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A manmade disaster
Dhaka will face more deluges
M.H. Siddiqi, B.U.
There is no dearth of papers and articles on floods in Bangladesh. Whenever we have been hit by a catastrophic event, scores of stories are found to appear in the print media almost immediately. This statement is, by no means, intended to undermine such profuse appearance or the efforts of the individuals to express their own perception about this nagging recurrent menace that disrupts normal life. On the contrary, it reflects the concern and awareness among many about the phenomenon.
Another redeeming feature is that, notwithstanding the quality or substance, lot of people are still striving in the pursuit of `Three Rs' in today's Bangladesh society where goodness and values are being devoured fast by the dinosaur of anarchy, The only trouble is that general readers are often baffled about which one to pick from the many divergent views. I think a few fundamentals must be borne in mind while dealing with the subject; otherwise application of ointment on the skin would be useless where blood transfusion is necessary.
Fundamentals
A holistic view is essential before prescribing measures to counter any localized problem. Apart from 54 medium and minor cross-border streams, three mighty rivers (the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Meghna) converge inside our riverine delta to drain out respective basins totalling about 2mln. km2 through Lower Meghna into the Bay of Bengal. But this huge runoff generated by snow melt and monsoon rains does not drain out smoothly due to low elevation and flat topography of Bangladesh and tidal effects in the Bay causing stagnation of flow. The stagnation leads to overspills and consequent annual flooding in Bangladesh to varying degrees (20 per cent to over 60 per cent of land) depending on hydro-climatic factors like peak coincidence, intensity of local precipitation (Cherrhapunji is only 30 km from Sylhet border), additional swelling of the Bay by south-westerly monsoon winds and lunar effects. It is thus nearly caused by geographical location and hydro-climatic settings that Bangladesh will have to face an annual flooding without fail, to varying extent though.
Rural inundation primarily causes severe damage to agriculture which is the mainstay of the economy, while urban flooding takes its toll on all infrastructure and installations that fuel economic and social activities. In other words, flooding disrupts the entire gamut of life and living in Bangladesh on a regular basis. Nearly half of the Netherlands would be under water without the sea dykes, delta works and other measures adopted to keep away floods; one may wonder whether it could attain the prosperity that has been achieved without those measures. Thus flood prevention appears to be a prerequisite to development and growth. Constant threat of floods, indeed, puts the development potential at a low key.
For Bangladesh flood is almost like fait accompli. Source of the Netherlands flooding was ingress of seawater which was kept away by infrastructural measures. But Bangladesh cannot keep away the water inundating it on its way to the sea. Here measures are to be adopted to modify the flood regime in order to minimise the losses and disruption.
In the absence of space for storage of flood waters, the broad philosophy would be to confine the cross-border flows within channels for eventual passage to the sea. For the accumulated runoff on the floodplains generated by local rains, the policy would be to evacuate the water by improved drainage system which is most difficult due to flat topography and prevalent high stage in peripheral rivers during monsoon. Since rural flood attenuation is primarily aimed at agricultural development, the time of arrival of flood becomes very important. The system should be so designed that the farmer gets adequate time for land preparation and sowing/transplantation. Generally the rice plants after attaining a certain height can tolerate moderate inundation without much yield loss. Low yielding deep water rice is not a preferred choice but is unavoidable for areas where flood depth cannot be modified.
Any standing water on the surface of the earth impairing normal activities should be considered a flood and the decrease is possible either by preventing entry of waters or by expediting the evacuation of drainage congestion.
Flood water prevented entry at one place would find space elsewhere, upstream or downstream, to aggravate the situation there -- it cannot just vanish.
City floods
Urban flooding situation has, in general, deteriorated in most of townships and municipalities mainly due to lack of maintenance and updating of sewerage/drainage system with increase of population. The case of Dhaka city deserves special mention. It is the worst victim of manmade disaster. A half-day rainfall is good enough to produce knee-deep water on all main thoroughfares of the metropolis. The climax of disaster has been attained by coupling defiant disregard of 'Fundamental -F' with lack of maintenance and updating under the pretext of land development. Causes of the city's flooding have been duly identified and adequately presented in the print media and innumerable workshops and seminars have been organised since 1988. Let me skip those for now.
