Football hope
STEPHEN Constantine masterminded it, Harun Hamid delivered it — Pakistan’s football team is in dreamland at last. Finally, there is much to look forward to, a renewed hope for the future. A 33-game jinx ended, a 34-year-old curse broke with Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Cambodia. Pakistan will enter uncharted territory next month when they play in the second stage of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time. For a sport that is popular among the masses but has struggled to gain a foothold due to continuous turmoil, poor governance and political interference at the Pakistan Football Federation, this is a watershed moment. It was miraculous in the way it came. Barely 20 days ago, Shehzad Anwar — who had overseen eight straight losses in the past year — was sacked. In came the experienced Constantine. Using the same players picked by Shehzad, Constantine moulded a team; each of his charges knowing their role. The goalless draw in the opening leg in Phnom Penh raised hopes before Harun raised the roof in Islamabad with his expertly taken goal that saw Pakistan through, underscoring once again that the talent exists but coaching is lacking.
In the previous two qualifying campaigns, since the format which merges the preliminaries for both the World Cup and Asian Cup was introduced, Pakistan paid the price for being knocked out in the first round. This time, though, they have the guarantee of 12 competitive fixtures till March 2026. Far higher-ranked opposition including Asian giants Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan await in the second round. When such illustrious sides come to play in the country, it will further boost the profile of football here, and support from all stakeholders, including the government, is expected. But some issues must be resolved. Constantine’s short-term contract has expired and he is waiting for the PFF Normalisation Committee to offer an extension. For what he has achieved, that is the very least he deserves.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023
Slippery customer
THE legal strategy seems evident enough: an attempt to evade accountability by opening a new legal front. With the Supreme Court under its new chief justice reviewing the implementation of a 2019 ruling on land illegally allotted to Bahria Town Karachi, the latter has petitioned the court with a complaint that it was being treated ‘unfairly’ compared to other real estate developers. BTK’s finger pointed, in particular, to DHA City Karachi, which it says has been allowed to acquire much more land at a fraction of the price per acre BTK has to pay. BTK has argued that the ‘differential treatment’ has affected its fundamental rights and affected those who had acquired plots in its megaproject. However, BTK cannot rationalise its own misdoings with the ‘others did it too’ argument. Hopefully, the judiciary will not get distracted from holding BTK to account on the deal it struck in 2019.
The real estate giant had agreed to pay regular instalments against its total Rs460bn liability in return for exemption from prosecution by NAB. How much of this was paid remained shrouded in secrecy despite repeated attempts by journalists to acquire this information. However, yesterday in court, BTK’s counsel admitted that only Rs65bn of the total amount had been deposited with the court. Nevertheless, more information is needed on who made the payments and when. There is also the related question of the sum of £140m (out of £190m) that was routed by the PTI government to the Supreme Court against the real estate developer’s liabilities, even though this money had been confiscated from Malik Riaz by the UK authorities and was meant to be returned to the people of Pakistan. The Supreme Court must ensure transparency in its present and past dealings with BTK, and the public should be explained how and why Mr Riaz was apparently allowed to benefit from funds he had surrendered to avoid criminal prosecution in the UK. At the same time, it is important for the Supreme Court to take notice of the manipulative dealings of DHA City and other housing societies and hold them to account wherever it finds them to have deceived the Pakistani people. It is time to put an end to the impunity enjoyed by large real estate developers, who have acted for too long as if they are above the law.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023
Israeli barbarism
IT is difficult to put into words the outrage one feels when looking at the broken, lifeless bodies of Palestinian men, women, and especially children — all victims of Israel’s latest murderous assault on Gaza.
If any other country had been guilty of committing these atrocities, the international community, particularly the self-professed guardians of the rules-based Western order, would have been calling for harsh accountability. But not so for Israel, for whom the rules are always put aside by its benefactors.
While the people of Gaza have been enduring hell on earth ever since the events of Oct 7, Tuesday’s air strike targeting the Al Ahli Hospital marks a new low in this uneven, brutal conflict. This monstrous crime, in which at least 500 people were reportedly killed, has Israel’s footprints all over it, even though Tel Aviv has denied responsibility.
Instead, Israel blames the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, saying the armed group misfired a missile that hit the health facility. The outfit says the accusations are “baseless”.
While facts are often obscured in the fog of war, it should be remembered that the Israeli military is well-versed in the art of obfuscation, and that Tel Aviv has a rich history of carrying out massacres of Palestinian civilians, from 1948 onwards.
No one, except for its ardent supporters, is likely to believe Israel’s denial of responsibility, since its hands have been covered in the blood of Palestinian non-combatants for decades now. In the most recent hostilities, over 3,300 have been murdered by Israel, including 1,000 children. Were these 1,000 minors all Hamas operatives?
What is just as reprehensible as Israel’s unrestrained barbarity is the Western hypocrisy in this conflict. Many Western leaders have made a beeline for Tel Aviv in solidarity with the murderous regime, the latest amongst them Joe Biden.
While offering lukewarm condolences over the hospital outrage, Mr Biden warmly embraced the Israeli prime minister while observing that the “other team” was likely responsible for this odious crime. Gloating over his high-profile visitor’s presence, Benjamin Netanyahu termed the conflict a struggle “between the forces of civilisation … and barbarism”. Certainly, Tel Aviv’s brutal behaviour over the decades, and today, qualifies as barbaric.
It is highly unlikely the West will muzzle Israel. And the Muslim world must take a stand that goes beyond rhetoric, and stops the slaughter in Palestine.
During an OIC meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign minister proposed an oil embargo and sanctions on Israel, as well as called on Muslim states with relations with Tel Aviv to break these off.
There are echoes here of the ‘oil weapon’ deployed by Arab states during the 1973 Middle East conflict. Certainly, these measures should be considered in solidarity with Palestine’s battered population.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023