SPECIAL FEATURE

HH Prince Karim Aga Khan

September 2017

Reg. ss-973
INSIDE
AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN INDIA NEIGHBOUR
Whither War? New Wine in New Bottles Birth of a New Axis Border Trouble

Revolving Door
The office of the Prime Minister in Pakistan seems to have
a revolving door that prime ministers use to vacate their
office before their term is up. Why does this happen?
 Contents
12
Mujhe
KiyunNikala?
No prime minister has
completed his term in
Pakistan.

Afghanistan

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

Pakistan
22
New Wine in
New Bottles
Sri Lanka

30 Back to Square One

Inviting the Tamils back.
Trump is for loans,
not aid.

The Maldives

32
Rabbit Hole of
Dictatorship
Democratically elected
president tries iron hand.

26
Bangladesh
Limping Judiciary
Legal tussle in a country where
democracy is supposed to be
supreme.

4 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

 REGULAR FEATURES
Editor’s Mail 8
On Record 9
Briefs 10
COVER STORY
Mujhe Kiyun Nikala? 12
Term Stinted 14
The Judiciary’s Role 16
Legacy of Failure 18
REGION
India
Birth of a New Axis 20

42
Pakistan
New Wine in New Bottles 22
All In The Family 24
Bangladesh

International Limping Judiciary 26

Canadian Politics Afghanistan
The other side of Trudeau. Whither War? 28
Sri Lanka
Back to Square One 30

54
The Maldives
Rabbit Hole of Dictatorship 32
OPINION
Pakistan at 70 – A Personal Perspective 34
Crime
SPECIAL FEATURE
Wronged Women
Bangladeshi women HH Prince Karim Aga Khan 37
need more security. INTERNATIONAL
The Reluctant Prime Minister 42
NEIGHBOUR
Forgotten People 44
Infrastructure FEATURES

50
Bridge of Gender Equality
Determination What’s in a Name! 48
The Padma Bridge is fast
nearing completion. Infrastructure
Bridge of Determination 50
Social Evil
Killing Fields 52
Crime

44
Wronged Women 54
Human Trafficking
Modern Slavery 56
Technology

Neighbour New Frontier 58

The Forgotten Violence
People Another Murder 60
The Uighur Muslims
in China are having SOUTHASIA 15 Years Ago 62
a hard time.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 5

 COMMENT

Pakistan Needs a Foreign Policy Reset

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

Published since 1977 as Thirdworld, the magazine

was re-launched in 1997 as SouthAsia.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal

 EDITOR’S MAIL
Pointless
Culture
This is with reference to
last month’s cover story on
Lota Culture. Although the
word Lota in Urdu means
a spherical water vessel
having the tendency to
roll over in unpredictable
directions when kept on
uneven ground, but it can
be synonymously used
with Pakistani politics
as it has been playing a
very important role since
the very start. The word
is dangerously used for
people who frequently
switch loyalties from one
party to another for the
sake of benefits. Recently
as well as after the Panama
Papers case surfaced, some
changes were observed in
the parties. Some people
joined hands with PTI
leader Imran Khan, as he’s
the one who may be next
in power, while some other
relocated themselves to
other parties. The shuffling
can continue to be a part
of Pakistan’s politics if no
8 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
rules and regulations are
applied. Someone needs
to be accountable for the
ongoing lota culture.
Mohib Akhtar,
Karachi, Pakistan.
A New Escape
It seems like the former
prime minister Nawaz
Sharif could not hold
the defeat he sustained
when the Supreme
Court announced his
disqualification from
holding public office in
a landmark decision.
The so-called lion on
his journey home made
a last-ditch attempt
to undo a devastating
Supreme Court decision
that could land him and
his family in jail. During
the rally, from inside a
purpose built shipping
container, he was noted
saying that the people of
Pakistan have rejected his
disqualification. It seems
like Nawaz Sharif was only
making efforts to please
himself as the people of
Pakistan know what kind
of unrest the country went
through when Nawaz
was in power. I just wish
someone would be there
to console Nawaz Sharif
as this is the time when he
really needs it.
Farzana Siddiqui,
Islamabad, Pakistan.
“No Loo, No I
Do”
The women in India are
refusing to marry in a family
that doesn’t have a toilet.
It’s a movement nicknamed
“No Loo, No I Do”. Many
women have come forward
telling stories about how
they have to wake up at 4
a.m. in the dark to go to
the fields trying to squat in
a sari while holding a cup
of water and also looking
out for rapists. Open
defecation is the biggest
challenge India is facing in
terms of sanitation. More
than 53% of people in
India are defecating openly
because of which more
than 200,000 children die
from diseases caused by
faecal contamination. This
is an emergency not only
of public health and safety
but also of human dignity.
Access to toilets can’t hurt,
unlike the chronic, acute
shame, embarrassment and
fear that Indian women and
girls must deal with at least
once a day, every day.
Aakash Oberoi,
New Delhi, India.
Modi’s
Congress-
mukt-Bharat
It is clear that Narendra
Modi’s call for Congress-
mukt-Bharat, which he
made back in 2004 when
he was the prime ministerial
candidate, was not just a
melodramatic tool but a
serious statement. But we
failed to understand as to
what to get from it and
secondly what Narendra
Modi and Amit Shah mean
by the slogan. Does it mean
the end of the Congress in
terms of being a political
entity? If this is the case,
then I must say that they
have been quite successful
as the Congress has been
reduced to just 44 Lok Sabha
seats and their government
is only in a handful of states.
More clarity on the meaning
and purpose of the slogan
could only be possible if
both Modi and Amit Shah
clear the air.
Priya Lalwani,
Mumbai, India.
Binding Ties
The Bangladesh
government has initiated
a new project to improve
the infrastructure of three
land ports namely Shaola
in Sylhet district, Bhomra
in Satkhira district and
Ramgarh in Khagrachari
in order to raise trade with
India. It is indeed a very
positive idea for both the
countries as the security
system in Benapole will also
be modernised. The new
approach will also increase
the import and export
activities of Sutarakandi
port in Karimgani district
of Assam state. After the
Padma Bridge, the most
costly bridge in the world,
the flow of cargo at Bhomra
 ‘s

ON RECORD
SLUG

“Pakistan is a “The entire

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

“The diversity “We won’t

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

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 9

 BRIEFS

PAKISTAN

Microcosm on Display

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

PAKISTAN

Gwadar Welcomes
T
he Bank of China plans to open the biggest bank in Gwadar along with
other national and international banks. As the Gwadar deep sea port is
becoming operational, several of China’s commercial banks are interested
in opening their branches there and the Bank of China is one of them. Chairman
Dostain Khan Jamaldini of the Gwadar Port Authority said that the work on
Gwadar Free Zone has started and both China and Pakistan are working shifts to
get the work done as soon as possible. He also revealed that the Summit Bank
and the Sindh Bank will soon be merging in September, forming the second
biggest bank in Pakistan.

INDIA

Rail App

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

INDIA

New Corridors

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

10 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

BANGLADESH

IT Infrastructure

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

SRI LANKA

Industrial Park

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

THE MALDIVES

Leisure Development

T
he official ceremony to mark the construction of world-class leisure
development will enhance Maldives’ international reputation as
the world’s top tourist destinations. The overall development, when
fully completed, will extend across nine islands and meet the leisure-
destination desires of the world’s large and rapidly-growing medium to
upscale the leisure segment. The project township will have 1,300 rooms
with 5,000 job opportunities, reigniting and stimulating the country’s
tourism economy. The Township and Phase One are to be completed in
late 2018 and the second phase will go on for the next five years.

