Caucasus conflict
AFTER more than three decades of stalemate, the bloody conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh may be headed for a conclusion. Part of the ‘frozen conflicts’ that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union, the dispute has, over the years, cost tens of thousands of lives, and resulted in large populations being uprooted. At the centre of the dispute is the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is located within Azerbaijan but has an Armenian majority. Up until a few weeks ago, it was ruled by separatists who rejected Baku’s sovereignty. While both Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought numerous wars over the region after the fall of the USSR, Baku’s forces handed the separatists a decisive defeat in a short operation last month. Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatists have called it a day and vowed to wind up their unrecognised administration. But the Azerbaijani victory has sent thousands of the region’s ethnic Armenian residents fleeing to join their kinsmen in Armenia, apparently fearing reprisals from Azerbaijan. The WHO says over 100,000 people have fled Nagorno-Karabakh.
It is hoped that the latest developments spell a permanent end to bloodshed in this volatile region, and that ethno-nationalist hatreds give way to an atmosphere of tolerance and tranquillity. It will not be easy given that the Armenians and Azeris have had historically tense relations. Nevertheless, the administrations in Yerevan and Baku must put aside their past enmity and try to forge a new path to peace. Particularly, Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh must not be subjected to persecution or ethnic profiling, and those who have fled to Armenia should be allowed to return to their homes unhindered. Azerbaijani authorities have promised “sustainable reintegration” of Karabakh Armenians in society, which should be supported by confidence-building measures to assure the refugees that they will be safe. The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders are due to meet soon; hopefully the framework of a permanent peace deal can emerge from this meeting.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023
Deadly trade
PAKISTAN may never have witnessed a character as notorious and slippery in the illegal organ trade as Fawad Mumtaz. A plastic surgeon-turned-alleged criminal mastermind, Mr Mumtaz has repeatedly escaped the clutches of the law, making a mockery of our law-enforcement and justice systems.
His recent escape from FIA’s custody and rearrest has once more put the spotlight on the dark web of organ trafficking in Pakistan. Mr Mumtaz’s operations have reportedly spanned Punjab, KP and AJK since 2009. He has, allegedly, even preyed on clients from the Gulf countries.
The billionaire surgeon reportedly thrived on exploiting desperate donors and critically ill patients alike, leveraging their despair for financial gain. The insidious episode involving the unfortunate demise of comedian Umer Sharif’s daughter, following an illegal transplant by Mr Mumtaz, underscores the dire stakes involved and the sheer impunity with which these criminal networks operate.
Not only is the physical well-being of individuals at risk, the ethical fibre of our medical community is also threatened.
It is imperative we dissect the depth and reach of Mr Mumtaz’s network, bringing every enabler, accomplice and beneficiary of this malicious trade to justice. The onus falls on our lawmakers, law enforcers, and the medical community, to irrevocably dismantle the dangerous empire he is associated with.
The state must also strengthen the implementation of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 2010, that criminalises illegal transplantation so the organ trafficking trade finds little room to operate and no other Fawad Mumtaz emerges from the shadows.
Furthermore, we must spread awareness about organ donation. More than 150,000 people die of organ failure in Pakistan each year, according to SIUT, and the primary reason behind these deaths is the non-availability of organs.
In addition, it must be recognised that the issue goes beyond tackling a legal challenge. The sordid reality is that this illicit trade capitalises on the socioeconomic disparities that persist in Pakistan, forcing the impoverished into a situation that compromises on their health and dignity.
It is due to this that it is paramount we not only address poverty, but also provide support and rehabilitation to victims. The case of Fawad Mumtaz is not merely a test for our criminal justice system; it is a wake-up call, urging introspection, reform, and a united stand against the exploitative trade of organ trafficking.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023
Anti-smuggling drive
THAT caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti openly admitted on Monday that security personnel are involved in large-scale smuggling of currency, oil, and other commodities across Pakistan’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan should be appreciated.
Mr Bugti not only acknowledged that security officials played a role in the illegal cross-border movement of currency and commodities but also indicated that the army chief had warned his men that those involved in the practice would face court-martial and jail.
The clampdown on smugglers and hoarders was launched last month after the army chief’s back-to-back meetings with the business community in Lahore and Karachi where he pledged to crack down on illegal activities “to rid Pakistan of the substantial losses it continues to suffer due to pilferage”.
The next several weeks will be a test of the civil and military authorities’ resolve to expose and punish the elements involved in this illicit cross-border trade as the government intensifies a nationwide crackdown to curb the smuggling out of dollars and commodities such as wheat and sugar, and the influx of cheap petroleum and other items from Iran and Afghanistan.
However, our porous borders along Balochistan and KP are not the only routes being used by smugglers to conduct their illegal trade. Indeed, these routes are used to ‘import’ and ‘export’ commodities such as sugar, oil, tyres, urea and even vehicles in big numbers.
But high-value products such as branded perfumes, expensive watches and designer purses are mostly being brought from Dubai and other Gulf nations into the country by khepiyaas through major airports and seaports in connivance with Customs officials and personnel of other agencies. These items are mostly smuggled in without the payment of taxes or are hugely under-invoiced.
Similarly, it is easier to take dollars out of the country via an airport than any other way. No wonder Peshawar’s proverbial Bara bazaar, which used to be the only source of smuggled foreign goods for affluent middle-class families until the late 1980s, has spread across the length and breadth of the country.
The shelves of most shops are stacked with such products because no one asks the powerful trader community to provide documentary proof that taxes were paid on the ‘import’ of such items.
No anti-smuggling drive can deliver complete success without making it difficult for the traders to display and sell smuggled and under-invoiced goods, in addition to dismantling the nexus between traders and civil and security officials posted along the borders and ports.
Smuggling is eating into the economy, weakening it and imposing enormous costs on the manufacturing industry, jobs and public well-being. We can only hope that the current mobilisation against illegal cross-border trade will not be called off midway as has been the case in the past.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023