Karachi LG delay
TWO months after local government polls were finally held in Karachi, the metropolis is no closer to having a functioning, elected municipality. The delay behind the formation of a new City Council and election of a new mayor has been caused by the fact that polls in 11 union committees, where candidates had died, have not been held. The Jamaat-i-Islami, which came in a close second behind the PPP in the results tallied thus far, has cried foul, blaming both the Sindh government and the ECP for the delay. The party held a sit-in outside the Karachi office of the ECP last week, claiming that the commission was ‘facilitating’ the PPP’s ‘post-poll rigging’. JI chief Sirajul Haq has also warned the PPP against queering the pitch where the election of the Karachi mayor is concerned.
It is indeed a matter of concern why elections for the remaining 11 UCs have not been announced. The unfortunate fact is that many of Pakistan’s political parties seem to have an aversion to elections, specifically to the third tier, though as recent events have shown, polls for the national and provincial assemblies are also not on their list of priorities. This is an affront to democracy. It is also inexplicable why the ECP is maintaining a curious silence where the completion of the LG election process in the megacity is concerned. The questions raised about transparency of the LG polls need to be addressed, while elections to the remaining UCs should be announced forthwith. Karachi is in an advanced stage of urban decay, and even the election of a fresh city government will not immediately solve issues that have been snowballing for decades, thanks to the blinkered vision of certain political players. However, there is hope that an elected, empowered mayor will at least start the process of urban regeneration, which is why further delays in the formation of the city administration are unacceptable.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2023
Medicine shortage
PATIENTS across the country are facing a growing shortage of various drugs, including life-saving medicines, as pharmaceutical companies have halted or decreased production, because of either the depletion of raw material stocks or the sky-high increase in manufacturing costs in recent months. The government had been warned about the situation by drug makers quite a while back as they struggled to maintain their net income in the face of rapidly rising costs as the price of fuel and transportation skyrocketed in a highly inflationary domestic and global environment. Their troubles increased after the central bank imposed restrictions on the import of ‘luxury’ items, pharmaceutical raw material included, several months ago. Opening a letter of credit for importing active pharmaceutical ingredients has been a nightmare for the industry over the last couple of months as their stocks keep shrinking. Sadly, the government has done little to ease the troubles of the industry in spite of giving commitments to the drug makers.
On Tuesday, industry representatives warned the government that the shortage of life-saving drugs may aggravate further unless the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan allowed a 38.5pc across-the-board hike in drug prices, and the State Bank facilitated the import of raw material for the industry. They have also submitted a list of nearly 1,300 drugs to Drap, conveying that they have stopped their production in the prevailing economic crisis. With over 500 drugs already scarce across the country, the number is feared to go up to 2,500 in the coming days as more companies stop production of medicines due to high costs and raw material shortages. With increasing shortages putting lives at risk, the government’s lack of response to emergency calls from the drug makers is baffling. The situation, which is fast going from bad to worse, demands that the authorities take immediate action to raise prices to incorporate the impact of rapid inflation in the industry’s costs and facilitate it in the import of raw material to overcome the current drug shortage and ensure an uninterrupted supply in the future. For longer-term market stability, it is imperative that the role of Drap be redefined and the focus of the regulator shift from controlling drug pricing to properly regulating the industry and market in order to ensure improvement in product quality and fair competition among the manufacturers.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2023
Terrible optics
AT the time these words were written, the police and Rangers contingents dispatched to arrest PTI chairman Imran Khan from his Lahore residence had been ordered to retreat. Despite engaging in violent confrontations with scores of charged PTI supporters for more than a day, the law-enforcement personnel ultimately returned empty-handed from Zaman Park.
Mr Khan had told multiple foreign media outlets late Tuesday that he was mentally prepared to spend the night behind bars, but was determined not to surrender. The former prime minister appeared convinced that his arrest was motivated by some sinister conspiracy to assassinate him.
Outside his house, his loyalists — who turned up in droves and quickly outnumbered the police — put up stiff resistance despite being shelled incessantly with tear gas and, according to some reports, fired upon with live ammunition. The sole comfort that can be derived from the disturbing episode is that no innocent lives were lost.
It ought to be pointed out that the civil war-like situation that erupted outside Mr Khan’s residence may have been avoided had he showed up on Monday at the Islamabad sessions court hearing the Toshakhana case. His legal team had already secured bail for him in other cases, but couldn’t convince the judge conducting the Toshakhana proceedings.
A brief reprieve granted to him by the Islamabad High Court expired on Monday with another no-show, and even the IHC said enough when approached for bail again yesterday.
Mr Khan’s security may be a valid concern, but that ought to be addressed to the state. He cannot expect to continue being excused by the law if he refuses to submit. Mr Khan’s legal team has asked why the police is so desperate to arrest him, arguing that his arrest warrants are only meant to ensure his presence in court on March 18. Till that point is moot, however, his stance can only be taken as one of defiance.
Lastly, it is quite disappointing to note that Mr Khan’s political opponents, especially the PML-N, have been advocating for a crackdown against the PTI leader ahead of the election scheduled for Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz has previously insisted on ‘evening the scales’ before any election is held; it is hoped her party isn’t simply seeking to eliminate the competition from a contest it will find very difficult to win. The PML-N not too long ago had rallied boldly around the slogan of ‘Vote ko izzatdo’.
It would do itself a great disservice if it now opts for undemocratic means to return to power. The party and Ms Nawaz must remember one thing: the aftermath of 2018 showed that an election which lacks legitimacy in the eyes of the public can make it extremely difficult for a new government to find broad support for its agenda.
Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2023