Originally, when Dhaka Improvement Trust (DIT) started systematic urbanisation of the old city, it was assumed that two-families, each comprising six members, would live on a one bigha plot in the residential areas developed at Dhanmondi and subsequently at Gulshan and Banani with one family on the ground floor and the other on the first floor. The water supply and sewerage system was accordingly designed. Now perhaps 30 families are living in a high-rise apartment complex on a 5-7 katha plot. The natural drainage system units consisting of khals (canals) and jheels (water bodies) have disappeared from the surface of the earth and can neither be identified nor retrieved.
Therefore, storm sewers (pipes) have been installed underground (beneath the thoroughfares) for drainage of the city artificially. But the pipes are known to have been totally choked by accumulation of poly-wastes, poly denotes multiple not polythene, which have not been cleared even after the flooding of the city in 2004. Consequently, the overloaded sewers burst open the manhole covers and spread the stinking dark grey liquid over the road which is, however, diluted and increased in volume by rain water.
Secondly, there is chronic shortage of potable water in Dhaka and during peak demand in March/April probably 60-70 per cent of the requirement is met. Over 90 per cent of this supply is derived from deep tubewells, but the aquifer (groundwater reservoir) is not fully recharged annually as 90 per cent or more land area is now paved and not a drop of rain can infiltrate or percolate to the aquifer. The consequence is twofold: in the first place, unable to infiltrate the raindrops remain overland as surface runoff causing urban floods and finally in absence of adequate recharge groundwater is being mined. The earth below is gradually becoming like dry sponge and soon there might be a subsidence leading to a catastrophe if the current trend of ill or improper development goes on unabated.
Comparing the past events, the deluge of Dhaka city persisted for about three weeks between August 30 and September 20 in 1988 when the Buriganga was flowing above danger level (generally 1 meter below the river bank) while it was for about seven weeks between July 26 and Sep-8 in 1998 when the Buriganga was also above danger level. In 2004 the first wave of flooding occurred between July 20 and Aug 6 for two weeks. About five weeks later, a depression caused downpour between Sep 10 and Sep 18 with highest recorded rainfall occurring in 24 hours between 6 AM. of Sep 13 and 6 AM of Sep 14 (341 mm). By afternoon of Sep 13 flooding was back in full fury and in this wave some new areas were included that were spared in the first wave of July/August, Video footage showed that water was flowing over Rd # 2-Satmosjid junction in Dhanmondi from an inundated BDR campus into Dhanmondi lake and people were casting nets for fishing on the road. Similarly, lake water got into the mosque (Masjid-ut Takwa) at the end of Rd # 12/A which is also a new record. Although filling of Gulshan/Banani lake has been much publicized, Dhanmondi lake has not been spared by land grabbers either. Thanks to Ashulia embankment (erected after 1988) without which Airport, Mirpur and Mohammadpur would have been under a sheet of water like in 1988.
Although Buriganga level is assumed as an indicator for city flooding, in real sense, it is no more contingent upon Buriganga level alone, there are externalities like obstruction and choking of the drainage/sewerage system. This is clearly corroborated by the second wave of flooding that occurred six weeks after recession of Buriganga which was 49 cm lower than the danger level on Sep 14, 2004. In a free flowing situation there should have been enough space in Buriganga to accommodate the new rainfall runoff.
Without going into detail of the misery faced by citizens, it can be concluded that Dhaka city dwellers would be under perpetual threat of flooding at very short or no notice at all. The other conclusion is to nab the land-grabbing terrorists aided by corrupt officials and influential political circles who seem quite firm and resolute in defying the fundamentals.
Tailpiece
The rainy season, though late in 2007, is about to set in with its usual ritual of monsoon showers. It is not intended to create panic, but a mild warning seems perfectly in order. Clearing the surface drains (whatever is left) and the storm sewers of the choking wastes has not been evidenced by the city residents so far. No wonder therefore, that a deluge of the city in the ensuing monsoon could be much worse than what was witnessed in 2004.
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Interpol urged to help nab Joy
Confession to grenade attack on AL rally
Shamsuddin Ahmed
The government has issued red notice through the Interpol to secure Tanvirul Islam Joy, a notorious criminal from Bangladesh, who was arrested by the police in Kolkata on May 5. The authorities had to take this step because the Indian government was not paying any heed to Dhaka's request of sending him back home along with other terrorists who fled the country and are staying in India, mostly in Kolkata.
