Addressing crime
A STUDY conducted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute has made important revelations about the incidence of religiously motivated and gender-based violence in Punjab, which ought to be the starting point for a serious discussion in parliament about reforming the Pakistan Penal Code. Researchers went to various prisons in Punjab, familiarised themselves with the cases of the convicts, and even spoke directly to some of them. After undertaking this exercise, the report writers made multiple recommendations, such as punishments for all those who participate in mob violence, trying religiously motivated crimes in anti-terror courts, not showing leniency to young offenders — to this effect even lowering the age of adulthood for such crimes from 18 to 16 years. Most importantly, it recommended that the provincial and federal governments both address the issue of security of sessions judges, who fear the consequences of their judgements. It also called on the PTA to shut down social media platforms that propagate hate speech by religious groups.
Whatever one’s views of the recommendations, the research is important, as it underscores the factors that make a criminal in our society. Lack of education, no employment or meagre incomes, coupled with access to hate speech and weak deterrents, create the perfect storm in a society where crime and violence are on the rise. The report highlights that crimes in 2020 grew by 67pc, with Lahore recording the highest number of rape and domestic violence cases — something that should be addressed as a priority by the entire political class as it affects the country’s most populous province. Sadly, our leaders are too busy politicking, playing power games and indulging in rival-bashing rhetoric to take note of these serious challenges. They must take note of these facts, and form a committee to address them on a priority basis. The report clearly points to the deprivation of socioeconomic rights as a common reason for criminality, which is something that the government must address by including all political parties in its quest for a solution.
Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2023
Utility Store prices
DELAYING important policy decisions till the eleventh hour can create unwanted complications in their implementation. The government’s recent decision to restructure the manner in which it subsidises food for the financially less fortunate through the Utility Stores Corporation seems likely to cause considerable distress. According to a recent report, the government has raised wheat flour, sugar and ghee prices in the range of 25-62pc in an effort to cut untargeted subsidies and also lowered the limit for the maximum quantity of each of these goods which can be purchased on subsidised rates. Only citizens who qualify for the Benazir Income Support Programme can now get these items at the old, reduced rates. For the rest, the price of sugar has risen from Rs70 per kg to Rs89; the price of ghee by Rs75 per kg to Rs375; and the price of flour from Rs40 to Rs64.8 per kg. The new prices have gone into effect as of Sunday. The government’s decision may look good on paper, but the devil is in the details.
Under the new mechanism, those who qualify for the subsidised rates can avail of them only after they have registered themselves through an SMS service, obtained a one-time password and had their national identity card verified and confirmed. It is worth asking how many poor families will be able to jump through these hoops without trouble and how many may be forced to pay the higher prices despite being deserving. Mobile phone usage is indeed prolific, but most people still use their devices for very basic tasks. Meanwhile, there are predators aplenty who take advantage of the vast majority of our population’s low literacy rates to extract rent in return for ‘help’ navigating the state’s benefits system. Go to any of the ATMs that disburse BISP payments, and you are likely to find someone nearby charging around Rs500 per transaction just to get people’s money out of the machine. It is, therefore, not unreasonable to expect that similar rent-seekers will take advantage of this new mechanism as well. Has the state anticipated these challenges and taken measures to assist those who may face difficulties? Rationalising and fine-tuning the delivery of subsidies is indeed necessary for a resource-starved economy, but measures like these should be phased in rather than imposed abruptly — that too at a time when people are struggling desperately to put food on the table.
Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2023
CT training
WITH militancy rearing its head across the country once again, the civilian and military leaderships need to focus on imparting better counterterrorism training to our troops in order to reduce loss of life during antiterrorism operations.
Ever since the banned TTP rescinded the truce with the state in November of last year, there has been an alarming rise in the frequency of attacks in which security personnel have been martyred or wounded. In fact, according to figures collected by an Islamabad-based think tank, Pakistan lost over 280 security personnel last year, with December being particularly deadly. As things stand, the new year is not likely to be much different, unless the terrorist threat is uprooted.
Both in terms of intelligence gathering and counterterrorism training, there is a dire need for our security forces to stay two steps ahead of the militants. This is especially true for those on the front line in the battle against terrorist violence, namely the military units concerned and the counterterrorism departments of the provincial police forces.
The fact is that militants — whether they are religiously motivated and sectarian elements or separatists — are not conventional enemies that armies meet on the battlefield. They are irregular foes using asymmetric methods, and the state will have to master the necessary rules of engagement if it is to defeat the enemy and save the lives of our troops and police officers. For example, while IEDs may be tough to spot, there is no reason why such a high number of security men should lose their lives in intelligence-based operations.
The government, together with the military high command, needs to update CT training modules for both the military and the police forces. If need be, a special military unit can be raised that is specifically trained in the latest methods, and equipped with the requisite tools to fight terrorism. Or, existing formations can be trained to meet the threat. This is a decision security experts and the high command need to make in order to limit casualties within the ranks, and successfully counter terrorism.
Indeed, the fight will not be a painless one, and many of our brave troops and police officers will be putting their lives on the line to protect Pakistan. It is the state’s duty to provide them with the training and tools they need to defeat a shadowy and ruthless foe that has few scruples. If a high number of security men continue to lose their lives or suffer grave injuries during the course of antiterrorism operations, it will have a major demoralising effect on security personnel, while handing a psychological victory to the militants.
Terrorism may have made a resurgence due to the failed policies of the state, but those defending the country should not have to pay for these mistakes with their lives.
Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2023