evacuate the university jerked the student body back to the reality
of how vulnerable our country has really become. Perhaps what is the
most tragic part of the reaction of youth from elite institutions
across the country has been the lack of consensus, and confusion
coloured by fear. If this generation is ‘anti-terror’ it has also
found itself anti- military in the wake of the Emergency in 2007,
and anti-establishment to the extent that it is completely
disillusioned by the widespread view that the government has failed
civilian society and that the country can be considered to be in a
state of civil war.
Where does one turn then? A united youth intelligentsia is at this
point, out of the question considering there seems to be nowhere to
turn and nothing and no one to rally around. What it really comes
down to at this period of great uncertainty the youth, and
especially the college attending population of the country could
head in a number of different directions- the disillusionment could
just create a sense of apathy, and the desire to avoid being engaged
in political discourse of any kind.
It could also, on the other hand be mobilized into some kind of
active engagement after the shockwaves created by the blasts at the
Islamic University. The latter is difficult, however, unless the
government dispels the image it has created of being completely
helpless in the wake of the severity of the problems our nation is
facing today.—Via email
Myth of accession
A J Malik
Each year, Kashmiris not only across the Line of Control, but also
the world over, observe October 27 as Black Day. On this day in 1947
according to India claims, the maharajah of the disputed state
signed the ‘instrument of accession’ in exchange of India’s military
support. No one credits India’s claim. She never produced the
so-called instrument before the United Nations.
Renowned journalist Alastair Lamb has lambasted the Indian clam as
fraudulent (Kashmir - A disputed legacy 1846-1990). She argues that
the maharajah was travelling from Srinagar to Jammu by road (a
distance of over 350 km). He could not possible have signed the
instrument while being on the run for safety of his life. She
notices no evidence of any contact between him and the Indian
emissaries on date of signature. Besides, Indian troops under Lt-Col
Dewan Ranjit Rai and Capt R L Chauhan had already landed at Srinagar
airport before signing of the ‘instrument’.
The world community insisted that India should show the so-called
accession instrument. She could never do so. Be it observed that
India took the Kashmir issue to the UN in 1948 under article 35 of
Chapter VI which outlines the means for a peaceful settlement of
disputes. India avoided presenting the Kashmir case under the UN
Chapter VII which relates to acts of aggression. Obviously, it did
so because it knew that accession instrument was a myth. The state
had a disputed status. And, issue of its integration with India or
Pakistan remained to be resolved. In summer of 1995, India took the
volte-face stand that the ‘instrument’ had been stolen.
To lend a modicum of credence to her occupation of the state, India
coerced the so-called ‘constituent assembly’ of the occupied state
to rubber-stamp accession to India. But, the accession resolution is
a nullity under international law. To forestall the ‘foreseeable
accession’ by the puppet assembly, the Security Council, through its
Resolution No 9 of March 30, 1951 and affirmative Resolution No 122
of March 24, 1957, prohibited accession or any other action to
change status of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Over six decades have
passed, but India has not yet let Kashmiris exercise their right of
self-determination. To gag Kashmiris’ voice, India has deployed over
0.7million military and ‘security’ forces in the occupied state.
These forces have been carrying on a reign of terror under
protection of draconian laws. In 1989, the docile Kashmiris started
armed struggle to unshackle the yoke of Indian subjugation. Unable
to trammel the struggle, Indian forces have directed their wrath to
unarmed civilians.
According to Kashmir Media Service 1989 - 2009 update, the Indian
troops have killed 99,980 innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters or
extra-judicial custody. Without the court’s permission, they
arrested 116,437. During the period they burnt to ashes 105,758
houses or residential structures. Indian killing spree left 107,280
children orphaned . Thousands of women have been molested. For fear
of shame only 9,888 reported their grief to the police authorities.
The Black Day is observed to draw the world’s attention to the
plight of Kashmiris groaning under Indian occupation. The world is
reminded of the UNO’s resolutions premising self-determination to
Kashmiris. —Via email
Death of a sufi singer
Hashim Abro
Mystic music lovers mourn the sad demise of noted sufi singer,
Sohrab Faqir, who passed away last week after protracted illness.
The late mystic-singer, a staunch disciple of Shah Latif Bhittai &
Sachal Sarmast, battled with lung cancer for more than five years.
His family members and fans persistently appealed to the Federal and
Provincial Governments to arrange proper treatment of this
poverty-stricken sufi-singer but regrettably, all those appeals fell
on deaf ears. This legendary Sufi-singer died due to insufficient
treatment and non-availability of prescribed medicines.
Indeed, all of us have to die one day and with his death, this great
Sufi-singer achieved his climax of love of God, because he went to
meet his Lord (Rab) which he always aspired in his melodious songs.
On the contrary, his pitiable death, apathy has truly exposed
government indifference towards such noted personalities. Neither
anyone from the government came to inquire about his health when he
was in his deathbed, nor anyone has come to console the
grief-stricken members of Faqir’s Family. This indifferent and
apathetic attitude of the government is condemnable in the strongest
possible words. However, the Culture department is requested to do
something for the bereaved members of Faqir’s Family because he was
the sole bread earner of his huge family. The government is also
appealed to establish a Cell/Wing in the Culture Ministry to help
out, well in time, such souls when they are under treatment in any
hospital. This small positive gesture will go a long way to save
such legendary souls from the cruel clutches of diseases.—Islamabad
How un-Islamic they are?
Saima Ali
I have firm belief that terrorists are playing in the hands of
external powers. Terrorists are not only trying to make the people
of Pakistan a hostage but are darkening the future of the locals.
They want that their tribes be remain uneducated and hence remain
behind in every walk of life. These terrorists are so aggressive
that that they don’t even like to educate their girls. If girls
remain uneducated it means future mothers of this area would be
uneducated and never ever be able to play their productive role for
betterment of the society.
Terrorists are using the tool of suicidal attacks against
government, security forces and even against innocent masses of the
country just to build pressure and create havoc among the public.
Can any terrorist justify suicidal attacks as Islamic? And regarding
education our Holy Prophet (PBUH) declared seeking education by
every man and a woman as obligatory. Then whom these terrorists
follow?. We pray for the success of our brave soldiers as their
success would be the success of our whole nation and of Pakistan.
—Karachi
