RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov struck the right tone during his visit to Pakistan. In a press conference along with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mr Lavrov said Russia was ready to promote bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields including economy, trade and defence. The importance of his visit can be gauged from the fact that it is after nearly a decade that the top diplomat of Russia has made a trip to Pakistan. In the last 15 years or so, both countries have made a concerted effort to improve ties and establish solid grounds for building a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship for the years ahead. The present times accord a good opportunity to undertake such an endeavour. Pakistan’s foreign policy is aligned with regional realities. In a strategically vital neighbourhood, Pakistan is well placed to leverage its ties with key countries in order to effectively pursue its national interests. Pakistan is doing well to avoid the label of being in any one camp and it is important that it is recognised as a regional player that is on good terms with major powers such as China, the US and Russia. While Russia retains a global reach in its policy, it is one of the most influential countries in our region and Mr Qureshi was right when he said that Russia is a factor of stability in the region. This makes Pakistan’s ties with Russia crucial from all aspects.
Pakistan has genuine policy interests in Afghanistan, India, Iran and the Middle East. Russia wields significant influence in all these spheres. Pakistan has been gradually investing in this relationship in recent years and the Russian foreign minister’s productive visit appears to be one of the dividends of this diplomatic investment. However, the real challenge for Islamabad is to translate this improved relationship into tangible projects. The key project that requires Pakistan’s highest priority is the North-South gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore. Prime Minister Imran Khan also highlighted the importance of this joint Pakistan-Russia project in his meeting with Mr Lavrov. In addition, Russia has also shown an interest in the Steel Mill which in fact had been initially set up by the USSR. Pakistan can benefit from this renewed interest from Moscow.
Mr Lavrov also assured his counterpart that Russia would be sending more Sputnik vaccine to Pakistan and this is a welcome gesture as vaccines are not easy to come by in the international market. Similarly, defence cooperation is a key area. It was announced that Russia would provide more counterterrorism equipment to Pakistan which is perhaps an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s success in this area. Five rounds of Pakistan-Russia military exercises have already taken place. Pakistan-Russia ties are on an upward trajectory and it is important that Islamabad put greater effort into strengthening them even further.
Forces’ criticism bill
IN a country where free speech is increasingly facing restrictions, a National Assembly panel’s approval of a bill that seeks to criminalise criticism of the armed forces is bound to generate further misgivings. The bill, which has the endorsement of the interior ministry, was introduced by PTI lawmakers as a response to the growing criticism of the armed forces, some members of which have come under public scrutiny for their alleged interference in matters of governance.
There is no doubt that this nation takes immense pride in its armed forces for their courage in defending the country’s borders and recognises the tremendous sacrifices they have made in the war against terrorism. In fact, the successful military operations that eradicated terrorists from northern Pakistan have been especially lauded. However, no one is above criticism, including the senior leadership of our security apparatus — this includes those perceived as going beyond their scope of responsibilities.
Read: ‘Absolutely ridiculous to criminalise criticism,’ Fawad says
Since its inception, the country has seen repeated military interventions, the abrogation or suspension of the Constitution, the dismissal of elected parliaments, and the incarceration of political leaders — actions that have been overseen by the defence establishment. It is also no secret that there are occasions where senior commanders have been perceived as indirectly interfering in civilian matters — a reality which did not escape the army chief himself when intelligence officials held police hostage in Karachi last year. The intelligence apparatus, too, has often been accused of unconstitutional behaviour, such as the enforced disappearance of activists.
Given this reality, the move to bring in such legislation sends the wrong message. It would give cause for some to say that the very goal here is to prevent legitimate criticism by opposition politicians and rights groups that have questioned the role of the army in civilian affairs. It would also give weight to the argument that the present dispensation is a hybrid regime. This bill will criminalise legitimate questions about the military’s alleged interference in civilian matters — questions which in a country like Pakistan are necessary as the fear of derailment of the democratic project is ever-present.
Freedom to question here does not mean that the military’s role in defending the country is being doubted. It simply gives people their constitutional right to question the alleged involvement of an institution of the state in affairs that are beyond its constitutional mandate. In the interest of democracy, parliament must ensure that this bill is either abandoned or rejected.
ODI series triumph
WEDNESDAY’S victory over South Africa at Centurion has brought Pakistan a much-awaited overseas ODI series triumph, while the return to form of opener Fakhar Zaman augurs well for the team in future assignments. Since 2019, Pakistan has had a rough ride on away tours in which they have tasted defeat in Tests as well as ODIs and T20 games in Australia, England and New Zealand. However, the back-to-back Test and T20 series wins at home against South Africa earlier this year boosted the players’ morale as was evident this week. For once, Babar Azam’s men looked happy and prepared as they took the field for the ODI series which they won 2-1 against South Africa. Thankfully, there were no Covid-19 cases to haunt them this time, as there were during the New Zealand tour last year which got off to a disastrous start with as many as 10 cases being reported.
It was also good to see the top order performing well for a change. Fakhar, Imam-ul-Haq, skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan all displayed their prowess with the bat in the three-match series. Fakhar’s twin hundreds, though, were the cornerstone of Pakistan’s win. The fact that Pakistan crossed the 300-run mark in two of the three games should give them heart and raise hopes of a strong combination being finalised for the T20 World Cup in India, scheduled in October. Having said that, the lacklustre show by the bowlers remains an area of concern for bowling coach Waqar Younis and the team management. The young pace trio comprising Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain went for runs at crucial stages of the game which was not a pretty sight at all. It remains a mystery, too, why Pakistan resisted playing a spinner in the opening two games since South Africa are weak when they face spin bowling. Hopefully, skipper Babar and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq will analyse matters to field a formidable playing eleven in the four-match T20 series that begins on Saturday.
