No sanctuary in sight
APATHY seems to once again be descending over the upkeep of the African elephants in Karachi. A few months ago, Noor Jehan’s death at the city zoo had sparked public outrage against the facility’s management, whose negligence was responsible for the pachyderm’s prolonged suffering. But that episode, documented in heart-wrenching detail on social media and in news reports, led to hopes for a more sensitised approach to captive animals. For one, it was decided to move the remaining African elephant at the zoo, Madhubala, to the more spacious Safari Park in the city. Secondly, KMC, which runs both facilities, agreed to develop an elephant sanctuary on the advice of a team from Four Paws International that was in Karachi to treat Noor Jehan. However, as per a report in this paper, conditions at the Safari Park, where two other elephants, Sonia and Malika, are housed, are far from satisfactory. Even worse, the threats to their well-being from a damaged concrete floor and moist conditions inside their enclosure were pointed out over two months ago in a report by a task force set up by the provincial government after Noor Jehan’s death. The task force had also noted a visible foot injury on Sonia; now she appears to be in pain from a swelling on the same leg.
The authorities must urgently address the problems at the Safari Park lest another animal loses its life to preventable causes. Recent reports suggest that work on the sanctuary has been delayed by a tussle over its management. While Four Paws International wants it to be an independently run facility of international standard, the KMC wants to maintain control over it. The latter’s record of indifference towards animals in their care makes them unsuitable to have anything to do with the sanctuary. And the Karachi Zoo, given the misery to which its voiceless denizens are subjected, should be shut down.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023
Hollow gestures
NATIONAL Minorities Day, Aug 11, draws its name from the Quaid’s famous speech on this day back in 1947, in which he forcefully made the case for a secular state. Addressing the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, he vowed that every citizen of the new nation would be able to freely practise his religion; “… that has nothing to do with the business of the state”. But Pakistan has come a long way since then, reversing the pledges it had made to its minority communities in those hopeful, heady days. Now, Aug 11 is largely an occasion for regurgitating platitudes and putting on a tableau of hollow gestures for non-Muslim communities in Pakistan. Consider that on Friday, at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, President Arif Alvi addressed representatives of non-Muslim communities and cut a cake at a ceremony to mark National Minorities Day. Ironically, none of the guests — howsoever accomplished — can aspire to Mr Alvi’s office, the highest in the land, nor even to the second highest, that of prime minister. The Constitution allows only Muslims to attain these positions, which means that the fundamental law of the land reduces them to second-class citizens in one fell swoop, and makes their faith very much “the business of the state”. At a rally in Islamabad on Aug 11, the Minorities Alliance demanded increased political empowerment for non-Muslims, including more seats in national and provincial legislatures, as well as constitutional amendments removing the bar on them from becoming PM or president.
The grievances of minority communities are well-founded. Time and again, instead of proactive measures to uphold their right to religious freedom, they have been offered tokenism and empty promises. Under pressure from right-wing clerics, who cannot explain why those who convert to the majority faith are nearly always minor girls or women of marriageable age, legislators have more than once rejected a much-needed law to stop forced conversions and put in place procedural delays against impulsive conversions. Law enforcers have themselves been found involved in the destruction of places of worship of a minority community, part of a drive to intensify persecution against it. When the state becomes party to religious discrimination, the social fabric begins to fray, making it easier for malign elements to exploit divisions. Let alone a celebration of diversity, even tolerance is in short supply in Pakistan today.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023
High hopes
THE choice was unexpected, given the considerably stronger candidates that were in the running for the post, but it seems that outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz have compromised over Anwaarul Haq Kakar, a hitherto little-known senator from the Balochistan Awami Party.
“We had earlier decided that the caretaker PM should be someone from a smaller province and a non-controversial personality,” Mr Riaz said after the agreement was reached between him and Mr Sharif. “Our aim was to remove the sense of deprivation in small provinces.”
Mr Kakar will, therefore, serve as the eighth caretaker PM of Pakistan, having been entrusted by the two gentlemen with the task of keeping the country running till public representatives elected by the people return for the job. His selection will undoubtedly be scrutinised and re-scrutinised in the coming days, and will be dissected for its implications for the country amidst the uncertainty that clouds the upcoming polls.
Whatever the eventual verdict may be, one can start by considering some positives. Mr Kakar hails from a party which has worked with both the PTI and PDM. Though BAP is widely perceived to be propped up by the military establishment, he is perhaps as politically non-controversial and palatable a choice as could be in the present circumstances. Indeed, his selection seems to have been generally well-received, with even PTI representatives welcoming the decision.
This would suggest that, despite all reservations, Mr Sharif and Mr Riaz ultimately made a good choice. That Mr Kakar represents Balochistan is also a cause for celebration. He may bring with him a perspective to the job that has been missing so far. However, will those two things alone be enough for what seems to be a rather weighty job? It can only be hoped that Mr Kakar will prove himself worthy.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Mr Kakar may be pressured to stick around for longer than the law would allow. He should resist any such proposal. He must remain focused on the responsibility entrusted to him, which is to hold free and fair elections within the 90-day period provisioned for in the Constitution.
There are tangible fears that he may be asked to play a supporting role in a conspiracy to extend the caretaker set-up till such time as the country’s unelected decision-makers decide that the public may finally have a say in their future.
He must do all he can within his power to preclude this possibility. The biggest challenge will be to ensure that delimitations under the recently notified census are completed as quickly as possible. Perhaps he can begin by ensuring that the ECP has everything it needs to complete this task without further imperilling constitutional timelines.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023