Editorial: PM's speech and its critics (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\31\story_31-3-2008_pg3_1)
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's speech on Saturday was bang on target for those who want a functional transition to new postures and pastures. But it may have irked some "revolutionaries" who want a complete overthrow of the old order. The same day, while meeting with a delegation of US Congressmen, Mr Gillani also gave "high priority" to Pakistan's strategic relationship with America, putting off those who want to "teach the United States a lesson" even if that comes at the cost of hurting Pakistan's interests. The speech proved once again that representative democracy is best suited to humanity because it mediates the raw passions of the people who vote governments to power. Prime Minister Gillani has also given top priority to Pakistan's war against terrorism.
He said he would take steps to set things right as demanded by people. However, the fact is that most of them would require a consensus, not only in parliament but more importantly inside the coalition government. After that, implementation would be no less difficult. For instance, the private sector is not likely to abide by the minimum wage bar of Rs 6,000 per month because of high unemployment, even though the new wage is morally the correct thing to demand. The abolition of the concurrent list in the Constitution will surely get the vote in parliament, and the three smaller provinces would be greatly pleased with the prospect of expanding their incomes because of it. However, what will remain uncertain is the capacity to collect — in some cases — and spend the extra money with proper checks and balances. Already the provinces that complain most vociferously of lack of development funds are notorious for leaving their budgets partially unspent despite last-minute "cash throws" at dubious contracts.
Angry reaction to the abolition of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), coming from MMA's Maulana Fazlur Rehman is, however, most discouraging. The FCR is doubtlessly the most draconian law inherited from the British Raj days and all writers on Pakistan have recommended its abolition. The prime minister must have thought that this measure would meet with universal acclamation. But tragically the Maulana has not given any solid reason for his opposition from within the ruling coalition. He says he is opposed to the abolition because he was not consulted, but has gratuitously added that the people of the Tribal Areas should be consulted on it. Will it take a referendum to abolish a savage law?
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has also complained about the prime minister's announcement of a Madrassa Welfare Authority with a view to streamlining the curriculum of the madrassas. But the Maulana's view that the new authority would be anti-madrassa, while damaging to the unity of the coalition, serves to enhance the Maulana's stature in the clerical circles and to establish him as the guardian of the seminaries while reducing that of Qazi Hussain Ahmad who boycotted the 2008 elections. This is a clear indication of how the coalition can render itself dysfunctional through discord in the coming days.
The restoration of trade unions will complicate the situation in the industrial sector because of the labour leaders' struggle against the pressure of high unemployment in the labour market, and the reopening of students unions will undermine the authority of the heads of educational institutions. But ironically the status quo was untenable because the abolition of unions did not stop the activity of student groups politically supported from the outside. Now permission for union politics is likely to force the principals and vice chancellors to become henchmen of violent youth groups. If this is the way for universities to produce great political leaders for the future Pakistan, then it is a price we must pay in the longer term interests of democratising Pakistan.
The undoing of NAB and the defanging of the PEMRA ordinance is benign and non-damaging, and will be unanimously supported. There are other good and welcome steps but some might have unpredictable results. The support price to wheat is good for the farmer who must remain attracted to the staple crop, but the subsidy to shield the consumer from the high price will obviously go into the wrong quarters. The austerity drive in the federal government and in the provinces will not come to much in terms of money saved but will have a tremendous demonstration effect on the offended minds of the people.
The PMLN did not like the absence of a remark on the deposed judges in the PM's speech as a reference to a general approach to "independence of the judiciary" but this is not the time for a micro-scrutiny of the speech. It is far more important to remain united at this point of time. There are tougher days ahead. The power shortage is going to impose more hardship which will not be diminished by administrative measures. Wheat and food in general will be more expensive because of lack of water and will not be made cheap through imports because of the high global prices and the risk of smuggling. In these conditions, it is crucial that the coalition government stand united and pull together. *
__._,_.___
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___