WHEN HISTORY IS SUPPRESSED

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/24/when-history-is-suppressed/

• Ignorance of the past allows the suppression of the present

About fifty years ago, a site was prepared for the Aswan dam on the Nile in Egypt, by the government of Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a massive undertaking and required not only the resettlement of the Nubian people who lived in that area, which would soon be a great lake created by the dam, but also of the ‘resettlement’ of ancient Egyptian monuments, temples and statues, that would come under the lake waters.

The resettlement of the Nubians was the government’s responsibility, and the Nubians were never happy with it. To this day there are movements to return their ancestral land along the Nile to them.

As for the monuments, several countries came together to work on the project of saving the world heritage temples in a rare exhibition of international cooperation in a cause other than war. The temples and the statues were cut into small blocks and lifted block by block to the top of a cliff by cranes, where they were reassembled in exactly the same way as the original. To this day tourists come to view these temples in their new site. History was successfully preserved there. The people of Egypt have not re-converted to idol worship, and the temples and statues continue to contribute to the fund of human knowledge regarding the life, beliefs and construction methods of the ancient Egyptians.

History and human knowledge were not as lucky elsewhere. In Afghanistan in Bamyan three massive statues had been carved centuries ago. One of these was the tallest statue of Buddha in the world, carved in the fifth century BC. Not even successive generations of Muslim rulers over 1,200 years had destroyed these statues, until the Taliban came along, and predictably enough destroyed them in 2001, saying that they were an affront to their religion.

The past is allowed to remain in the human brain as memory and passed on to successive generations as history for a very good reason. An awareness and understanding of past facts helps human civilisations progress. It is beneficial to view, study and analyse the past, which explains the present and guides civilisations towards a better future, each generation learning from the mistakes and the strengths of the past, avoiding a repetition of mistakes to a great extent as a result.

History and human knowledge were not as lucky elsewhere. In Afghanistan in Bamyan three massive statues had been carved centuries ago

It is therefore beneficial to inculcate a curiosity about the past in children right from the start. To start from their immediate environment: what is Chauburji? Wow a palace! Who was Mohatta? What is Hazarganji? What does the word mean? Who was Anarkali? Why is that bazaar called Qisakhwani bazaar? The Badshahi mosque is so big! May I skate inside? Can you skate in a church?

At present the past is ignored except as a certain point in the past which is taught as part of Islamiyyat, not as a fragment of history to be scrutinised but as a point in time to which one must strive to return. That time has a linear trajectory appears to have bypassed the attention in some quarters.

To expect the younger generation of Pakistan to understand why half the country was lost in 1971 therefore is like expecting them to possess a degree without having made it through primary school, since few children today know that Pakistan once consisted of two wings, that we lost the other wing in 1971. That crucial point in the history of Pakistan is glossed over in our textbooks. For those who have heard rumours hinting that such a thing happened, the fault is laid at the door of our neighbours and the amputated wing, but never at our own doorstep. How then do we expect children to understand the value of democracy, and the role of various organisations within the country?

How in fact can we expect the population of this country to learn anything from the past when history wears a burqa to keep it good and suppressed, when the names of roads and cities are changed so regularly, when monuments are allowed to decay and crumble and the contribution of historical figures is selectively taught?

An ignorance of the past allows the suppression of the present and an indifference towards the future, and all of this is happening in Pakistan today.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/19/alternative-solutions/

• Spending on restricting population growth is worthwhile

Polluted waterways are a major environmental issue, and the looming spectre of extreme water shortage only adds to it. The efficacy of dams as a solution for the shortage is surrounded by controversy, but it is believed by many to be a solution. Let’s hope that proposed projects work and do indeed make a difference. Dare anyone say otherwise?

That however does not mean alternative solutions do not exist.

The versatile people of Pakistan manage to find a solution for every problem, which is providential in the short term since they, the people are unlikely to be helped otherwise. Generally, the more devious the solution the more it is appreciated, and so ‘kundas’ are placed on power lines, tiny gizmos that divert power into unauthorised areas. It was apparently ‘placed on record in the Pakistan Senate in 2013 that in the previous five years Pakistan had lost Rs90 billion in electricity theft and line losses.’

The same devious/versatile mindset comes in useful where water is concerned.

The problem of water theft in the Punjab led the government to get technical and financial assistance from the World Bank last year. This invariable reaching out for assistance from international organisations poses a problem in itself.

Assistance from international organisations may involve payment at a later date, or installments, neither of which translates to free. Eventually, placed in the same hands, it does little but add to the ever-rising national debt. Who says that sensors that monitor the flow in dams, barrages, canals and tributaries will not be tampered with and have their own ‘kundas’ attached as on power lines? In the case of water, kundas are replaced by deliberately created breaches in dams, and tubes that are somehow sunk to steal water away from other farmers, resulting in poor crops and great financial loss. It is the affluent landlords who are indulging in this practice in collusion with officials. Sensors, once installed can be fiddled with too. Remember, we’re a versatile people, with a wealth of experience in such practices. There really is no substitute for simple putting a stop to corruption and making sure that offenders are brought to account.