NEPAL

Liver Transplant

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

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 11

 COVER STORY

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

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

12 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

a report published in Dawn, a case
against Fawad’s alleged corruption is
pending before the Islamabad High
Court (IHC.) It alleges that Fawad and
his brother secured a commercial plot
in Rawalpindi’s Saddar area as part
of an exchange with Gul Zareen –
on the basis of certain promises and
without any cash payment of the total
amount. The two are alleged to have
exchanged a residential plot on Haider
Road, Rawalpindi for this commercial
plot, opposite the General Post Office
(GPO). Apart from the construction of
a commercial plaza, the petition also
leveled several other allegations; the
gift of a large plot in Okara, shares in
the New City Project in Taxila and the
Lahore Motorway City project, etc. His
involvement in the famous JS and Sprint
Energy scandal regarding CNG stations
may also be probed, the petition says.
Nawaz Sharif was so dependent on
him that despite all the allegations and
complaints from the parliamentarians
he could not afford to remove him.
Another person who may have been
responsible for the unceremonious exit
of Nawaz Sharif (now famous for his
question – Mujhe Kiyun Nikala?) – was
his own daughter, Maryam Safdar. She
did not have any political experience
but she continued to give advice to her
dad who took it – meekly.
Let’s study the role of the bureaucracy
in Pakistan in more detail. After the
creation of Pakistan, the imminent
and eminent problems faced by the
emerging nation, it has been stated by
many scholars, forced its leadership to
look towards the bureaucracy for the
consolidation of the state institutions.
This, of course, reinforced their
already dominant position. The civil
servants had a pronounced penchant
for keeping the elected representatives
under their thumb. The civil servants
of those days, mostly trained at British
institutions, could not provide an
intelligent blueprint for the professed
and often proclaimed egalitarianism
of an Islamic state. The bulk of the
leadership left the daily routine of
running the country to the civil servants
and spent their time and power in self-
projection and making money, ignoring
public interest. Naturally, they failed to
deliver and, as a result, were ousted.
The armed forces, the most
organised and respected institution of
the country, was silently observing the
activities of the civilian governments
of course with full support and help
from the civil servants, then considered
to be the only educated, intelligent,
refined and ‘master of all’ class, but
when the frequent change of prime
ministers started adversely affecting
the country’s progress, Army chief Gen.
Ayub Khan became convinced that in
order to make Pakistan a sound, solid
and cohesive nation, a new political
system would have to be brought in.
The system would have to be home-
grown plant and not imported. It
would have to suit the genius of the
people. As such, he decided to take
over the reins of the government. He
said that the object of military rule
was to return the country to sanity.
He blamed the politicians who were
playing in the hands of bureaucrats
for the mess. While enforcing military
rule, he said, “Ever since the death of
Quaid-i-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan,
politicians started a free for all type of
fighting in which no holds were barred.
There has been no limit to the depth
of their baseness, chicanery, deceit
and degradation. In this mad rush for
power and acquisition, the country
and the people could go to the dogs as
far as they were concerned.”
Once the politicians were
temporarily removed from the scene
and the armed forces firmly entrenched
in the saddle of power, Pakistan
returned to sanity. But then, as we
now know, absolute power corrupts
absolutely and nothing is sweeter and
addictive than power and as someone
said, “The unlucky soul this demon
possesses, if he is not sacrificed on
its altar, will sacrifice others to get it.”
Ayub Khan not only abrogated the 1956
Constitution but up came with a new
one to get himself elected as president
directly through basic democrats ---
his own brand of democracy. He was
very much under the influence of Altaf
Gauhar, a career bureaucrat. He played
a very significant role in the making of
Ayub Khan, the politician and there is a
general belief that his book ‘Friends not
Masters’ had also been written by him.
Deriving confidence from the support
of this civil servant, he challenged the
will of the people and contested against
Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, the Founder’s
sister. Though he won the presidential
elections with the support of the district
commissioners, he failed to control the
people’s uprising and finally passed on
the baton to Gen. Yahya Khan. Since
Yahya was not interested in power
politics and was happy with wine and
women, he conducted the fairest (so
far) general elections in the country.
Without going into further detail
and sticking to the subject, let’s begin
with the most powerful prime minister
of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a
charismatic leader who knew the art
of winning the people’s heart. He was
probably the only prime minister known
for dictating to the bureaucrats instead
of taking dictation from them. His reign
can be termed as an era of social change;
private industries were nationalized,
private schools were taken over by the
government, and generic names were
given to medicines so far sold under
brand names.
A summit of Muslim heads of state
and government were organized in
Lahore, liquor was banned, night clubs
were closed and a number of decisions
were taken which gained support for
Bhutto from the rightwing Islamic
organizations. Bhutto was sitting easy
in 1976 as petrodollars began to pour
in and he had quietened the opposition
from the left as well as the right. Feeling
confident, he announced elections
almost a year before they were due
to secure an absolute majority in the
National Assembly so that he could
rule with ease and aplomb. He sought
intelligence report which said that it
would be difficult to get 75 per cent
of PPP candidates elected. He decided
to take the district commissioners in
confidence and they rigged elections.
In this some bureaucrats and even PPP
politicians crossed all limits.
The PNA cried foul, boycotted the
provincial election and decided to start
a protest movement. Bhutto called in
the army and imposed long curfews
but even this failed to stem the protests.
Soon after Gen. Ziaul Haq, the army
chief, took over and imposed martial
law. Bhutto was arrested and tried
under charges of having given orders
for a political murder. Again, it was the
bureaucracy that was behind the rigged
elections, which led to Bhutto’s hanging,
with the military being in the forefront.
There is no denying the fact that those
who were considered to be very close
to Bhutto and were instrumental in
the formation of the PPP included two
retired bureaucrats - J.A. Rahim and Aziz
Ahmad.
As long as prime ministers continue
to depend on the bureaucracy, they will
never be able to complete their terms.
The only way out is that the political
parties start grooming leaders and not
mere workers. This country needs a
statesman who can represent the people
with proper decorum, respect and
knowledge of what's happening in the
world. Henry Kissinger rightly said, “The
statesman's duty is to bridge the gap
between his nation's experience and his
vision.”
Pakistan needs leaders who are
more educated, more experienced and
more qualified than the bureaucrats so
that they can guide them and give them
the right orders. Mediocre leaders will
always be easily overpowered by the
intelligent civil servants.
The writer is a veteran journalist
and a member of the staff.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 13
 COVER STORY
Term Stinted
No prime minister in Pakistan’s history has ever completed his 5-year term. They are
scuttled from power for one reason or other. The last elected PM was shown the
door because the Supreme Court gave a judgement against him – and he is still under
investigation for financial misdemeanours.
T
o understand the reason why none
of Pakistan’s prime ministers have
so far been able to complete their
5-year term, there is a need to study the
conditions and forces which resulted in
the unceremonious exit of these heads of
the government. Frankly speaking, most
of them were not only dishonest but
unfortunately failed to run the country
sincerely and effectively, which created
space for nonpolitical forces to enter the
political scene. They themselves were
responsible for the fate they met. They
joined politics not to serve the people
but to make money. For them it was a
business so what happened to the country
soon after the death of the Father of the
nation was pretty interesting. Twice the
country’s constitution prepared by the
democratically elected governments
was repealed (1958 and 1969) and three
times it was suspended (1977, 1999
and 2007). No prime minister was able
to complete his or her term. Liaquat Ali
Khan was assassinated in 1951. After
that, prime minister of the country kept
walking in and out rather frequently.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was removed through
a military coup in 1977 by General
Ziaul Haq. After his long rule which
ended with his death in an air crash in
1988, beginning with Benazir Bhutto,
prime ministers were either sacked by
14 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
By Shakeel Farooqui
ambitious presidents or removed by
adventurous generals or asked to step-
down by the honourable apex court.
The elected parliament in Pakistan has
seldom been able to impose its authority,
allowing the external forces to govern the
state of affairs using the august body as a
mere rubber stamp. In short, democracy
in Pakistan remained a jigsaw puzzle
for the ordinary citizens of the country.
The generals always cashed in on the
situation and managed to overpower the
weak parliament, the meek leader of the
house and hoodwink the deceitful leader
of the opposition.
The question is why the Pakistani
people never tried to foil such attempts
and readily accepted the defeat of the
government of the people at the hands
of the non-democratic forces. For a
convincing answer there is a need to
revisit what happened almost a year ago
in Turkey. Millions of Turkish citizens set
aside their political, cultural and ethnic
differences to form a united front against
the plotters, who tried to suspend their
country’s constitution, shot at innocent
civilians and bombed the parliament.
Together, the people of Turkey refused
to allow an armed group to rob them
of democracy, liberty and their way of
life. “Did our citizens have guns in their
hands? They only had flags in their hands.
But they had an even stronger gun, their
belief,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said while addressing the first
anniversary of the failed coup attempt
on July 15. In fact ‘Belief’ foiled the
military coup attempt in Turkey. This
historic event proves that people and
people alone can play a major role in
defending any onslaught on democracy.
But for that they must have a firm belief
in democracy. Unfortunately, the people
of Pakistan no more trust the champions
of democracy though they do believe in
democracy. So the so-called champions
of democracy are to be blamed for the
unexpected end of the elected leader of
the House.
How is space being provided for
non-democratic forces to rule the
country? Gen. Parvez Musharraf in a
recent interview to BBC Urdu said,
“Dictators set the country right, whereas
civilian governments brought it to ruins,
military rule always brought progress
to Pakistan.” The statement though it
sounds a bit sweeping, definitely has
some truth in it. History will bear out that
perhaps the most corrupt and worse era
in the country was during the rule of two
popular political parties. During the rule
of these parties the civil service structure
was destroyed, nepotism was promoted
and state servants, including the police
and bureaucracy, were turned into private
servants. The situation deteriorated by the
loot and plunder of the political leaders.
Stories of Swiss Bank accounts, Surrey
Mansion, Mayfair flats, kickbacks, fixed
percentage in prestigious projects of the
country, Hajj scam, Ephedrine case, to
name a few, are still fresh in the memory
of all those people of Pakistan who read
newspaper or watch TV.
Probably that is why, unlike Turkey,
people in Pakistan rejoice after the
fall of a democratic government. The
incoming military rulers always received
a red carpet reception from the public.
It’s undoubtedly an irony of fate that
people of Pakistan have never come
out on streets to defend the leaders
they elected themselves. Naturally,
because with each and every passing
moment a new narrative of corruption
against politicians surfaces, exposing
the dubious character of the leaders they
voted to power. What is more surprising
is the fact that despite being booted
out, they manage to get elected again.
The reason seems to be the immaturity
of the voters, who believe that changing
a mere face may result in emergence of
a leadership that would be sincere and
honest enough to solve all their socio-
economic problems. Public memory is
short-lived and this is what encourages
politicians to exploit the masses time
and again. Moreover, talk shows on TV
channels, which can safely be termed as
a media circus, keeps the common man
hooked with one sensation or the other
so that he loses track of the shocking
stories of corruption and nepotism
committed in the past by the political
leaders. They forget the corruption cases
and get involved in gossip like the Imran-
Gulalai spat or the Ayesha Ahad-Hamza
Shahbaz scandal. The irresponsible role
of media in a way is also responsible for
political instability in the country.
Here it would be pertinent to state
that a political leader’s qualities are
generally supported by skill, experience,
intelligence and integrity. But then
the foremost is of course honesty,
trustworthiness and reliability, enough
capability to make decisions and accept
responsibility for his actions and words.
Ask the voter if he is aware of any leader
who possesses any of these qualities. The
answer will definitely be a firm NO. So
why on earth do they vote to power the
same corrupt and dishonest leader again
and again? They may say they have no
choice as they have to select between
two parties. They reject the party which
betrayed them after getting elected and
vote for the other party in the hope
that they must have learned from their
mistakes. But then, old habits die hard.
The people are helpless because of very
limited choices. The reason boils down to
Pakistan’s prime ministers
1. Liaquat Ali Khan (August 15, 1947 to October 16, 1951)
2. Khawaja Nazimuddin (Oct 17, 1951 to April 17, 1953)
3. Muhammad Ali Bogra (April 17, 1953 to August 12, 1955)
4. Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (Aug 12, 1955 to Sept 12, 1956)
5. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (Sept 12, 1956 to Oct 17, 1957)
6. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (October 17, 1957 to Dec 16, 1957)
7. Feroz Khan Noon (Dec 16, 1957 to Oct 7, 1958)
8. Nurul Amin (Dec 7, 1971 to Dec 20, 1971)
9. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Aug 14, 1973 to Jul 5, 1977)
10. Muhammad Khan Junejo (March 24, 1985 to May 29, 1988)
11. Benazir Bhutto (Dec 2, 1988 to Aug 6, 1990)
12. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (Aug 6, 1990 to Nov 6, 1990)
13. Nawaz Sharif (Nov 6, 1990 to April 18, 1993)
14. Balakh Sher Mazari (April 18, 1993 to May 26, 1993)
15. Nawaz Sharif (May 26, 1993 to July 18, 1993)
16. Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (July 18, 1993 to Oct 19, 1993)
17. Benazir Bhutto (Oct 19, 1993 to Nov 5, 1996)
18. Malik Meraj Khalid (Nov 5, 1996 to Feb 17, 1997)
19. Nawaz Sharif (Feb 17, 1997 to Oct 12, 1999)
20. Zafarullah Khan Jamali (Nov 21, 2002 to June 26, 2004)
21. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (June 30, 2004 to Aug 20, 2004)
22. Shaukat Aziz (Aug 20, 2004 to Nov 16, 2007)
23. Muhammad Mian Soomro (Nov 16, 2007 to March 28, 2008)
24. Yousaf Raza Gillani (March 28, 2008 to June 19, 2012)
25. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (June 22, 2012 to March 25, 2013)
26. Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (March 25, 2013 to June 5, 2013)
27. Nawaz Sharif (June 5, 2013 to July 28, 2017)
the fact that unforgivable acts of treachery It is time to understand that political
and a complete loss of integrity in fact led stupidity like dharnas and abusive
our prime ministers to fall into the abyss behaviour of party leaders will give
of their own quagmire of corruption. It undemocratic forces room to rule.
was this lack of honesty and patience in “With our dismal record in democratic
the leaders that helped military coup- tradition, we as a nation now are on a
makers to send elected governments crucial trial of our history to determine
packing. Unfortunately, with Quaid- how we restore Pakistan’s raison d’etre
e-Azam’s untimely demise, Pakistan and cope with the challenges of our
was orphaned in its very infancy and times, including our global image as
was left without any sense of direction the hotbed of ’religious extremism
and in a state of political bankruptcy. and obscurantism,’“ argued Shamshad
The leaders with their weaknesses, Ahmad, former foreign secretary in a
corruption and lack of vision, pushed the recent article. The time has come to do
country towards chaos. Barring Quaid-i- away with feudalism, tribal leadership
Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, the rest of and dynastic politics. Ordinary people
the leadership was still immature and must be given a chance to participate in
unskilled in politics. As such the socio- political activities. Only their inclusion
political situation rapidly deteriorated, in mainstream politics would make
resulting in frequent changes in the democracy stronger and save the country
civilian government. Naturally, the army from corrupt, dishonest and mediocre
being the most organised and powerful leadership.
entity overpowered the civilians despite
the fact that they were elected by the The writer is a free-lance
people. journalist.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 15
 COVER STORY
The
Judiciary’s
Role Pakistan’s judiciary has come a long way from pampering
dictators to taking sagacious decisions.
I
t is not the executive branch of
the Pakistan government that
emits an overpowering stench of
incompetence, corruption and other
associated vices. Its judicial branch is
also not far behind. Its contribution in
stifling democracy and encouraging
the exercise of arbitrary powers by
rulers is second to none.
The sordid history started very
early - within 10 years of the country’s
independence, when, in 1954,
16 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
By S.G. Jilanee
Governor General Malik Ghulam
Mohammed asked the prime minister,
Khwaja Nazimuddin to step aside and,
upon his refusal to comply, dismissed
him in exercise of his special powers.
Nazimuddin knocked the door of the
Supreme Court but the Chief Justice,
Mohammad Munir, instead of ruling
on the legality of the dismissal, forced
new elections.
Later, the same year, when the
constituent assembly made some
amendments in the constitution
revoking Malik Ghulam Muhammad’s
power as governor general under
which he had previously dismissed
Khawaja Nazimuddin’s government,
he also dismissed the constituent
assembly on the ground that it did not
represent the people of Pakistan.
An appeal against his order
was filed in the Sindh High Court
by the President of the Constituent
Assembly, Maulvi Tamizzuddin Khan.
The Sind High Court ruled in favour
of the petitioner. But in the appeal
against the ruling, which was heard
in the Chief Court of Pakistan (later
designated as the Supreme Court),
Justice Muhammad Munir set aside
the verdict of the Sindh High Court
and ruled in favour of the Governor
General.
In passing the judgment, the Court
relied on the doctrine of necessity.
This doctrine is based on the writings
of the jurist Henry de Bracton (1210-
68) and William Blackstone (1773-68)
After being found guilty and convicted,
Gilani served a token jail term in the
courtroom which lasted barely 30
seconds. But a conviction is a conviction.
an English Jurist. Both jurists lay down
that an act to restore order could come
under the purview of the ‘Doctrine of
Necessity, while another jurist, Sir Ivor
Jennings stated that the well-being of
the people was the supreme law.
That was the first blow to the
sapling of democracy in Pakistan,
struck by the very people who were
supposed to be the watchdogs of
the constitution. In their lordships’
judgment, Ghulam Mohammad’s
dismissal of the prime minister and
the constituent assembly were acts
that ensured the “well-being of the
people,” in order for them to apply the
doctrine. However, no “restoration of
order” was involved in these cases.
Since then this doctrine came to
be applied every time an adventurer
seized power. In 1956, for instance,
a fracas broke out between political
factions in the East Pakistan assembly
that resulted in the deputy speaker
Shahed Ali Patwary being injured.
Patwary later died. But his death was
a coincidence and not a premeditated
murder. In any case, the law of the
land was competent to take care of the
situation. And yet, the confrontation
was used as a pretext by President
Iskander Mirza to declare martial law
on 7 October 1958.
Gen. Ayub Khan pushed Iskander
Mirza out and ruled for 10 years. After
the fall of Dhaka there was a brief
interregnum from 1973 to June 1977,
during which an elected government
was in power, under Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto as prime minister. On 5 July
1977, Gen. Ziaul Huq deposed Bhutto,
imposed martial law and took over the
reins of government. He also ruled for
almost a decade until he died in an air
crash. Finally, in 1999, Gen. Pervez
Musharraf, the army chief, toppled
the elected prime minister Nawaz
Sharif and took over power as chief
executive.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan
justified all military coups, under the
same law of necessity. Petitions filed
to challenge the coups were set aside
and dictatorship legitimized.
However, it is not in regard to the
judiciary’s support to dictators only,
that its decisions have been critiqued.
They have drawn widespread flak on
other issues as well; most prominent
among them was the trial of Pakistan’s
erstwhile prime minister, Z. A. Bhutto
and the death sentence awarded to
him.
Many analysts find the whole trial
reeking with bias. Some have called
it “judicial murder.” Bhutto was from
Sindh. His alleged victim, Ahmad
Raza Khan Kasuri was from Punjab.
So the trial became almost a vendetta
of a Punjabi against a non-Punjabi.
This ethnic divide was manifest
throughout the trial. In the first
instance, when Bhutto began his
testimony on 25 January 1978, Chief
Justice of the Lahore High Court,
Maulvi Mushtaq closed the courtroom
to all observers. Thereupon, Bhutto
refused to argue further. He also
demanded a retrial, accusing the Chief
Justice of bias, after Mushtaq allegedly
insulted Bhutto's home province. But
the court refused his plea.
In the final judgment by the
Supreme Court awarding him the
death sentence, the judges were
sharply divided on ethnic lines. The
four Punjabi judges including Chief
Justice, Anwarul Huq, convicted
Bhutto, while the three non-Punjabi
judges - Dorab Patel, Abdul Haleem
and Ghulam Safdar Shah, in their
dissenting judgments, acquitted him.
In recent times, Supreme Court
Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry
disqualified Prime Minister, Yousuf
Raza Gilani, from office when he had
been found guilty of contempt for
refusing to comply with a Supreme
Court order to reopen dormant fraud
investigations against President Asif
Ali Zardari.
After being found guilty and
convicted, Gilani served a token jail
term in the courtroom which lasted
barely 30 seconds. But a conviction
is a conviction. The duration of
detention is immaterial. Therefore
the Chief Justice clarified that being a
convict, Gilani had been disqualified
as a member of parliament.
Some commentators were outraged
that the head of government should
be deposed by anything other than
parliament. They likened the order to
a "judicial dictatorship."
The superior judiciary has been
active in other fields as well. For
example, it has arbitrarily banned Altaf
Hussain’s appearance and relaying
of his statements in the media, both
electronic and print. No valid reason
was advanced. No charges were
brought against Altaf Hussain or an
opportunity given to him to defend
his position. Yet, he was deprived of
the right of free speech which is a
fundamental of democracy.
These inroads into other fields have
been termed by jurists as “judicial
activism.”
In the latest instance, the Supreme
Court has not only disqualified
Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister, but
also deprived him of the membership
of the Shura under Article 62 of the
Constitution, which requires that a
person must be “sagacious, righteous,
non-profligate, honest and ameen,”
to qualify for the office. Cited against
him were the dubious deals relating
to fabulous properties owned outside
the country, as exposed in the Panama
Papers.
The verdict is a landmark as it has
exposed Nawaz Sharif’s dishonest
practices. It is popular because, for
the first time, a head of government
in Pakistan has been proven guilty
of amassing wealth by questionable
means.
Yet, the rigid application of Article
62 has raised question among jurists,
because no proof is demanded from
any candidate about his or her being
“sagacious, righteous, non-profligate,
honest and ameen,” before swearing
them in as members of the Shura.
Nonetheless, the judiciary has
demonstrated its power.
The writer is a senior political
analyst and former editor of
Southasia.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 17
 COVER STORY
The sacking or exit of prime ministers in Pakistan suggests
Legacy of Failure that actual power lies somewhere else in a seemingly
democratic set-up.
By Faizan Usmani
The 111-Brigade soldiers enter the PTV HQ in Islamabad on October 12, 1999.
S
hown the door for the third time,
Nawaz Sharif has failed again to
complete his 5-year term in office.
Though on the first two occasions, he
was ousted through indirect and direct
involvement of the military, the end of
his third term has been sealed by a five-
member bench of the Supreme Court that
had earlier issued a split 3-2 judgement
and had ordered formation of a Joint
Investigative Committee (JIT) to further
probe the case and submit the report
within a period of three months.
Apparently, the former PM was
disqualified by the judiciary over
concealment of assets and being
untruthful, but his removal has again
raised the perennial question as to why an
elected prime minister in Pakistan fails to
complete his term. This time, are there any
invisible hands behind the judicial ousting
of Nawaz Sharif, who had apparently
performed considerably better than on
previous occasions.
The believers of conspiracy theories
argue that removal of an elected prime
minister in Pakistan is bound to happen
no matter how well he is able to perform
for the long-term welfare of the country.
However, this time he was not dethroned
in a military coup d'état, but it were his
own faults that paved the way for his early
departure.
If this justification stands true, one
wonders how a non-elected military
dictator is able to prolong his stay in power
and why the judiciary does not move
against the unconstitutional government
set-up that gets legal endorsement coupled
with a further extension merely on the
basis of the doctrine of necessity. If the
necessity remains the mother of inventions
18 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
in legal interpretations too, nothing can be
more dangerous than the rule of law itself.
The recent sacking of the prime minister
can be taken as a coincidence, but such
an eventuality takes place regularly in the
national political scenario and it affects
only those who are chosen through an
electoral process. Much to one’s chagrin,
the predestined disqualification or the
scheduled ousting of the PM is not a matter
of fate, but the trend suggests a bitter but
inevitable phenomenon, indicating the
presence of a rather supreme authority
called ‘the establishment’ that clandestinely
operates in the grey area beyond legal and
illegal boundaries and it keeps orchestrating
political order to serve its objectives unknown
to anyone but a few.
Since being deposed, Nawaz Sharif has
been asking the question, “Mujhe Kiyun
Nikala?” (Why was I ousted?), but he is not
that innocent or clueless as he appears to be.
Instead, he should have raised the question,
“Mujhe Kisne Nikala?” (Who ousted me?) to
identify the elements that work behind the
scenes.
The word ‘establishment’ is one of
the most popular terms used in Pakistan.
However, what constitutes the establishment
is not a straightforward matter and is open
to various interpretations. As per general
perception, the establishment consists of
the civil and military bureaucracy, but
those in the know define it as an oligarchy
comprising civil bureaucrats, serving and
retired generals, former diplomats and
ambassadors, politicians in office and some
in the opposition, as well as a few of the
highly influential businessmen.
However, Javed Hashmi, a senior
politician, says America is also the part of the
Pakistani establishment and has a decisive
mandate to push through its objectives
and programmes, enjoying an almost
veto power when it comes to appoint
key government representatives and
officials. If his observation stands true,
one cannot rule out China as well.
Though Pakistan’s closest ally says
it does not believe in interfering in
others’ internal policies and matters,
growing Chinese influence on Pakistan’s
economics is a tipping point that heralds
the addition of a new member in the
elite establishment club.
Whatever defines the establishment,
it tends to be quite a euphemistic term
referring those who know how to play Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meets COAS Gen. Pervez Musharraf
with the fate of the nation in the name of somewhere in the Northern Areas.
political engineering. Despite bringing
in added chaos in an already anarchic
state structure, the perpetually-blessed
breed is not accountable to the people
of the country. They are always able to
establish their writ in the state through
adventurous and violent means, but
their modus operandi can never be
challenged in the civil courts and those
who try to hold them responsible for
their actions bite the dust in the end.
From derailing a democratic setup to
destabilising national politics for vested
interests, the establishment is always
able to thrive and, if taken collectively,
they operate being a state within the Gen. Pervez Musharraf addresses the nation on Oct 13, 1999 as Chief Executive.
state with all the powers to rule over the
majority for keeps.
Pakistan’s national history is tainted are on the same page regarding politician Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed
by a number of military coups that keep development and prosperity of the shared the biggest lesson he has learned
surfacing at regular intervals. Since country.” after devoting a major chunk of his life
1947, the country has spent a period of He is perhaps wrong because to politics. He said, one cannot deny the
three decades under military rule from the government and the evergreen strong role of the military establishment
1958 onwards, excluding some failed establishment can never be on the same in national politics and obeying its terms.
coup attempts as well. However, other page. They carry a different book in This tends to be an inevitable reality that
than enjoying exclusive governance their hands. If the elected government today’s politicians and legislators need.
authority for almost half of the country’s has to consult National Constitution, the Being a highly-specialised military
history, the army is perceived to be other side has its own ‘Book of Rules’ in to becoming an all-purpose institution
the most active agent in making things which the doctrine of necessity, as well involved in different civilian jobs,
happen on the political and electoral as the urge to flaunt its muscle power the army alone cannot be blamed
fronts. With regard to the role of every now and then prevails over the for the shortcomings of the elected
the army in toppling elected prime constitutional obligations and ethical representatives, who, time and again,
ministers, this institution overshadows considerations. have been miserably failed to perform
the civil authority. It can call its 111th The government is elected through in spite of a heavy public mandate or
Infantry Brigade to action whenever it an electoral process, but for a period of despite having substantial experience in
feels there would be a greater public 5 years if it is lucky enough to complete office.
interest in coming back into the saddle its term and has so far not happened. Like it or not, the 111 phenomenon
and taking charge of the government. In contrast, those invisible hands that seems to be more prevalent and decisive
As per the Constitution, the army openly play their cards as the movers than over 180 registered political parties
operates under the civilian government and shakers of the country are there to representing more than 200 million
and must always seek policy guidance stay for good and their ability to enforce people of the country. This is the answer
from the government about national and implement their decisions is as true to Nawaz Sharif’s question ‘Mujhe Kyun
security matters. As things do not always as the world is round. Nikala?’ and it will continue to happen
happen by the book, the army reigns During his first term as PM, Nawaz till the day that the man who enters
supreme and its ability to overthrow a Sharif was reportedly slapped by a the prime minister’s office after being
democratically elected government is military officer to place his resignation elected for five years will not do justice
well-proven. on the table. The sacking of an elected to his job and all the people of Pakistan
"The elected government is the public representative in such a way instead of just benefiting his own clan
actual establishment," says Prime shows this is where the actual power lies or, at the most, his province.
Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He in a seemingly democratic process.
says there is no confrontation among In his interview to a leading Urdu The writer is a member of the
state institutions and “all the institutions daily some years before, veteran staff.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 19