Earlier, a list of 170 top terrorists was sent earlier to India for their deportation but the request was not complied with on the plea of absence of extradition treaty between the two countries.
Intelligence sources say the top terrorists now in Kolkata include Joy, Subrata Bain, Kala Jahangir, Haris Ahmed, Prokash, Kamrul Hasan Hannan alias Chhoto Hannan, Imam Hussain, Munna, Manik, Mollah Masud, Aga Shamim and Joynal Hazari, godfather of Feni.
They fled the country in the wake of Operation Clean Heart launched by the Army in late 2002. Hundreds of underworld dons, suspected corrupt people, terrorists and criminals again fled to India since the hunt against them began after the emergency was clamped in the country on January 11.
Taking Joy to custody has revealed startling revelation significance following his sensational admission to Kolkata Police Commissioner. Joy has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the grenade attack on the Awami League rally in front of its central office in Dhaka city that left 22 people killed on August 17, 2005.
Since then police arrested dozens of suspects, including Islamic militants and exacted confessional statements from them, admitting their involvement in the attack. If Joy was involved in the grenade attack the whole mode of investigation into the incident will undergo a dramatic change and many secrets will come out.
It may even reveal external hands behind the grenade attack that also killed former Finance Minister SAMS Kibria in Habiganj. An Awami League leader, Kibria earned respect even of his political foes for his erudition and personal integrity. The brutal attack on him gave rise to suspicion that external hands might have been involved behind the grenade attacks. Both the attacks were intended to destabilise the situation in the country and undermine the then BNP-Jamaat alliance Government.
Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad has recently said that attempts are underway to bring the criminals back to the country by taking up the matter with the Indian government through diplomatic channel. But intelligence officials doubt about the success of the move. Those terrorist might be chased out of their sanctuaries in India to return home through the porous borders when the situation here is safe under their political godfathers.
Recent rise in incidents of mugging, robbery and murders indicate that the sidekicks of the top terrors have become active again. Needless to say, the terrorists are maintaining regular contacts with their gurus living in safe sanctuaries in India and some other countries.
Leaders of the SAARC during the summit were heard expressing serious concern for rise of terrorism in the region. India is inflicted more than Bangladesh. It should cooperate with its small neighbours in curbing terrorism.
It is no good blaming Bangladeshi terrorists for the bomb attack on the mosque of Hyderabad and at the same time providing shelter to them.
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Army chief says: No plan for martial
law, nor interested in politics
Sadeq Khan
In a cosy tea-meeting Wednesday morning on May 23, editors of leading newspapers of Dhaka were given an audience by Lt. General Moeen U. Ahmed, the Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army. The editors were there to express their concern about allegations they have been receiving from their staff members that a good number of them throughout the country were being unreasonably harassed and intimidated by task forces operatives and intelligence agencies.
An editor put it to the army chief quite succinctly that in the current circumstances, the army and the government needs media cooperation more than in other times, since in the absence of the parliament, 'the media is the only bridge between the people and the (unelected) government which has no political bases among the people. The government can learn from its mistakes, if there are any, from media criticism.'
On the same issue, the same group of editors had met Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed earlier on May 5. The Chief Adviser assured the editors' delegation that the Caretaker Government regarded the media as an informal parliament and would do its best to guard press freedom. General Moeen also assured the delegation that the military men called in aid of the civil administration were equally respectful of press freedom. Some rare "aberrations" might have happened during the operations.
The army chief explained that the armed forces under the current state of emergency were indeed "subservient" to the caretaker government, and simply obeying its orders. If, however, some default came to the notice of the army headquarters, it was promptly brought to the notice of the government. Ultimate responsibility of any shortcoming of the caretaker government would harm the image of the armed forces in the eyes of the public. That is why the army was extra vigilant, but they followed the instructions of the caretaker government without fail. He categorically said: 'You can rest assured that I have no political ambition, that I am not going to follow my predecessors. I will not enter politics. Nor do we have any plan to promulgate martial law. I believe that the nation's future lies in democratic governance by the elected representatives of the people. There is no short cut in this regard.'
