“Months after being shunned on religious differences, a local Ahmadi leader and his family were attacked by an unruly mob in a Punjab village – while the police looked on.”

Are Pakistani Ahmadis victims of genocide? Let’s have a look!

At a recent event at the New York University, a Pakistani-American lawyer Sakina Rizvi raised some interesting questions. I left wondering if Pakistani establishment can be held responsible for crimes against Ahmadis? Does Pakistani constitution implicitly condones violence against Ahmadis?

The international legal definition of the crime of genocide is found in Articles II and III of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. As Sakina Rizvi pointed out genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Article III:  The following acts shall be punishable:

(a) Genocide;

(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;

(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;

(d) Attempt to commit genocide;

(e) Complicity in genocide. ”

I am no lawyer but I feel Ahmadis in Pakistan should be protected by the International Law. Should the issue of ‘justice’ be a priority in forthcoming elections? My vote goes to whoever is willing to repeal second the second Amendment of Pakistani constitution:

“A person who does not believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of The Prophethood of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the last of the Prophets or claims to be a Prophet, in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever, after Muhammad (Peace be upon him), or recognizes such a claimant as a Prophet or religious reformer, is not a Muslim for the purposes of the Constitution or law.”

And 1984 Ordinance XX of dictator Zia ul Haq which states:

298-B. Misuse of epithets, descriptions and titles, etc., reserved for certain holy personages or places: (1) Any person of the Quadiani group or the Lahori group who call themselves ‘Ahmadis’ or by any other name who by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation- (a) refers to or addresses, any person, other than a Caliph or companion of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as “Ameer-ul-Mumineen”, “Khalifatul- Mumineen”, Khalifa-tul-Muslimeen”, “Sahaabi” or “Razi Allah Anho”; (b) refers to, or addresses, any person, other than a wife of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as “Ummul-Mumineen”; (c) refers to, or addresses, any person, other than a member of the family “Ahle-bait” of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as “Ahle-bait”; or (d) refers to, or names, or calls, his place of worship a “Masjid”; shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine. (2) Any person of the Qaudiani group or Lahori group (who call themselves “Ahmadis” or by any other name) who by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation refers to the mode or form of call to prayers followed by his faith as “Azan”, or recites Azan as used by the Muslims, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.

298-C. Person of Quadiani group, etc., calling himself a Muslim or preaching or propagating his faith: Any person of the Quadiani group or the Lahori group (who call themselves ‘Ahmadis’ or by any other name), who directly or indirectly, poses himself as a Muslim, or calls, or refers to, his faith as Islam, or preaches or propagates his faith, or invites others to accept his faith, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, or in any manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

I will vote for anyone who commits to repealing Blasphemy law. What do you think?

I Love Shia, I Live Hazara

I Love Shia, I Live Hazara – please share and make this your profile if you stand with me in protesting the mass murder of Shia Muslims and Hazaras in Pakistan. Protesters in Quetta have staged a sit-in since Friday evening, and demonstrations are being held in solidarity with them in other cities, including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

Wednesday’s bombings of a Shia Muslim neighbourhood in the Pakistani city of Quetta that killed almost 100 people is a grim reminder of the power of sectarian militants to act as the arbiters of peace – and war – in this country.

Since 2004-05, they have steadily spread their wings in south western Balochistan province, where the ethnic Hazara community of Shia Muslims has been their main target. Figures released by the Balochistan government place the number of Shias killed in the province between 2008 and 2012 at 758. Members of the Hazara community say the figure is much higher.

The hatred these Sunni militant groups bear towards Shia Muslims is fundamentally theological although the groups’ origins date back to the late 1970s, the time of neighbouring Iran’s Shia revolution.

The historic split between Sunni and Shia originate in a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad over which of his four companions should lead the Muslim community.

The group which has claimed responsibility for the blast, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was born out of another group called Sipah-e-Sahaba, whose name literally translates as “Soldiers of the Companions of the Prophet”.

So their anti-Shia agenda is there in the very origins and name of this group. But over the last few years there has been a dramatic escalation on attacks against Shia Muslims around Pakistan, with some activists naming 2012 as the worst year in living memory for Shia killings.

The key to the increasing power of these groups to wreak havoc on Shias is not just their ideological fervour, but also their ability to set up militant training camps – and Pakistan’s complex political environment.

Yes I know the picture above says I love Shia, I Live Hazara… it is intentional – it is an expression of empathy with my Hazara brothers and sisters. In recent years, the persecution of Hazaras in Quetta has left at least 800 dead and more than 1500 wounded. the victims include high-profile community members, hard working people, women and children. One third of the victims are children. No one has yet been arrested for these murders.

The Al-Qaeda affiliated Pakistani Sunni Muslim extremist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. I believe Taliban’s Quetta Shura and Pakistani military establishment are also responsible as most of the terrorist organizations in Pakistan are supported by the country’s military.