Imagine also the difference it will make if the population that produces this waste is not as large and stops growing at the rate it presently does

The large sums of money that are supposed to go into building massive structures that provide water (over 8.5 billion dollars) will hardly be enough for the construction, as well as the resettlement of the three villages and several industrial units that will be submerged. Less can be spent instead on ensuring that officials do not collude with users, who do not seek that collusion in the first place.

What if for some reason the promised structure is not built. What will happen to the funds that have been collected? Will they go into another glittering project that some other important official sets up as his retirement trophy?

Pakistan, a poor country, needs to think small to achieve big. Our waste problems need to be dealt with on as much a priority as anything else, so that waterways – existing and planned are not clogged by the staggering amount of waste produced by the nation. Expenditure on waste management will have more far reaching consequences. As will expenditure on population planning.

DHA settlements account for hundreds of thousands of people in the country. Let’s take these alone as an example. The Authority, very properly, provides each house with a roll of plastic bags which are supposed to contain the sum total of household rubbish, and these are collected every day. It’s all very laudable. Each house in DHA throws out at least four plastic bags a day plus that one large bag issued by DHA. That makes hundreds of thousands of plastic bags multiplied by at least five, all of which will lie around somewhere and many of them will end up in the waterways, drains and landfill, and none of these bags will degrade over time, because they are not biodegradable.

Would it work if DHA, rich as it is, provides each home with a reusable trash can which must NOT be lined with plastic. All the rubbish can be thrown into this and the rubbish and the can may be collected every day, the dirty can replaced with a clean one. The dirty cans can be washed and brought back on one of the following trips.

That, or DHA can invest in biodegradable bags which is by far an easier and better solution. Just imagine the millions of non-degradable plastic that will no longer clog the waterways as a result of this small change. Small, because the armed forces and their organisations do not lack funds after all.

Imagine also the difference it will make if the population that produces this waste is not as large and stops growing at the rate it presently does. This will also mean that the population requiring water is smaller, and does not grow the way it presently does. Spending on restricting population growth is therefore worthwhile, every which way you look at it.

IS PAKISTAN HALAL (Pakistan for All)

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/13/is-pakistan-for-all/

• This is not cricket

The Sindh governor’s house opened its door to the public for the first time recently. Cute. All that equality and openness.

Now how about Pakistan opening its doors to its own citizens and treating them all equally? Too risky? Oh.

The above is actually a spot-on example of the hollow showiness with helicopters laid on that has suddenly become the trend. This, as opposed to real equality which needs a lot more courage, determination and planning. With the courage falling short right away as demonstrated by recent events surrounding appointments and resignations to the Economic Advisory Council, let’s see how the determination and planning shape up.

When this government elected members to its Economic Advisory Council and selected Atif Mian as one of them, there was a ray of hope for the first time since it came into power, that perhaps the PM was living up to his claims and to what people appear – for some reason – to expect from him. One hoped that maybe he did have some courage, that he was feeling his way forward given the challenges and electing the right persons regardless of their religious affiliation, that after this he would move on to other, larger reform. But no. He does not seem to have the guts to stand up to the extreme right, unlike lone, defenseless women such as (all of them now late) Sabeen Mahmud, Perveen Rehman, and Asma Jehangir.

The prime minister apologised when he retracted Atif Mian’s name as his Cabinet’s finance minister. ‘I didn’t know he belonged to the Ahmadiyya community’ is what he said. That was before he nominated Mian as an office holder to the EEC, and then caved in to pressure and withdrew that nomination as well. This is not cricket, Mr Khan. Like most other persons in government, it is obvious that your exalted position is all that is worth hanging on to, and that you too tend to the extreme right. God help this country. And welcome to the same old ghissa pitta Pakistan, with added scars of shame.

Anyone who wants to bring about real change must show, first and foremost, that the reins they have been handed following elections really are in their own hands

It was an extremely pertinent question that someone on social media posed recently:

Would this dam be halal if overseas Ahmadi Pakistanis also fund this dam?

I mean if later we find out that Ahmadis money was used in this dam too?

Asking so we should make Imran Khan say “everyone except Ahmadis should donate”….

Oh, and also, is Pakistan itself halal, seeing that one of its founding fathers was Ahmadi? Sir Zafarullah Khan, if you remember, was author of the Lahore Resolution, chief negotiator of the Radcliffe Line, and the first foreign minister of Pakistan.

Any comments?

There is an argument that since this is (supposedly) a democracy, and most persons do not wish to include the Ahmadiyya community in matters pertaining to the country (so the argument runs), then the government must accede to the wishes of the majority.

The Ahmadiyya community managed to coexist with the mainstream – after all it is in the Quran 2:257 ‘La Ikraaha fiddeen (there is no compulsion in religion) aside from some incidents. It was not until ZA Bhutto declared the members of this community non-Muslim in 1974 that the real persecution started and gained momentum when ten years after that Gen Zia came up with Ordinance XX which made it illegal for members of the Ahmadiyya community to call themselves Muslim. They must now declare their affiliation and are not, for example, allowed to vote. Or hold public office, it appears.