The general spoke about the 'positive role' of the armed forces in stabilizing the law and order situation, combating corruption, streamlining the management of Chittagong Port, increasing production of both coal and power at Barapukuria significantly, recovering government lands from illegal occupiers, and realising huge outstanding water, gas and electricity bills from defaulters, many bigwigs amongst them.
He claimed that the government was doing 'very well', but observed that 'the price of the essential commodities remain the prime enemy'.
Fund recovery
The army chief blamed the increase of prices at the international market for the price hike at home. The army chief in a summary account mentioned that the caretaker government recovered Tk 2323 crore of outstanding bills, Tk 320.5 crore of money siphoned abroad, and 14,187 acres of grabbed government land. It also improved the efficiency of Chittagong Port boosting exports by 20 per cent. In his written statement given to the editors, the army chief specifically identified rising prices of essentials, power shortage, and an anachronistic administrative system as the main challenges facing the country.
It was stated that with the help of the army the caretaker government successfully established a 'stable law and order situation, restored socio-economic life of the country, brought reforms to the Election Commission, Anti-corruption Commission, and Public Service Commission, separated the judiciary from the executive branch of the government, and improved health service, power generation, and education'.
Regarding the ongoing anti-corruption drive, the statement mentioned about the arrests of 48 people, filing of first information reports against 18, prosecution of four people and completion of 3 trials.
The statement said the government was able to reduce port-bound ships' average turn around time from 13 days in January to 4 days in May at Chittagong Port and boost the number of containers handled per day from 243 in January to 708 in May. It stated that the efficiency of the port increased by 40 per cent and costs were reduced by 30 per cent since the present caretaker government had taken over the reins of power. Export went up by 20 per cent since January, and 2,28,000 labourers were sent abroad to earn foreign exchange. The statement also stated that the government hopes to implement the tripartite agreement on the minimum wage in the garment industry by June 30.
The statement went on to explain that the government already recovered Tk 260.5 crore of money siphoned abroad, while Tk 60 crore from the same kind of recovery was in the process of being deposited to the Bangladesh Bank.
Regarding outstanding bills, the statement noted recovery of approximately Tk 1100 crore in outstanding electricity bills, Tk 521 crore in gas bills, Tk 418 crore in telephone bills, Tk 195 crore in water bills, and Tk 43 crore in land revenue, while the government additionally earned Tk 46 crore from issuing trade licenses.
The caretaker government also recovered 14,187 acres of government land which had been illegally grabbed by encroachers. Most of the recovered lands are in Sylhet division (4500 acres), Rajshahi division (4420 acres) and Dhaka division (3051 acres).
The foreign currency reserve also went up from US$ 3.74 billion in January to US$ 4.54 billion in April, up by almost a billion dollars from $3.54 billion reserve in October 2006.
The statement noted that import duties on rice, wheat and pulse were withdrawn and the government was considering relief measures. It specifically underlined 1454 MW power shortage as the major challenge and projected that usable power generation would rise from 242 MW in 2007 to 920 MW in 2008. The statement said that the government felt the current administrative system remained very slow in relation to the speed of the information age, and required a 'total overhauling'.
The account is evidently impressive. The editors might or might not have been impressed by that record of performance of the caretaker government as presented by the army chief. But they certainly have reason to be pleased with his assurance of continuing press freedom as is being enjoyed by the national media under the state of emergency, Fakhruddin Ahmed cum Moeen U. Ahmed style. Amongst the readers as well as discerning citizens, however, some questions remain about the abuse of that press freedom by alien misinformation tricks as well as by proxy political hatred. In particular, it has to be admitted by leaders of the national media that like mafia politics and mafia trade, there has been criminalisation of the journalistic profession also. Media power has patently been used by unscrupulous newsmen for blackmail and illicit gains. It is for the newspaper editors and other leaders of opinion themselves to work out ways to sever the nexus between criminal rackets and the fourth estate.
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Atrophied politics and charade
Corruptions of past 10 years
warrant penal action
Shamsuddin Ahmed
It is no wonder that the politicians long away from power and perks would try to buy external support in a bid to regain the lost opportunities. The letter of 15 US senators asking the interim Caretaker Government (CG) for withdrawing ban on political activities and holding elections at the earliest is no doubt a part of the game of the politicians.