“I know that not all of you have the kind of job that requires a suit,” he begins, “or wear a suit when you (if you) go to any kind of faith-based service, court date, wedding or funeral, but if you do…you are going to want to read this. You know me, I don’t complain much in writing, but I gotta get this off my chest. I really think that it sucks when people make false claims, that they don’t care to make good on a problem that is clearly their fault, and with all of the “ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE IT” crap I just had to say something… I for one, will never set foot in a Men’s Warehouse, even for shelter from a blizzard.

I absolutely GUARANTEE it.”

What followed was a textbook PR response - an appropriate Tweet. (see below)

It shows that Men’s Wearhouse is ready to engage. But I was surprised that someone decided to declined an opportunity to comment on CNN’s AC360. Watch this segment - I don’t understand why and who declined such a great offer to clear the air. I am so glad it wasn’t me

Judiciary under its hyperactive Chief Justice Chaudhry, has taken the war against corruption into uncharted territory as the son of the Chief Justice is being investigated for his own involvement in corruption. Opposition parties hold corruption and incompetence as their rallying cry against the ruling party.

Is it reasonable to expect honest politicians and judges in Pakistan? The corruption story of Arsalan Iftikhar (son of the Chief Justice) revealed that the millions of dollars in bribe were the highpoint of a career that began when he got into a medical college without meeting the admission requirements. After becoming a doctor he got himself inducted into the band of civil service officers. He was elevated into the command of law enforcement. A lifetime of impunity groomed him to yield high profits from Dad’s eminence as the top judge. In Pakistan, impunity is the status symbol.

If democratic system continues to offer transparency and free media, imperfect judges and corrupt politicians could end up establishing strong institutions. But the military’s totalitarian design and the lawless environment pushed democracy to the sideline. Military and their intelligence agency rattled the civilian government with the memo-gate scandal. The ‘family-gate’ corruption allegation against CJ’s son recently surfaced to threaten the judiciary. Opposition politicians prefer associating with the military to ascend into the power corridors in Islamabad.

International pressure for democracy on Pakistan’s military could be compromised by the need of passage out of Afghanistan for US-ISAF troops and machinery. Pakistan’s newborn democracy has been abandoned. Predators are on the prowl.

After Judiciary’s assault on the executive branch of government, the President can suspend the judiciary and dissolve legislature with military’s cooperation. The judiciary can seek military’s assistance in enforcing a judicial order against the government. The military can impose martial law.

The ruling party is looking like a martyr after Judiciary’s recent judgements. They boast a history of persecution, judicial execution and murders. Their record of incompetence and corruption could be balanced if they come across as victims of establishment again. For the military and the ISI, it could be a winning strategy to impose an auto coup under President Zardari. It could damage the People’s Party beyond repair.

If Zardari’s People’s Party doesn’t find the auto coup seductive, Judiciary could continue to raise challenges; seeking military’s assistance for enforcing a judgement against the government could be the final blow. Between Zardari and Chaudhry, it is hard to tell who is not conspiring with the military to reverse democracy? Mian Shareef and Imran Khan are relying heavily on GHQ’s nod to form their own government.

Another option that seems natural in Pakistan’s case is Martial Law. Again, the Military could take it upon themselves to clear the mess. Corruption and incompetence of civilian government, the standoff between judiciary and executive, and parliament’s failure in handling key security issues could form the charge sheet for removal of democracy.

Any miracles, wonders? 

“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor … Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

Kathryn teaches more than Asanas — the physical exercise to optimise posture, endurance and strength. Like a good Sufi, she also encourages her students to open their heart to possibilities.

But before you make a mad dash to find a Sufi-Yogi hybrid, remember, she is still largely an exception! Most yoga instructors are extremely mechanical in their approach and act more like drill sergeants than mystical gurus.

With 18 million yogis spending nearly $6 billion annually, the business of meditation has undoubtedly reached an epochal moment in its deep engagement with mainstream America. Sufism, too, appears to be crossing the chasm to a more spacious public understanding of a once marginal group.

In the island of Manhattan, where I live, I can find more yoga studios than health clubs, and more people carrying yoga mats than any other sporting gear. The number of Sufi institutions has also grown — not nearly with the same pace, but nevertheless noticeably. Why is it, you may wonder, that the capital of materialism has taken to yoga? Physical and emotional health is, in my opinion, the main driver but there are a handful of yogis in New York seeking enlightenment as well.

Starting from when Parmahansa Yogananda came to America back in 1920, yoga has taken off in the United States for a variety of reasons. In 1935, the Los Angeles Times reported on one of his lectures, saying: “The Philharmonic Auditorium presents the extraordinary spectacle of thousands … being turned away an hour before the advertised opening of a lecture with the 3,000-seat hall filled to its utmost capacity. Yogananda emphasised the underlying unity of the world’s great religions, and taught universally applicable methods for attaining direct personal experience of God.” Since those early days, eastern mysticism has made a home for itself in the US.

