Almost two weeks have past since the biggest natural disaster in the history of Pakistan struck the country, rendering thousands of lost lives, further thousands of injured people and millions of home-less individuals. A disaster, by virtue of its destruction, completely unprecedented, and, by virtue of its ‘shock’, completely unexpected. Some say its worse than Tsunami some say it’s the worst they have ever come across. An earthquake that not only jolted the whole country, but also the whole nation. A lot has been said and seen about the devastation caused by this calamity. And an inch further on my part to elaborate would be more meaningless than any helpful. Those who have said it is all right and, those who have seen it is all true, but then the question is what next? What to do now? How to do it? And finally and most importantly, till when?
Relief operations at this point in time, can be categorized into two different though connected functions. One is the rescue operation and the other forms the rehabilitation process. While the former is most urgent and burning, the latter is equally vital and might consume decades. Twelve days past the disaster, and say a week more, the rescue operations will cease their activity and then will start the most crucial and ‘make or break’ part of the relief project, the rehabilitation process_ giving respect to those alive.
But before getting any further, it would be extremely useful to analyze the rescue operations carried-out so far, not for the sake of any criticism but just for future lessons. Although it would be absolutely criminal to doubt on the intent of those involved in these operations, be it the government, the army, the civil administration, the opposition or for that matter anyone, but the strategy, the course of action and especially, its timing are certainly debatable.
The earthquakes of October 8th were beyond control_ agreed, but the magnitude of devastation caused, especially in terms of lost lives, could have certainly been reduced, if not completely eliminated. Every civilized country must have a disaster management plan which has to practical and functional, a plan that is resourceful and encompasses inputs from all stakeholders. Unfortunately, what we saw on that fateful incident was a complete disorder on part of the concerned crisis management authorities. Proactivity leads to reactivity, on collapse of the Margalla tower, CDA and all other concerned authorities seemed helpless and hopeless. CDA should have been equipped with modern machinery to remove the rubble of the collapsed building, and if acquiring this machinery was too expensive, then at least there should have been a make-shift agreement in the form of outsourcing with major engineering companies. This negligence of the concerned authorities not only added to the chaos but also aggregated the loss. Had there been proper crisis management practiced this situation could have been much less worse.
Identification of affected areas, for example, was something that took time much more than it should actually had taken. This delayed identification then had a ripple-effect on other related activites, communication perhaps the most important one. One wonders why the satellite technology wasn’t brought to use to locate the affected areas. After those areas had been located, they could have been accessed through C-130s, the way they were used later. Because, ultimately it was those thousands of precious lives and hopes that were at stake.
Lack of coordination was another big issue in these rescue operations. Furthermore, the absence of state functionaries, lack of harmonization among national and international donor agencies, little information to people about the most affected areas and complete ignorance of rescue teams about the socio-political condition of the afflicted population have led to a concentrated distribution of relief goods only in areas that are being highlighted by the media.
I had a chance to visit Ayub Medical Hospital, Abbotabad, along with a motivated team of around 25 young volunteers. And although the hospital was jam packed with patients at that time, the magnitude of patient influx at the hospital was still very high. I observed patience of the patients, who despite suffering from serious injuries possessed a ray of hope in their eyes. I could feel the pain, but I believe it was nothing, when compared to the pain of those waiting outside the ICUs for their loved ones.
But heartening to see was the enthusiasm and passion of the people there. Doctors were seen working round the clock; volunteerism was witnessed at its peak. Volunteers had poured in from far flung cities including Lahore and Karachi. These young individuals had come to save their fellow beings and to help their brothers and sisters. But what they lacked was direction; they did not know what to do and where to do it. At times they found no work to do, and this alarmed a huge task head, to keep this enthusiasm from transforming to utter frustration. Proper coordination and channeling of these efforts was required that would lead to a more concerted and constructive outcome.
This spirit, this motivation of the nation should not die here, it has to carry on. The rehabilitation and reconstruction phase which will soon start would be a long-term project. Thousands of houses will have to be rebuilt; thousands of schools and colleges will have to be reestablished and equally more hospitals will have to be made functional. This would require a lot of capital, a lot of labor, a lot of expertise and a lot of will. Factories will have to set-up there operations in these areas, roads will be carpeted and other infrastructural facilities will have to be given a new life. But most importantly these will have to be recreated using the local manpower. The locals who have been rendered homeless and jobless because of this catastrophe must be involved in this reconstruction process; this would not only give them a source of sustainable earning but would also give them respect. In this way we would be able to turn this mammoth challenge in front of us to a possible opportunity.