 REGION INDIA

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

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

20 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

by India for 70 years, by avoiding a
customary visit to Ramallah, seat of the
Palestine Authority.
There was an overflow of welcoming
sentiments. Netanyahu received Modi
at the Ben Gurion Airport, warmly
embraced him and said in Hindi: “Aapka
swagat hai mere dost.” Later, he took his
guest around on a sightseeing tour.
Modi acknowledged the welcome
he received from the Israeli president,
Reuven Rivlin, saying in a tweet; “The
President of Israel welcomed me so
warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark
of respect for the people of India.”
Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi’s
visit ground-breaking and said that
he sees ‘history in making’ in their
talks. India and Israel signed seven
With one stroke, Modi upended the
policy followed by India for 70 years, by
avoiding a customary visit to Ramallah,
seat of the Palestine Authority.
agreements in key areas like space, water
management, energy and agriculture.
A memorandum of understanding was
signed to set up a $40 million worth
India-Israel Industrial Research and
Development (R&D) and Technical
Innovation Fund.
Two agreements were signed in the
sector to increase cooperation on water
conservation and state water utility reform
in India. Both countries also agreed for
India-Israel Development Cooperation,
a three year work programme in the
agriculture sector. They also launched a
five-year technology fund.
Modi addressed the Indian
community in Israel at the Tel Aviv
Convention Centre. During the meeting
he promised direct flights connecting
the two countries. He also announced
that an Indian Cultural Centre would
be set up in Israel and invited Israeli
companies to come and participate
in the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the
government.
The two leaders made a joint
statement on varied fields like terrorism,
technology and defence. On the
developments pertaining to the Israeli-
Palestinian Peace Process, the leaders
reaffirmed their support for an early
negotiated solution based on mutual
recognition and security arrangements.
At the back of the new found
camaraderie, however, is Israel’s need
for a market for its arms. And India is
now its biggest buyer. New Delhi, the
world’s second-largest developing-
world arms buyer, is currently sourcing
$1 billion worth of weapons systems
from Israel on an average, which is a
major leap from the 1990s.
Israel became India’s third-
highest arms supplier at the turn of
the millennium and by 2016-2017,
according to one report, it rose to
the top spot, outstripping the US and
Russia. Business Standard reported in
April that Israel Aerospace Industries
(IAI) has bagged contracts from India
worth “almost $2 billion (Rs 13,000
crore)” for missile defence systems that
includes medium range surface-to-air
missiles (MR-SAM) and long range (LR-
SAM) anti-ship missile defence systems
(better known as Barak 8). Israel is ready
to give armed drones which New Delhi
really wanted and Washington did not
give.
Modi’s visit, therefore, is also an
acknowledgement of the fact that Israel
has been more willing to transfer latest
technological development in the world
of weapons systems to India than either
Russia or the US. The Economic Times
had reported in April this year that India
is slated to get its first armed drones —
the Heron TP — that may aid in cross-
border strikes. Tel Aviv is even ready to
shift production lines to India to match
Modi’s Make in India initiative.
However, it appears that both
countries are trying to frame their
burgeoning relationship away from
defence into non-security areas such
as water conservation, irrigation
techniques, higher education, science
and technology, transfer of expertise
in areas of IT, machinery and transport
equipment, among others. The attempt
to publicly share the breadth and depth
of Indo-Israeli ties is noticeable from
both ends.
It wasn’t until BJP’s comprehensive
mandate in 2014, though, that a
government at the centre found political
confidence in taking the ties out of the
closet. The NDA government obviously
feels that the time is ripe to strengthen ties
in other areas where India can benefit
from Israeli expertise and technological
advancement but this advancement
isn’t possible in a situation of restrained
recognition.
That is principally why India is eager
to engage in a very public courtship of
Israel, even to Israel’s pleasant surprise,
which sees in Modi’s visit a tacit approval
of its hardened approach towards the
Palestinian conflict.
However, though both nations
are laying a lot of emphasis in areas
of mutual interest such as water
conservation, there are challenges and
politically tricky factors for Modi to
consider.
For instance, experts such as Ashok
Gulati and Gayathri Mohan from Indian
Council for Research on International
Economic Relations, writing in the
Indian Express, have noted that India’s
rapid descent towards water scarcity
can be arrested by coordinating with
Israel who has a meagre per capita
availability of less than 200 cum yet
“exports high-value agri-produce to
Europe and many other parts of the
world” and is known for “innovations
in water management, drip irrigation,
recycling of urban wastewater for use in
agriculture or desalinization of seawater
for drinking.”
As the authors note, India has about
nine million hectares under micro-
irrigation but this number needs to go up
substantially. Though it seems a dream
fit, but Indian realities are different. Lack
of political will in initiating land reforms
or putting a price tag to a precious,
diminishing commodity such as potable
water, has made things difficult.
As Institute of Peace and Conflict
Studies Senior Fellow Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
writes in Business Standard, India
lacks the resources to meet energy-
guzzling desalination plants or a proper
technique to deal with their high-salt
discharge. Indian irrigable land holdings
are fragmented and may not be suitable
for Israeli drip irrigation systems. Even
if these problems met with a solution,
India hardly has the structural capability
to tackle the increase in crop produce.
Modi’s Israel visit was, no doubt, a
landmark event, not only with regard to
the benefits accruing to India from the
several agreements, but also from the
new strategic partnership between India
and Israel.
Because, it is America's staunchest
ally and one who has huge bipartisan
influence in Capitol Hill, a close synergy
with Israel, completes the picture of a
US-Israel-India axis alignment.
The writer is a senior political analyst
and former editor of Southasia.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 21
 REGION PAKISTAN

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

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

22 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

defence equipment.
The exception to the proposed
reduction is that military aid to Israel
and Egypt, two close US allies in the
Middle East and the biggest recipients
of US military assistance, will remain
unchanged.
US military assistance to partners
and allies reached $13.5bn in 2015, or
28pc of all US foreign aid spending that
year, according to the Congressional
Research Service. Most grants through
the FMF programme go to Israel, Egypt,
Jordan, Pakistan and Iraq.
It is not a done deal yet since the
US Congress ultimately controls the
government purse strings and may
reject some or many of the Trump
administration's proposals. Republicans
and Democrats in Congress have
criticized the size of the cuts to the
State Department and US Agency for
International Development.
Let us look at the effect of the
reduction on Pakistan, which has been
in the crosshairs of US lawmakers for
over a decade. Ever since the war on
terror in Afghanistan started going
awry, the US State Department as well
as the Pentagon started making Pakistan
a scapegoat for their own failures.
Despite massive aerial strikes, excessive
ground operations and the deployment
of over 130,000 military personnel
in the Afghan theatre of war, US-led
international forces in Afghanistan failed
to create even a dent in the Taliban
war-making capacity. The US should
have learnt lessons from the botched
invasion of Afghanistan by USSR in the
If the NATO forces failed to
achieve their objectives, they have
only themselves to blame.
1990s. Guerrilla tactics of the Afghan
Mujahedeen aided and abetted by the
CIA brought the mighty Soviet forces
to their knees and they had to retreat
in ignominy. In the aftermath of the
Afghan debacle, the USSR crumbled
into pieces as it failed to sustain the
economic crunch that resulted because
of the overextended Soviet military
operations in Afghanistan.
At that time, the US and a number of
allies including Pakistan were supporting
the Afghan guerrilla fighters.
The invasion of Afghanistan, which
came about as a repercussion to the
9/11 terror attacks, had the forces of
NATO countries led by USA calling
the shots. Pakistan became the most
allied non-NATO ally of the US and
started receiving military aid as well
as the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). If
the NATO forces failed to achieve their
objectives, they have only themselves
to blame.
In 2003, US and NATO interest in
Afghanistan dwindled because Iraq
became the new theatre of war, which
provided a much needed respite to
the Taliban to re-equip and launch
attacks on the NATO forces. This time
no external forces were supporting the
Taliban.
Come 2007, the US realized that it
was losing the war in Afghanistan so it
started looking for excuses. Pakistan was
made the fall guy and made to bear the
brunt of the reasons for US failures in
Afghanistan. Threats of reducing military
aid and suspension of the CSF started
reverberating in the US Congress and
Senate. That is the time drone attacks
on targets within Pakistan commenced.
Various studies show that very few
actual terrorists were eliminated in the
drone attacks but owing to collateral
damage, the survivors of the drone
attacks were wooed by the Taliban to
join the terror groups.
Relations between Pakistan and the
US came to their lowest ebb in 2011.
Raymond Davis, a US security agency
Blackwater operative killed three
Pakistanis in broad daylight in Lahore
and was arrested. The US demanded
his return, falsely claiming diplomatic
immunity for the undercover secret
agent. The standoff lasted for nearly two
months. On May 1, 2011, US Navy SEALs
eliminated Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden from a house in Abbottabad,
apparently without informing Pakistan,
souring relations further. The straw that
broke the camel’s back was an attack
on a Pakistani military check-post at
Salala near the Pak-Afghan border
on November 25, 2011 in which 25
Pakistani military personnel lost their
lives. Pakistan stopped the Ground Lines
of Communication across its territory
and logistic supply to NATO forces in
Afghanistan suffered terribly.
Relations were restored in 2012
but the deep fissures continued. In
2015, the bulk of NATO and US forces
in Afghanistan were drawn down. The
Afghan National Army that was created
to stop the attacks by Taliban was
incompetent and corrupt; the assaults
continue to-date. Both the US and
Afghan governments blame Pakistan
for providing safe havens to the Taliban
leadership, which is not true. Using this
pretext, the US has been threatening a
cut in funding to Pakistan. Now it has
the perfect excuse to reduce Pakistan’s
military aid in the garb of turning them
into loans.
One essential impact that is coming
to the fore due to the switch from
grants to loans for military aid is that
countries will not be able to afford US
military equipment, forcing them to
go elsewhere for supplies. The direct
beneficiaries will be China and Russia.
Countries that the US is sidelining will
have other options to resort to for their
military needs. The US is thus depriving
itself of the option to build capacity
with its partners through the grants and
have interoperability with its allies.
Pakistan is not the only country
that will be affected; the conversion
from grants to loans will be a challenge
especially for smaller military aid
recipient countries like Macedonia and
Tunisia.
Unlike parliamentary democracies
such as India and the UK, where the
finance minister delivers the budget
speech on the floor of the parliament,
in the US the White House sends
copies of the president's budget
proposals. The decision is not final
yet and the Trump administration has
left it for the State Department to take
a final call. This is one of the options
that the administration had explored
in its internal deliberations, but the
request itself does not make that
determination. The White House has
clarified, indicating that it might revert
to the original financial grant to Pakistan
to sell military hardware. Whether
the funding is through grants or as a
subsidy for a guaranteed loan, the State
Department can choose any option to
ensure American foreign assistance
best supports its national interests, the
White House said.
US military may need the additional
funding that may be available because
of the budgetary cuts to foreign aid.
Trigger happy Donald Trump is hell
bent on attacking North Korea. China
has signaled that it may remain neutral.
The US may well be drawn into another
quagmire like Vietnam in the 70s of
the last century and Afghanistan since
2001.
The writer is a practising journalist.
He contributes to the print media,
conducts a TV show and produces
documentaries.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 23
 REGION PAKISTAN

All In
The Family
Pakistan has the choice of coming out of the ruling family syndrome and moving towards
a truly democratic setup or continuing to stay in the ‘family’ groove and keep suffering.
By Dr. Moonis Ahmar

