Adil Najam
Jahil ko agar jhl ka inaam diya jaaye
batlao kay iss jhl ko kiya naam diya jaaye
Just two months ago, we at ATP were aghast at a statement from Senator Israrullah Zehri (BNP-Awami) who, along with Jan Mohammad Jamali, not only defended a horrendous and barbaric murder of young girls as part of their so-called “tribal tradition.”
While there were Senators who condemned this jahalat by these dishonorable Senators, it was disappointing not to see any action being taken at this outrage despite the fact that the senators remains defiant and unrepentant in their jahalat. Now it seems the PPP government has taken action. But what an disgusting action it is. Seantor Zehri seems to have been “rewarded” - but for what? - by a Cabinet appointment.
Even more disturbing than Mr. Zehri’s appointment is that Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, the new Miniser of Education - yes, education! - seems to have jahil views not very different from Mr. Zehri. Is Vani really what we want to teach our children!
But, first, more on Senator Israrullah Zehri. Luckily the Cabinet is so overweight (55 Ministers) and the post he has been given (Postal Services) so inconsequential that his warped sense of right and wrong may not be able to do too much damage. But in the name of all that is good, why O’ why would anyone make someone with such unrepentantly ignorant views a Minister of anything? What possible good can come out of that for anyone?
At the time of his original - and shameful - comments, we had argued:
[They have] not only shamed the Senate and all of Pakistan, they are in fact abusing and shaming the culture and traditions of all Baloch.
Now,at his elevation to a cabinet position one can only say that this act has doubly shamed the government, the Prime Minister, and, indeed, all of Pakistan. His shame remains what it was, but added to it now is the shame that the PPP government would so disregard human and women rights as to make such a man a Minister - even if it is of “Postal Services”!
The shame is further compounded - indeed, the jahalat is compounded - because he is not the only one with such public views who has been inducted into the cabinet. Even more disturbingly, it the new Minister of Education - yes, we have said it before, and let us say again, eductaion - Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani is someone who not only supports the practice of Vani but has actually facilitated it!
In writing about the Zehri story, we had argued that:
Those who think they can “restore” their honor by murdering others have no honor to begin with. There is no honor in murder. Ghairat cannot be gained or regained by butchering the weak. Indeed, murder is beghairati personified. And let us never - never - let anyone confuse criminality with culture.
And its not just us who thinks that such actions are criminal. The Supreme Court of Pakistan thinks the same too. Indeed, the first time we had written about Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, the new PPP Education Minister - as an teacher myself, I cringe at that thought each time I think about it - on Pakistaniat.com (August 16, 2007) was when we quoted from a Daily Times story about how the Supreme Court had ordered “the arrest of the members of a jirga, including PPP MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, that decided to hand over five minor girls for marriage to a family to compensate for a murder in Jacobabad. Three of the 14 jirga members are already in police custody and the court ordered the arrest of the other 11.”
Guess who the (then just-restored) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was then? Guess who in the Cabinet will be working for him to be be restored!
The Dawn story on that particualr episode is worth reading - read today, it gives some great insights into not only the politics of then, but the politics of now:
arrest of 11 members of a jirga, including PPP MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, for handing over five minor girls to the family of a murdered man as compensation to settle the dispute in Jacobabad. A five-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar and Justice M. Javed Buttar took up a complaint of a freelance anthropologist Samar Minallah against the handing over of five girls — Aamna, 5, Bashiran, 2, (daughters of Rahmatullah), Shehzadi, 6, Meerzadi, 2, (daughters of Hafeezullah) and Noor Bano, 3, (daughter of Yar Ali) — to the family of the murdered man as compensation.
