OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF THEIR MINDS

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/22/out-of-sight-out-of-their-minds/

• Culture of violence

On December 14 2012, in Connecticut in the USA, a twenty year old man shot and killed his mother, then twenty children between six and seven years of age and six members of staff at their elementary school at Sandy Hook before shooting himself dead. It was the deadliest shooting at an American school. It was found that the shooter had Asperger’s Syndrome and had suffered from depression, anxiety, compulsive obsessive disorder and a preoccupation with violence. Under the State’s laws he was old enough to possess a rifle or shotgun but too young to possess a handgun. A large quantity of all of these and semi-automatic weapons were found on him, in the school and in his car.

The old school was demolished after the massacre, and now, a new Sandy Hook Elementary School building costing 20 million dollars is ready to welcome back its students. It does have heavy duty windows and a high-tech security system but there are also courtyards, study spaces made to look like treehouses, a raingarden, and also: ultra-safe ‘soothing’ classrooms all set to give students a ‘great big hug’ when they walk through the doors.

In the meantime, many cases of gun violence later the US has been unable to set any restrictions on the possession of arms. The National Rifle Association, the NRA, has too strong a lobby and is well able to protect its interests. So, God forbid should any such thing happen again, at least the victims will have been hugged when they walked into school. It hurts to be flippant about such a matter but the intention is better than these words.

In short what has happened in Sandy Hook is that the issue of gun violence and the ready availability of guns has been hidden behind an expensive new cover and words that mask the seriousness of the problem.

It needs no stretch of imagination to extend this analogy to many places and issues, including to what is happening in Pakistan, where the very serious matter of harassment of women by men is put aside, instead of which whether or not women shroud themselves in chaddors and burkas is focused upon. The claim is that this is demanded by Islam, that women who don’t shroud themselves deserve harassment. Meantime nothing is done to change the male mindset which if it were as it should be, would not hurt a woman – or any other human being – regardless of dress. Nothing is done to prevent men from hurting and harassing women. Men in this society possess the clout and attitude that the NRA does, and nothing appears to dent it.

At a recent incident at the Punjab Secretariat a guard denied women entry unless they were wearing a dupatta. He said women would be allowed to go in so long as they had a dupatta on their person, even if it were slung over one shoulder like a sash

There are a thousand examples to bear out this observation about the attitude. Such as the official calendar published by the Punjab Bar Council which contains the Bar Council’s logo at the top of each page. The page for the 6th October of this calendar bears the following words of wisdom: The society that gives its women too much freedom will definitely regret its mistake one day.

Not only does the statement sound ominously like a threat, but it has nothing to do with the law, or with justice, or with anything to do with the Bar Council. It is grossly misogynistic and brutish which makes it both illegal and unjust. It casts a slur upon women as something that must be kept contained like a disease, and nowhere mentions the fact that those who impede the freedom of women are the ones who must be curtailed instead. Such as those who provide the guns should be the ones to be stopped.

At a recent incident at the Punjab Secretariat a guard denied women entry unless they were wearing a dupatta. He said women would be allowed to go in so long as they had a dupatta on their person, even if it were slung over one shoulder like a sash. He also claimed that the directive was a new one and had been issued by the provincial minister for primary and secondary healthcare Dr Yasmeen Rashid.

Dr Rashid refuted the guard’s claim, and said she had issued no such order. It is to be seen whether those orders were some kind of a practical ‘joke’ by someone whose idea of funny is to drive around the city passing lewd remarks at women. The guard, when passing on the false orders appeared to be courteous enough. Wherever they came from, they are as sharp an illustration of the way people think in this country where making women invisible and keeping them out of sight is supposed to cure the problem, like making a school pretty, colourful and welcoming is supposed to cure gun violence in the US.

