Quixotic Doings

Pakistan is in international headlines today not because of any investigative reporting by some foreign journalist but by the actions of Pakistanis themselves. First the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau volunteered to be interviewed on a TV channel. Not only did he take the opportunity (conveniently provided by the anchor) to refute all the allegations against him but he also did a super job of blowing his own trumpet. Perhaps carried away by his own eloquence and affected accent he declared that the daily corruption in Pakistan was Rupees 15 billion. He did not back up this assertion by any data or statistics or any research or analysis report. This statement by a top Pakistani official was swallowed hook, line and sinker by a public ready to believe the worst and a world that simply loves helping Pakistan do it to itself. Couldn’t this former Navy man turned Mr. Accountability go and brief the government that appointed him or does he have no faith in them? His seemingly bold action has endeared him to the public albeit briefly before the focus shifts back to his own track record with a business tycoon now facing the courts? Quite rightly the Prime Minister has summoned him to explain his conduct and if the Prime Minister has a spine he will haul him over the coals and then get to the facts. Almost immediately after the summons the man has given a public ‘explanation’ to pacify the government!!

Second there is the latest from an enterprising Pakistani journalist who is making a name for himself by unearthing ugly truths and making them public. His latest foray was into the tax returns of the Cabinet and the Members of Parliament and the report that he has produced tells the world that 75% of the peoples representatives do not pay taxes with some not even registered as tax payers and most of the rest paying very nominal amounts. His report is the subject of debates on TV and the international media has lapped it up. The countries that dole out their own tax payers’ dollars and pounds to us are not amused — in fact they must be thinking hard. Aren’t tax returns confidential documents? Is there any forum or methodology for media – government interaction when sensitive issues are involved or are ratings and personal ambitions more important than the country’s image? What effect would the release of this information have on those who are paying taxes? The Parliamentarians are rightly furious because the taxes on their meager salaries have not been indicated and nor have other things like advance tax and withholding tax that are compulsory deductions? How can tax be deducted from your salary without making you a registered tax payer with a national tax number?

Recent international surveys have ranked Pakistan among the most corrupt countries in the world, the worst governed and even among the worst places to be born in. One such report placed Pakistanis among the happiest people but now a columnist has written an article in which he tells us the difference between being happy and cheerful thereby debunking the notion that we are happy. Yet another writer informs us that the highest in the judicial hierarchy singled out a journalist for flowers after that journalist escaped an assassination attempt and then asks the question why only this journalist was sent flowers and not the countless and faceless others who have met violent ends.  Shouldn’t someone investigate a bomb that is so shoddily fixed that a conveniently standing bystander spots it and alerts the intended victim and a bomb planter who does not detonate it when the victim is sitting on the bomb and instead waits for it to be spotted? Must we make fools of ourselves?

By Ghalib Sultan

THE DEAD MEMO

Some facts are clear. There was a memo. It was written by an affluent Europe based US citizen of Pakistani origin whose self stated loyalties are to the US and not Pakistan. It was delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen when he was the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff in May 2011 by a retired four star general of the US Army on the request of the Pakistani American author. The author of the memo had been in extended contact with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States and they had discussed the content and thrust of the memo as well as its destination. Almost five months later the memo was deliberately resurrected by public exposure in a newspaper article written by the author of the memo. After its publication the chief of Pakistan’s intelligence agency personally contacted and subsequently met the author of the memo as part of an investigation and later briefed Pakistan’s Army Chief on his findings. The Army Chief briefed the President and as a result Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US resigned and ‘memogate’, as it began to be called, became the subject of two separate investigations—one by a Parliamentary Committee ordered by the government and one by a judicial Commission set up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in response to a petition filed by the opposition political party. These investigations are ongoing and are the subject of much speculation—mostly in a segment of the local Pakistani media.

There are some grey areas. Was the memo the brain child of the Pakistani Ambassador and did he use the Pakistani American to write the memo and have it delivered or was the memo the idea of its author who used the Ambassador to discuss his ideas thereby involving him inextricably? Did the Ambassador act on his own in his interaction with the Pakistani-American gentleman or did he get the matter approved from his superiors? Did the Ambassador provide input and give encouragement if the memo was not his own idea? These are the questions to which the investigative bodies have to get answers in order to reach a final conclusion. This is by no means an impossible task.

