EDITORIAL : THE DAWN, PAKISTAN

PBC conference

THE word `conference`, especially when used in relation to a broad group of political parties, often suggests hours of talk and positive statements without serious engagement or commitment to change. And it`s not every day that big business brings together such a group to focus on issues of urgent national importance. On Friday, however, a relatively constructive dialogue organised by the Pakistan Business Council seems to have taken place with the goal of evolving a consensus-based economic agenda for the country. The organisation, whose members include some of the country`s largest corporations, reportedly met the leaders of major political parties, including the president, to secure their buy-in prior to the event. Senior party deputies were then sent to participate in the conference, where energy, regional trade, social protection, macroeconomic stability and education were prioritised as key issues. Those attending say participants took an active interest, and that barring some divergences — including on taxation — there was general agreement on a broad economic agenda. The outcome will reportedly be shared with top party leaders again so that a working group can be formed to flesh out the plan in more detail.

A couple of aspects of this effort inspire hope. One, Pakistan`s business community has historically been sceptical about engaging with civilian governments, and this departure is a sign of their willingness to place faith in the democratic process. It is also an indication that sections of civil society are willing to take some responsibility for improving Pakistan`s state of affairs. Second, the amount of homework done prior to the conference, and the interest shown by party representatives at the event, indicates that those involved recognise the urgency of the need for economic reform.

Two points of caution are, however, worth mentioning. The PBC`s members include some of the country`s most successful and eminent CEOs. It does not, however, represent labour leaders and other working-class participants in the economy. Bringing these constituencies into the process is not only important for political parties and the democratic process, but could be useful for developing a sustainable policy that takes into account the incentives of a broader range of economic actors. Second, the biggest risk to this effort is that politics will get in the way of positive change. The bipartisan dialogue on economic reform between the PML-N and the PPP earlier this year went up in flames, resulting in a rift between the two parties in Punjab rather than a roadmap for change. One hopes the inclusion of a broader set of players will protect this latest effort from a similar fate.

Organ trade

LEGISLATION without due implementation is pointless. As the highly respected Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi of Karachi`s Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation said at a press conference on Friday, negligence by the health and other authorities has led to a resurgence in organ trafficking after a relative lull in recent months. The reason is simple: abject poverty that drives penniless people to `donate` their organs and the failure of the state machinery to check this abhorrent practice. Foreigners who come to Pakistan for illegal organ transplants can be tracked and traced. It should be a matter of routine. But that doesn`t happen for some reason on more occasions than one, leading many to believe that a nexus exists between the authorities and unscrupulous medical practitioners who have lost all sight of their oath. `Transplant tourism`, as it is described by some, ought to be a cause for national shame and shunned by all right-thinking people. Of course, it happens elsewhere in the world as well but that is no reason to turn a blind eye to blatant exploitation of the monetarily deprived.

The secretary general of the Transplantation Society of Pakistan, Prof Mirza Naqvi Zafar, was forthright in telling this paper that these practices cannot take place without official `connivance`. But the finger of blame, first and foremost, must also be pointed at the physicians who carry out such operations to line their pockets without any regard for the welfare of poor people. These `middlemen` who call themselves doctors simply because they have a degree, however obtained, with which to prove their credentials need to be brought to book. The organ transplant law passed by the National Assembly was the result of a long, hard struggle by dedicated people who never gave up on their mission. It is now the job of the government to ensure that the writ of the state is enforced in letter and spirit. The police can certainly play their part, as can physicians and members of civil society whose conscience impels them to drag wrongdoers into the net. This is a collective responsibility and cannot be ignored.

Peace aspirations

THE recently concluded World Pushto Peace Conference in Peshawar provided a welcome respite from the bleak times the Pakhtun people live in. Artists, poets and intellectuals participated, along with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and representatives of major political parties. They talked about the Pakhtuns` aspirations for peace and the suffering they have experienced as a result of the conflict in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Afghanistan and Fata. Although the event is a regular feature, times continue to be difficult for the residents of these areas, and any reaffirmation of a collective yearning for peace can only be welcome so long as violence continues to disrupt their lives. What would be even more welcome, though perhaps unrealistic to expect, is if the solutions proposed were taken into account by those who shape governance, security and development policy in the region, which would include the Pakistani, Afghan and American governments. At the very least, though, the conference does appear to have served as an uplifting event.

But its significance went beyond the fact that it condemned terrorism, advocated a holistic approach to resolving conflict going beyond a military solution and highlighted the need for access to education, especially in the tribal areas. By bringing in members of the creative, literary and intellectual communities, the conference reinforced the idea that cultural revival will be an integral part of the revival of life itself for Pakhtuns in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. This acknowledgment is in line with the provincial government`s cultural revival campaign, which began late last year and has since led to a number of cultural events in Peshawar. And although some work has been done in other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the need now is to expand these efforts across the province and hopefully into the tribal areas as well.