Private-Public Partnership would be the name of the game. The fact that the Government on its own would be unable to cope with this disaster, cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, stakeholders from every segment of the society will have to come forward. Media will have to play a role of constant motivator for the nation, the role of all the private channels has been very inspiring for the whole nation and they deserve a due appreciation for that. Similarly, the corporate community also has been very bighearted with their efforts both in the form of stocky donations and generous free-of-cost services in the troubled areas. Hats off to them, but this practice must carry on.
But government being the prime in-charge for the safeguard of its citizens will have to shift gears and that too quickly. There must be a concerted, coordinated, consistent and comprehensive effort on part of the government with all its machinery being used in an efficient-cum-effective manner.
Identification of jobs and subsequently tasking them to relevant teams is what would be required of government here. One rather new but effective idea would be to assign these jobs to the million of devoted Muslims that congregate at Raiwind every year. These stanch Muslims could be asked to perform their 40 day chilla at Azad Jammu Kashmir this time. This would give them a chance to demonstrate their religious teachings and help those in pain. All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities must allocate a sizeable quota for the students of the affected areas and be given free education. Moreover, students from every college and university must be asked to spend at least one month in their academic year at these areas, performing various tasks mainly concerning manpower. Similarly, employment opportunities must be created for them by allocating special quotas in all government corporations and private firms. This would enable these young men and women to contribute to the main stream of the nation.
Government should also come forward to involve credible figures like Edhi Sahab and Imran Khan in these rehabilitation projects. These social workers, regardless of their political affiliations, have sound public standing and confidence, and have relevant experience in these kinds of projects. Their coordination would not only make this relief project more transparent but would also set a new example on part of the present government.
In the reconstruction phase, pertinent expertise could be sought from specialist from Japan and Turkey. Based on the geographic seismic zones, the requirements of building structure would vary a lot and these experts could help create a Master Plan of development in these areas, so as to save them from future earthquake destruction. NGOs can prove their worth and take up the responsibility of owning various small development projects including houses, hospitals and schools.
Finally and most importantly, government should recognize the efforts of thousands of our unsung heroes who have participated selflessly and altruistically for this genuine cause of saving their fellow beings. The cracks in the nation have begun to fill in, unity seems not too far, and the emergence of one-nation is in-sight. I haven’t seen the 1965 war though have heard a lot, but I have seen this. And this seems larger than life to me. I salute the doctors, engineers, students and all men of my nation. I am proud to be a part of this nation, a nation which is still alive and kicking.

Imbalance between population and resources be rationalised
Khalid Khokhar

The burgeoning population density in Pakistan has caused serious problems. Pakistan is still the sixth most populous country in the world. Although, due to the government’s utmost efforts, the population rate in Pakistan has reduced from 3.1 percent to 1.9 percent, yet it would double in 37 years. The experts in Pakistan say that with increase in population, employment, health, education and other civic amenities are not being increased accordingly, thus creating an imbalance between population and resources. According to the population theory of Malthus, the population increases at geometrical rate i.e. 1:3:9 while resources grow at the rate of 1:2:3. The challenge for us is to create greater awareness at public level regarding consequences of rapid population growth. The Government has started a campaign to create awareness among the people particularly in rural areas and they are being apprised of the benefits of population planning. For this purpose, government plans to seek the services of teachers, intellectuals and prayer-leaders so as to create awareness amongst general masses regarding the importance of small family and thus helpful in reducing the birth rate to acceptable limits. 13,000 people from all over the country are undergoing training for the crash courses for prayer-leaders (Imams) and teachers. These courses are focus on family planning in line with the teachings of Islam.
But the programme is being hit by the leaders of different religio-political parties. They say that the basic problem of Pakistan is the stagnant developmental process and that is why the government considers increase in population a burden on it. These hardliners don’t know that even the robust economy growth would nullify all achievements. A handful of these obstinate religious leaders having vested interests, are sticking their guns to dogmatic orthodoxy and do not advocate openness. Islam stands for moderation, peace and well being of all and there is no room for intolerance or extremism in our great religion. Historically, the various interpretations of religious laws have created many different ‘Islams’ rather than one single, uniform religion. These legal understandings along with cultural customs of a certain region have shaped how Islam is practiced in diverse Muslim societies throughout the centuries. The Islamic Renaissance has already begun. For example, Qur’anic verses that call for violence may not be as useful as others which express equality, liberty, peace and freedom for all, irrespective of religion and gender. A growing number of Muslim religious scholars believe that the Sharia or past interpretations of sacred text may need to be re-examined to re-emphasise the true, peaceful and pluralistic nature of Islam.