The Supreme Court had in June last year frozen the jirga decision to hand over the minors and ordered police to submit an inquiry report within two weeks. The District Police Officer (DPO) Kashmore was told to conduct an inquiry and arrest the jirga members. When DPO Noor Mohammad informed the court on Wednesday that police had arrested three members of the 14-man jirga, namely Hafiz Qamaruddin, Yar Ali and Rehmat, the CJ asked why were influential people not arrested. “Are you afraid of them?” The DPO explained that he had assumed his duties just one and half months ago. At this, the bench said that police always picked up poor people and were afraid of arresting influential people.
The rest of eleven members of the jirga nominated in the FIR are Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Peer Bharchoondi Mian Abdul Khalique, Thull Tehsil Nazim Syed Ali Akbar Banglani, Ghulam Rasool Banglani, Syed Jalal Shah, Raza Mohammad Banglani, Qamaruddin Banglani, Hafiz Banglani, Habib Banglani and two others. The jirga presided over by Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani had ordered the handing over of five minors to the victim’s family and imposed a fine of Rs1 million on both the warring parties to settle a decade-old feud.
So, this then, folks, is your new Minister of Education. Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani. Jirga leader, Vani supporter, and according to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a criminal.But the real crime here is giving him charge of education. Making him incharge of the most important national resource we have. Our children and what goes into their mind!
To repeat what I said at the beginning:
Jahil ko agar jhl ka inaam diya jaaye
batlao kay iss jhl ko kiya naam diya jaaye
Hello everybody,
here we are in 21st century, with everybody else in the world 100 times ahead of us in technology,infrastructure and the likes and we are still dwelling on the politicians of the past. Reenacting them to take us not forward but back to the 20th century. Ms. Rahman few days back announced that they will reinstate all the government employees appointed during Bhutto administration of 96, where do these people get off.
I think Pakistan need a new direction and new leadership, one of our own, meaning a new student coalition. We have to protect our future and that of next generation.
We need to start an educated dialogue in universities and colleges to get them involved in a positive way.
In recent months, some people have been taking the line that the CJ issue is holding up progress on more pressing national issues. When we write our letters to newspapers and TV channels to protest the appointment of these ministers, we need to point out that the CJ issue is not a distraction from more urgent issues precisely because his restoration is being avoided because he was taking up such cases and providing justice. Isn’t there such a striking contrast between the PPP’s allergy to CJ Iftikhar and its willingness to give ministries to misogynists like Bijarani and Zehri?
The main issue here is not about taking or refusing oath under PCO or even about standing up to a military ruler. It is much bigger than that. It is about our basic sense of justice and right and wrong. We have many social evils and structures that enable a small elite to oppress the people without any end in sight. We need to stand up for the few people who try to change this system otherwise there will be noone left to fight the good fight. CJ Iftikhar commited the crime of challanging the system and that’s why he is being kept out.
Ministerial appointments are just another attempt by corrupt wadera’s to loot and rape the wafaqi khazana. Rest assured this horrendous person will contribute nothing to the education of the misfortunate masses of Pakistan. Everyone was celebrating the return of the PPP right? Enjoy the ride.
Excellent suggestions Shiraz (November 8th, 2008 1:38 pm).
I wrote to Dawn and The News yesterday.
We must do everything we can (and a bit more) in our capacity about this. If we don’t step up then who will?
May I ask a question:
Why is there no concept of ‘Comminuty Service’ in Pakitan?
And no giving leftover food to your daily help to take to their quarters at the end of the day or giving them new clothes every Eid is not considered CS. Genrous of you though and I am sure much appreciated by the needy.
When I attented collage back in early 1990’s the only Non acedimic activity introduced and taught by the collage/Goverment was NCC, Yeah give me a gun and tell me how to shoot….there is no conept about doing anything meanigful for your Area..there is no pride..no satisfaction to be gained by beautifying your area, see garbage on the road, side step and keep walking, the wall in the local orpahn is leaking due to rains.. no concept of getting together and rebuit it, there is so sense of I am part of this area and what can I do to improve that is good for the whole not the indvidual.