Another spiritual teacher, Swami Rama, a family friend with whom I had an audience more than two decades ago, was also able to establish himself quickly in the US. Sent by his teacher who had taken him into the Himalayan Tradition of cave yogis at the age of three, Swami Rama came to the West with traditional teachings from the cave monasteries and Patanjali’s sutras. When his teacher, Bengali Baba, sent him on his mission to the West, Sri Swami Rama asked him what he was to teach Americans. “Teach them not to be afraid,” he was instructed. Swami Rama worked with the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. The Menninger experiments were deemed significant in the scientific community because it provided powerful support to biofeedback research. Swami Rama was able to demonstrate that body functions that had formerly been considered involuntary could be controlled through training the mind.

According to the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Americans practice yoga “for a variety of health conditions including anxiety disorders or stress, asthma, high blood pressure and depression. People also use Yoga as part of a general health regimen—to achieve physical fitness and to relax.” And it is very consistent with my informal research of yogis — and I call it informal because my primary methodology was chatting with fellow yogis in and outside of the studios. I have heard everything: yoga improves mood and sense of well-being, reduces stress, heart rate and blood pressure, increases lung capacity, improves muscle relaxation and body composition, and positively affects levels of certain brain chemicals. Very few have said they are looking for nirvana.

Compare that to Sufism — pretty much everyone claims to be searching for the higher truth — to elevate consciousness — reparation of the heart from all else but God. My fellow Sufis in New York want to travel into the presence of the Divine and purify their inner self. But of course, there are exceptions to this rule as well.

Abdul Rahim, the secretary of the Nur Ashiki Jerrahi Sufi Order, tells me that people want to get to the “core” and build a direct relationship with God. He thinks that the increasing popularity of Sufism is also due to a rejection of “dogmatic” religion. Sheikha Fariha al Jerrah, who leads this community of dervishes, delivers a weekly lecture after Maghrib prayers every Thursday in downtown New York at the Dergah al Farah, in which people from all religious and even non-religious backgrounds participate. Some observe the ‘Zikr’, while others simply observe — and my own personal observation is that the crowd just keeps getting larger. This order has circles throughout the US and Mexico and allows entry to “seekers and students of all religious and non-religious paths.”

I ran into two Pakistani men at a Thursday Zikr session, both of whom confirmed that it’s the ‘progressive’ nature of worship that attracts them to this Sufi order. A young woman was called on to recite the Azaan before Maghrib and men and women stood side-by-side to offer prayers. I asked these Pakistani men if they would go to a mosque in their hometown of Karachi if the call for prayer was led by a woman and the response was inconclusive and hedged at best. It’s particularly telling that they didn’t want to be identified in this article because they didn’t want to be ostracised by their families and friends.

Both of these Pakistani men had come because Thursday Zikr at this downtown dargah is open to the public and anyone can join this interesting and rather musical session. This open and inclusive approach is just another reason Sufism seems to be gaining currency in the US.

Many Americans are now familiar with the great Sufi mystic writer Rumi. His words of wisdom are found not only on Facebook pages and on Twitter but also in the cubicles of offices in corporate America. Elliot Miller, who writes for the Christian Research Institute, states: “The current interest in Sufism can be largely explained by pointing to the same factors which account for the popularity of several diverse Eastern mystical traditions among Westerners. These factors include a hunger for life transforming spiritual experiences, and an attraction to monistic belief systems.”

British Orientalist Martin Lings comments: “A Vendantist, a Taoist or a Buddhist can find in many aspects of Islamic mysticism, a ‘home from home’, such as he could less easily find in Christianity or Judaism.”

Oprah Winfrey recently did Sufism a favour by including it in Super Soul Sunday on her OWN Network. Sufi mystic Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee defined Sufism and explained why it’s about love and the heart. The fact that he was sitting under the oaks at Oprah’s home in California, was the best endorsement Sufism has had thus far.

I recently had a very interesting and candid conversation with Adnan Sarhan, the 80-year-old head of the Sufi Foundation in America. Hailing from Baghdad, he now teaches in New York, London, Paris and San Francisco as well as in his 40-acre Albuquerque, New Mexico, facility. When asked what Sufism is about, he replies: “It is about breathing, movement and heart.”

When the University of New Mexico asked him to teach a course on Sufism, he agreed but requested to change the title from ‘Sufism’ to ‘Dance’. “People lined up to take this ‘dance’ class- and I showed them how to control their body by mastering breathing techniques.” Many of his students eventually took a spiritual path after this gentle introduction.

Adnan drops a Hadith here and there and a Quranic verse enter his conversation every once in a while but his discourse is not specific to Islam. Religion, he says, is a code of conduct. It’s a matter of intellect, while Sufism is the business of the heart.

