Saving energy
THE government appears to have managed to salvage a sliver of its dignity by finally securing cabinet approval for the “bold” energy conservation plan from last June that it recently recycled. Otherwise, the plan had seemed consigned for the dustbin for the second time in six months, with the provinces not even bothering to consider it seriously till this Tuesday.
Even now, Punjab has pooh-poohed Islamabad’s prescriptions and refused to cooperate, while KP has excused itself by saying it needs more time to consider. Their refusal to implement the PDM’s austerity plan is likely more political than practical, considering that the measures are not even as bold or ‘difficult’ as the government would have us believe. Though they deserve a solid D for intent, they seem unlikely to do much good for the overall health of the general economy. They are homoeopathic remedies for a country in the throes of a potentially terminal disease.
We cannot continue to be wasteful when we are out of funds and borrowing desperately just to keep afloat. However, we cannot also salvage the drowning economy by shuttering businesses early and encouraging the adoption of energy-efficient fans, lights and motorbikes alone. These measures are baby steps; the government needs to do much more.
If the government can actually implement the cabinet-endorsed measures — and that remains a big ‘if’ — a good next step might be to cut the size of the bloated government and to counsel the prime minister against compulsively announcing new development projects, bonuses and special allowances that further deplete the national kitty.
Cutting other state expenditures — such as funds used to maintain golf courses, other recreational activities and similar privileges for our power elite — may also be well-received by a public struggling to put roti on their table. Come to think of it, this would be the best time for the government to launch an overall restructuring of both state and government to remove the leeches that have been draining the system dry.
It is unlikely that this will happen, however, as ‘difficult measures’ seem to be great only for as long as the powerful and their enablers don’t have to bear them. That is why, for example, it is fine for the state that the salaried class is paying higher income taxes this year amidst crippling inflation, but God forbid if the government tries to raise revenue by taxing retailers, shopkeepers and property dealers or makes any effort to document (and subsequently tax) the grey economy.
This sorry duplicity has now become so ingrained and normalised in our national discourse that ‘preservation of political capital’ is now considered enough of an excuse for opinion-makers to nod, shrug and write off the finance minister’s near-criminal unwillingness to take the actions necessary to convince the IMF to continue extending us a desperately needed lifeline. The circus goes on.
Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023
Arshad Sharif case
ONE hopes that powerful quarters in Pakistan and abroad will not attempt to stonewall efforts to uncover the truth behind the brutal murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya last year. On Wednesday, the Islamabad Police provided an interim report to the Supreme Court, stating that a special joint investigation team, would leave for Kenya on Jan 15 to obtain a clear post-mortem report. This is a positive development as earlier it had been reported that the interior ministry had failed to release funds to the Supreme Court-appointed team that was to travel to the UAE and Kenya to carry out their probe. The reason for not releasing the funds had been that the federal government had placed a “blanket ban” on officials’ foreign trips. Meanwhile, the Kenyan embassy was also reported to have been reluctant to issue the necessary visas as the officers linked to the case were “on New Year’s holidays” and would not be available till Jan 15. That the investigation team is set to travel on Jan 15 indicates that this hurdle too has been cleared.
The interim report may have come as a relief but the excuses proffered earlier indicate that some elements do not want the perpetrators of the crime to be exposed. While the country’s dire financial situation indeed does not allow for public servants to fly off on foreign junkets, this is a very important case and needs to be pursued, especially since the highest offices in the land, including the prime minister and the chief justice, have called for a thorough investigation. The authorities need to underscore the significance of this case, and the fact that Pakistani investigators will need full access to Kenyan officers handling the investigation. This is particularly important when the initial fact-finding team, consisting of an IB and FIA officer, cast doubt on the official Kenyan version that Sharif was shot dead due to a case of “mistaken identity”. There are far too many unanswered questions about this murder, and in order to provide justice to the slain journalist’s family and ensure that those who persecute members of the media face the law, it is imperative that the probe team be facilitated. The report of the earlier investigation team filed with the Supreme Court says that the “transnational role of characters in Kenya, Dubai and Pakistan” in the killing cannot be ruled out. The public needs to know just who these characters are.
Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023
Provocative visit
THE new Israeli government that has just taken power, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is being described as the most right-wing ever, and with good reason. For within the Israeli cabinet are characters who display an avowed hatred for Palestinians, and proudly brandish their credentials as Jewish extremists. Amongst them is the new security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has an appalling record of spewing anti-Arab venom. On Tuesday, Mr Ben-Gvir very much lived up to his reputation as a maverick and a provocateur when he made an ill-advised visit to the Al Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem. This was no harmless religious visit, for according to the ‘status quo’ of the holy site, only Muslims are allowed to worship on the Haram As-Sharif, which the Jews refer to as the Temple Mount. Furthermore, Mr Ben-Gvir has in the past made highly inflammatory comments about the sacred site. In a tweet last year, after visiting Al Aqsa, when he was not in office, the hard-line politician called for “establishing a synagogue on the mountain” — a thinly veiled call for destroying the revered mosque, which is a goal many extremist Jews are quite open about. It should also be recalled that the second intifada was sparked by Ariel Sharon’s equally provocative visit to the holy site in 2000.
Luckily, even many of Israel’s closest foreign friends have condemned this rash move. The US has criticised the “unilateral action that jeopardises the status quo”, while major Arab states, including the UAE, which has made peace with Israel, have also called out the incendiary move. In fact, the UAE and China have called a UNSC meeting to discuss the storming. As it is, the Palestinians are facing the deadly force of a government that is unabashedly hostile to them. Now, unless the more extreme elements in Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet are reined in, and stopped from further provocations, a new cycle of violence in the occupied territories is quite likely, as Palestinian rage against Israeli oppression boils over.
Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023