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

24 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

several members of the ruling family.
Will Pakistan break the tradition of
being ruled by a “family fiefdom”? Are
there indicators to prove that democracy
in Pakistan will be strengthened when
people vote on the basis of merit
instead of being carried away by those
who belong to powerful families or
clans? How Pakistan, and for that
matter, other South Asian countries like
Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka can
get rid of “family fiefdoms” and move
to a democratic culture which puts
emphasis on electing candidates on
the basis of their calibre and integrity
instead of their affiliation with various
families? These are the questions which
are raised while examining the culture
of family patronage, power and fiefdom
in Pakistan in the light of Sharif’s
disqualification and impending cases
against various members of the Sharif
family.
There are two opinions about the
phenomenon of family rule in any
country. First, family rule is a negation
of democracy because of “conflict of
interest” and the culture of favouritism,
nepotism and corruption which is
created by those who belong to the
same family and monopolize power.
Critics arguing against family rule hold
the view that family rule experienced by
Pakistan since 1988 deepened the level
of corruption and nepotism. Second,
family rule can be beneficial for a
country if ethics and professionalism
are not compromised. For instance, the
United Arab Emirates is ruled by a family
and is not a democratic country but the
level of development and modernization
there is far better than countries under
democratic rule because the ruling
family has a clear vision of development
and is not involved in corruption
or corrupt practices. Furthermore,
Singapore, which transformed from a
Third to a First World country under the
leadership of Prime Minister Lee Kuan
Yu, also experienced family rule because
when Kuan Yu stepped down in 2004,
his son, Lee Hsien Loong took over.
The culture prevailing in most of the
Third World or developing countries
is such that nepotism and corruption
get an impetus when family rule is
established and that too through so-
called democratic elections. When
Benazir Bbutto became Prime Minister
for the first time in December 1988, she
appointed her mother Nusrat Bhutto as
senior minister and her spouse Asif Ali
Zardari was holding a cabinet post in
her second tenure. Zardari was accused
of massive corruption and nepotism
while Benazir was in power. When
Nawaz Sharif became prime minister
in his second term, his brother Shahbaz
Sharif became Chief Minister of Punjab
and appointed Ishaq Dar, another close
relative as the Finance Minister. But, it
was in the third term of Nawaz Sharif as
Prime Minister that his family members
monopolized various power positions
like his brother again took over as
Punjab’s Chief Minister and his samdhi
(son’s father-in-law) as Federal Finance
Minister. Abid Sher Ali is also related
to the Nawaz family and he became
the minister of state for Power. Hamza
Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab’s son
is a member of the national assembly
and so is Capt.(R) Safdar, Nawaz Sharif’s
son-in-law. Sharif’s daughter Maryam
Safdar, though not a member of the
parliament, holds a powerful position
as in-charge of the media cell in the
prime minister’s office. She was staying
with her father when he was prime
minister. Furthermore, unlike Nawaz
Sharif’s second term, in his third term
the influence of his family deepened
because of the inclusion of several of
them in his cabinet or holding other
positions of power.
Pakistan is still a feudal and tribal
society where patronage, favouritism,
nepotism and corruption help various
families maintain their hold over
power. And it is not only the case of
the Sharif family which can be blamed
of monopolizing power and restricting
it to Central Punjab. It is also true in
case of several hundred families who
are controlling the reins of power
through inter-marriages and other social
bonds. Such families have bureaucratic,
military, feudal, tribal, business, political
and even clergy links, regardless of their
ethnic and sectarian identities. All the
four provinces of Pakistan, including
Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, are
connected through such families whose
number has swelled to several hundred.
The only link which threatens their hold
and monopoly over power is when there
is inter and intra-elite conflicts as is
happening these days because of serious
schisms which exist between PML(N),
PTI and PPP. The three major political
parties are rivals but their leaders are
connected with each other through
blood or family ties. For instance, the
Governor of Sindh, Mohammad Zubair
has affiliations with the PML (N) and was
close to Nawaz Sharif when he was in
power whereas his brother Asad Umer,
is a member of the National Assembly
and a key PTI leader.
There is no quick fix solution to
eradicate family rule in Pakistan because
of two main reasons. First, the majority of
the people of Pakistan lack the courage
to challenge exploitation, corruption
and nepotism because of a low level
of literacy, meagre proper political
awareness and the culture of patronage.
Second, ruling families in Pakistan are
able to get support from people as the
voters have no other option. However,
there are three political parties that do
not have a family or dynastic basis i.e.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-
i-Islami (JI) and Mutehada Qaumi
Movement (MQM). The leadership of
these three political parties is above
family connections.
Shahbaz Sharif will remain as the
Chief Minister of Punjab, therefore one
thing is certain: power would remain in
the fold of the Sharif family till the holding
of next general elections in 2018. The
substitute prime minister Khaqqan Abbasi
says he is only a stand-in and Nawaz
Sharif is the real prime minister. When
Maryam Nawaz says that they belong to
the ruling family, it means, the addiction
of power has permeated deep inside the
Sharif family and Nawaz Sharif’s ouster
from power by the Supreme Court or
his party’s predictable loss of power in
2018 elections would not be acceptable
to them. Unfortunately, the Sharif family
does not seem to have read history
because it possesses a very naïve idea
about how history matters in terms of the
rise and fall of people from power and
grace. Ironically, despite being thrown
out of power three times (1993, 1999 and
2017), the Sharif family has not learned
lessons from history and still expresses
its confidence or rather over-confidence
that no one can detach them from power.
With such a mindset, there can only be
pity for them because history is replete
with examples about how powerful
ruling families and dynasties were wiped
out and even their trace cannot be found
today.
The wishful thinking that even after
the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif,
it will be all in the family, is a serious
error on the part of those who subscribe
to such a notion. The expression of
seeking popularity or sympathy by
addressing public rallies and meetings as
Nawaz Sharif’s trip first from Islamabad
to Rawalpindi and then from there to
Lahore, showed, was a foolish journey.
It was undertaken by a person who had
been disqualified by the highest court
of the country and created a wrong
precedence. It reflected poor judgment
on the part of those who still live in the
past and are unable to reconcile with
the truth. If this continues, the country
will plunge into a serious political crisis
which may be exploited by those who,
since the inception of this country till
the present, have taken advantage of the
ineptness and imprudence of those in
power under the so-called democratic
setup.
The writer is a Meritorious Professor of
International Relations at the University
of Karachi.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 25
 REGION BANGLADESH

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

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

26 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

a Supreme Judicial Council, headed
by the chief justice, to terminate
judges found violating the judicial
code of conduct. The military rulers of
Bangladesh therefore also deserve some
commendation for granting absolute
independence to the judiciary despite
being the usurpers of democracy. The
decision has been highly hailed by
the lawyers ‘as a crucial safeguard for
the freedom of the Muslim-majority
nation's secular judiciary.’ The leading
Bangladesh daily, The Daily Star in
its editorial writes, “We welcome the
Supreme Court's verdict that finally
reinstates the fundamental scheme
of our Constitution that separates
powers between various organs of the
In a historic move declaring the 16th
amendment of the constitution as null
and void, the Bangladesh Supreme Court
has clipped the parliament’s power to fire
top judges.
state. It will, therefore, be prudent for
the legislators to see the merit of this
verdict, instead of a setback, which
should help end any tussle between the
judiciary and the executive. Certainly,
the verdict upholds the dignity of the
judiciary and the fundamental values of
the Constitution.”
The verdict is being termed as a
major blow to Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina who brought the constitutional
change allowing parliament --
controlled by her ruling Awami League
party -- to remove top judges in
September 2014. With this decision, in
a way, the prime minister will have no
dominance over the judiciary, hence top
judges will no more be ‘subservient’ to
the government as they would no more
be under constant threat of removal
by the ruling junta. Law Minister
Anisul Huq, however, said his ministry
would not go for any step against Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha over the
annulment of the 16th amendment to
the Constitution. “Rather, the verdict
will be faced legally,” the minister
confirmed while addressing a public
meeting. Food Minister Qamrul Islam
even demanded removal of Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha while
confirming that the government would
file a review petition. Road Transport
and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader,
also general secretary of the Awami
League, told journalists, "We conveyed
to the president the government and the
party's stance on the verdict." In short
the ruling party is fighting tooth and
nail to reverse the significant decision.
It seems that in quest of absolute
power, Prime Minister Hasina is ready
to even punish the man who dared to
undermine her power.
Commenting on the post-decision
activities of the members of the ruling
party, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar
Sinha warned that the consequence
would be very serious if the law
ministry officials try to dominate the
Supreme Court. “A little learning is a
dangerous thing,” the chief justice said
out of frustration. “Those in the law
ministry rank from assistant judges to
senior district judge. If they feel that
the Supreme Court will act under their
decision, they will commit a serious
mistake,” he remarked. He is known
for a number of high-profile judgments
including those on the killing of former
President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and
the 5th and 13th amendments to the
Constitution of Bangladesh. In a South
Asian country like Bangladesh, will he
be able to survive trying to pick a fight
with a prime minister who enjoys an
absolute majority in the assembly and
is safely poised to win the forthcoming
general elections and that too with an
overwhelming majority, successfully
cornering her arch rival Khaleda Zia
and very smoothly heading towards
one-party rule. She is all set to go for a
review petition challenging the historic
verdict.
On the other hand, terming it as
people’s victory, BNP has welcomed
the Supreme Court verdict and in an
instant reaction over the verdict, the
BNP senior joint secretary general
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, ‘The Supreme
Court declared the 16th amendment
illegal, we think the court’s decision is
a victory of people. The government’s
plot to grab the judiciary has failed
through the apex court’s decision.’
He also alleged that the ruling Awami
League is trying to change the Supreme
Court's verdict on the 16th amendment
by force. There's a legal process to file
a review petition against the verdict.
“But, AL leaders are putting pressure
and making unguarded remarks against
the chief justice to change the verdict
by force," he said. The foundation of
any democracy, whether Western or
Asian, is of course the rule of law and
that means an independent judiciary
is an absolute must which provides an
environment where judges can make
decisions independent of the political
winds that are blowing. But the rulers
in pursuit of attaining absolute power
never want an independent judiciary
for they know that only a free court can
stop them from political maneuvering
for personal gains.
As explained by Schlafly Phyllis an
American constitutional lawyer and con-
servative activist, Judicial Supremacy is
the liberal, elitist view that courts are
"supreme" over the other two branches
of government and the Constitution
and that courts have the authority to
tell the president and Parliament what
they may or may not do. However, the
powers given to the judiciary differ
from country to country. For instance,
America has a system of judicial review
and judicial supremacy, meaning
federal courts may strike down laws
they believe are unconstitutional, and
the executive and legislative branches
must follow the courts’ judgments.
Though the extent of the supremacy
of judiciary has always been debated,
there are no two opinions about the
independence of judiciary. The best
comment on justice probably came
from Prime Minister Winston Churchill
during the Second World War. When
he was briefed on the casualties and
economic collapse, he asked, “Are the
courts functioning?” When told that
the judges were dispensing justice as
normal, Churchill replied, “Thank God.
If the courts are working, nothing can
go wrong.”
Now there is a conflict between the
head of the judiciary and head of the
government in the land of Kazi Nazrul
Islam whose activism for political and
social justice earned him the title of
‘Rebel Poet.’ Whether the followers
of the rebel poet can muster enough
courage to stand against Hasina’s move
to undermine the judiciary or not is
not so easy to predict, keeping in view
the ruling party’s hectic move to undo
the decision by hook or by crook.
However, the political observers say
the next general elections expected to
be held sometime in January 2019 in
Bangladesh may not be a cakewalk for
Hasina even if she manages to reverse
the decision in a review petition.
The writer is a free-lance journalist.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 27
 REGION AFGHANISTAN

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

T
he big question that has been
asked by strategists for over
a decade and a half is: what
would make a stable Afghanistan?
Post-9/11, the stability of the world
has been associated with the stability
of Afghanistan – billions of dollars
have been spent in a stalemated war
being conducted there to convert it
into a stable and peaceful state that
may eventually become inhospitable
to terrorists. The attainment of this
goal has so far eluded the Americans
and their many military and
political strategists tried their luck
unsuccessfully. The latest addition
to that list would now be the Trump
Administration which unfolded its
new Afghan policy. It is different from
the one proffered by President Clinton,
Bush or Obama because now Pakistan
is out of the equation and India is in.
President Obama’s Administration
went all out to execute a deep surge
strategy in Afghanistan thus raising the
cost of the Afghan war by spending
$100 billion a year on maintaining
a troop surge of over 100,000. Two
of America’s best generals – General
Stanley McChrystal and General David
Petraeus executed the best possible
military doctrine in an irregular
warfare implementing COIN (counter

28 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

insurgency operations) and through it
focused on ‘winning hearts and minds’
in a political and military strategy that
had the clear and unambiguous aim
of ‘clearing, holding and building’
Afghanistan. But the efforts proved
insufficient to turn the tide. Seen in
hindsight, the United States employed
counter-terrorism as its core strategy in
Afghanistan – executing air strikes and
conducting special operations raids
which didn’t have a lasting impact.
The counter-insurgency strategy was
only introduced and implemented in
2010. Even the US troops’ presence
in the Taliban stronghold districts like
Helmand and Kandahar was negligible
and these districts were secured
with military presence only after the
beginning of the counter-insurgency
operations in 2010.
One of the big mistakes made in
Afghanistan have been the American
assumption that only military actions
will contribute to an overall strategic
win. Military actions as is historically
proven only create suitable conditions
and an environment for a political
solution. Was initiating ‘political
activism’ more important than
conducting military operations in
Afghanistan? It seems that American
political and military strategy in
Afghanistan has been marred by its
lack of ability to define a priority - was
it good governance or was it defeating
the Taliban? Or was it both with the
result that in the end America ended up
achieving neither. If it were assumed
that good governance will follow the
Taliban’s defeat than neither have the
Taliban’s been defeated nor has the
governance in Afghanistan improved.
Today as the Trump Administration’s
new policy in Afghanistan is eagerly
awaited, one thing seems certain –
Afghanistan may slide back into a full
scale civil war if Washington stops
providing serious and sustainable
help.
Since the time they have been
ousted from the government the
Taliban have been fighting a violent
war with the aim of getting back if
not all than some share of power in
Afghanistan. Had the early American
intention been to seek a deal with the
Taliban rather than try to attack with
drones and bomb their leadership
into defeat, the political and strategic
environment in the Afghan war today
may have been entirely different.
Fighting a guerilla war, the Taliban
always had time on their side.
Witnessing the lack of American
willingness to withdraw their forces
from Afghanistan and the continuity
of the American military goal of
obliterating the Taliban leadership
through drone strikes, the Taliban
preferred to wait out the Americans
rather than concede to their offers of
dialogue that they considered non-
serious.
At the height of the troops surge
and with the military presence that the
Americans maintained in Afghanistan,
pushing out the terrorists should not
have been their most sought after goal
– ‘getting rid of the bad guys and the
post-war peace will take care of itself’
was an American assumption that
never materialized.
Utilizing the space and time to
build a corruption-free and legitimate
Afghan government could have been
the other important goal. Ignoring the
making and creation of a political end
state of Afghanistan was a mistake.
Improving civil services, the Afghan
justice system, doing everything to
allow the rule of law to take root by
improving the political system and
making the executive accountable
were very much achievable targets.
The former Afghan President Hamid
Karzai was considered by many as
nothing more than a mayor of Kabul
yet the Americans did little to change
this equation and do anything to
extend his authority.
Max Boot who is a senior fellow
for National Security studies at the
Council of Foreign Relations made a
very sound observation when writing
a piece for Foreign Affairs Magazine
(Nov/Dec 2014) – ‘More Small Wars
– counterinsurgency is here to stay.’
He stated that the ‘State Department
and other government agencies
could never provide enough skilled
personnel in Afghanistan in such
areas as governance and economic
development to complement the
military’s efforts; soldiers wound up
filling many of the jobs.’
In hindsight, when one looks
at the amount of money that the
Americans poured into Afghanistan, it
is not only the Americans who failed
but actually the Afghans themselves as
well. A lack of national reconciliation
and lack of effective government
only added to the choices that many
tribes in Afghanistan made to side
with the non-governmental actors
such as the Taliban rather than siding
with an unpopular, non-delivering
and dysfunctional government. If
the Americans wanted to project
themselves as the protectors of Afghan
society, the people of Afghanistan
never accepted that and when the
Afghan government like the one of
President Karzai was as corrupt as
it was, the Afghans only looked at
Americans as supporting a government
that was corrupt and not people-
friendly. Afghanistan didn’t need just
the military action, it needed huge
Afghan governmental strides in social,
political and economic reform – that
never came.
Showcasing a well financed and
well resourced ‘winning political and
military plan’ why did America fail
in Afghanistan? A large part of the
American excuse for this failure is put
on Pakistan’s shoulders. The US terms
the Afghan insurgency as made in
Pakistan. In the ‘slow motion version’
of the U.S. defeat that the world has
witnessed, Pakistan also has had its
share of losses. Contrary to the fact
that the world looks at violence being
exported from Pakistan to Afghanistan
– violence in its worst forms has
continuously entered Pakistan from
the Afghan border. The movement and
organization that the world recognized
as that of the Taliban has over the
years evolved and now converted
from being a unilateral, independent
monolithic actor to a ‘difficult to
keep united’ and fragmented alliance
of many factions. Today very few
Taliban reside on the Pakistan side of
the border since the military action
against them has pushed them to the
Afghan side.
In any ground war, less than one
third of the troops can be sent to a
battle at any given time – others are
usually recovering from an already
fought battle or preparing to move
into a new one. The long logistic tail
and the supply line that the Americans
had to maintain and sustain was a big
reason for the rising cost of the Afghan
war both in blood and treasure.
To summarize, the American
military intervention in Afghanistan
amounts to fighting to sustain
themselves rather than to achieve
their mission and the world may
witness a similar military disaster if
the Trump administration does not
learn lessons from a hard fought
Afghan war in which it hip-hopped,
executing one strategy after another.
The new Afghan policy needs to have
a well-defined political component
that should extend across the legal
status to the Taliban as a political
party thus providing them space for
political participation and Pakistan
should be a key player. Otherwise,
there would never be an end to the
war in Afghanistan and the contest
in stamina will continue between the
opposing forces.
The author is a PhD in International
Relations.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 29
 REGION SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan government officials standing with USAID representatives.