But Adnan has found a more grounded and perceptible technique for those of us who demand empirical evidence — he primarily dwells in the physicality of the practice. Instead of teaching mysticism, he demonstrates to his students how to control breathing to optimise flexibility of muscles, enhance postures and unleash creative potential. Therefore, it is no surprise that many of his followers are artists and dancers hoping to find a secret key that will take them to the top of their artistic ventures.

“Taking action is critical,” says Adnan. “It is more fun to dance, play sports and engage in physical activities rather than being lazy and inactive. Dance comes from the heart and it brings spirituality and peace. Dance is the yearning of the soul for freedom.”

Many cynics and puritans frown upon people like Bikram Chaudhry or Adnan Sarhan for making mysticism a consumer product — a kind of ‘McYoga’ or ‘McSufism’ for lack of a better term. But I personally believe a consumerist approach also makes these experiences accessible to mere mortals such as myself. And once you have that access and you take a step on this particular journey, who’s to say where it will lead you?

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 20^th, 2012.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/379638/sufism-and-the-city/

Gen Pasha (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Pakistan privilege doesn’t necessarily come from the ownership of capital, industry, and large holdings of cultivatable land but through control of the state apparatus. It is, therefore, not suprising that Pakistan’s leading newspaper Dawn refers to Army Chief Kayani as the most powerful man in the country. In a story headlined “Kayani Calls for talks with India,” we were reminded twice that military’s top boss is also Pakistan’s top dog.

In my latest column in Viewpoint I suggested that whether Husain Haqqani gets justice or not, the Memogate debacle is a watershed moment for Pakistan’s Civil-Military balance and a historic opportunity for the proponents of democracy to seize control of the ‘real’ state.

Vali Nasr, professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in his latest Bloomberg column agrees:

“Impassioned appeals to the Supreme Court to find President Asif Ali Zardari a traitor backfired on the army and intelligence chiefs when the credibility of their witness, who had claimed that Zardari was colluding with the U.S. against the military, dissolved amid the man’s ever-changing story and his cameo in a mud-wrestling video.”

No one can doubt that the “Memogate” hysteria, created by a section of the Pakistani media and subsequently by the Supreme Court, places this entire circus in the realm of a fishing exercise rather than a legally authorized investigation.

I was surprised by the statement of former Director General of ISI, Ahmad Shuja Pasha to the Memogate Commission, in which he unashamedly conceded that his agency conducted no investigation and simply took Mansoor Ijaz at his words.

I am uploading the entire document for you review but here are some key, noteworthy points:

Q: In your meeting with Mr. Musawer Mansoor Ijaz in London did he disclose the identity of the person under whose instructions the Memorandum was prepared?

A (Pasha): No

Q: After meeting with Mr. Ijaz in London did you meet with Mr. Husain Haqqani to inquire about the said memorandum?

A (Pasha):  No

Q: After meeting with Mr. Ijaz in London did you prepare a report?

A (Pasha): No

Q: Is it correct that you did not meet with Mr. Husain Haqqani to verify the memorandum because of the strained relations between the Political and Military leadership of Pakistan?

A(Pasha): It is not correct that the leadership was strained.

Q: I put it to you that before proceeding to London to meet Mr Ijaz you did not obtain permission from either the President of Pakistan or the Prime Minister of Pakistan?

A (Pasha): It is correct.

Q: I put it to you that you did not obtain any written permission from Army Chief before meeting with Mr. Ijaz in London?

A (Pasha): Correct.

Q: Did Mr. Ijaz produce any witness to corroborate his assertion except the Blackberry handset and his computer?

A(Pasha): No.

Q: I put it to you that the contents of the Blackberry handset of Mr. Ijaz and what his computer contained were fabrication?

A (Pasha): What I saw did not look to be fabricated but the matter can be better determined by forensics.

Q: Did you make any attempt to examine the Blackberry handset of Mr. Husain Haqqani?

A (Pasha): No. I had reported the matter to the Political leadership and the Military leadership.

Q: Do you know where the Blackberry handsets of Mr. Husain Haqqani are?

A (Pasha): No

Q: Does ISI have the capacity to ascertain the exchange of Blackberry messages between two Blackberry users?

A (Pasha): No

If you scroll to the last page you will find that Pasha concedes he was instructed to go to London by the Army Chief. Memogate will go down in Pakistan’s history as a misstep that broke the camels back with GHQ finally conceding that they conduct fishing expeditions against civilian leadership, sitting heads of government, elected representatives of the Pakistani people and ambassadors of the civilian government.

But it is not only GHQ that has defaced itself, the judiciary is also doing all they can to maintain the status quo, instead of helping Pakistan transition to a democratic society guaranteeing human rights and freedoms.  Because of the quintessential position the judiciary holds as one of the three main pillars of the political system, the judiciary must assist Pakistan’s transition to a truly democratic country.