But the CG headed by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, backed by the armed forces, seems determined to overcome the pressure cranked up by the politicians and their friends abroad. The Government has convincing argument in deferring the election until reforms in electoral process and atrophied politics are completed. The universal demand is fair election and genuine democracy. It has been admitted by all, including the diplomatic circle, that reforms in electoral process are prerequisite for ensuring free and fair polls and reforms in political parties are equally essential for functioning genuine democracy.
Two things in question that surfaced this week have amused and bemused the nation. The first one is the reported letter of 15 US senators to the Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed asking him to announce a roadmap in two months for election at the earliest. The second is Awami League president Sheikh Hasina's interview with CNN-IBN television network holding the military rulers responsible for destroying all the institutions of the country since the fall of Awami League regime in 1975 and demanding elections at the earliest.
Her remarks during the interview appears ominous and travesty of truth. The nation has not forgotten that it is Awami League that had destroyed the very concept of democracy and democratic institutions on January 25, 1975 by imposing one-party BKSAL rule in Bangladesh. It is the military ruler, Ziaur Rahman, who had restored multiparty politics and brought Sheikh Hasina home from her asylum in India. It is unlikely that she has by this time forgotten this. Her oblique remarks may not be without any motive.
By its own analysis of the field report in the middle of 2006 Awami League found its prospect bleak in the upcoming election. For, BNP strengthened its student wing JCD and youth front Jubo Dal by offering favours during its rule. They had an overpowering edge over the Awami League. No doubt, money and muscle power used to play a vital role in all elections of Bangladesh. So, in her design to frustrate the January 22 election, Hasina whipped up street violence, killings, agitation, and countrywide blockade that compelled the government to declare state of emergency. She was very quick in welcoming the emergency rule (She also welcomed General Ershad's declaration of Martial Law rule in 1982).
National media on May 17 prominently published the US senators' letter asking the Chief Adviser for early withdrawal of ban on politics and holding the general elections. On the following day the daily New Nation came up with a report stating that the letter of US senators is a hoax. "No US senator had sent any letter to the Chief Adviser. The news published ...is totally fabricated," said the report. Chief Adviser's office also denied receiving any such letter till May 22. When asked, an Awami League leader advised this correspondent to find the letter on the website.
It is not new. Politicians of poor countries try to buy support from powerful countries against their adversaries at home. Groups of lobbyists of US senators are always available for such venture. In September 2005, 16 US senators including Edward Kennedy and John F Kerry had written to President W Bush urging him to raise the issue of Bangladesh in UN World Summit (Sept 14-16). They gave an alarming picture of this country saying the situation "may give rise to serious consequences for regional peace and security as well as international terrorist activity in the region."
Another letter was issued on the same day by Thomas T. Keating on behalf of his client, US unit of Bangladesh Hindu-Boudda-Christian Parishad, to the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia giving imaginary atrocities on the minorities in Bangladesh and threatening to raise the matter in the international tribunals.
Soon the Foreign Ministry said the move had been orchestrated from Dhaka and the government remained unmoved. US President Bush did not talk about Bangladesh in his deliberation in the UN World Summit nor Keating moved further to any international tribunal. The support bought of foreign friends remained within the letters. It should be clear to all of us that US government never goes by unofficial suggestions of senators in dealing with other countries.
The government action against the alleged corrupt politicians of the immediate past BNP government is appreciated by all. But what about those corrupt politicians of the pre-BNP government of Sheikh Hasina? The period under consideration should span at least 10 years, if not more. Bringing those in the dock who committed crime yesterday and leaving out those who did it day before yesterday will give rise to doubt among the people about neutrality of the Caretaker Government.
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What led to Haider's death
at United Hospital?
Holiday report
This is a pathetic how a patient had to die under mysterious circumstances at United Hospital. As the story goes, on 17 April last Alhaj Fakhruddin Haider was admitted to United Hospital at Gulshan under heart surgeon Dr. Jahangir Kabir. The purpose was to perform CABG because his Coronary Engiography Report mentioned Triple Vessel Disease. The doctor performed surgical operation on him on 23 April morning and assured his family members of successful surgery. But the same evening he performed another surgery on Fakhruddin Haider for three hours. About this second surgery he did not take any written consent from his family nor did he inform them.