Both the actions, Bhutto’s and Zia’s took place without any official, objective reference to the sentiments of the majority. The sentiment taken into account belonged to the popular fist pumping segment of society which is the most visible and also the most violent. There has been no attempt to ascertain numbers since either. Therefore, the argument about democracy and what most people want does not stand.

Despite the fact that the majority of people in this country is uneducated, and has had the misfortune of being brainwashed by extremists and other uneducated persons, Pakistan also has the great good fortune of counting among its citizens many, many persons of compassion, basic decency and an understanding of religion. For these people the persecution of a community despite injunctions to the contrary in Islam goes against their nature and good sense.

Anyone who wants to bring about real change must show, first and foremost, that the reins they have been handed following elections really are in their own hands. If anyone else pulls them, that in itself is contradictory to democracy since the rulers the people elected, the visible ones, are not the real rulers. It also goes against democracy if the rulers lack the courage to stand up to threats against loss of life and power. No one else after all is surrounded by as much security, security that the country pays for. What then is it being used for?

The biggest factor is that going against the constitution of a country is a grievous offence. Here is what the Constitution of Pakistan has to say about this matter. This is Article 27 of the Constitution:

“No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth.’

This means that ZA Bhutto, our illustrious military ruler after him, and whoever else after him I don’t care to name, have committed treason.

Will anyone stand up against this and against this event in the EAC? Hats off to the two other appointees to the EAC who already did.

NOT A MUGWUMP

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/05/not-a-mugwump/

A person who works in a large organisation in a well-organised country has to ensure he does not step on interdepartmental toes. He cannot for example change the light bulb in his room, unless he works for the department that has the job of doing so. Changing light bulbs is the job of the department of maintenance, which functions according to its own protocols. If the person has any ideas regarding which bulbs would be better, which protocols may be safer for users, or which time may be more convenient to change bulbs around the office, there are the interdepartmental meetings and he is free to attend if he heads his own department, or he may offer his suggestions to the head of his own department who might place them on the table at that meeting.

That is a system that works, that produces results, and one in which no person makes a chump of himself or the country. Or at least less than he would otherwise.

It should be clear where this is headed.

IK asked the media not to criticise his government for three months, to give it time to settle in. But it is impossible for the media or others to wait for a period of three months following the antics of the self-appointed morality police suddenly sprouting everywhere, even among the governmental top brass. An example is the Punjab minister for information who took it upon himself to pass offensive remarks against a Pakistani film actress. A fellow PTI leader later condemned the minister’s words, and tried to explain his mistake by saying that it happened because he had ‘assumed the portfolio for the first time in his political career.’

Interesting that the minister had assumed a political portfolio even before assuming the portfolio of gentleman. 

That incident just about sums up the situation, which is reminiscent of a traffic accident where every passerby stops to intervene as police, medical advisor and moron rolled in one, resulting in chaos. Each participant leaves the scene congratulating himself on his self-righteous interference. On the road, in the meantime, the accident victim dies for lack of proper care.

For those who prefer their analogies spelt out, the poor self-abused country of Pakistan fits in as the large organisation and the accident victim — and the guy with the missing light bulb and the interferers are government officials, more specifically officials of the judiciary who owe more to their profession than they seem to understand.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan is the head of the branch of government known as the judiciary. He heads all the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and the constitution fixes that number at seventeen. He is the chief administrative officer of the entire court system of the country and ranks just below the Chief Justice of the Federal Shariah Court, the parallel justice system allowed in the country, aside from the third, the tribal jirga system, and a fourth normally rampant in a jungle.

The CJP is responsible for supervising federal judicial policies and conducting judicial business in the Supreme Court.

He is nominated by the prime minister and confirmed by the president of the country. He has the ceremonial duty of administering the oath of office to the president of Pakistan, which if you note does not make him the president of Pakistan or anything else; he remains the CJP.

It is also very important that the CJP should be a mugwump, which may sound like something out of a book by Rowling or Dahl, and with good reason, but it is a term that means ‘a person who remains aloof and independent, especially from party politics.’ For a relevant phrase, we must thank Britain’s Boris Johnson who may not be an admirable person and possesses an execrable hairstyle, but he did coin the term ‘mutton headed old mugwump’.

There are others to shoulder the burden of activism. The judiciary is probably the only branch of government where its members, the judges, are better advised to stay aloof from the public and governmental affairs

Our CJP may be the first part of Johnson’s quote, but he ain’t no mugwump, a title he rejected on numerous occasions but most recently when he declared that IK was no one’s blue eyed boy.

With due respect, you don’t make such statements, Justice sahib, just as you don’t butt into business that rightfully belongs to someone else, from building dams, to dictating which fund a convicted person’s fine is to go into or lurking around corners on the watch for booze. This has little to do with the judiciary, and it is not advisable.

There are others to shoulder the burden of activism. The judiciary is probably the only branch of government where its members, the judges, are better advised to stay aloof from the public and governmental affairs and keep their opinion to themselves, all the better to maintain dignity, inapproachability and neutrality. The time spent lurking in corridors would be better spent reading up on how a judge must comport himself.