I don’t ask for much- simply the judiciary in Pakistan should solve disputes between the individuals and the state, guarantee individual rights and freedoms, and protect the rule of law by scrutinizing the power of special interest groups (GHQ). Unlike other democratic countries, the Pakistani judiciary seems obsessed with rendering the executive and legislative branch dysfunctional by making purely political decisions.

Because of its tendency to step outside of its boundaries to support special interest groups (GHQ), the judiciary has become the focal point of disputes in Pakistan.

But enough is enough- the Pakistani people appear ready to break away from the shackles of Internal Colonialism – they are not willing to live the second-class life of a “bloody civilian.” In the words of Malcom X, let’s put the GHQ leadership on the notice because Pakistani people want “complete freedom, justice and equality by any means necessary.”

Karwan Bazar, one of the most important business centres in Dhaka (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know China holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Pakistanis. Mention of Mao’s land evokes feeling of sanguineness- elation and trust. On the contrast Bangladesh – well I will leave it up to your imagination.

But I believe it is in Pakistan’s interest to change that attitude immediately. Pakistani entrepreneurs, professionals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should learn Bengali in a hurry because Bangladesh is on it’s way to becoming the most desirable destination for Western buyers.

That’s a big loss for China that had up until recently nearly 40 percent share of Western markets for readymade garments. According to a survey released by McKinsey – a global management consulting firm, chief purchasing officers of leading American and European apparel companies are planning to decrease procurement from China over next five years because of “declining profit margins and capacity constraints.”

And, China’s loss is Bangladesh’s gain. “Although Western buyers are evaluating a considerable number of sourcing options in the Far East and Southeast Asia, many chief purchasing officers said in the survey that they view Bangladesh as the next hot spot,” reported McKinsey last week.

A survey of Bangladesh’s ready-made-garment industry identified solid apparel-sourcing opportunities, but also some hurdles.

In 2010 Bangladesh had exported approximately $15 billion worth of ready-made garments to value buyers in the US and Europe. This sector, “represents 13 percent of GDP and more than 75 percent of total exports.”

McKinsey forecasts “Export-value growth of 7.0 to 9.0 percent annually within the next ten years, so the market will double by 2015 and nearly triple by 2020,” bringing the estimate for 2015 to $30billion annually.

A majority of the respondents identified attractive prices as the most important reason for purchasing in Bangladesh. And the expectations are that prices will continue to be competitive as the efficiency is enhanced “to offset rising wage costs.”

Capacity was reported in the survey as the second-biggest advantage of Bangladesh’s ready-made-garment industry. “With 5,000 factories employing about 3.6 million workers (of a total workforce of 74.0 million), Bangladesh is clearly ahead of other Southeast Asian suppliers in this respect,” chief purchasing officers were reported saying.

Bangladesh also “offers satisfactory levels of quality, especially in value and entry-level mid-market products.”

You maybe thinking – well Bangladesh offers low prices, has sufficient production capacity and no quality issues- how can Pakistanis add value here. And it’s true that recent reports identify distinct advantages of sourcing from Bangladesh. However, the McKinsey study did identify five challenges for “apparel companies seeking to do more business there.”

The leading challenge for Bangladesh is infrastructure. “Transportation bottlenecks create inefficient lead times for garments and delay deliveries to customers,” McKinsey says, adding that this issue will become even more important in the future, “since buyers want to source more fashionable products with shorter lead times.” But this can be a golden opportunity for Pakistan. There are several successful infrastructure vendors in Pakistan who can benefit from the boom in a neighboring country. This also means job opportunities for civil engineers from Pakistan to go work in Bangladesh. Industries ancillary to infrastructure can also benefit.

The second biggest challenge for Bangladesh is “energy supply”—90 percent of the more than 100 local suppliers, McKinsey interviewed rate it as “poor or very poor.” The government (in Bangladesh) has “prioritized improvement in this area and started to upgrade power systems over the last two years”, with tangible results. Here Pakistan may not have much to offer but we can learn plenty from Bangladesh. Why is it that our Pakistani factories have to shut down while Bangladesh is able to address this issue adequately enough to keep the machines running?

Labor and environmental compliance is an issue for the majority of export driven countries- including China. The McKinsey survey shows most European and US chief purchasing officers saying, “standards have somewhat or strongly improved over the past five years,” with a caveat that “suppliers vary greatly in their degree of compliance.” There are several NGOs that monitor Bangladesh for labor and social-compliance issues and here is an opportunity for Pakistani NGOs to take their expertise outside their country. When it comes to environmental compliance, which has started to get serious attention, Pakistani NGOs and consulting firms can establish themselves very quickly. Western buyers will likely find it easier to engage a non-Bangladeshi entity for compliance. It makes perfect sense for Pakistan’s NGO to expand and take their expertise to Dhaka.

