Exporting beggars
A RECENT revelation by the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis during a briefing to the Senate has caused considerable embarrassment for the country. The shocking statistic of 90pc beggars arrested abroad — particularly in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq — being Pakistanis not only raises concerns regarding human trafficking but also carries far-reaching implications for our global image. It is highly unfortunate that pilgrim visas are being misused for such activities and it is a matter of grave concern that at a place of extreme reverence, Masjid al-Haram, pickpockets are found to predominantly be Pakistanis. To add insult to injury, Japan has emerged as a new destination for such activities, further broadening the scope of the challenge.
The state must reflect on what prompts such acts of desperation. A knee-jerk reaction would be to blame poverty. Indeed, according to the World Bank, as of 2023, nearly 40pc of Pakistan’s population has fallen below the poverty line. But simply offering cash handouts through the flagship national social safety net, known as the Benazir Income Support Programme, will not do. The beneficiaries must also be provided a skills-based education so they can not only climb over the poverty line but become self-sufficient, too. The issue also goes beyond poverty and its redressal. One must not forget to question how it is that professional beggars — if they can be called that — take their begging bowls to foreign soil. If human trafficking rings are at work, they must be dealt with with the full force of the law and dismantled. Furthermore, there need to be in place proper checks for those exiting the country, all the while taking care that legitimate travellers are not harassed. Most importantly, creating opportunities for respectful employment at home must be our way forward. Let us rewrite our story; one that showcases the immense potential of our people, rather than perpetuating negative stereotypes.
Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023
Faizabad redux
THE memory of the infamous Faizabad dharna of 2017 has returned to haunt Pakistan. When one looks back at the stand-off, which eventually saw the Tehreek-i-Labbaik catapulted into the political ‘mainstream’, there is little to feel but regret.
As the Supreme Court takes up review petitions against its 2019 verdict in the same case, the TLP is once again on the rampage, this time against minority communities.
Unfortunately, there has been, so far, no attempt by the state to clamp down on their disruptive activities — an approach in line with the security establishment’s earlier inclination to allow a free hand to the group. Interestingly, those who had filed the review pleas against the 2019 Faizabad sit-in verdict now want them withdrawn.
They include the PTI, which participated in an extended smear campaign against the current chief justice following the judgement, but which now finds it more suitable for his verdict to be implemented without further qualification.
There are also some who do not want the matter to be revisited as this will invariably give rise to difficult questions about the present political context.
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court’s Faizabad ruling had prompted a presidential reference against Justice Isa — a move that was widely seen as a ‘punishment’ for his attempt to hold the security forces to account.
The judgement was seen as a clarion call for unelected quarters to respect their oath, to stop interfering in the political domain, and to check religious extremists, instead of patronising them.
But none was ever prosecuted for engaging in unlawful political activity, and the TLP was allowed to flourish despite its virulent ideology, which recurrently caused immense embarrassment for the Pakistani authorities in later years.
The political instability seen lately and the repeated attacks on Pakistan’s minority communities in recent weeks are just some of the symptoms of the state’s failure to implement the Faizabad sit-in verdict.
After the Eid Milad-un-Nabi bombings this Friday, many observers have been wondering why Pakistan continues to be targeted by those seeking to shed innocent blood. It would appear that violent extremism continues to find easy outlets here because it ranks so low in our state’s priorities.
Consider how the state responded to the Faizabad verdict. When the court excoriated the security agencies for failing to act firmly against those openly spreading hate and advocating extremism, the administration at the time, instead of ensuring that the miscreants were dealt with resolutely, attempted to neutralise the judge who had issued the ruling.
As long as terrorists know that our state will turn a blind eye to bigotry and hate, there is little hope for us to be rid of the malignancies that have become embedded in our sociopolitical fabric.
Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023
Brutalising society
THE Senate Standing Committee on Interior passed a bill last week with a majority vote that favoured the public hangings of rapists — a move that was condemned by the PPP as well as the interior and foreign affairs ministries. Proposed by a Jamaat-i-Islami senator, the bill seeks to amend certain sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to legalise public executions.
This is a disturbing development. Since the rape and murder of young Zainab Ansari in 2018, the call for public hangings has intensified. The idea has been encouraged by many well-known figures, with Imran Khan endorsing it when he was prime minister. The parties and organisations criticising the vote rightly point out that executions do not act as deterrents, and that carrying out capital punishment in city squares is going to further brutalise a society already steeped in violence. Those who support public executions are allowing their emotions to gain the upper hand — or playing to the gallery. The reality is that executions — including public ones — do not improve the criminal justice system. In this context, the PPP’s Sherry Rehman was right to indicate that crime, even after former military dictator Ziaul Haq’s introduction of punishments administered in view of the public, did not come down and, in fact, increased “barbarism and violence”. The anger at the growing violence and sexual crimes against women is understandable. But it should find an outlet in better funding for police, improved criminal investigations and solid training for officers investigating rape. Instead, public emotions are whipped up by calling for executions when the nation is overcome by horror. This paper has consistently criticised the death penalty, and the fact that many of our lawmakers now want to implement this sentence in city squares is extremely worrying. Mr Khan once remarked that he would legalise the public hanging of rapists, but that the international community would not view it kindly as it goes against their human rights principles. Such statements are not focused on justice, but on the idea of immediate revenge, which means they do not yield any positive result in the long term. Our lawmakers should look at the flaws in our justice system when deliberating on such important matters, and not let emotions or the need to appease the public get in their way.
Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023