JARNDYCE and JARNDYCE vs DECOY DETONATOR

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/15/jarndyce-and-jarndyce-vs-decoy-detonator/

• Time to do the right thing

With just a couple of months to go till retirement, the CJP has thrown himself into his mohim to fix the country and bring it onto some kind of track. With a pack of photographers and hangers-on in tow he arrives unannounced at institutions and questions personnel on the premises about the institution’s administration, and contribution to society. He does this with the best will in the world, one is sure, and the zeal of a reformer, although you wonder what set the zeal in motion so all of a sudden, and why the aggressive stance, but oh well. It isn’t clear what but something’s going on. If you’ve read the Harry Potter books these incidents smack of Weasley’s Decoy Detonators which are little objects that run around letting off bangs and puffs of smoke, creating diversions where required. What the bangs and smoke are hiding… in Harry Potter it could be something quite sinister, like He Who Must Not Be Named. Real life is often quite out of a book.

But the CJP is right. Everything needs fixing. Not least of all the judiciary, which seems to have been included in the list at the last moment as if it had suddenly occurred to someone as something that had best be mentioned too.

The legal situation in Pakistan smacks of Dickens’ Jarndyce vs Jarndyce in Bleak House, a case that dragged on and on. Dickens describes it like this:

Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, over the course of time, become so complicated, that no man alive knows what it means. The parties to it understand it least; but it has been observed that no two Chancery lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises. Innumerable children have been born into the cause; innumerable young people have married into it; innumerable old people have died out of it. Scores of persons have deliriously found themselves made parties in Jarndyce and Jarndyce without knowing how or why; whole families have inherited legendary hatreds with the suit. The little plaintiff or defendant, who was promised a new rocking-horse when Jarndyce and Jarndyce should be settled, has grown up, possessed himself of a real horse, and trotted away into the other world. Fair wards of court have faded into mothers and grandmothers; a long procession of Chancellors has come in and gone out.

There are several cases this reminds one of but none as much as the case of Asia Bibi. Please CJP, settle this before you go if you want to earn that medal of a knight in shining armour.

Aasiya Bibi is a 47 year old Christian woman who has been in prison since 2009, ten long years, made that much longer for Asia as a woman with five young children, who like the wards of Jarndyce have grown older while their mother’s sentence drags on. A death sentence hangs over Asia’s head but has been postponed several times following appeals.

The reason for Aasiya’s incarceration appears to be an accusation of blasphemy made against her by a woman already involved in a tu tu mai mai (unpleasant disagreement) with Aasiya’s family regarding damage to property. Aasiya’s crime was said to be drinking water from the same cup as some Muslim women, which they claim is not allowed in Islam. Really? My daughter in law is Christian. She and I have no such hang ups. But then of course she is white which is categorised differently.

In response she was thrown into prison. Is that really what our Prophet (pbuh) did, or what he would have done? What an ideal opportunity to have thrown away, if one must proselytise at such a point, of enumerating the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) great deeds and forgiving nature, how he would never belittle another person’s beliefs to start with, or treat a woman like Aasiya had been treated, how he was kindness incarnate, and just and merciful as well.

What the CJP and Imran Khan’s government does in the case of Aasiya Bibi is likely to be the pivotal point of judgment with reference to them. You hope they will have the strength of character to do humane justice by her.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/06/it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times/

Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation shows how far the #metoo movement still has to go

Despite protests by thousands against his appointment, Mr. Brett Kavanaugh appears set to be confirmed to the American Supreme Court with undecided Republican Senators announcing to vote ‘yes’. But the imbroglio involving Kavanaugh and his accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has added one more pebble to the well, raising the water level a tad higher for women in the struggle against sexual exploitation. It’s a shot in the arm for the Me Too campaign, even if Kavanaugh is nominated.

It is an emotive issue, an explosive one, in which almost every positive has a negative, but in the end, it is a winner because it empowers women to speak out against sexual exploitation.

Sexual exploitation is nothing new. It takes place in every society to a lesser or greater extent. It is probably women’s physical frailty that causes it. That, and the fact that with countless exceptions, men appear to be ego-bound for which nurture and not nature is at fault. What makes a difference in this battle – as in others, are justice and the law.

It makes you cringe when a potential judge of the Supreme Court is accused of sexual aggression, not for the first time either. Any judgement given by such a man, unless the accusation against him is proven wrong, would always be suspect.

It makes you cringe when a potential judge of the Supreme Court is accused of sexual aggression, not for the first time either. Any judgement given by such a man, unless the accusation against him is proven wrong, would always be suspect.