After some days infection developed on the incision area, and he was put under general anaesthesia on 7 May and stitches were cut off and the incision area was opened for cleaning. When doctors were asked about the reason they replied that infection had developed because of diabetes. It must be noted that Haider's diabetes was under control with medication. If they were not satisfied about the condition of his diabetes they should have controlled it before the operation; but they did not do it.
On 10 May morning the patient was taken to the dressing room. Dressing was done by Dr. Milon and a nurse. According to doctors, the patient had normal conversation with the doctors. But again Haider was operated upon the same day for long 9 hours and 11 bags of blood were required for transfusion. Later on Dr Shahriar of CCU gave confusing information to the patient's family members. The patient had been unconscious for the next two days and at midnight he was suddenly declared dead by Dr Shahriar.
The late Haider's family members want to know: "Why was he operated upon 4 (four) times in a space of 20 days?"
What is more, the family sources complain that the hospital authority demanded more money than the package fee which was paid. "The diagnostic reports and doctor's papers related to Haider's stay in the hospital were not given to us",the family sources complain.
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Glimpses of the Great
Indira and Sanjay
By K. Z. Islam
Sanjay arrived on 14 December 1946, nearly killing Indira Gandhi and from the start, he was with big trouble. Sanjay was sent to Doon School a premier boarding school of India and subsequently to England. Sanjay never attended college.
Both Rajiv and Sanjay were mediocre students. Rajiv studied engineering at Cambridge and Imperial College. Sanjay did not attempt to go to university but instead embarked on a three-year apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in 1964. While in England Sanjay was a constant headache for the Indian High Commission. He was repeatedly arrested for speeding in his Jaguar. In December 1966 he was arrested for driving without a valid license.
To the shock and surprise of the nation in November 1970 Sanjay's Maruti Udyog was awarded the contract by Indian government to manufacture a small, efficient, indigenous Indian car. The Maruti contract opened the door to the political world for Sanjay.
After the mid-term elections in early 1971 Indira appeared unassailable. She had become the most powerful Indian Prime Minister since independence. This naturally led to centralisation of power and Sanjay began dabbling in politics and cash donations. Corruption led to bad governance leading to countrywide strikes and marches led by J P Narayan. In June 1975 the Allahabad High Court ruled that Indira was guilty of electoral malpractices during the 1971 general elections campaign thus invalidating Indira's elections as an MP. In the days following this decision Sanjay orchestrated a series of pro-Indira demonstration and marches. With Sanjay taking the lead a State of Emergency was declared in India in June 1975.
It has been controversially suggested that Sanjay exercised a deep emotional control over his mother which was often misused. Sanjay could frighten and paralyse his mother. The Washington Post correspondent, Lewis Simons, reported that someone who dined with the Gandhis in the summer of 1975 said that in the midst of an argument, Sanjay's slapped his mother across the face six times. On another occasion Sanjay had decided to cut off electricity of all the newspapers at the commencement of the emergency. When Siddartha Shankar Ray decided to plead with Indira to cancel the order. Indira went to Sanjay to lift the order. When Indira finally returned to Ray, her eyes were red and she had obviously been crying (probably slapped by Sanjay). The Indira Sanjay nexus remains a blot in Indian politics.
Indira lost power in the next general elections only to regain it with a landslide in 1980. On the morning of 23 June 1980 Sanjay decided to take his new two-seater plane for an early morning flight over Delhi. During aerobatics Sanjay made a steep dive, lost control, and the plane ploughed nose first into the ground, killing both Sanjay and the copilot. Minutes later, it is reported Indira rushed to the crash site looking for Sanjay's keys (of his bank locker) and Sanjay's watch (which had Sanjay's secret Swiss Bank account number).
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Pakistan at political crossroads
Abdur Rahman Khan
Pakistan is on the crossroads of political trouble transition. With the present regime of General Pervez Musharraf planning for the next general elections, the opposition political parties are trying to mount pressure for an early election.
Amidst an widespread rumour of a deal between the exiled opposition leader Benzir Bhutto of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pervez Musharraf, the Judiciary turned to be a focus of political attention in the country during the last few weeks. The issue of the Chief Justice of Pakistan was dragged into politics that led to street violence in Karachi leaving at least 40 persons killed on May 12.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhury was reprimanded for "running a parallel government" after he had passed judgements against privatisation of Pakistan Steel and putting on hold the New Murree Project.