There is one important factor that overshadows everything else. The accusations being hurled at each other, the efforts to undermine credibility, the deliberate obfuscation of facts and the attempts to kill the memo all combine to hide the fact that there is a basic convergence in the long held and often stated views of the two main protagonists. Both have a pathological hatred of the Pakistan military and its intelligence agency. Others share this view because they see these two institutions as being the center of gravity in Pakistan that must be undermined— and it is these ‘’others” who are busy explaining the memo as a plan to undermine the democratically elected government by the military/intelligence establishment. There are many in Pakistan who, foolishly, are furthering such an agenda. This makes the result of the investigations most important—-the memo is dead, long live the memo.

By Ghalib Sultan

Blackwater’s Black Shadow

by GHALIB SULTAN
First Published on: Sep 29, 2009

Much water—most of it black—has flowed under the bridge ever since the Pakistani media started educating their viewers on the mercenary contractor Blackwater and its many clones. By now it is clear that the US relies on contractors like Haliburton, Blackwater, Xe International and others to provide ‘security’ and ‘training’ services that include intelligence, surveillance, target identification and illumination, use of weapons, explosives, extraction operations, subversion, sabotage and elimination of selected personnel. It is also clear that mercenaries of all nationalities are hired and ‘host’ country organizations and personnel are used to give an acceptable ‘face’ to the broad range of activities by these ‘specialists’. Most of this information has been culled from US sources where there is domestic concern stemming from ethical and financial concerns. There is confirmation of some stories by the media like hiring of hundreds of houses in Islamabad and special security measures as well as involvement of local firms like Inter Risk that now stands exposed for illegal activities but there is no clear statement from the government backed by statistics and proof. Till that happens there will continue to be speculation based on misinformation.

If, as is being made out, there has been clandestine penetration of Pakistan and the departments responsible are silent for some reason then the question is being asked that — who will confront these elements and force them to leave? The answer is not hard to guess but the result will be chaos and that is leading to the next question that– is internal chaos the environment required to do what these people are in Pakistan to do? The fact that there is also confirmation of massive embassy and consulates’ expansion plans adds fuel to the speculation about motives and intentions. Again a factual report by the government would clear the air—in the absence of such a report questions will continue to be asked and debated in the media.

It is in this environment of hostility and suspicion that the conditions in the Kerry-Luger Bill are being debated. It is as if these conditions have been just discovered and this is because no preparatory work was done to explain the conditions—if that was at all possible. Now there are those who are attacking the bill and those who are defending it—the defense is half-hearted and lacks credibility. The requirement is that only the ministry concerned should put out reasoned factual information and not rely on shrill political voices to shout down critics. At stake is the future of the US-Pakistan relationship. India’s approval of the condition makes matters worse because the perception is that anything that India approves of is bound to be against Pakistan’s interests!

An unfortunate and totally unnecessary ‘us’ and ‘them’ grouping is being created. ‘Us’ being those in favor of the US interests in relation to Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, the war on terror, Islam and nuclear proliferation even at the cost of Pakistan’s sovereignty if US support and aid continues unabated. ‘Them’ being those who are ‘dragging their feet on relations with India’, hedging their options on the western border because of Indian inroads into Afghanistan and support of subversion in Baluchistan and an overall identification of Pakistan’s interests even if they are not in line with US interests. In an unstable and politically charged atmosphere and with increasing social pressures such a divide if not checked can have serious consequences especially if the major political groupings move towards confrontation forcing institutions like the judiciary and military and the religious lobby to choose sides. The need is for the government to take steps to gain credibility and focus on governance and for all to seriously move to establish political stability. This is not the time for infighting—this is the time to come together and be on the same page so that differences cannot be exploited to create divides. Pakistan is fortunate that today it has democracy, an elected government and institutions that are strengthening themselves and the country by focusing on their own jobs—it would be unfortunate if they are distracted in other directions.