Women who accuse men of sexual exploitation are almost always accused of being attention seeking.

In the case of Dr. Ford, this does not smack true. Mr. Kavanaugh has served as a judge for the US Court of Appeal for the DC Circuit since 2003, to which position he was nominated by President Bush, Jr. Dr. Ford had time to accuse him then, but she did not, even though she did not know if she would get another chance. The Supreme Court appointment appears to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Yet all things taken into account there is no way to prove either the accusation or the rebuttal. Yes, Kavanaugh’s ranting rebuttal of the accusation was enough to set up most people’s back, that and the fact that he is Trump’s nominee. The indecent manner in which he was defended by Trump also works against him. And yes Dr. Ford’s clean record and a testimony that appeared extremely genuine gains support.

But these are all subjective reactions. There is no proof, and that is what is most required for justice. That’s the damning thing.

Issam Ahmed in his well-written report for AFP has presented different views held by participants at the recent rally against Mr. Kavanaugh in DC. Among these was a Ms. Robinson who does not believe Dr. Ford. She says, “I have a son and a daughter. I wouldn’t want my son treated like Kavanaugh, and I wouldn’t want my daughter saying that somebody assaulted her and not have any evidence of the fact.”

I couldn’t agree more with that last bit. No one who has children would wish something like this to happen to them.

But Ms. Robinson appears to have missed a crucial point, that had someone really assaulted her daughter, Ms. Robinson would be the first to want her daughter to have the ability to bring the incident to light.

Also, that if Mr. Kavanaugh has really committed the acts he is accused of, is he the best person for the job of a supreme court judge? What price justice in a country where such persons dispense it?

The American constitution does not place any criteria upon the appointment of a supreme court judge, which is at the discretion of the President and the support of the senate. For those who argue that there ought to be stipulations there is the example of ‘sadiq and ameen’ in Pakistan, which is about the most misused stipulation in existence.

Such cases are important for Pakistan where sexual aggression is probably more common than in many countries, where women are muzzled by society and prevented from speaking up, and men get away with anything.

At the same time one would hope that one’s judge would be free of such accusations.

At the same time yet again, how easy is it to discredit a person by making such accusations against him or her? How many instances can we enumerate in politics and in social interaction when persons have been wrongly accused?

A crucial question is: should an accusation if it is unproven – or unprovable, be taken into consideration?

Without a doubt, accusations destroy lives. Yet all accusations must be taken into consideration and investigated. The FBI in Kavanaugh’s case has been accused of making a poor investigation.

The second question follows that while it is unproven, should such accusations be made public?

A proven accusation must be made public. But in the case of Kavanaugh vs. Ford, whether you believe this side or the other is a subjective matter, and there is no chance of an objective ruling. It would have been better to keep the issue quieter than it has been until proof is obtained. But that is easier said than done, and in this case almost impossible. Yet you wish that the media were less vociferous. But then if the media is restrained too much it creates a situation we are familiar with. And the issue would not be brought to public attention. It’s a tough one.

So really, the best thing about this incident is that women seem to be on the way to being able to speak out, which is a major win and a great thing. That, and the fact that the Me Too movement into which this case slots has started a crucial debate about what is appropriate and what is not, what can be done about it, and shown how sexual exploiters are brought down. It’s an immense deterrent and a debate that was long overdue.

Such cases are important for Pakistan where sexual aggression is probably more common than in many countries, where women are muzzled by society and prevented from speaking up, and men get away with anything. “Log kia kahain gay” what will people say, “tumhari shadi nahi hogi” you will never get married, “khandan ka mun kala ho jai ga” the family will be disgraced – such sentiments are part of the social psyche. Here, if accusations without evidence are given official credence, something they already possess to a great extent unfortunately, it is mindboggling to think of the injustice that will result.

At present Pakistan is not the best place for a woman to live. Check the polls. The only way to help women is to bring the law more into line with women’s needs so that justice can be done. It would truly be a great thing if women feel empowered to speak up. But unless they are supported by more stringent means, relevant education in schools and homes, and greater punishment for proven aggressors or those who give false evidence, none of these measures may lead very far.