This is the first occasion in Pakistan history that the judiciary is leading all the institutions. The judicial crisis is viewed not just a tiff between General Musharraf and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhury and not just the Chief Justice's daring but also the people's clamour for truth and justice.
In Pakistan, however, the internal pressure for democracy has so far not impacted the status quo in Islamabad, which enjoys international support.
The United States stands by President Pervez Musharraf in the current conflict with opposition forces in Pakistan but wants him to do more to quell Taliban and Al Qaeda violence in Afghanistan, according to US official sources.
"We have a very close relationship with President Musharraf....We strongly supported President Musharraf and will continue to do so," US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told a gathering in Washington last week.
"Pakistan is a great friend of the United States," said Burns, adding that Washington wants this relationship to continue despite its growing ties with India.
Pakistan is the largest recipient of US assistance from a fund created to support Washington's war on terror, says a new study released last week. In the first four years after 9/11, Pakistan received more than $3 billion from the Coalition Support Fund.
In fact, US is the major variable in Pakistan's politics and one of the reasons that General Pervez Musharraf and PPP's Benzir Bhutto are engaged in talks. Both Benzir and Musharraf can now deliver what Washingto requires- a liberal face of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Benzir Bhutto denied any deal with Parvez Musharraf but acknowledged that there had been regular contact with the government intermediaries. The party, however, stands confused, some believe her, others do not and still many others do not care at all.
PPP leaders believe that Benzir's striking a deal with Musharraf would be seen as a compromise with the military and that will affect the party's credibility.
However, both sides have denied that there is presently an understanding. Benzir Bhutto, who is staying abroad since 1999, told the press abroad that PPP does not accept army rule and cannot accept a president with uniform. She also stressed that military dictatorship and Pakistani nation cannot exist and the nation needs to move in a new direction, away from the present militaristic one.
Giving their views about the change in politics in Pakistan, a cross section of the people said that Pakistani nation does not deserve a Western form of democracy at this stage of development. "We want peace, stability and economic progress first not the political turmoil and street violence to jeopardise our future", said a leading textile manufacturer in Karachi.
The Karachi violence on May 12 cost us a loss of Rupees 5 billion in one day, said Firoz Alam Lari, managing director of a leading textile venture. According to him, the violence was a politically designed one and there was no support from the common people.
While talking to a Bangladesh media delegation at his official residence in Islamabad, Pakistan's prime minister Shaukat Aziz said that his government has high regards for the Judiciary and wanted to continue to the pace of economic and social progress. He indicated that the nation would attain a US 1000 dollar per capita income by next year.
The government is soon going to announce the federal budget for 2007-8 to the tune of a little over Rs1.5 trillion with no new taxes. Instead of providing its opponents another opportunity to criticise it by imposing new taxes, the government had decided to raise resources for the budget by 'broadening the existing narrow tax base'. Both the president and the prime minister are said to have agreed that fresh taxes have to be avoided at all costs.
The official said the revenue target was estimated to be Rs1 trillion.
To restore peace and boost the national economy, the government of General Parvez Musharraf is also trying hard to minimise the tension along the borders of India, Iran and Afghanistan and open up more trade routes with the neigboubours.
Pakistan has allowed Kabul to transit facility for its exports to India through Wagah border. Busnessmen also hold that the extension of transit facility for Indian exports meant for Afghanistan and Central Asia through Wagah and opening of the route would give a huge fillip to bilateral trade and reduce freight costs ultimately benefiting the consumers.
Meanwhile, the Economic Coordination Committee approved gas sharing with India and the gas pricing mechanism at the Iran-Pakistan border under the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. The pipeline is expected to start working by 2012.
To build up a better relations with Iran, the Pakistani authorities took firm actions against Jundullah, a US-backed Baloch militant group fighting for the causes of Iran's Sunni minorities living along Balochistan border.
In respect to the relations with the neighours, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz maintains that the military is not the solution to the problems. But dialogue and peaceful coexistence with a self-defence mechanism could ensure peace and progress in the region.