Back to
Square One
If the US cuts development assistance to Sri Lanka, the insurgency situation in the Tamil
inhabited areas could return to from where it all started in the early eighties.
By Dr. Raza Khan

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

30 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

State Department in an effort to cut
spending. The merging would obviously
not have any negative impact on the
Washington-supported uplift initiatives
in developing countries particularly
conflict-affected states like Sri Lanka.
The US aid cut is coming at a
time when the country is facing a
growing role of the military in civilian
and governance matters. It may be
mentioned that the military continues
to encroach upon civilian space in Sri
Lanka with the main concentration
of the forces personnel and projects
in the civil war-affected areas in the
country’s north and east. Militarization
of Sri Lankan society and state goes on
unabated despite the end of the deadly
Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009).
Against this backdrop foreign aid and
economic assistance to Sri Lanka is of
extreme importance because unlike
many other developing countries, Sri
Lanka has been lacerated by the long
civil war. The LTTE was a separatist
group struggling for a new state for the
minority Tamil population. However,
the separatist insurgency waged by the
LTTE was ultimately crushed by the Sri
Lankan forces after more than 25 years
of violence and atrocities by the state
forces and terrorism by the militant
group claiming hundreds of thousands
of lives apart from colossal economic
losses.
Despite the end of the insurgency
the sense of deprivation and
estrangement is very much ingrained
in the Tamil population of Sri Lanka.
The Tamil community, which is largely
concentrated in the country’s north and
east, would be affected the most due to
the proposed US aid cut.
In the post-civil war the Sri Lanka
the military was given or appropriated
for itself a huge and definite role in
the reconstruction and development
process. The development process in the
Tamil dominated north and east, which
had been the theatre of the insurgency
has not only been marshalled by the
military but also implemented by it.
The US aid to Sri Lanka has had some
strings attached by asking the recipient
country to use it in the Tamil-inhabited
areas so that their ruptured lives could
be assuaged and their rights could be
restored. After the aid and economic
support cut from the US, the military
in Sri Lanka would have a pretext to
either altogether stop the process of
development in the Tamil areas or
spend the developmental funds in
such a manner that Tamils get minimal
benefits from it.
An important aspect of the proposed
US administration plan to cut down
assistance to developing countries is
slashing the budget of organizations
like the Bureau for Food Security
by 68 percent. This would reduce
development aid geared towards
preventing food shortages in countries
like Sri Lanka which is also facing the
vicissitudes of rapid climatic changes.
The cut in US assistance would greatly
affect the efforts to control the situation
and prevent the threats of tsunamis. In
An American relief package for Sri Lanka.
fact, Sri Lanka is one of the countries
which would be most severely affected
by the phenomenon of climate change.
Because of melting glaciers and the
consequent rise in sea level, the island
of Sri Lanka is most at risk.
Sri Lanka is unfortunate in the sense
that it not only would be deprived
of the development assistance from
Washington but even economic
support fund. This is despite of the
fact that Trump’s policy regarding the
Third World countries is to increase the
economic support fund while curtailing
development assistance. This strategy
might have helped Sri Lanka to improve
its economic growth and generate funds
indigenously to support development
instead of relying on foreign assistance.
Nevertheless, a more sound and
rational strategy on part of Trump
could have been to provide economic
support and developmental assistance
simultaneously to states like Sri Lanka
to attain desirable results.
The analysis of the decades of
terrorism by the LTTE in Sri Lanka,
particularly in the Tamil inhabited
regions, reveal that it was the outcome
of lack of development of the
people and their participation in the
governance and uplift process besides
denial of their economic rights. Now,
with the curtailment of developmental
aid and economic assistance worth
millions of dollars, whatever process of
development that has moved forward
in the country could in all probability
reverse. This would again increase the
risk of conflict in the future. In other
words, the genesis of the civil war in Sri
Lanka was in the discrimination, which
the Sri Lankan state, since its birth in
1948, had been perpetrating on the
Tamil ethnic dwelled areas in economic
development and provision of their
political and social rights. It was large-
scale underdevelopment of the Tamil
areas versus the Sinhalese dwelled areas
that resulted in a deep-rooted feeling of
deprivation and disempowerment. The
cut in US economic assistance and the
consequent stalling of the development
process would increase the sense of
deprivation among the Tamil population
which would be sowing the seeds of
future ethnic and separatist conflicts.
In Sri Lanka the best way the
government could improve the quality
of governance and prevent conflicts
from resurfacing is to build the capacity
of local civilian administration and
to ensure increasing participation of
local communities and individuals in
the governance and administration. In
this way a sustainable governance and
administrative structure could be put in
place.
As the future of a peaceful and
developing Sri Lanka depends on the
equitable opportunities in all spheres
for all the citizens of the state, the cut in
US development and economic support
funding to Colombo would greatly
undercut the capacity of the state to
create equitable opportunities.
The writer is a political, economy and
security analyst holding a doctoral
degree in International Relations.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 31
 REGION THE MALDIVES

Rabbit Hole of
Dictatorship
The Maldives is again deteriorating into a dictatorship as winds of change blow across
the islands, bringing with them an increase in the personal power of the rulers and
getting rid of any democratic norms that may have taken root.
By S. Mubashir Noor

President Abdulla Yameen Former President Mohamed Nasheed

T
he ill wind of dictatorship again
sweeps through the Maldives.
After a brief, four-year tryst with
democracy between 2008 and 2012
that promised to restore power to the
people, the country is again hurtling
towards a state of affairs deeply
reminiscent of the three decades of
tyranny that preceded it. In late July,
the police warned the opposition
parties to stay clear of the capital city
Male as any “unlawful gatherings”
would spur officers to disperse them
by force. The warning came after four
lawmakers, part of an opposition plan
to vote out the Speaker of Parliament
Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed via a no-
confidence motion, were summarily
stripped of their seats.
The Maldives’ Supreme Court,
notoriously partisan toward the status
quo, ruled that the lawmakers fell foul
of a new “anti-defection” directive
after the four crossed the aisle to bring
down Maseeh. Anticipating a large
protestor turnout following the court
ruling, the Maldives Broadcasting
Commission immediately issued a
blanket ban on media coverage of
the “unlawful gatherings,” threatening
rebel media houses with hefty fines.
Though the constitution guarantees
citizens the right to assemble without
seeking permission from the state, the
2013 Freedom of Assembly Act passed
by current President Abdulla Yameen
restricts them to areas sanctioned by
the home ministry. The ministry in
turn declared all areas surrounding
government buildings as no-go unless
the police granted approval.
This crackdown on opposition
activities is the result of Yameen’s fears
the impeachment of his ally the speaker
will trigger a domino effect that could
eventually reach his doorstep. Indeed,
parliamentary business has ground
to a halt since opposition lawmakers
submitted the no-confidence motion
against Maseeh with 45 signatures
in early July. Backed by some 10

32 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

PPM loyalists who changed camps,
this motion made clear that some in
Yameen’s administration did not dispute
the systemic corruption charges leveled
against the government and wanted
to rid parliament of the bad apples.
Specifically, opposition lawmakers
mobilized to impeach Maseeh after he
refused to summon officials charged
with corruption.
On July 24, the day parliament was
primed to vote on the no-confidence
motion, the police needlessly tear-
gassed and pepper sprayed opposition
lawmakers under the pretext of
maintaining public order and
consequently kiboshed the session.
Later, Eva Abdullah, a prominent
opposition leader, told Reuters “After
Yameen (lost his) parliament majority,
he is trying to use both military and
police to suppress the opposition.”
For ordinary Maldivians, the Yameen
government’s heavy-handed approach
to silencing opposition voices is
depressingly familiar. For three decades
prior to 2012, they lived through
the repressive, soft authoritarianism
of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who,
though a civilian, displayed alarming
shades of dictatorship.
Former president Gayoom ruled the
Maldives for 30 years using a toxic mix
of Islamic nationalism, isolationism
and psychological repression. A
money savvy despot, Gayoom turned
the Maldives’ pristine beaches into a
world-class paradise for western tourists
whose hard currency kept the country’s
economy afloat and thus dissuaded the
lowest strata of society from mounting
mass protests. The social contradictions
only grew sharper though. Tourists were
discouraged from mingling with the
locals and whereas westerners could
skinny-dip in the crystal clear waters
while enjoying piña coladas, alcohol
was strictly banned for Maldivians.
The PPM government banned all
religions except Islam and adultery
was punishable by 100 lashes and
exile. Moreover, Gayoom put into
practice one of the oldest plays in the
Machiavellian manual of governance:
pitting the forces of race and religion
against one another. Since his political
opponents generally adhered to liberal
and progressive values, Gayoom
covertly backed radical Islamists
to counter them. He dismissed the
emergence of homegrown extremism,
the imminent byproduct of this strategy,
as a necessary risk to staying in power.
Not surprisingly then, the Maldives,
per capita, has sent more jihadist
fighters to Syria since 2014 than any
other country in the world.
Consequently, in 2005, when
the fever of change first gripped the
Maldives, citizens hoped for the best
but were prepared for the worst.
The island nation’s ragtag opposition
forces then rallied around charismatic
ex-journalist and political prisoner
Mohamed Nasheed and his fledgling
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Instead of petering out in fear of
retribution, however, public presence
at anti-Gayoom rallies snowballed and
the world realized it was witnessing
the Titanic-meets-iceberg moment of
Asia’s oldest dictatorship. Gayoom by
2008 had run out of political tricks and
ruefully called elections.
Nasheed and his MDP easily won
the national vote after promising to
usher in an era of governance by the
people, for the people, a country free
of corruption, nepotism and tyranny.
These proved to be pie-in-the-sky
promises. A political system built on
kickbacks and cronyism over many
decades was not simply going to
roll over and let the upstart Nasheed
This crackdown on opposition activities is the
result of Yameen’s fears the impeachment
of his ally the speaker will trigger a domino
effect that could eventually reach his doorstep.
wreck its gravy train. And once the
MDP leader began auditing shady
deals in earnest, the very institutions
that were the cornerstone democracy
began hankering for a Gayoom-style
dictatorship and plotted Nasheed’s
downfall. This included his deputy,
then Vice President Mohamed Waheed
Hassan.
Things came to a head in 2012
when a frustrated Nasheed had the
chief justice of Maldives’ criminal
courts, Abdulla Mohamed, sent to jail
for abusing his position. This gave the
country’s tainted judiciary the perfect
excuse to push Nasheed out of power.
A fake opposition funded by public
monies was immediately cobbled
together, helmed by the ambitious
Waheed who presented himself as a
sanguine peacemaker between the
warring factions — MDP and Gayoom
loyalists — to the international
community. Loath to inspire bloodshed,
Nasheed backed off and agreed to fresh
polls despite knowing that corrupt
election commission officers on the
payroll of the regime loyalists would
rig them.
Sure enough, the run-up to the polls
turned contentious and was rife with
electoral conspiracies. From the rubble
in 2013 rose new President Abdulla
Yameen, half-brother of Gayoom - a
politician also inclined to oppression
as a tool of statecraft. Many opposition
figures were either thrown in jail on
false charges or forced to flee abroad
to retain their freedom. A procession
of allies quickly received and then lost
his favour in distinct Trumpian fashion.
Nasheed himself faced languishing
in prison for 13 years on contrived
terrorism charges before concerted
international pressure forced Yameen
to let him travel to the UK on medical
grounds.
Most alarmingly, a few years
into Yameen’s tenure, a rash of new
laws targeting the opposition and
press have surfaced. Among them,
anti-terror legislation has been used
to silence critics or to simply make
them disappear from the public stage.
Similarly, the draconian Defamation
and Freedom of Speech Act severely
penalizes dissent with jail time and
weighty fines. Yameen’s eagerness to
consolidate power has not even spared
relatives.
Also in July, police booked Faris
Maumoon, the president’s nephew,
on bogus bribery charges after he
repeatedly criticized his uncle for
playing tyrant and jumped ship to join
opposition parties in their campaign
against parliamentary speaker Maseeh.
Moreover, the Maldives looks set to tear
up a six-decade old moratorium on the
death penalty that would put it “on the
wrong side of history,” says South Asia
director at Amnesty International, Biraj
Patnaik.
Though the UN has over the years
applied rhetorical pressure on Yameen
to change tack, its reluctance to
impose financial sanctions has simply
emboldened the president to continue
expanding his personal powers in the
guise of national interest. Where does
the Maldives go from here? History
suggests further down the rabbit hole
of dictatorship.
The writer is an Islamabad-based
freelance journalist
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 33
 OPINION
Pakistan at 70
A Personal Perspective
T
his 14th of August, Pakistan
celebrated the 70th Anniversary
of its Independence. Yet the joy of
independence this year has been rather
sombre and tempered by the first ever
application by the judiciary in Pakistan
of a law based on Islamic moral values.
The fact that the person found guilty was
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the elected
head of government. This has set a new
precedent for adl (justice) and become
cause celebre’, hope and optimism for
two hundred million Pakistanis who for
decades had been seeking equality of
justice for all.
This act of the Supreme Court was a
much wanted step in the right direction
and a unique gift of God as no society
34 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
By Iqbal F. Quadir
can survive without a virtuous and
strong justice base. Today most ills in
Pakistan exist amongst the majority of
the population because of the absence of
adl. The prevalent general lack of respect
for the law was a proof of the edict
“Kharboozeh ko dekh ker kharbooza
rang pakarta hei,” the top being most
visible since its aberrations get more
easily copied; a human weakness. Now
that the judiciary has taken the first bold
step in the most required direction, it
needs to be followed up vigorously
and strengthened by allowing courts
their own investigations in cases where
the honourable judges feel available
evidence is short of facts, as was clear in
some recent cases.
What are the nation’s problems?
“Mushkilein mujh par itni parin
ke asaan ho gaen.” (I faced so many
difficulties that everything began to look
easy). Currently exists a plethora of un-
indexed laws, court rulings, ordinances
(some for periods much longer than
allowed), SROs and a multitude of other
orders by anyone having any authority,
designed mostly to suite certain sections
of society or individuals, being unknown
to all and even less understood by the
large confused and uneducated public.
As a result, just because there has
been no rule of law since 1953 when
Ghulam Muhammad and civil servants
overthrew the elected government with
support of Chief Justice Muneer Ahmed
and Commander-in-Chief of the Army,
General Ayub Khan, all egged on by the
arch feudal Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani.
It was literally a free-for-all depending
upon power, pelf or connections. No
wonder, outsiders considered Pakistan
to be in a state of anarchy.
After rule of law, the second important
building block for a country, nation or
society is education. Its importance and
its dearth amongst the Muslims was
pointed out by Quaid e Azam to me
in 1946 at Simla (now Shimla) when
with my younger sister boldly walked
through the Cecil Hotel to his suite
and despite his Secretary Khurshid
Ahmed’s objections, to our great
elation Jinnah postponed the Working
Committee Meeting scheduled in the
next five minutes for half an hour and
took us to tea in the hotel lobby. There,
amongst other things, he emphasized
the importance of education, saying
Pakistan would be formed but that no
country could make progress or develop
without educated people. He pointed
out the dearth of educated Muslims
in British India and strongly urged the
younger Muslim generation to acquire
good education. But after independence
and early death of Quaid, followed by
Ghulam Mohammad’s coup, education
lost its priority and Pakistan gradually
slid behind even those countries whose
students initially used to come for studies
here. The annual financial commitments
for education in those years and after
was enough proof of that neglect.
The third important building block
was good administration. It was ironic
that at the time of independence when
riots broke out in the whole of Punjab
and in Delhi and millions of refugees
poured into Pakistan from India, while
a similar number migrated from all over
Pakistan together with nearly all local
government administrators and business
community (Hindus and Sikhs). With
India withholding transfer of Pakistani
share of finances and stores, despite
the troubled conditions, absence of
administrative staff and lack of resources,
there was peace and amity amongst the
people with everyone contributing to
the best of his/her ability in building a
new nation.
How different was this from the
present general, administrative and
law and order situation, after over sixty
years of foreign financial, economic
and military assistance plus loans
and charges for services rendered
by Pakistan. The foreign debt burden
now must be around a staggering $60
billion and another $45 billion on the
way for CPEC, the anticipated vehicle
of future economic development. All
Pakistan has to show after 70 years
Khawaja Nazimuddin
General Ayub Khan
of independence unfortunately is
general chaos, lack of respect for the
Constitution or Islamic values in every
field of administrative and political
activity. Incidentally, politics was the
art and science of public administration
and not what we presently observe in
Pakistan, India or, for that matter, even in
advanced countries. And, according to
an ex-Inspector General of Forests who
together with an ICS stalwart went to
congratulate Khawaja Nazimuddin on
becoming Prime Minister, Khwaja sahib
remarked that politicians had negligible
administrative experience and therefore
success of democracy would very much
depend on quality of the advice the civil
servants gave to their ministers. But,
as stated earlier, civil servants led by
Ghulam Muhammad pressumed they
knew better and took over the reins
themselves with the results that followed
and engulf the nation today.
How all this came about?
The legacy of Pakistan dated back
to the downfall of the Muslim Empire in
India when English replaced Persian as
the official language and the new rulers
preferred non-Muslims for official and
private jobs. Initial Muslim resistance
to learn English did not help either. A
bad decision was to avoid participation
in politics till about three decades after
Municipal Committees were introduced
by the English rulers. All this contributed
to the increasing Muslim backwardness
in a new society. It was not till December
1906 that the All India Muslim League
was formed after an extended effort
by Nawab Khawaja Salimullah of
Dhaka with other Muslim leaders.
This delay allowed a free-run socially,
economically and politically to the
Indian National Congress created by an
Englishman but completely dominated
by Hindus. Moreover, the Muslim
League became dormant after the death
of Nawab Salimullah in 1916 and was
revived only in the early nineteen thirties
under the leadership of Muhammad Ali
Jinnah for the first elections to provincial
assemblies in 1937. Therein Muslims
had been granted separate seats. I was
only seven at that time but remember
my father saying, “In future we will
speak only Urdu or English at home and
neither Kashmiri nor Punjabi. Urdu was
the language of the Muslims (of India).”
The 1937 provincial elections proved
to be a watershed of Hindu-Muslim and
British India’s unity. Addressing a public
meeting of a lakh of people (including
myself) in New Delhi in 1941, Jinnah
narrated reasons for the newly passed
resolution in 1940 at Lahore demanding
Pakistan. Amongst others he highlighted
that the Congress reneged on a pre-
election agreement to form a coalition
government in the United Provinces
after elections, creating doubts about
the Indian Congress’ sincerity towards
Muslims after independence and,
secondly, after winning elections
in almost all provinces, the Hindu
dominated Congress Party abolished
zamindari (large landholdings) in the
United Provinces only where Muslim
landholdings dominated but not in other
provinces where Hindus and Sikhs had
larger landholdings. These two actions
of the Indian National Congress forced
the Muslims to consider safeguards
for themselves by demanding two
Muslim majority areas of their own in
a confederation, each having the right
to opt out after ten years. But Congress
policies forced the division of India at
independence in 1947.
Another important issue, which
together with the language dispute,
led to the breakup of Pakistan in 1971.
Earlier, it had been the Muslim League
high command’s decision under Quaid
e Azam to abolish zamindari. Being
a provincial subject, chief minister
Khawaja Nazimuddin immediately
went ahead in East Pakistan while other
provinces delayed it till the Quaid died
and then announced their inability. As
early as in 1955, the US diplomatic
mission wrote home expressing doubts
as to whether unity of the two wings
could last for long, one feudal and the
other led by the middle class? In 1968,
an East Pakistani elder who was well
familiar with national politics, remarked
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 35
 OPINION
that two powerful federal secretaries
would break up Pakistan to save West
Pakistan’s feudal order. The power of the
feudal group had been so strong that
even Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as Prime Minister
failed to enforce his Land Reforms which
amounted to abolishing zamindari.
Incidentally, like Quaid e Azam, he
(Bhutto) too wanted friendship towards all
as a bulwark of Pakistan’s foreign policy. If
only our zamindars had learnt how agro-
based Taiwan and South Korea converted
themselves into industrial giants!
As can be inferred from the genesis
of the current state of affairs, it all started
with Ghulam Mohammad’s coup in 1953.
He threw the Quaid’s vision of “Friendship
towards all and enmity towards none”
into the trash bin and signed the Baghdad
Pact (later CENTO) with the USA and
other countries against the Soviet Union.
Pakistan already had defence pacts with
the USA and Britain but these were for
acquiring weapons for its defence and
for training of its men in those countries
and not against any third country. The
USA already had a defence arrangement
with India for its military aircraft to transit
India through two bases and another two
for use by US aircraft spying over China.
The USA also operated some electronic
warfare units from bases along India’s
frontier with China. Yet, despite Ghulam
Muhammad’s overtures to the USA
for military and economic assistance
almost since independence, Washington
responded only in 1953 after the Soviet
Union turned hostile and became a threat
to U.S. interests worldwide. The USA
needed similar facilities in Pakistan against
the Soviet Union as it had in India against
China after the1949 Communist takeover.
After joining the Baghdad Pact, a
quick American survey of the situation in
Pakistan brought out that though an elected
Parliament existed till 1953, there were
only two well organized institutions, the
Civil Service and the Armed Forces where
the Army was dominant. It was therefore
decided that all military assistance from the
USA would be handled directly between
the Pentagon and GHQ while for civil aid
a body called ECNEC, composed of civil
servants, would be created. With these
agreements in force, in 1954 all powers
practically passed into the hands of civil
servants with the Army in the background.
However, by October 1958 the Parliament
(more about it later) led by Speaker Maulvi
Tamizuddin Khan, despite all efforts of
the Establishment, managed to complete
the famous 1956 Constitution that, after
legal vetting, came up for authentication
by President Iskander Mirza. Fearing
ceding the Establishment’s power to the
Parliament simultaneously as the law
and order and economic situation in the
country began to deteriorate, he ordered
36 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017
Martial Law with himself as President and
Army Chief General Ayub Khan as Chief
Martial Law Administrator.
However, Ayub Khan soon realized
the total dependence of his civilian
masters on the army and decided to take
over as President and Chief Martial Law
Administrator. Thereafter the reins of the
country and of the Establishment passed
into the GHQ’s lap. There were three
other important outfalls of Pakistan’s
defence pacts (Baghdad Pact, CENTO
and SEATO) on the country. First, foreign
policy became simple -“Keep the USA
Happy.” Second, to satisfy the American
people a façade of democracy had to be
maintained in the form of a parliamentary
government, the peoples’ representatives
who were mostly feudal were more easily
manageable. Afterwards, consequent to
US economic aid, as business tycoons and
industrialists emerged, those interested got
herded into politics too. Third, after the
1954 survey of the situation in Pakistan,
the USA feared the country was ready for
communism and to avert that possibility
it was decided to allot residential plots
to defence service officers as a means of
motivation to defend the nation’s interests
against communism.
This political situation has persisted
ever since except for the short period
when ZA Bhutto was the prime minister.
After the Quaid, he was the only true
leader of the country and of the people but
for his wadera culture and haste to bring
changes in domestic and international
politics leading to differences with the
Establishment as well as the superpower,
the consequence was his fall. To make
the domestic system people friendly and
to achieve parliamentary supremacy,
patience was required so that a greater
understanding, trust and unity amongst
various building blocks could be
achieved. Only this could also stop the
game of chess which some outsiders
were playing in Pakistan with their direct
contacts with each building block in
the country. Also, since justice needed
to be done, education was the prime
objective if Pakistan was to develop and
make progress as a country of substance.
Its leaders of all hue and colours also
needed to realize that phenomena,
such as that of Imran Khan was like the
Bhutto phenomenon under Ayub Khan
and a people’s cry for association with
the running of the country and their
local affairs. It was similar to what East
Pakistanis had felt that led to 1971. Finally
what the country needed most was more
positive action towards Adl and economic
development than words by the political
leaders.
The writer is a retired Vice Admiral and
former ambassador.
 SPECIAL FEATURE