The McKinsey survey suggests that Bangladeshi suppliers need to optimize productivity to “mitigate the impact of rising wages and to close gaps with other sourcing countries and to satisfy new customer requirements for more sophisticated products.”

Bangladesh also needs “new machinery and technologies,” providing an opportunity to Pakistani apparel experts to lend their expertise. The insufficient size of “the skilled workforce, particularly in middle management,” provides opportunity to many Pakistanis who have worked in this industry all their life to travel east.

McKinsey reports that Bangladesh does not have adequate supplies of “natural or artificial fibres, and its dependence on imports creates sourcing risks and lengthens lead times.” I wonder if Pakistani experts have learned any lessons here that they can take to Bangladesh.

I believe the ready-made apparel boom in Bangladesh presents significant opportunities for Pakistani entrepreneurs, professionals and NGOs. Unlike India, where visa requirements and historical hostilities becomes a major barrier, Pakistanis can actually benefit from this rising star with whom we have a shared history.

This article first appeared in Daily Times. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\04\13\story_13-4-2012_pg5_6

From left, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Rear Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, speak with Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and Pakistani Maj. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, director general of military operations, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) while under way in the North Arabian Sea Aug. 27, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whether Husain Haqqani gets justice or not, the Memogate debacle is a watershed moment for Pakistan’s Civil-Military balance and a historic opportunity for the proponents of democracy to seize control of the ‘real’ state.

But of course it is easier said than done! A minister of Tipu Sultan was quoted in Parliamentary Papers (1852-53) as saying: “we are not afraid of what we do see of the British power, but of what we do not see.”  Replace ‘British’ with ‘GHQ’ and you have access to the mind of the PPP leadership. Ignoring the colonial traits of GHQ, proponents of a Praetorian model will argue that because the PPP government is ineffective, “the executive is unable to control the military.”

With foam coming from both sides of their mouths, many Pakistani analysts repeatedly declare that democracy has proved inadequate to handle the problems of corruption, the economy, and terrorism. Some explicitly call for the censure of elected government in the ‘national interest.’

Pro-GHQ analysts on TV and in mainstream print media argue that the military has simply done us a favor by stepping up to fill the institutional vacuum created by the inefficiencies of the civilian government. In reality these so-called analysts simply justify and legitimize the use of coercive authority over the social, economic, and political institutions of Pakistan.

If you analyze these commentators you will find patterns and repetitive messages that are not challenged by the anchors or editors of leading publications. It is a known fact that GHQ had colluded with or coopted the judiciary, resulting in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s execution to name only one troubling example of undermining democracy. The Military-Judiciary incestuous relationship is no secret but pro-establishment analysts invoke the power of the lordship of the all mighty Supreme Court to seek justice that weakens civilian institutions; case in point the Memogate scandal.

The media and judiciary both aid GHQ as they systematically and ruthlessly eliminate political opponents. Of course they still exploit the populist power of religion to solidify their hegemonic discourse.

Look closely and you will find that these proponents of GHQ inhabit a dark, conspiratorial world devoid of all social and natural realities. Peddling their pseudo-fascist theory of “national security” they argue that the Judeo-Christian-Hindu forces of the West –Israel-India have joined hands in a war against Islam. The enemy is anyone who thinks differently from them; so to save Pakistan, the military must wipe out all signs of dissent. To many of us their theory sounds paranoid, but it makes perfect sense to GHQ pushers who have bought into (or sold out to) this fascist narrative, and a conservative jihadi form of Islam. They also reflect Pakistan’s pervasive sense of isolation, which results in a grandiose view of Islamabad as occupying the world’s center stage.

Going back to the quote of Tipu Sultan’s minister: We know that GHQ has coopted the judiciary, media, mullahs and many political celebrities. These are what Slajov Zizek, contemporary political philosopher would call the ‘known-known’. We also know that there are unknowns (known-unknown) and we don’t know what we don’t know (unknown-unknown). But I would submit that what we ‘know’ but do not acknowledge or forget (known-unknown), is the key to rebalancing the civil-military relationship in Pakistan.

For example we know that there are nearly 190 million people in Pakistan. We know that there are nearly 58 million adult men and 54 million adult women –compare that to merely 1.4 million strong in the army and you begin to understand the potential power of the people. We know that 20^th century social revolutions, for example in China (1949, and in Cuba in 1959, were caused by endemic military interventions in civil society. We also know for example that several countries in South and Latin America have successfully leashed their oppressive armies within the past twenty years.

But most importantly we know that GHQ realizes that direct rule of the Pakistani people, a la marshal law, is no longer possible, therefore, they are building human avatars to serve as their proxy.

Amos Perlmutter in his well publicized paper, “Toward a Taxonomy of Civil-Military Relations in Developing Polities,” writes “the army can take over the government with or without the consent of civilian politicians, on their behalf or against them, in order to eliminate one civilian group and establish another.”