OF RICKETY LITTLE STRUCTURES

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/01/of-rickety-little-structures/

DHA in Lahore is going through a massive restructuring, with underpasses and overpasses and bypasses, you name it. If these are considered crucial for the health and happiness of the nation, the sudden rash of little Minar-e-Pakistans at every crossing are definitely not. Having made a hash of honouring the real national monument which represents the Lahore Resolution written by Sir Zafarullah Khan – the Resolution that started the concept of Pakistan – one wonders what so many rickety models are supposed to represent, and such garish ones too, unless of course they are meant to be a satire.

The above may be a trifling example of squandering at the taxpayer’s expense but there are innumerable such examples, and numbers have a habit of adding up, as do grievances.

Pakistan has a crying need for many things. Rivers be dammed, we need education, and real, informed justice dispensed by rational minds. But right now, and most crucially it is Baluchistan that needs attention. For this every little bit counts.

Baluchistan has had a turbulent history, and even its present lacks the prosperity one would expect from a province as minerally rich as it is. Not only is Baluchistan the largest province in the country with reference to land area, it is immensely rich in mineral resources. Its coal, marble, limestone, and other minerals are all currently being mined, and there are further untapped reserves. Baluchistan’s greatest contribution though is the gas piped from Sui to the rest of the country. This makes the Baluch resentment completely valid, that the province itself does not benefit as it should from its own crucial resource. There is no law and order in Baluchistan and its people lack personal security. Any protest movements have dire consequences for people indulging in them, and the ghost population of the province is growing by the day.

Baluchistan remains Pakistan’s most poverty-stricken province, with the greatest human rights violations, political and sectarian. But now that poverty has taken a turn for the worse, because of drought which has been coming on for a couple of years or more. There was ample time for something to be done had matters at the top been less disorganised and less involved in sorting out power deals. The situation is now at the stage where the population is suffering from severe malnutrition, the highest in the country. Also the highest in the country is Baluchistan’s infant mortality. As a result, the growth – height and weight – of Baluch children is suffering.

A hundred and two luxury and other vehicles are to be auctioned. Up to a few days earlier sixty-one of these were sold. Just one of these cars, a Mercedes SUV, was sold for Rs14.5 million

Imran Khan did well to highlight the matter in his inaugural speech when he expressed his government’s commitment to tackle this and other issues — such as discrimination. The only thing is one is somewhat chary of laying much faith in such stated commitments following the Atif Mian episode where the PM reneged on his own promises of non-discrimination made so recently.

So, what is to be done?

Following the recent auctions of cars, cows and other property, it would be an idea to divert the proceeds towards helping the people of Baluchistan on an urgent basis. After all it is tough that the very province that provides the gas to cook the abundant niharis and gulab jamuns for the rest of the country should itself not have enough to eat. What could be more urgent than this, unless of course the government does another Atif Mian on this issue.

The auctions, a laudable move by the government, must have raised a great deal of money. They did after all raise Rs2,302,000 on just eight buffaloes belonging to the ex-PMs house. One of the buffaloes actually sold for Rs385,000 for which one must be grateful to NS and his daughter because the purchaser felt he would be somehow reminded of them by his purchase.

A hundred and two luxury and other vehicles are to be auctioned. Up to a few days earlier sixty-one of these were sold. Just one of these cars, a Mercedes SUV, was sold for Rs14.5 million, while a Land Cruiser was sold for Rs27.4 million. All this adds up to a great deal of money. Whatever this money is designated for should be determined by popular consent, officially determined. But Baluchistan must surely be the prime choice, although even these funds will not be sufficient. The uplift of an entire province from such poverty will require a great deal of ongoing effort. But it would be a crucial start.

Pakistan is one of the lowest spenders on health, specifically maternal and infant health in the world. It is one of the few countries where polio is yet to be eradicated. It contains some of the worst education in the world and one of the worst records of law and order. Yet a substantial percentage of its budget is spent on its military, which owns the DHAs dotted around the country where the rickety little structures mentioned before have been erected. One hopes that the governance of the country is in more stable hands. It remains to be seen.