EDITORIAL : THE DAWN, PAKISTAN

Intelligence failure

THOUGH Karachi is, unfortunately, no stranger to violence, the bombing of two navy buses in the city on Tuesday perhaps marks the resumption of organised militant terror activities in the metropolis. There was a brief lull in such attacks; however, this proved to be illusory. Several people were killed while dozens were injured in the two separate attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. A third bomb, which failed to detonate, was defused before it could aggravate the damage. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attacks. This is not surprising as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan regards everyone who wants to eliminate Islamic militancy from the country as a legitimate target. The attackers had done their homework as the veh- icles were targeted despite bearing commercial registration plates.

If the TTP was indeed responsible for Tuesday`s bombings, it points to a huge lapse on the part of the state`s intelligence-gathering apparatus. It appears that either sleeper cells have been activated in Karachi or a fresh batch of would-be bombers has arrived from the tribal areas. Local affiliates of militant groups cannot be ruled out. Police say that a suspect arrested in connection with the recent rummy club bombing also had links to Waziristan; many people are doubtful of this claim, but if it is true then it is added reason for concern. Whether it is sleeper cells or new recruits, the failure of the security apparatus to keep an eye on militant activity in the city and keep track of militants` movements across the country reflects poorly on the state`s intelligence-gathering capabilities. It is near impossible to stop a bomber when he is in the process of carrying out his `mission`; better intelligence to pre-empt such activities is the only antidote. Many states have developed and fine-tuned their intelligence-gathering capabilities. Pakistan must do the same if it is to safeguard its cities and towns.

Militants have in the past boasted that over 1,000 suicide bombers have been trained at camps in North Waziristan. A suspected would-be bomber, arrested after the Sakhi Sarwar shrine blast in Dera Ghazi Khan, also claimed hundreds of people were being trained as suicide bombers in Waziristan. If these claims are even partially true, the havoc these brainwashed souls could unleash on Pakistan is unimaginable. The country has already suffered irreparable damage at the hands of militants. Hence, it is imperative that militants are neutralised before they infiltrate the cities, and better intelligence must be the state`s key weapon in this regard.

Additional judges

Unrealistic tax aimsTHE assent given by President Zardari to the extension in service of six additional judges of the Lahore and Sindh high courts should bring to a close at least that specific aspect of the long-running tussle between the Supreme Court and the political government. At one level, anything that marks a resolution of a dispute or helps lower the tension between the executive and the superior judiciary is a good thing and should be welcomed. Given the myriad challenges the state faces, sidestepping fresh crises is arguably almost as valuable as addressing existing ones. Nevertheless, the curious case of the six additional judges is instructive in that it lays down yet another marker about how the superior judiciary conceives of itself. Some background here is necessary. In January-February, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JC) convened to decide the future of additional judges of the Sindh and Lahore high courts whose one-year terms were coming to an end. Of the dozens of cases before it, the JC chose to release some judges while retaining many for a further one-year period. When the nominees for reappointment were sent to the Parliamentary Committee, however, the PC rejected the reappointment of six additional judges (four of the Lahore High Court and two of the Sindh High Court), relying on the written comments of the chief justices of the LHC and SHC to do so. The rejection by the PC caused the Supreme Court to swing into action, overruling the PC and instructing the government to reappoint the six additional judges.

Essentially, the superior judiciary has now moved one step closer to achieving a hermetically sealed judiciary, in which only the judiciary gets to determine who can be a judge. By rejecting the PC`s rejection of the six additional judges, the Supreme Court has effectively told parliament that its role in judicial appointments is minimal, almost like the president`s assent in which he has no discretion. Is this a good thing? Should the custodians and final interpreters of the law decide their own membership while shutting out the input of the people`s representatives? There are no easy answers here.

Unrealistic tax aims

THE broad contours of the budget for the next fiscal indicate the government`s desire to stabilise the economy by pursuing a relatively tighter fiscal policy. The blueprint of the budget, as reported in this newspaper the other day, also betrays the government`s desperation to significantly raise tax revenues in view of falling foreign capital flows. More emphasis has been laid on enhancing tax revenues than on curbing spending, the other imperative half of a tight fiscal policy. The consolidated expenditure is projected to spike by 7.5 per cent to Rs3.5tr. Indeed, it is difficult to cut soaring expenditure owing to deteriorating security conditions and rising debt servicing over the years. Thus, the success of the plan to cut a ballooning fiscal deficit to 4.5-4.8 per cent of GDP will depend largely on the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue.

Given the FBR`s poor track record and the government`s reluctance to tax incomes from property, agriculture, stocks, etc the tax target of Rs1.95tr is unlikely to be met, notwithstanding the additional taxation measures that penalise existing taxpayers. It is bound to miss the target next year too. Even the implementation of the RGST — a necessary but inequitable levy — and wealth tax and an increase in the rates of certain existing taxes will not help achieve the kind of growth the government wants to see. The tax target also appears unrealistic because the economy is operating far below its capacity owing to a severe energy crunch. At the end of the year, tax collectors will find themselves debating measures to narrow the collection gap by again penalising the existing taxpayers. It is advisable that the government set itself a realistic tax target. It will be no use crying over spilt milk at the end of the year.