His Highness
Prince Karim Aga Khan
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 37
 SPECIAL FEATURE

A Prince in Love with

Peace and Progress
By Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani
Member, National Assembly of Pakistan

T
he Ismaili community across the Shah, who became Aga Khan II, played a the extent to which the Western world
world is celebrating the Diamond pivotal role in maintaining close relations trusted the Aga Khan. The refugees from
Jubilee of their beloved spiritual with other communities. Uganda later played a pivotal role in
leader Prince Karim Aga Khan IV with Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, who bringing prosperity to Canada’s pluralist
zeal and enthusiasm. In 1957, a 20-year succeeded Aqa Ali Shah as Aga Khan society.
III, was one of the In another incident, Prince Karim
most active and Aga Khan decided to raise the standard
dynamic leaders of living through education during his
of the Pakistan first visit to Gilgit-Baltistan. Today, the
Movement and a literacy rate of Gilgit-Baltistan is the
close aide of the highest across Pakistan. He also founded
Quaid-e-Azam. He the Aga Khan Development Network
was also one of the (AKDN), which operates in more than 35
founders and the countries across the globe. The AKDN
first president of the agencies are active in the spheres of
All-India Muslim education, health, rural development,
League (AIML). institution-building and economic
He was a strong development.
supporter of Sir The Aga Khan looks after various
Syed Ahmad Khan’s welfare initiatives, such as the Aga
vision that the Khan Foundation, the Aga Khan Health
HH Prince Karim Aga Khan with Muslims of India Services, the Aga Khan Planning
former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. should first focus and Building Services, the Aga Khan
on strengthening Economic Services and the Aga Khan
old Prince Karim Aga Khan succeeded their economic conditions through Agency for Microfinance. Through the
his late grandfather as the leader of the education before entering politics. In Aga Khan Trust for Culture, he is taking
Ismaili community, which is spread this regard, he also offered the Aga Khan steps to preserve Islamic heritage sites,
across the world and has some 15 Foreign Scholarship for talented Muslim particularly the historical buildings
million followers globally. students at Aligarh University. belonging to the Fatimid Dynasty in
The Ismailis reject all forms of After the creation of Pakistan, Aga Egypt, the tomb of Mughal Emperor
violence and extremism and are globally Khan III, on the request of the then prime Humayun and the ancient city of Agra
known as the most peace-loving minister Feroz Khan Noon, purchased in India.
people. They have been rendering great Gwadar from Oman and gifted it to The international community has
services, promoting quality education, Pakistan. Gwadar is now considered to also announced various awards for
advocating tolerance and empowering be a game-changer for the region due to Prince Karim Aga Khan in recognition of
the community. CPEC.
At this crucial juncture when such In 1957, at the age of 20, Aga Khan
evils as terrorism and extremism are IV Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini
being promoted globally to serve the succeeded his grandfather as the 49th
evil interests of a few, I believe the Imam of the Ismaili community. He
prime focus of Prince Karim Aga Khan’s also inherited his grandparent’s positive
60-year struggle has been to promote agenda that was based on tolerance and
quality education, advocate tolerance serving mankind. As a British citizen
and empower the community. who was born in Switzerland, raised in
The Aga Khan – whose roots can Kenya, educated at Harvard and lived in
be traced to the Egyptian and Persian a French chateau, the life of Aga Khan
empires – has enjoyed cordial relations IV is a shimmering example of pluralism
with the elite classes of various countries. and global harmony.
Even in British India, the Viceroy of India In the 1970s, when racial
had formally recognised the title ‘Aga discrimination was on the rise in the
Khan’ for Prince Karim’s predecessors in African continent, Ugandan nationalist
1887. leader Idi Amin began expelling people
Aga Khan I, whose real name was of Asian descent from the country.
Hasan Ali Shah, was also awarded the The then prime minister of Canada,
status of ‘Prince’ by the British government in response to the Aga Khan’s request,
and he was the only religious community accepted as many as 7,000 Ugandan
leader in British India who was granted Asians as refugees on humanitarian The Prince shaking hands with Justin
a gun salute. After his demise, Aqa Ali grounds. The specific incident reflects
Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 39


“I do not seek to do things, in fact I have stayed away from things which did not
seem to me to be good sense, where it was affluence for the sake of affluence.”
Queen Elizabeth greets His Highness.
In conversation with Indian PM,
Narendra Modi.
A meeting with Afghan President,
Ashraf Ghani.
his lifelong services to poverty alleviation
and literacy growth. Around 50 countries
have conferred national awards on
him while leading universities across
the world have also awarded honorary
degrees to him.
The reason behind the respect that
the Aga Khans have earned is their
ability to serve mankind by making
the best use of their wealth which they
inherited from their ancestors. Despite
their leading role in the creation and
development of Pakistan, we could not
give them the credit they deserve. We
also owe a lot to the Ismaili community
that has been pursuing the sole agenda
to promote literacy and alleviate poverty
from the region.
On the occasion of the Diamond
Jubilee celebrations of Aga Khan as the
49th Imam, the Government of Pakistan
should highlight his greater services and
make the new generation aware about
the Aga Khan’s valuable contributions to
the country. On this historic occasion,
we must request him to serve as a
bridge between the Muslim world and
the West. The Aga Khan is truly a role
model for all of us.
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Myth of
the Aga Khan’s Affluence
– Imam Shah Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV
A
s for the Western media’s relentless charge that the Aga Khan lives a ‘lavish’
or ‘affluent life’, the Ismaili Imam has answered and dismissed the
veracity of these claims on multiple occasions.
"I am not affected by suggestions in print that I live a luxurious Western
life, while most Ismailis live in underdeveloped Eastern countries (he went
on). These are just smears by cheap magazines. Serious publications are
aware of the work we do and of our achievements in many countries. Such
smear stories never appear in Asian publications."
At the personal level, the Aga Khan does not live affluently at all. During
his final year at Harvard, when the Imam completed the last 1.5 years of
study in just 2 semesters, the Aga Khan owned no car and took public
transit despite having access to the funds of the Imamat. Even his Harvard
roommate Stevenson noticed how the Imam owned very little in personal
assets.
While many people charge the Imam with “extravagance” for owning
property in Sardinia and developing its tourism industry, they would be
surprised to learn the actual reason why the Ismaili Imam even spends
some of his time there. The Aga Khan was overburdened with work and
frustrated with the Western media’s misunderstanding of his role as Imam
so he sought to find a place where he could find some calm and privacy.
The demands of the Imam’s mission and extensive work have also taken
a toll on his family life. The Imam even makes his decisions on whom
and when to get married based on the well being of the Ismaili Muslim
community. The Aga Khan even gives the Ismaili community greater priority
in his life than his own wife and children. The Aga Khan’s biographer Willi
Frischauer records the Imam saying the following when he married his first
wife Begum Salima in 1969:
"I would not marry a woman who I did not believe
could help me. I hope to reorganise my life so as to
have a little more time to be with my wife — and
my children — though not at the expense of the
community."
Since he became the Imam of the Ismaili
Muslims in 1957, the Aga Khan has received
religious dues from his followers called zakat
or dasond. These religious dues are given to the
Imam by his murids as a key practice of Shia
Islam and the Imam manages and spends the
religious dues on the community and institutional
development that benefits all people. However,
the religious dues given by the Ismaili Muslims
are never sufficient to cover these needs and
the Aga Khan has consistently drawn upon his
own personal funds to support the institutional
needs of the Ismaili Muslims and other
communities.
From 1960 to the present day,
there are a number of documented
examples of the Imam
spending his own money
to sustain the institutions
of the Ismaili Muslim
Community and the Aga
Khan Development
Network.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 41
 INTERNATIONAL CANADA

The Reluctant
Prime Minister
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been getting largely a positive press
since 2015, when he assumed office. But there is another side to him that needs to be
examined by those sympathetic to his humanitariasm.
By Taha Kehar