Interestingly enough, the political leaders, administrators, business community and the people in general now accept Bangladesh as friendly and brotherly nation showing regards for her independence and also regrets what was done in Bangladesh by the Pakistani military in 1971.
(As a member of a media delegation, the author visited Pakistan from May 9 to May 21.)
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Repugnant blockade of Nahr el-Bared
Lebanese tragedy: siege of Palestinians
Robert Fisk in Beirut
There is something obscene about watching the siege of Nahr el-Bared. The old Palestinian camp -- home to 30,000 lost souls who will never go "home" -- basks in the Mediterranean sunlight beyond a cluster of orange orchards. Soldiers of the Lebanese army, having retaken their positions on the main road north, idle their time aboard their old personnel carriers. And we representatives of the world's press sit equally idly atop a half-built apartment block, basking in the little garden or sipping cups of scalding tea beside the satellite dishes where the titans of television stride by in their blue space suits and helmets.
And then comes the crackle-crackle of rifle fire and a shoal of bullets drifts out of the camp. A Lebanese army tank fires a shell in return and we feel the faint shock wave from the camp. How many are dead? We don't know. How many are wounded? The Red Cross cannot yet enter to find out. We are back at another of those tragic Lebanese stage shows: the siege of Palestinians.
Only this time, of course, we have Sunni Muslim fighters in the camp, in many cases shooting at Sunni Muslim soldiers who are standing in a Sunni Muslim village. It was a Lebanese colleague who seemed to put his finger on it all. "Syria is showing that Lebanon doesn't have to be Christians versus Muslims or Shia versus Sunnis," he said. "It can be Sunnis versus Sunnis. And the Lebanese army can't storm into Nahr el-Bared. That would be a step far greater than this government can take."
And there is the rub. To get at the Sunni Fatah al-Islam, the army has to enter the camp. So the group remains, as potent as it was on Sunday when it staged its mini-revolution in Tripoli and ended up with its dead fighters burning in blazing apartment blocks and 23 dead soldiers and policemen on the streets.
And yes, it is difficult not to feel Syria's hands these days. Fouad Siniora's government, surrounded in its little "green zone" in central Beirut, is being drained of power. The army is more and more running Lebanon, ever more tested because it, too, of course, contains Lebanon's Sunnis and Shia and Maronites and Druze. What fractures, what greater strains can be put on this little country as Siniora still pleads for a UN tribunal to try those who murdered ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005?
Dead Sunni soldiers
We read through the list of army dead. Most of the names appear to be Sunni. And we glance up to the fleecy clouds and across the mountain range to where the Syrian border lies scarcely 10 miles away. Not difficult to reach Nahr el-Barad from the frontier. Not difficult to resupply. The geography makes a kind of political sense up here. And just up the road is the Syrian frontier post.
The soldiers are polite, courteous with journalists. This must be one of the few countries in the world where soldiers treat journalists as old friends, where they blithely allow them to broadcast from in front of their positions, borrowing their newspapers, sharing cigarettes, chatting, believing that we have our job to do. But more and more we are wondering if we are not cataloguing the sad disintegration of this country. The Lebanese army is on the streets of Beirut to defend Siniora, on the streets of Sidon to prevent sectarian disturbances, on the roads of southern Lebanon watching the Israeli frontier and now, up here in the far north, besieging the poor and the beaten Palestinians of Nahr el-Bared and the dangerous little groupuscule which may - or may not - be taking its orders from Damascus.
The journey back to Beirut is now littered with checkpoints and even the capital has become dangerous once more. In Ashrafieh in the early hours, a bomb explosion - we could hear it all over the city - killed a Christian woman. No suspects, of course. There never are. Posters still demand the truth of Hariri's murder. Other posters demand the truth of an earlier prime ministerial murder, that of Rashid Karami. Several, just the down the road from our little roof proudly carry the portrait of Saddam Hussein. "Martyr of 'Al-Adha'," they proclaim, marking the date of his execution. So even Iraq's collapse now touches us all here in our Sunni village where the Sunni dictator of Iraq is honoured rather than loathed.
A flurry of rockets rumbled over the camp before dusk. The soldiers scarcely bothered to look. And across the orange orchards and the deserted tenement streets of Nahr el-Bared, the sea froths and sparkles as if we were all on holiday, as this nation trembles beneath our feet.
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