EDITORIAL : THE DAWN, PAKISTAN

President’s speech

IN the days leading up to President Zardari’s speech to a joint session of parliament yesterday, some quarters in the media and politics had been billing March 22 as a turning point, the beginning of the end for the federal government. But what transpired yesterday in parliament was more damp squib than earth-shattering fireworks. There are several points to be made here. First, the event itself: the president’s speech. Like the previous two speeches of President Zardari at the start of the parliamentary year, this year’s speech also lacked substance and leapt from one platitude to the next. By any measure, last year was a tough year for parliament and the PPP-led government. The economic slowdown deepened and widened; the government failed to get key financial legislation passed; militancy remained a potent threat, even if the frequency of attacks dipped; Karachi remained volatile; the insurgency in Balochistan continued; politics trumped policy — the list of governance failures was real and long. As the constitutional head of state, Mr Zardari should have candidly acknowledged these failures and exhorted the government — his government — to do better. Sadly, none of the statesmanship Pakistan so desperately needs from its leaders was evident in his speech yesterday. Effusive praise for a government which has seen its public approval ratings plummet was not what the country needed.

Next, the opposition’s behaviour. The quiet, orderly walkout staged by the opposition can be characterised in several ways. The most flattering is that the manner of the walkout signified a new maturity in Pakistani politics, where unparliamentary behaviour inside parliament was eschewed. The less charitable explanation is that there was a cynical sell-out, the self-interest of the various opposition parties winning the day as the PPP expertly exploited the all-too-familiar cracks in the opposition ranks. Whatever the truth, there is some relief in the fact that political upheaval has been avoided — at least for now. At the end of the day, none of Pakistan’s deep economic, security and social problems can be addressed if the political waters are churning. Ultimately, however, the onus is on the government to improve its record. Empty rhetoric and clever exploitation of differences in the opposition are not a substitute for better governance.

Finally, a word about the destabilising role of sections of the media. Clearly, the political class needs its feet held close to the fire — the elites are too entrenched to initiate on their own the deep reforms the country needs. But too often sections of the media appear to be ringing the death knell of the government instead of being cheerleaders of democracy. A little patience, please.

Peace talks

INDIA and Pakistan are finally coming back to the negotiating table, and peaceniks from the two countries have been busy laying their own ground for the resumption next week of formal talks that were abandoned after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. Members of civil society from both sides have been meeting to express a desire for peace and to offer, according to their various areas of expertise, solutions to the problems that plague India-Pakistan relations. At a conference in Islamabad, journalists, activists and current and former politicians from both sides of the border suggested on Monday that the two countries sign a no-war pact and bring down defence spending. A day earlier, members of the Pakistani and Indian Supreme Court bar associations issued a joint resolution in Jaipur that deemed violence between the countries unacceptable, favouring, instead, the use of judicial tribunals, negotiations and mediation to find peaceful solutions. Last week, an Indian delegation spoke in Karachi about relevant topics, including the potential of an open trade market between the two countries.

While these efforts are not part of formal talks, due to begin with a meeting between the interior secretaries next week and leading to discussions between the foreign ministers, one hopes their suggestions will not be ignored by official interlocutors. The realities of government-level talks are, of course, more challenging than those of conferences attended by activists already in favour of peace and stronger links. Mistrust characterises the official relationship. India remains suspicious of Pakistan’s seriousness about tackling terrorism and its role in the Mumbai attacks; Pakistan disapproves of India’s stance on Kashmir. Lingering territorial disputes and increasingly serious water-sharing issues will also have to be addressed. Given the complexity of these questions, it will be a shame if the intentions expressed and solutions suggested by peace activists go to waste. One hopes that representatives of both governments will leverage the good work to their own citizens to find creative solutions to mutual disagreements. Diplomacy is a tricky matter — even more so in the case of India and Pakistan.

Still, one hopes that both governments will be mindful of the wishes of their people.

Safe drinking water

THE provision of safe drinking water is among the sub-indicators of Pakistan’s millennium development goals. The country has pledged to give 93 per cent of the population access to safe drinking water by 2015. How far we may yet be from meeting this target, especially after last year’s devastating floods, can be gauged from the fact that several thousands of people in Sindh are being forced to drink brackish underground water after the floods rendered the water supply infrastructure non-functional. As this paper reported yesterday — in fact, on World Water Day — the raging waters washed away 77 per cent of 451 water supply schemes in the province’s flood-hit cities and towns. Each water supply scheme in the rural areas catered to up to 20,000 people, while in urban areas it served the needs of up to 100,000 people. A study undertaken by the Drip and Reclamation Institution of Pakistan, which works under the Ministry of Science and Technology, reveals that many months after the disaster, the government is struggling to restore the water provision infrastructure.

Safe drinking water is amongst the most basic essentials of life and crucial for good health and continued productivity. The state must do better in terms of its efforts to rehabilitate the flood-hit areas and rebuild structures and infrastructures. These efforts should be multi-pronged, so that everything from water supply schemes to schools and hospitals are re-established and people can begin to piece together their lives. As yet, the government has not even managed to rehabilitate all the flood victims, with a number of the displaced still living in makeshift camps. Pakistan seems to be in danger of forgetting about the thousands of families who were victims of the floods. This will not do. A government is elected to help the people, not to ignore their needs.