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

42 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

understood: in his mission to refute
Stephen Harper’s policies and push
the liberal agenda, Trudeau has done
little to improve Canada’s image as a
multilateral player.
The trouble, as many would expect,
begins at home. M-130 -- which is the
final nail in the coffin for Islamophobia
in Canada -- may have been passed
under Trudeau’s watch with full
support from his administration.
But there is a far more lethal force
that threatens to weaken Muslims in
the country: the Anti-Terrorism Act.
During Harper’s tenure, the liberals
-- who were in opposition at the
time -- were vociferous critics of the
legislation. Now, nearly two years after
forming the government, the Liberals
appear reluctant to do away with this
exploitative legal tool. Under the act,
people can be detained for seven days
and the police can arrest people on the
basis of a mere suspicion or fear that
they will carry out terrorist activities.
The secrecy in law-enforcement has
led the state to selectively apply the
law and discriminate against Muslims.
In addition to the blanket oppression
against Muslims that appears to have
been inherited from the policies
adopted by the Harper administration,
Trudeau’s government has made
copious attempts to undermine
requests made by Palestinians who are
based in Canada. These veiled attempts
to sideline Palestinians stem from an
unreasonably strong bent towards
Israel.
For two years, Palestinian Canadians
have asked their prime minister to issue
a public statement on Nakba Day.
The day commemorates the loss of
Palestinian territory when the state of
Israel was created. An official statement
issued by the PM on Nakba Day would
serve as a watershed in Canada’s
foreign policy. It would define the
country’s stance on the dispossession
of Palestinians and Israeli atrocities in
the war-ravaged state.
However, Trudeau has remained
largely unwilling to issue such
statements. As a result, he appears
reluctant to deviate from Harper’s one-
sided policy on the Israel-Palestine
imbroglio. The anti-Palestinian
biases do not end there. Canada also
maintained a shocking silence when
the UN Security Council voted 14-0 to
condemn the Israeli settlements along
Palestinian territory.
Commentators have argued that
Trudeau’s approach to the issue is
devoid of the rigour and myopia that
Harper had fostered over the plight
of the Palestinians. When he was
in power, Harper had discouraged
criticism on Israel. He viewed such
censure as a form of anti-Semitism.
On the other hand, Trudeau’s strategy
is far more sophisticated as it creates
the illusion of progress on the surface
while cradling a separate agenda that is
entrenched in the system. For instance,
his administration has restored $25
million worth of funds to establish a
UN relief agency for the Palestinian
government, which had been scrapped
in Harper’s tenure.
The liberals have also stepped back
on a string of humanitarian causes that
they had fervently advocated during
their years in opposition. When the
Tories were in power, the opposition
tirelessly spoke about the three
Canadians who had been tortured
in Syria. However, when the tables
were turned and the liberals found
themselves at the helm, this refrain was
forgotten.
Canada, like the US, has also found
itself at the heart of the surging conflict
in the Middle East. However, instead of
playing the role of an honest mediator,
the Trudeau administration has either
involved itself to an excessive degree
or found itself in cahoots with the
aggressors.
Israel is part of the reason for the
Trudeau government’s blinkered view
of the Middle Eastern crisis. Canada’s
foreign minister has maintained that
Israel is the centerpiece of his country’s
role in the Middle East. Israel’s security,
by extension, remains the cornerstone
of Canada’s policy in the region. This
stance appears somewhat redundant
as excessive US backing and Israel’s
military and arms arsenal are already
working overtime to ensure the
Zionist state's security. Following in
the footsteps of his predecessor and
deploying the military in Israel will
only show that Canada is far from
being a mediating force in the troubled
region. To the contrary, it will prove
that Canada is actively involved in
stoking further tensions.
The mayhem in Libya and Canada’s
role in preserving the spirit of violence
and insurgency also casts a shadow
on the latter’s role as an arbitrator.
Analysts believe that it was the
Conservatives that plunged Libya into
disarray and despondency. Trudeau’s
support for further military action in
Libya will only add fuel to an already
smouldering fire.
Iraq is another warzone that has
attracted Canada’s attention. While
it was previous regimes which began
bombing the country, it is Trudeau’s
policies that have consolidated
Canada’s interference in what is now
an ISIS stronghold. Flouting its avowed
role as an honest mediator, the Trudeau
administration has deepened Canada’s
military role in Iraq.
For many years, Iran remained
a pariah state for the Harper-led
Canadian government. It was included
in the list of countries that were billed
as state sponsors of terror. A diverse
menu of sanctions was imposed on the
country.
As Trudeau seized the reins, the
pressure on Iran was gradually lifted.
But not all sanctions were done away
with and the selective approach to
their removal led many to believe that
there was a hidden agenda behind the
new government’s change in strategy.
Commentators are of the view that
the sanctions were lifted to serve the
sectional interests of Canada’s business
community. Since it was driven by
mercantile considerations, the removal
of sanctions was little more than a
token step. At this stage, changes
appear to be inevitable. After all,
Canada has an embassy in Iran. Then
why hasn't the Trudeau administration
broken away from the skepticism of the
past and struck Iran’s name off the list
of states that sponsor terror? It is this
very question that has irked many and
driven people away from supporting
his policy framework.
Canada’s involvement in Yemen
remains yet another inconvenient truth
that has added to the growing spell of
Trudeau fatigue. His administration’s
complicity in the Saudi-led insurgency
in Yemen cannot be overruled. Like
Harper, Trudeau has not shied away
from selling armoured vehicles to the
Saudis even though they are flagrantly
misused and often target civilians.
At this stage, the Trudeau
administration’s irresponsible approach
in the Middle East has been clouded by
the generosity towards Syrian refugees.
However, 25,000 refugees is not too
vast a figure for the government to
boast about. Other countries with
fewer resources have done more to
put an end to the humanitarian crisis
and the sheer extent of their efforts will
put the Trudeau government’s efforts to
shame.
Trudeau has emerged as the anti-
Trump and humane depictions of him
in the media and they have managed to
cobble together the image of a sensitive
and popular leader, his foreign policy
initiatives and ambivalence towards a
series of issues is likely to weaken his
role in global politics. These areas need
to be carefully reviewed if Trudeau
wants his popularity to remain intact
for the next elections.
The writer is a journalist and author.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 43
 NEIGHBOUR CHINA
INTERNATIONAL CANADA

The Forgotten
People
China’s over-cautious approach towards the Xinjiang-based
Uighur Muslims is all but reprehensible.
By Faizan Usmani

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

44 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017


and are officially recognized as an
ethnic Muslim minority out of a total
of 55 minorities currently living in the
People’s Republic of China (PRC), a
constitutionally socialist state.
More than eighty per cent of
Uighurs live in the Tarim Basin that
lies south-west of Xinjiang, while the
remaining Uighur population in China
resides in Taoyuan County located in
the south-central Hunan province.
Other than China, Uighurs are found
in Turkey and in such Central Asian
countries as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan
and Kazakhstan. They are also found in
small numbers in other such countries
as Canada, Australia, Afghanistan,
Belgium, Germany, Norway, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the Netherlands
and the United States.
However, the Xinjiang region has
had a turbulent history as the political
and geographical control of the region
was repeatedly shifted between the
Qing dynasty, the last Chinese dynasty,
and rival Chinese warlords, despite
numerous rebellions by the Uighurs,
say Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul,
U.S. based demographic researchers.
Having had occasional
independence and short-lived
sovereignty in different periods, the
Chinese soldiers in Urumqi.
region finally came under China’s rule
in 1878. This was in the 1940s, when
the Uighurs managed to create the
East Turkestan Republic, a separate
state created with the help of the
former Soviet Union. However, it was
quite a short-lived independence, as
in October 1949, Xinjiang became a
part of Communist China.
“As close cultural and ethnic
cousins of the Uighurs, the Turks
lent a hand in the administrative and
cultural shaping of the republic. But
it didn’t last as five years later, the
USSR’s loyalties switched to Chairman
Mao and the Russians helped the
Communist People’s Liberation Army
recapture the nascent state,” according
to Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul.
Under the chairmanship of Mao
Tse-tung, from 1949 to 1959, his
harsh agricultural policies escalated
to the point of famine in Xinjiang and
severely affected the rural Uighur
communities, who had to migrate to
the USSR in that era to avoid further
disaster hovering over them in the
form of ethnic cleansing.
The most tumultuous period for
China-based Uighurs brought them
a series of added calamities as well,
as they were left with no distinctive
cultural and religious identity owing to
a total ban on practicing Islam, while
Uighur-language schools, seminaries
and customs were officially outlawed.
Those who raised their voice
against state-orchestrated persecution
and repression of Uighurs were
all but exterminated and from the
1950s to the 70s in particular, ethnic
tensions in Xinjiang were at their
peak, thanks to the mass migration
of millions of Han Chinese into the
predominantly Muslim province of
the country. Revolving around the
Han immigration, the government’s
strategy helped dilute the Uighur
population in the province.
“Beijing continues to encourage
Han movement into the region; the
typically strict rules limiting internal
migration in China are relaxed for this
specific ethnic group and destination.
Han Chinese now make up 58% of
the Xinjiang population, up from just
6% in 1949,” say Lindsey Kennedy
and Nathan Paul.
The fall of the Soviet Union in the
1990s brought Uighurs a ray of hope
and they started reorganising their
efforts to achieve an independent
state under the name of Uighurstan
or East Turkestan. For Uighurs,
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 45

The systematic political repression, pervasive human
rights violations and state persecution of the Uighurs
has become a norm in today’s China.
according to political experts, the
call of independence from Chinese
rule was based on logic as “their
closest cousins” just across the border
— Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and the
Kyrgyz — were able to form their own
independent states with the dissolution
of the Soviet Union.
Contrary to ground realities,
Uighurs were confronted with an
innocent desire to break away from
China and this resulted in mass riots,
protests and violent attacks across the
Xinjiang region, which ultimately led
Beijing to re-launch a brutal crackdown
on the Uighurs in the 1990s. This still
continues today with all its severity
and intensity. Most importantly,
Xinjiang lies at the centre of the Belt
and Road initiative (BRI) of China, a
$900 billion development project that
aims to link Asia with Europe for trade
and other exchanges by constructing
a large-scale infrastructure. Pakistan
and China’s joint CPEC project is a
part of this. However, the way Uighurs
are being dealt with, one wonders the
rationale behind Beijing’s policies that
seem to stoke the flames of rebellion.
The systematic political repression,
pervasive human rights violations
and state persecution of the Uighurs
has become a norm in today’s
China. Religious freedom is being
confined and numerous restrictions
are enforced on the practice of Islam.
Muslim women of any age are not
allowed to fully cover their bodies
or wear burqa (veil) in public places,
Muslim men cannot have abnormal
beards and children cannot be given
such names that might “exaggerate
religious fervour.”
In the third week of August 2014,
the local authorities in the region's
capital Urumqi seized 259 jilbabs
(loose-fit coat or garment), 1,265
headscarves and clothes printed with
star and crescent symbols. In August
2014, the government officials also
“rescued” some 82 children from
studying the Holy Qur’an, according
to Dawn. Local authorities have also
started confiscating copies of the
Qur’an published before August 2012,
“declaring them illegal for containing
extremist content”, says Radio Free
Asia, a US-funded outlet.
The government has released a
list of banned baby names, including
Imam, Saddam, Arafat, Islam, Quran,
Mecca, Medina, Hajj and Jihad.
Otherwise, children with those
names will not be issued a national
identity card, “a crucial document
that grants access to education, health
care and social services,” reports The
Guardian.
In addition to that, all Muslim
children under 16 are being forced
to change their names if found ‘over-
religious’ or against the true spirit of
the ruling party. Retired officials are
no more allowed to attend religious
ceremonies and in June, the Xinjiang
government officials expelled a
Communist party member for
attending religious activities at a local
mosque. Watching state television,
listening to state radio and attending
government rallies and conventions to
pledge allegiance to the Communist
Party is mandatory.
“Fundamentally, these rallies
are just a show of force, and part of
the audience is the Han Chinese
population in Xinjiang, to show the
power of the state. But in terms of the
Uighur population, it’s difficult to see
how these kinds of mass rallies will
win the hearts and minds over average
Uighurs, and will likely do quite
the opposite,” says Michael Clarke,
a political science professor at the
Australian National University.
Comprising Qazi Hussain Ahmad,
Liaqat Baloch, Prof. Mohammad
Ibrahim, Sirajul Haq, Syed Munawar
Hasan and others, a seven-member
delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)
Pakistan was officially invited to visit
China by the ruling Communist Party
of China (CPC) in February 2009. On
a weeklong visit, the JI’s leadership
met with key government officials and
Communist leaders. At the end of the
rather unusual visit, a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) was signed
between the Communist Party and
Jamaat-e-Islami.
NEIGHBOUR CHINA
The MoU says both parties
will collaborate in the fields of
development, justice, solidarity and
security and “will not interfere in the
internal matters of each country.” In
plain words, the MoU made the Jamaat-
e-Islami back off from its earlier stance
that openly supported the ongoing East
Turkmenistan movement in the border
Xinjiang region.
Adding a black chapter to the
history of Jamaat-e-Islami, this
happens to be the only occasion when
Pakistan’s main Islamic political party
and a staunch supporter of Islamic
separatist movements all over the
world, moved away from its principled
stance and officially disregarded the
century-long independence struggle
of Uighur Muslims only for the sake of
Pakistan-China friendship. As rightly
said by an American diplomat, “The
fact that you support one side one day
and the other side the next day is what
real diplomacy is all about.”
The same goes for Pakistan, China’s
closest ally and neighbour. Though the
country leaves no stone unturned in
raising its voice against atrocities on
Muslim minorities living in any part
of the world, Pakistan maintains a
diplomatic silence over severe human
rights violations being committed by
China against the Uighurs The spirit
of Pakistan-China friendship, which is
said to be higher than the Himalayas
and deeper than the oceans, cannot
be sacrificed at the altar of principled
diplomacy.
Left alone in the lurch amidst
50 Muslim-majority countries, the
Uighurs of China happen to be the
worlds’ most forgotten people today.
On the one hand, China’s overcautious
approach toward its own citizens is all
but reprehensible and on the other, the
fully state-controlled media in China
does not convey the true picture with
regard to the current state of Uighur
Muslims. In simple words, when
Muslim persecution does not become
news in mainstream media, it must be
taking place in China.
The writer is a member of the staff.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 47
 FEATURE GENDER EQUALITY

What’s in
a Name!
Village women in India are coming together to break long traditions of silence
and talk about issues they had never even thought about before.
By Syeda Areeba Rasheed

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

A group of Indian women.

48 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

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

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 49

 FEATURE INFRASTRUCTURE

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

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

50 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

the Bank to freeze the loan by October.
The World Bank said it had provided
evidence from two investigations into
the bridge case to Bangladesh's prime
minister, minister of finance and anti-
corruption commission chairman in
September 2011 and April 2012. "We
urged the authorities of Bangladesh to
investigate this matter fully and, where
justified, prosecute those responsible
for corruption," the World Bank said.
"We only finance a project when we
have adequate assurances that we
can do so in a clean and transparent
way," the Bank remarked. The $3bn
Bridge, planned to go into service in
2014, designed to carry a highway and
railway line aimed at transforming the
country's impoverished south thus ran
into snags.
Keeping in view such an
unexpected decision and that too
from a leader of a poor country, the
allegations of corruption leveled
against the government seem to be of
less importance, though it definitely
requires an investigation. It is alleged
that with the amount being spent on
the construction of Padma Bridge,
India could have made 19 bridges,
each the size of their biggest one,
the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge. India’s
newly inaugurated Bhupen Hazarika
Bridge is about 1.15 km longer than
the 6.15 km Padma Bridge. In width,
Padma Bridge is 81.1 meters and
Bhupen Hazarika Bridge 12.1 meters.
Padma Bridge’s construction costs have
exceeded the global average of bridge
construction, creating a new record.
The total construction cost was US$
3 billion. India’s Bhupen Hazarika
Bridge’s construction costs are US$
155 million. If the cost of this bridge
is record high then the decision to
build the bridge without World Bank
funding is even much higher.
Bangladesh’s most prestigious
project Padma Bridge has been
involved in controversy and
conspiracy since its inception. The
World Bank claimed that they found,
credible evidence supported by a
variety of sources which point to
a high-level corruption conspiracy
among Bangladeshi government
officials, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a
Montreal-based company executives,
and private individuals in connection
with the Padma Multipurpose Bridge
Project. As such, the World Bank
refused to sanction the proposed loan
for constructing the bridge. However,
the corruption allegations were
subsequently found to be false and
without merit and the Canadian Court
dismissed the case. Following the
decision of the Bangladesh Government
to go ahead with the plan, on June 17,
2014 important progress was made
when a construction firm, China Major
Bridge Engineering Company Ltd.,was
selected to construct the long-aspired
bridge and China proposed building
the bridge on the build-own-transfer
(BOT) basis by investing $2 billion or
70 percent of the project cost. Three
companies - China Major Bridge
Engineering Company, Daelim-L&T
JV and Samsung C&T Corporation
- purchased the tender papers. But
only the Chinese company submitted
their financial proposal on April 24,
2014. The state-owned company
has constructed structures like the
famous 36 km Hangzhou Bay Bridge,
the longest sea-crossing bridge in the
world.
Comparing the Bhupen Hazarika
Bridge with Padma Bridge, Jamilur
Reza Choudhury, chairman of the
government's panel of experts on
Padma Bridge said that the approved
cost for the Padma Bridge project
was not too high if issues such as
expenditure in similar projects around
the world, appreciation of the dollar
and escalation of prices with time
were taken into account. According
to an analyst it would cost $5,000 per
square metre for the 6.15-kilometre
bridge. It was $2,500 per square metre
for the Bangabandhu Multipurpose
Bridge over Jamuna River. The cost has
doubled in the last 18 years, which
is not unusual, he said. He said the
project's cost is not too high compared
to that of other bridges around the
world. Plus, there was no need to
tame such a long river in case of other
bridges. For instance, the longest
bridge in the world, which stretches
for 38 km, was built over shallow
waters in China. “But we have to dig
120m deep, which equals a 40-storey
building. Nowhere in the world has
a bridge been built going that deep.”
Choudhury remarked.
The cost has increased gradually,
mostly because of expansion in the
scope of work and escalation in prices,
he said. The project, when approved in
2007, was supposed to cost Tk 10,162
crore, but in 2011 it was revised
upwards to Tk 20,507 crore. Later, the
Executive Committee of the National
Economic Council, chaired by Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, raised the cost
for the project again, to Tk 28,793.38
crore. Another reason for the hike in
the cost is the stronger dollar. A project
which had to go through a number of
problems, including that of funding,
such escalation in the price of a mega
project like Padma Bridge is not so
uncommon. Even in a country as big
and as democratic as India, cases
of corruption have been unearthed.
But once the project of public utility
is completed and the citizens start
deriving benefits the general public will
not be bothered about corruption.
According to the latest plan,
the bridge will be completed by
December 2018. Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader
told the Dhaka Tribune: “Around
44 per cent of the construction
work had been completed till June.
Hopefully the bridge will be useable
for transport by the end of next year.”
An engineer of the Bridges Division
said,“The Government would like to
complete the work within schedule
and we are working seriously as well,
but the condition of the river bed is
unpredictable. So it will be a great
challenge, but we are trying.”
The bottom-line of the Padma Bridge
story is; “The difference between the
impossible and the possible lies in a
man's (or woman’s) determination.”
The writer follows political and social
developments in South Asia.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 51
 FEATURE SOCIAL EVIL

