Elected set-up’s job
THE interim administration under Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar appears to be in a hurry to set some sort of an economic agenda of its choice for the future elected government. On Thursday, Mr Kakar told businesspeople in Karachi that the interim set-up’s objective was to leave behind an economic blueprint for the next dispensation. But he did not elaborate.
The same morning, some of Pakistan’s industrial tycoons, who were invited by the caretaker government to be part of the recently constituted Industrial Advisory Council to advise on the formulation of a long-term industry policy, met in Islamabad to find ways and means to rescue the economy, and raise exports from $30bn to $100bn over the next five years.
From media accounts, it can be inferred that they came up with nothing substantive. Such an outcome would hardly be unexpected. The majority of members of the Council represent industries and businesses — textiles, automobiles, fertilisers, etc — that have thrived either on heavy government subsidies or protection from competition.
They wield enough power to force any government to alter economic and financial policies to suit their interests. What they want is known to all. The commerce minister’s homily in favour of subsidies and protections for their businesses indicates as much.
Backed by a powerful establishment, the interim government has done a fairly good job at executing IMF-mandated policies and reducing market volatility in the last four months. That has helped Pakistan smoothly complete the IMF programme review and access the second tranche of $700m under the Stand-by Arrangement facility.
But does that give the caretakers the right to set the economic agenda for the political party elected to power in February? Is it fair to make long-term policies for the next government? Obviously no.
With the approach of elections, each political party will soon be announcing the economic programme it wants to pursue for the next five years if elected to power. Although there is a sort of broader political consensus on major economic issues, each party has a different approach to tackle them.
Setting a firm economic agenda for them through the formulation of long-term policies would be akin to tying the hands of the next government. Not only that, advisory councils formed by the interim administration are not representative of the sectors they are assigned to make policies for.
The Industrial Advisory Council, for example, lacks representation from most industrial sectors, especially small and medium enterprises, whose growth is severely hampered by an unfavourable tax system, poor access to bank loans, the absence of any regulatory or financial support from the government, etc.
Thus, it is advisable for the interim set-up to not exceed its mandate and to leave the job of policymaking to the representatives of the next elected government.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023
New Danish law
THE public defilement of Islamic sanctities — mainly by Islamophobic provocateurs in the West — serves no particular purpose other than to stoke the flames of hatred. It is, in fact an ugly manifestation of the far right’s extreme animosity towards Islam and Muslims. In this regard, Denmark’s recent passage of a law banning the desecration of religious books is a step in the right direction. The development comes in the wake of several burnings of the Holy Quran over the past few months mostly in the Scandinavian states. Before these outrages, there was a series of offensive caricatures and crudely made films, again mostly originating in Europe, designed to insult all that Muslims hold sacred. The Danish law criminalises “inappropriate treatment” of recognised religious scripture, including their public burning or defiling, as well as disseminating these vile acts via video, proposing either a fine or jail term for those who break the law. The Danish administration has made the move on security grounds, though members of the far right in the country have termed it a ‘betrayal’ of their supposed values.
If a socially liberal country like Denmark can criminalise the desecration of religious material, other Western states, too, can follow suit. As this paper has argued previously, the sacred symbols of all faiths deserve respect, and troublemakers cannot be allowed to play with religious sensitivities by indulging in such reckless behaviour in the name of free speech. Moreover, just as there are Holocaust denial laws on the books in many countries, similarly, legislation that penalises religious hatred is the need of the hour globally. Under the garb of free expression, some of the most hateful and divisive elements in non-Muslim societies desecrate religious symbols, particularly those belonging to Islam. These same groups harbour a vision where their countries must be ‘cleansed’ of all ‘others’ — racially, culturally, and religiously — through violence if necessary. The West can help isolate these elements through legislation that criminalises religious hatred. If there is no dialogue of civilisations based on tolerance and respect, particularly of sacred symbols, hate-filled actors will get a chance, under nebulous notions of free expression, to push for a civilisational clash. The West needs to understand that just as the Holocaust is not up for discussion in their societies, Islam’s revered symbols, too, are a red line in Muslim cultures.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023