No country can afford to double the population as it would negate all the present and future achievements. In order to address this menace, the government has offered the vision of “3-Es” - Education, Empowerment and Enlightenment so as to have a focused approach on the issue of population growth. Increasing literacy rate, empowerment of people - particularly of the women and adherence to the vision of enlightened moderation are the best way of controlling population.
The current government’s wide-ranging structural reforms, prudent macroeconomic policies, financial discipline and a consistency and continuity in policies have transformed Pakistan into a stable and resurgent economy. Foreign debts have been reduced by $6bn in the last three years. Foreign currency reserves stand at an all-time high of almost $13bn. The Karachi Stock Market (KSE), which has never crossed 2,000 points since the creation of Pakistan, has crossed 6,000 points. However, the fast growing population has given rise to grave problems for the country. We are heading towards GDP growth rate of 8.4 percent per annum. The progress achieved by us in various sectors cannot stay in the odds of mounting pressure of population growth, so the development stands negated and the fruit of development cannot trickle down to the common man.

US should step up quake relief to Pakistan
Anatol Lieven
 
THE Oct. 8 earthquake that crushed northern Pakistan has given the Bush administration a chance to repeat its successful response to the tsunami in Asia: Deliver substantial assistance, save lives and have a major political impact. What the administration did then — after initial criticism for pledging a paltry sum of aid — was morally commendable. It was also strategically astute. If success in the struggle against terrorism requires that the United States win friends in the Islamic world, then helping Indonesia, the world’s largest Islamic country and a key US ally in the struggle against terrorism — was surely a sensible way to go about it.
By contrast, the administration’s response in Pakistan has been inadequate at best. This is strange. Pakistan is on the front lines in the war on terrorism. The quake has killed at least 50,000 of its people. In a remote mountainous area, with winter coming, about 2.5 million people are homeless. The World Food Program estimates that half a million people have yet to receive any food deliveries. There is a desperate shortage of tents. There are also far too few helicopters to deliver essential supplies. The United Nations has received less than 25 percent of the funds it needs in Pakistan.
Surely it’s obvious what the administration should do. Yet apart from a fly-in to Pakistan by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, its response has so far been pitiful. The United States has pledged only $50 million in aid, a tiny fraction of what it is capable of providing. According to USAID, as of Oct. 17, nine days after the earthquake struck, the US military had flown only 168 helicopter sorties to the affected areas. It can certainly do much more in a country next door to Afghanistan and near the Arabian Gulf, where substantial US airborne forces are deployed.
This anemic reaction is obtuse. Apart from Iraq and Afghanistan, no country is more critical to the war on terror than Pakistan. With more than 150 million people, Pakistan has almost as large a population as the entire Arab world. Islamist extremists have made dangerous inroads there and twice have tried to kill President Pervez Musharraf, without whom the American presence in Pakistan would be imperiled.
Most of the top Al-Qaeda operatives captured have been apprehended in Pakistan with the help of Pakistani authorities. The Pashtun areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan are a hotbed of support for the Taleban and probably harbor Osama Bin Laden. Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons and, in the past, has been involved in nuclear smuggling. Its survival as a US ally is therefore one of America’s most vital interests.
But if the Pakistani state proves unable to look after its people in a crisis, its domestic authority is bound to suffer. That authority, and Pakistan’s ability to take part in the war on terror, will also suffer if, having given valuable help to the United States, it gets little in return. Much has been said in the United States in recent years about Pakistan’s actual or potential unreliability as an ally; some of it is fair. But reliability cuts both ways. The same US pundits who have listed Pakistan’s faults and who lecture Pakistan on how to run its affairs are silent in the face of the administration’s failure. To Pakistanis, we are like a rich man in a manor who hectors his poor neighbors about their faults but refuses to help them in time of desperate need.
Why is the White House reacting so tepidly in Pakistan after handling the tsunami disaster so well? The answer might be that an administration that is becoming increasingly monarchical and politicized also is becoming increasingly paralyzed. Its foreign policy crew can still walk and chew gum simultaneously, but it might not be able to think at the same time. Whatever the reason, by failing to extend more generous and visible assistance to Pakistan, the Bush administration is committing a grave moral and political blunder.