Killing
Fields
Poppy cultivation is on the rise again in Afghanistan and is further adding to the
numerous problems the country already faces.
By Syed Zeeshan Ahmed

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

A poppy field

52 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017


Afghanistan produces an estimated 90%
of all the world’s heroin and is the top
opium producer.
about these recent developments and areas under government influence. The
expect that the narcotics production government has said that mostly the
would further increase this year, conflict-hit areas are the ones where
including in areas and provinces there has been an increase in drug
where previously there had been zero production and trafficking. Around
opium production. Out of country's 34 50% of the poppy crop is produced
provinces, 13 were reported poppy- in the Helmand province which is in
free last year, and this number has the southern part of the country and
come down to single digits this year, borders Pakistan.
according to Afghan officials. General Baz Mohammad Ahmadi,
As per Afghan authorities, poppy, the Afghan deputy minister for
which has traditionally been grown counter-narcotics has said that opium
in the southern provinces, has now cultivation, production and trafficking
found fertile land in several northern has been taking place in remote areas
and northeastern provinces, including that are under the control of not just the
Jawzjan and Balkh. Moreover, a large- Taliban but other militants and terrorist
scale increase can also be expected in outfits as well. The Afghan counter-
places such as Badghis and Ghor in the narcotics police is said to have seized
northwestern part of the country. These almost 650 tonnes of contraband
places were earlier known for small drugs last year. The drugs which were
opium crops. According to a local confiscated included raw opium, heroin
resident, poppy is cultivated in almost and hashish. Around 2,683 smugglers
half of the province. This includes and traffickers, including 67 women,
were arrested last year, according to
Ahmadi.
Afghanistan produces an estimated
90% of all the world’s heroin and is the
top opium producer. It is not difficult to
understand that the recent rise in the
harvest will create even more hostility in
the country and add to the turmoil. In a
senate hearing earlier this year, the U.S.
Director of National Intelligence Dan
Coats said that Afghanistan is likely to
see more armed violence this year. He
said that the intelligence community
assesses that the political, as well as
the security situation in Afghanistan
will almost certainly keep deteriorating
through the year 2018, even with the
increase in the support by the U.S.
The comments by the director do
cause further alarm because of the
involvement of the U.S. in Afghanistan.
The U.S. has thus far spent more than
$8.5 billion in Afghanistan on counter-
narcotics. According to the Special
Investigator General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction (SIGAR), this can be
further divided into a huge amount of
$1.5 million a day - and it has not given
the desired results, it seems.
Haroon Rashid Sherzad, former
Afghan acting minister of counter-
narcotics said that there’s a “satanic
triangle of smugglers, terrorists and
corrupt government officials” which
is involved in drug production and
trafficking. He added that security is
an important reason, but there are
indeed various other factors which
are fueling drug production and trade
in Afghanistan. He said the corruption
at local government levels is also
responsible for encouraging poppy
cultivation.
The effect of this rise has been
adding to the insurgency, violence and
other such issues. Furthermore, there
has been an increase in the private
and public investments in Afghanistan.
These developments come laden with
the international concern that the
Taliban, who have been fighting Afghan
government troops in the country’s rural
areas, are supporting the poppy trade
by engaging in trafficking and skimming
hundreds of millions of dollars in profits
to boost their militancy. For a country
like Afghanistan, which is already
ranked among the five most corrupt
states in the world by Transparency
International, this is nothing but bad
news.
A reason for the poppy harvest
is a lack of proper alternatives to the
farmers. Since they don’t have other
alternatives which could help their
lifestyles, it becomes difficult and
virtually impossible to give up poppy
cultivation. But this is not a problem
that has emerged of late.
There has been criticism about the
efforts of the Afghan government. Their
measures are falling short of what is
required. One reason is the necessity
of the poppy crop. Farmers don’t have
alternatives to grow so they must resort
to poppy. The government has failed
miserably in that aspect and has failed
to provide short-term or long-term
solutions, and that naturally has led to
the current situation. Moreover, critics
have also accused the government for
its lack of will, especially in counter-
narcotics. There is a system in place, a
framework that makes poppy harvesting
and production of illicit heroin
possible. The authorities have failed to
understand this.
With recent political shifts in the
region, Afghanistan currently finds itself
in a tricky situation. Confirmed reports
about the rise of poppy cultivation and
the consequent increase in violence
and insurgency in the country, point
to a lot that needs to be taken care of.
There is persistent criticism regarding
the way the authorities are countering
the situation and it will not subside for
a while. Afghanistan must also realize
that there is international pressure and
there is a rough road ahead.
The writer explores subjects of topical
importance.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 53
 FEATURE crime

Wronged
Women
With unreported rape cases, many buried in police and court files, Bangladesh must
ensure a safe and a secure society for its female population.
By Muhammad Omar Iftikhar

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

54 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

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

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

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

56 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

estimated at $150 billion a year, it is
now a criminal industry at par with
arms and drug trafficking. According
to an ILO report, nearly 21 million
people are victims of forced labour
across the world, trapped in jobs
which they were lured or deceived
into and which they cannot leave.
Despite being forbidden in almost
every nation, slavery remains a
business --- a thriving business.
Though it is now an open fact that
maids are being secretly transported
from countries like India, Pakistan,
Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia
and Sri Lanka to the Middle East and the
Arab world, the revelation that Lankan
maids are being secretly ‘auctioned’
into modern slavery has compelled
human right activists to study afresh the
dreadful business in the context of the
civilized world we are living in. Along
with the large number of skilled and
unskilled workers getting jobs in Arab
countries, a fairly large number of Sri
Lankan maids also manage to obtain
jobs through dubious employment
agents and remit home an estimated
US$ 7,241.5 million --- the single
largest foreign exchange earnings
of the country. Despite the fact that
some maids back home revealed their
horrifying stories, Sri Lankan maids in
a bid to make a fortune want to reach
the land of opportunities by hook or
crook. A major chunk of Sri Lanka’s
foreign remittance comes through
these maids despite the fact no action
is being taken against the human
traffickers.
However, the revelation made by
Secretary to the Sri Lankan Ministry of
Foreign Employment, W.J. Vithanage,
recently to ‘Ceylon Today’ jolted
his ministry and shocked the entire
country. Talking to the newspaper, he
said, “A well-organized mafia network
is exploiting Lankan women who seek
jobs abroad and the manner in which
the auctions of Lankan maids is carried
out, highlights that slavery still exists
in Arab countries where women, from
underprivileged backgrounds, are put
through torment.” The description
given by him exposed the new trend in
the job market in Arab countries which
is by all means simply horrible for they
are playing with the lives of innocent
maids. Lankan missions in those
countries are receiving complaints
from the maids of maltreatment by
the employer on a daily basis. Several
tragic stories have come out in some
newspapers on the pathetic state of
innocent Lankan maids who find
employment abroad, particularly in
the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. Such
stories have certainly tarnished the
image of the country compelling the
Lankan Foreign Ministry to take some
drastic action to stop the menace.
A long time back, the Sri Lanka
embassy in Riyadh rescued a Lankan
house maid who had been kept in
slavery by her employer for 17 years.
She was paid no salary and was
prevented from communicating with
her relatives back home. Local Saudi
papers reported that this was one
of the many cases of the notorious
‘housemaid market’ in Saudi Arabia.
The case was discovered after the
daughter of the maid who lived in Sri
Lanka informed the Foreign Ministry
that her family had not been in
contact with her mother for 17 years.
Sunil Wijesinghe, labour welfare
officer at the Sri Lankan embassy
raised the matter with the concerned
Saudi authorities to release the maid
and pay her the outstanding salary of
SR54,000.
Regretting the plight of Lankan
maids who are maltreated, the foreign
ministry official pointed out that
the situation had snowballed into a
major crisis to the extent that Lankan
missions, in those countries, are faced
with the problem of accommodating
runaway maids who have somehow
managed to escape from the clutches
of their original sponsor for returning
home. Since the owner retains the
passport, the embassy has to make
arrangements for their departure
accordingly. A significant number
of Lankan maids have even returned
to Sri Lanka injured and in a state of
shock due to ill treatment by those
who had employed them. The ‘secret
bidding’ for Lankan maids, which has
been disclosed by a senior foreign
ministry official created quite a stir
in the Sri Lankan public who are
demanding a proper investigation
so that appropriate action may be
taken to curb this ugly new trend and
to protect innocent Lankan maids
as well as to break the backbone of
the mafia engaged in clandestine
slavery. Foreign Ministry sources
have revealed that the bulk of the
malpractices involving Lankan maids
have been reported from Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent,
other West Asian countries.
With the evidence available so
far, the Sri Lankan government is all
set to take prompt action against the
human traffickers and develop proper
coordination with the countries
that employ Lankan maids, in large
numbers, to ensure that maids
exported to these countries are
treated according to the prescribed
human rights rules. The Sri Lankan
foreign ministry officials and the
Association of Licenced Foreign
Employment Agencies (ALFEA) have
also emphasized the need for serious
scrutiny of demand for maids and
transparent processing of recruiting
Lankan women as housemaids for
foreign countries, particularly in
Middle Eastern countries where
malpractices have been spotted. The
requirement of properly streamlining
job opportunities, through channels
which abide by local labour laws so
that dubious and fake employment
agents can no more play with
the lives of Lankan women. The
Government, while taking action
to curb malpractices in the foreign
employment sector is working out a
new action plan to ensure that foreign
employment agencies in turn ensure
a healthy income for the innocent job
seekers while maintaining their dignity
and safety when they are abroad.
According to Human Rights Watch
estimates, tens of millions of women
and girls are employed as household
“domestic workers,” and it is estimated
that millions of poor women from
countries such as Bangladesh, the
Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and
Nepal, work as “household maids”
in the countries of the GCC. Men and
boys are hired too for menial tasks
and exploited inhumanely.
Kevin Hyland, Britain’s Independent
Anti-Slavery Commissioner says, “The
sad and simple truth is that the anti-
slavery movement has so far failed.
Modern slavery continues to boom as
an industry, and criminals continue to
view it as a low risk and high reward
crime. Multilateral efforts against
slavery are siloed and fragmented,
with little effort made for strategic
coordination. And nations that are
major sources and destinations of
trafficking schemes and victims are
more often than not unwilling to share
data and coordination of activity.
Globally, nearly 21 million people
are victims of human trafficking,
according to the UN’s International
Labour Organization. An estimated
4.5 million of them are forced into
sex work.”
Whatever Sri Lanka is doing to
stop the secret bidding of maids, there
is also a need for a concerted effort
from the UN to curb this menace.
It will need a consistent, planned
and coordinated final push to such
practices. Yet, notwithstanding
the challenges, it is time for doing
something on a war footing to do
away with this nuisance.
The writer is a free-lance journalist.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 57
 FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

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

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

58 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

its e-commerce business.
According to reports, Nepal’s
promising e-commerce business may
receive a lift in the right direction
through its banking sector. Already
in the beta phase, an online trading
system has been introduced by Nabil
Bank. Later, the Himalayan Bank
launched its own online trading
portal. Although both these portals
are in their initial phases with quality
tests being conducted for effective
Nepal’s promising e-commerce
business may receive a lift in the right
direction through its banking sector.
operations, the two banks are taking
Nepal into the future of online
banking. Moreover, adding credibility
to their purpose are companies such
as Mastercard and Visa, which have
guaranteed customers to make their
transactions in a safe and secure
environment. These banks have made
efforts in taking Nepal into the future
as these services will be the first of
their kind.
Account holders will use these
digital services for purchasing
of goods from online stores and
e-commerce portals. The banks will
also provide users the opportunity
to engage in online trading using
their electronic cards. The only
restriction, as of now, is that Union
Pay International, American Express,
Mastercard or Visa should operate
these electronic cards. Perhaps the
banks want to limit any unforeseen
incidents or errors, which is why
they are allowing only those global
payment and technology companies
that already enjoy brand credibility
across the world. Perhaps in future,
Nepal may allow other companies to
introduce their electronic cards.
With the advent of this online
initiative, Nepal’s residents can
carry out trading in the digital
environment, purchase goods and
services from e-commerce portals
or open their own portals. If such
online initiatives go according to
plan, the Nepalese can emerge as
regional online entrepreneurs and
enhance their standards of living and
bolstering Nepal’s regional, trade
and diplomatic ties with other South
Asian countries and even beyond.
Although Nepal already has
banks that offer online banking
through which users can transfer
funds and check their balance, the
introduction of the e-commerce
platforms will boost Nepal’s digital
presence. It will definitely take time
for Nepal to come at par with leading
e-commerce businesses of the world;
nevertheless, it is a first step and must
be appreciated.
Once the Nabil Bank and the
Himalayan Bank officially begin
their online services, debit and
credit cardholders can shop online
via websites and e-commerce sites.
It is imperative that these websites
integrate their payment gateways to
these two banks. Time will tell how
many online businesses will integrate
their payment modules with these
banks as it will herald a new era of
revenue generation and business
strategy. In 1995, Nabil Bank, then
Nepal Arab Bank, first introduced
credit cards in Nepal. This goes to
show that after nearly two decades,
there is much proliferation in debit
and credits users in Nepal. According
to the Nepal Rastra Bank (Central
Bank of Nepal), by mid-August 2014,
the total credit cards in circulation in
Nepal were 57,898 while by the same
time, the debit cards issued stood at
a staggering 3.69 million. According
to the Central Bank of Nepal, banks
and financial institutions have issued
nearly 5.1 million debit cards in the
country while 64,140 credit cards are
in circulation as per latest figures.
With the e-commerce initiative
expected to have a bright future, the
government along with concerned
authorities should implement strict
measures to prevent online users
becoming victims of cyber crimes.
According to the Metropolitan Crime
Division in Teku, Kathmandu, around
560 cases of cyber crime have been
registered in the first six months of
fiscal year 2016-17, which goes to
show that criminals might pounce
over an opportunity to conduct
immoral acts once the e-commerce
portals in Nepal are flourishing.
According to www.
internetlivestats.com, by July 2016,
there were 4,962,323 internet users
with a penetration of 17.2%. In 2010,
however, this figure was 2,131,260
with a penetration of 7.9%. It is
perhaps because of market research
and studying online market dynamics
of Nepal’s citizens that the Nabil Bank
and the Himalayan Bank decided to
launch their respective e-portals. It
can be expected that with the rise
of the e-commerce industry, more
people may buy internet services to
conduct online trading or purchase
of goods and services online, which
will eventually also boost the telecom
industry in the country.
The birth of e-commerce portals in
Nepal will also upgrade its standard
of living. New companies – physical
and online – emerging to compete
in the race for digital businesses will
provide employment opportunities
while adding value to Nepal’s
economy. Since there was previously
no such e-commerce project initiated
in Nepal, it shows that no company
or financial institution was willing
to take the risk of venturing into
unknown territory. Moreover, such
investors in Nepal who are reluctant
to invest in new ventures because
of fear of failure can start their own
e-commerce businesses and control
their assets accordingly.
However, the e-commerce sector
in Nepal must realize that much
effort, dedication and resolve along
with loyalty, honesty and morality
are needed to begin a business and
then take it towards success. The
e-commerce sector in Nepal is in its
introductory stage, as per the product
life cycle. The next stage will be the
growth stage when new businesses
will enter. Will a single company
create a monopoly in this business
sector is yet to be seen. Since the
e-commerce setup will also deliver
orders at the doorstep of buyers, a
system of logistics and transport will
be needed to meet this objective.
This again will not only provide jobs
to the needy but will also develop the
logistics and transport sector in Nepal
as goods to be sold on the websites
must be delivered to a warehouse
where inventory is managed and
stored.
The writer is a free-lance columnist.
SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 59
 FEATURE VIOLENCE

Yameen Rashid

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

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

60 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017

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

SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017 61

Southasia 15 Years Ago
SLUG

Southasia, 2002

62 SOUTHASIA • SEPTEMBER 2017