The relgious instittuion can be a place of gathering youth and engage in activities that benift the community..but Nooo we are lucky if thoes place stay place of worship and not turn into hate spewing human factories
What about Voulteering? What about educating thoes around you? How about giving dignity to your fellow country man-For Pete’s sake?
What are our values as a Nation, what do we believe in, what do we care about, what is the last thing we think about before we sleep, what motivates us as a Nation. Is it our fate to alway be a 3rd world country? I won’t accept the easy route of putting all the balme on the nations leadres.
Yes, all the above seem high and loft ideas. Who wants to think all the above when bombs are blowing around the corner and there is no Atta to be had for days.
I accpet that day to day living in Pakistan is no Picnic- Not by a stretch. But at the same time there are resources, People do drive nice cars, type on their laptops, chat away on their cell phone, mange to shop at boutiques…there are McMansions in Pakitan also… I don’t begrudge anyone the good life, God knows you deserve it and have probably earned it the right way… but how do you feel once you car leaves the Gargae, how do you view the world spilled on the side streets along which your car is crusing.. What do you do while you are sitting in you lawn on a Friday and the Mullah is speaking on the loudspeaker heard all over town saying God damn this and God curse that..do you take a momnet to go see him in private and beg him to stop that nonsence already?
What motivates you beside Pakistan winning over India in Cricket? What moves you as a nation? What is your relaistic vison for your country?
The cabinet is the reflection of the mentality of the feudal lords running the country. To the government, getting political support is more important than lives of the poor of the country, the feudal lords can wipe out a whole village and still get inducted into the cabinet.
A fairy-tale cabinet
By Cyril Almeida
PRIME Minister Gilanis (or are they President Zardaris?) ministers are a bit like Snow Whites dwarfs, Santa Clauss reindeer and Disneys Dalmatians: you know theres a lot of em but, try as you might, you really cant name them all. Theres Dopey and Dasher and Chew and Sherry and Zehri and only this is certain: they are all Happy.
Though, unlike the fictional characters, our ministers are not quite so cuddly. Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, PPP MNA from Jacobabad, is the man now responsible for the education of Pakistans children. His record is stellar. He is a veteran PPP leader, an LLB from SM Law College and an MA from the University of Karachi. Oh, and he was allegedly involved in a small matter of handing over five girls the youngest was two, the oldest six to settle a decade-old karo-kari feud in his area. Good ol Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ordered his arrest in 2007. Bijarani points out though that he was subsequently cleared by a lower court.
Theres more good news for women. Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, a Balochistan National Party (Awami) man who caused a furore recently by defending karo-kari as a tribal custom, has been rewarded with a ministry. To accommodate Zehri, postal services has been spun off from the communications ministry. So there you have it: Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri, minister for postal services. Women, beware: the confidentiality of your letters is now at risk.
Why not just give Zehri womens development? The MQM has the answer: [T]he ministry like woman development [sic] is of no importance, an unnamed senior party leader told a local paper. Given the choice between no ministry and womens development, the MQM chose the former. Serving the people apparently does not include women.
But theres hope in Muzaffargarh. From there hail two new ministers, embodying the best of a secular, democratic dispensation. Abdul Qayyum Jatoi, NA-180, last made news in March when he was caught enjoying a late-night party at the Cat House in Islamabad. At least Jatoi prefers the company of women; three Russians and three Chinese were amongst the 20 women detained in the raid on the house.
And Jatois neighbour over in NA-177 is Hina Rabbani Khar, enlightened moderation personified. Our latest minister of state for finance and economic affairs is the envy of all ministers. She has an inherited constituency, so she can pick and choose who she wants to work with. The two-time MNA is already a two-time loyalist.
But at least she does not change her governance interests: Khar likes the economy. From parliamentary secretary to minister of state in the PML-Q dispensation and special assistant to the prime minister and back again to minister of state in the PPP one, Khar has stayed focused on economic affairs. And why not, for who better to explain to the IMF the mess were in than someone who had a front-row seat to the shenanigans that got us here?