The lesson learned from the Memogate debacle is that Pakistan’s civil society has matured and can counter dominant narratives even when they don’t have control of the mainstream media. Digital activists from Pakistan have provided breathing room for the PPP government and have encouraged Prime Minister Gillani and co-Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to take bold stands.

But this is no time to slow down. As I have written elsewhere abuses of power should put intelligence reform at the top of the agenda for change for PPP government. Before Pakistan can continue its democratic transition, these changes must be addressed.

Ignoring the need to establish supremacy over the intelligence community would be a grave mistake on the part of Pakistan’s civilian government. Reducing the role of the military in the intelligence sector will allow the government to consolidate itself domestically, so it should be a top priority. In addition, government control over military and intelligence will cast a positive light on the state of Pakistan’s emerging democracy, and will improve international opinions of Pakistan.

Although reform to intelligence agencies will be difficult, the good news is that with patience, resolve, and international situation in its favour, Pakistan’s government can indeed reassert civilian control over the intelligence community. Luckily for Pakistan, there are predecessors to take notes from. Indonesia and Chile have both undergone transformations in the intelligence arena and have plenty to offer Pakistan by way of example.

Intelligence agencies reform in Indonesia and Chile became a reality after the media began exposing the atrocities and, people had the courage to reject authoritarianism. Reform of the murky Indonesian intelligence service, Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN), were spurred by revelations that emerged in the trial of the alleged killer of the country’s top human right activist.

Munir Said Thalib, died from arsenic poisoning while on a flight on Garuda, Indonesia’s national airline, from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore on Sept. 7, 2004. Indonesian media exposed the hands behind Munir’s murder.

Extensive exposure by the mass media of the massive human rights violations and power abuse by the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI), led to the abrupt breakdown in its public image. And, the abolition of “Dwifungsi ABRI” (the dual-function of the military) became a major demand of the pro-democracy movement.

In this same sense, the Pakistani media’s role is necessary to question the functioning of the ISI.  I do not expect mainstream Pakistani media to question GHQ promoted narratives. But I am hopeful that Pakistan’s growing pro-democracy digital activists will utilize all tools available to challenge the dominant discourse.

I wrote this article for Viewpoint. http://www.viewpointonline.net/pak-army-and-internal-colonialism.html

But all is not that bad in Pakistan. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, chairman of Al Baraka Bank Pakistan, said last week: “Given the difficult political and economic conditions that continued to prevail in the global markets in general and in Pakistan in particular specially in the year 2011, where the Pakistani economy only achieved a 2.4 per cent growth, we are pleased with the financial results achieved by the Bank in 2011.”

And pleased, he should be, for achieving 177 percent increases in total operating income in 2011. Ask yourself if the success of Al Baraka Bank is an aberration.

We know that numbers don’t lie but can be easily manipulated. Some argue that lack of growth is solely because of the failure of the civilian government and using the same data, others can demonstrate how military rule is lethal for economy. Both these positions, however, focus on the pace of growth. Statisticians and economist have a way with numbers and can explain away aberrations and trends that gloss over the key questions: why can’t we see “the type of economic growth that especially reduces extreme poverty, narrows structural inequalities, protects the environment, and sustains the growth process itself?” The key questions that need to be understood about economy is type of growth.

Economist often stick to tangible, ‘hard numbers’ because GDP is easier to quantify than intangible value gained from reducing extreme poverty, narrowing inequalities, protecting the environment, and sustaining the growth process itself.

I believe intangible values can be quantified as well. By the process of reducing uncertainty, we can speak with a level confidence about the value and thus quantify elements like poverty reduction. But I don’t want to go off on a tangent. Several studies have demonstrated (I am referring to Ramon Lopez of World Bank) that “some growth patterns systematically reduce poverty and inequality, but others do not. And some growth patterns lead to underinvestment in human capital, overexploitation of natural resources, and degradation of the environment – patterns inimical to the sustainability of growth.”

A recent article in the Islamic Business and Finance magazine quotes the former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ishrat Hussain, as saying: “the Islamisation of the economic system will strengthen the economy, particularly income distribution and poverty alleviation, which have proved elusive under the present western economic model.” I will leave it up to you to either agree or not that a particular type banking system alleviates poverty. But a stated goal has been: “to explore the unique features of Islamic finance for the larger good of society particularly in the context of economic growth and poverty alleviation. Islamic finance can be a powerful tool for inclusive growth and amelioration of the conditions of poor in Muslim countries.”

The same publication also quotes Saleem Ullah, the director of the Islamic banking department at the State Bank of Pakistan, as saying: “the share of the industry in the banking system has risen to over seven per cent from just 0.5 per cent in 2002.”

Now that’s sizable growth. Now ask yourself has this growth in Islamic banking reduced poverty in Pakistan? Another interesting statement in this feature attributes growth in Islamic banking to “aggressive advertising.”

