Saturday, April 04, 2009
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari may come under renewed pressure both within the country and abroad not to sign the controversial deal with the Taliban in Swat after the appearance of a video of the 17-year-old girl being flogged hit the world headlines.
But an overall effort is being made by all the parties ? the president, the prime minister, the chief justice and politicians ? to use the incident and get back control of events in Swat where the writ of the state has vanished. In this context, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry made a bold attempt on Friday to reassert the will of the restored judiciary to take up suo motu cases of public interest.
Millions of Pakistanis and foreigners, who heard the screams of the girl on their TV screens, heaved a sigh of relief when the top judge issued directives for her production in the apex court and constituted a larger bench to take up the case, which may lead to more pressure on President Asif Zardari not to sign a controversial peace deal with the Taliban fighters in Swat.
When the agreement was inked with the rebels by the NWFP government, one knowledgeable source said, President Zardari knew well that the world would not accept the contentious deal. But he chose to give peace a chance in the valley due to pressure from political parties, powerful religious groups and, most importantly, the media.
Some representatives of the electronic as well as the print media are allegedly trying to justify Taliban?s brutal acts, mostly against women and other venerable sections of the society, through their writings and talk shows. Zardari did not want to give the impression that he was a hurdle in the way of peace, one official said.
It was the military establishment that was reluctant to fight the insurgents and favoured the deal with the Swat militants, the source claimed. Left with no option, he added, Zardari decided to fall in line and the deal was successfully sold to the Americans.
He pointed out from day one Zardari was aware of the hostile reaction to the agreement from the international powers and the civil society groups. That was why the president linked his approval of the deal to restoration of permanent peace in the region. But the public flogging of the 17-year-old girl will certainly make it more difficult for Zardari to sign the deal awaiting his nod.
By ordering the victim?s production in his court next week, the chief justice made a courageous go at reviving the writ of the state abdicated to the Taliban in Swat. The top judge proved that he would dispense justice, unmoved by the ?sensitivities and expediency? involved in the Swat pact.
Many believe the chief justice?s bold step can help stop the creation of a ?state within a state? by rogue elements in the ranks of Taliban, who were conveniently allowed to rule the valley in the name of Islam by political as well as military leaders.
Unlike the moderate governments of the PPP in Islamabad and the ANP in Peshawar, the chief justice was seen as protecting basic human rights and acting in a more reassuring manner ? something that brought a sense of relief to a shell-shocked nation.
As the chief justice issued notices to the interior secretary and others to appear before the court, almost everyone felt that still there is someone ready to take care of the children of the lesser god, left high and dry by the so-called moderate forces (the PPP, the MQM and the ANP) to deal with the militants.
Quite surprisingly, reactions of both the president and the prime minister did not provide any hope to the people that they are part of a civilised society and that no one could get away with such a brazen violation of the law. But much to the disappointment of many, they just denounced the incident.
Simultaneously, the flogging of the girl proved right the saner elements who had repeatedly warned that the handing over of Swat at gunpoint to the Taliban would unleash a new wave of violence. Women and children are said to be the victims of the shocking video, as a sense of depression overtook them after watching the footage.
source:http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=21327
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari may come under renewed pressure both within the country and abroad not to sign the controversial deal with the Taliban in Swat after the appearance of a video of the 17-year-old girl being flogged hit the world headlines.
But an overall effort is being made by all the parties ? the president, the prime minister, the chief justice and politicians ? to use the incident and get back control of events in Swat where the writ of the state has vanished. In this context, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry made a bold attempt on Friday to reassert the will of the restored judiciary to take up suo motu cases of public interest.
Millions of Pakistanis and foreigners, who heard the screams of the girl on their TV screens, heaved a sigh of relief when the top judge issued directives for her production in the apex court and constituted a larger bench to take up the case, which may lead to more pressure on President Asif Zardari not to sign a controversial peace deal with the Taliban fighters in Swat.
When the agreement was inked with the rebels by the NWFP government, one knowledgeable source said, President Zardari knew well that the world would not accept the contentious deal. But he chose to give peace a chance in the valley due to pressure from political parties, powerful religious groups and, most importantly, the media.
Some representatives of the electronic as well as the print media are allegedly trying to justify Taliban?s brutal acts, mostly against women and other venerable sections of the society, through their writings and talk shows. Zardari did not want to give the impression that he was a hurdle in the way of peace, one official said.
It was the military establishment that was reluctant to fight the insurgents and favoured the deal with the Swat militants, the source claimed. Left with no option, he added, Zardari decided to fall in line and the deal was successfully sold to the Americans.
He pointed out from day one Zardari was aware of the hostile reaction to the agreement from the international powers and the civil society groups. That was why the president linked his approval of the deal to restoration of permanent peace in the region. But the public flogging of the 17-year-old girl will certainly make it more difficult for Zardari to sign the deal awaiting his nod.
By ordering the victim?s production in his court next week, the chief justice made a courageous go at reviving the writ of the state abdicated to the Taliban in Swat. The top judge proved that he would dispense justice, unmoved by the ?sensitivities and expediency? involved in the Swat pact.
Many believe the chief justice?s bold step can help stop the creation of a ?state within a state? by rogue elements in the ranks of Taliban, who were conveniently allowed to rule the valley in the name of Islam by political as well as military leaders.
Unlike the moderate governments of the PPP in Islamabad and the ANP in Peshawar, the chief justice was seen as protecting basic human rights and acting in a more reassuring manner ? something that brought a sense of relief to a shell-shocked nation.
As the chief justice issued notices to the interior secretary and others to appear before the court, almost everyone felt that still there is someone ready to take care of the children of the lesser god, left high and dry by the so-called moderate forces (the PPP, the MQM and the ANP) to deal with the militants.
Quite surprisingly, reactions of both the president and the prime minister did not provide any hope to the people that they are part of a civilised society and that no one could get away with such a brazen violation of the law. But much to the disappointment of many, they just denounced the incident.
Simultaneously, the flogging of the girl proved right the saner elements who had repeatedly warned that the handing over of Swat at gunpoint to the Taliban would unleash a new wave of violence. Women and children are said to be the victims of the shocking video, as a sense of depression overtook them after watching the footage.
source:http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=21327