My favourite though is Farzana Raja, who has used the chairmanship of the Benazir Income Support Programme to acquire for herself ministerial status. The poor have become a status symbol. Perhaps as the next step in self-aggrandisement Minister Raja can have a bus load of BISP beneficiaries follow her flag-flying car. They can tumble out on demand, ready to sing Rajas praises at opportune moments. Six months of that and she may be ready to be canonised.
And all this before Round 3, when the MQM and JUI-F will be brought on board which they must before the Senate elections in March. And there still remains the possibility of the PML-Q, forward bloc or the whole lot of them, hopping on board.
At least we now know where a slice of that IMF bailout will go. The 55-plus cabinet is creeping up to the 75-odd ministers of Shaukat Aziz and the 65-odd of BBs second stint. Good luck trying to get precise numbers. Farzana Rajas abound: ministers who arent quite ministers but have ministerial status. Its all very confusing, unless you happen to be a beneficiary in which case you are of course Happy.
It is easy to get carried away though. The cabinet has been plucked from politicians of the Class of 2008, a wily lot. The fact that the cabinet isnt smaller points to another factor at play: survival is informing the choices of Zardari or Gilani (whoever the cabinet really belongs to).
But whats good for Zardaris survival is not necessarily good for our survival. The real problem isnt size but performance. Try naming half a dozen ministers from the pre-expansion set-up. Visibility does not equate to performance, as the Mohammad Ali Durranis and Wasi Zafars of the last government proved, but after 12 years in the wilderness surely we can expect some ministers to be ready to unveil their plans. Where have they been all these months?
And if not some performance by every minister, then how about a decent performance by some ministers? Again, the most active members of the cabinet are unelected: Rehman Malik and Shaukat Tareen. For every 20 ideas they come up with, 19 may be nonsensical. But better to be 1 from 20 than 0 from 0.
And if not a decent performance by some ministers, then how about righting constitutional imbalances? Again, given the nature of our politics it would be unfair to expect Zardari to do anything about it before March when Senate elections will be held and much of the PML-Q and MMA deadwood will be cleared out. But if March comes and goes?
And if not constitutional readjustments then how about the law at the micro level: the lower courts, the police and public prosecutors? Set them free from political interference. Let them get on with the business of protecting the people; hobbled as the institutions are they can still make a difference.
And if not the micro level then what? Where does it stop? At what point do you give up, resigned to watching opportunities slip by yet again. This cabinet can yet become a footnote to this government if Zardari wants. All he has to do is think. Think big, think small. And then act. Not in our name but in our interests.
Under the current system, it is not possible for educated, middle class Pakistanis with any sense of humanity and decency to rise through democratic political process. Here’s how the British writer William Dalrymple describes it:
Democracy has never thrived in Pakistan in part because landowning has traditionally been the social base from which most politicians emerge, especially in rural areas. Here Pakistan is quite different from India, where the urban middle class quickly gained control in 1947. That class has been largely excluded from Pakistan’s political process, as, even more so, has the rural peasantry. There are no Pakistani equivalents of Indian peasant leaders such as Laloo Prasad Yadav, the village cowherd turned (former) chief minister of Bihar, or Mayawati, the dalit (untouchable) leader and current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
You can see the results of a system dominated by landowners in a town like Khairpur, a short distance from Sukkur in the northern part of Sindh. As you drive along, the turban-clad head of the local feudal lord, Sadruddin Shah, with a curling black mustache, sneers down from billboards placed every fifty yards along the road. Shah, who was standing, as usual, for no less than three different seats, is often held up in the liberal Pakistani press as the epitome of all that is worst about Pakistani electoral feudalism. After all, this is a man who goes electioneering not with leaflets setting out his program, but with five pickup trucks full of his men armed with pump-action shotguns and Kalashnikovs.