Zahid Mansoor, treasurer at Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) Pakistan, is quoted saying: “If you create awareness in the minds of these people, there is significant potential to take Islamic finance beyond a niche market and make it the main choice for banking.” I agree, but wouldn’t that apply to any other form of banking?
Nevertheless, the main question that I ponder most is that structural inequalities in Pakistan are growing faster. I know it is a cliché but rich are getting richer in Pakistan. For several reasons, mostly because of the similarities in our political history, I like to compare Pakistan with Chile.

Economists agree that Chile has been a successful case of development. Economic growth, indicated by growth in banking sector as well, is coupled with a significant reduction in extreme poverty. With average per capita growth rate of slightly over 4 per cent over a period of twenty years, Chile has halved extreme poverty from approximately 40 percent down to less than 20 percent of the population.

If you average out Pakistan over last 20 years, per capita growth is similar but unlike Chile, Pakistan has failed to reduce poverty. The main reason is the lack of an adequate public expenditure policy which emphasizes the provision of public goods and social expenditures; a policy that is committed towards poverty reduction. Pakistan’s tax system has failed to raise sufficient revenues to afford expenditure policies at sufficient levels and an abnormally high defence spending has eroded whatever little revenue is collected. Enormous legal tax loopholes benefit mainly the very rich.

With an inadequate public expenditure policy, a failed system of revenue collection there is not much that Islamic banking or Takaful (insurance) industry can do to reduce poverty. But it will make the Islamic bankers and insurance firms very, very rich, indeed!

–

This article appeared in The News on 4/1/2012 http://e.thenews.com.pk/4-2-2012/bfr_page3.asp

]]> http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/pakistans-one-percent/1928/feed/ 0 http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/memogate-what-does-major-general-patudi-want/1919/ http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/memogate-what-does-major-general-patudi-want/1919/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:12:31 +0000 Ibrahim Sajid Malick http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/?p=1919

Photograph of Hussain Haqqani (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A very well placed friend in Islamabad who is rarely wrong told me yesterday that Deputy Director General ISI Major General Asfandyar Pataudi personally went to tell the Supreme Court judge to deny Husain Haqqani’s application for video link. Before the proceedings began he told the judge in no uncertain terms that Husain Haqqani must be brought back to Pakistan. Pataudi even ordered service provider, the same company that provisioned video hook-up for Mansoor Ijaz’s testimony to lie to the court and say it was not technically possible to do it again.

By interfering and influencing the honorable judges (in a closed room meeting prior to the proceeding started), ISI continues to undermine democracy, civilian rule and dispensation of justice. No wonder ISI has lost all credibility within and outside Pakistan. A visible feature of the ISI’s history that has done great damage to its reputation is the continued exploitation of civilian institutions.

Blatant power abuses, like Patudi’s interference in the court proceeding, among others, should put intelligence reform at the top of the agenda for change in Pakistan.  Before country can continue its democratic transition, these changes must be addressed. Indonesia and Chile have both undergone transformations in the intelligence arena and have plenty to offer Pakistan by way of example.

PPP government has entered the final stretch of it’s tenure and if they want to be victors in next elections they will have to take some courageous steps. PPP government should reinforce the separation between civilian and military intelligence agencies. The integration of former ISI agents into other civilian bodies, particularly the IB, should be limited or stopped. Cross-recruitment prevents organizations from becoming independent.

Pakistan also needs to strengthen the police force. A better-trained and better-equipped police force can do a better job of counterterrorism, which work is currently exploited by the intelligence agencies to legitimize their control over politics in Pakistan.

The international community continues to blame Pakistan’s problems on the ISI, but still maintains working relations with the agency. Often, these relations undermine the democratic government and vindicate the very intelligence actors that need to be controlled. This double standard can be avoided by direct involvement with the Pakistani government, rather than going through intelligence services.

Ignoring the urgent need to establish supremacy over the intelligence community would be a grave mistake on the part of Pakistan’s civilian government. Reducing the role of the military in the intelligence sector will allow the government to consolidate itself domestically, and go back to voters with tangible results. In addition, government control over military and intelligence will cast a positive light on the state of Pakistan’s emerging democracy, and will improve international opinions of Pakistan.

I know Pataudi is one heck of a polo player with 3-goal handicap and understands concept of ‘line of the ball,’ – an imaginary line created by the ball as it travels down the field. The line of the ball defines rules for players to approach the ball safely. These rules are created and enforced to ensure the welfare of players and their horses. Patudi knows it well that Husain Haqqani should have right of way. And his safety should be of utmost importance. He should be extended the same playing field as Mansoor Ijaz- by that I mean Haqqani should have the video link as well.

I won’t speculate as to why Pataudi wants Husain Haqqani to come back so badly. But I don’t see a game of Polo in Haqqani’s future anytime soon.