A hero’s treatment?

THE treatment meted out to Pakistan’s national hero Imran Khan just prior to and after his arrest ought to embarrass Pakistan’s public and government alike. Though still widely recognised as the inspiring captain who led Pakistan’s struggling cricket team to World Cup glory in ’92 — something that appeals very strongly to the public — Imran’s real contribution lies in his social and political work since his retirement. It bears noting that his personal political bent notwithstanding, he has yet to be found flinching on responsibility that has come his way, an aspect of his personality that won him just as many laurels inside Pakistan as in the world outside. As cricket captain few doubted his ability to commandeer the national outfit. And he justified their trust by gifting the nation the much prized World Cup victory in his last professional match. As an untiring social worker, he alone initially, and practically much of Pakistan middle and lower classes subsequently, bear responsibility for the country’s first and only cancer research centre and hospital, honouring a promise he made when his mother lost a long and painful battle to cancer. One would struggle to find a parallel in the Third World where the majority of patients cannot afford the costly treatment, and most are treated free of cost.
Then, as member of the national assembly, he has initiated what is without doubt one of the country’s most promising educational initiatives. Leveraging his position as chancellor of Bradford University, the plan envisages student and teacher exchange programmes for a proposed university that will cater to six districts, again extending free education to most students. And truth be told, his political ideals can hardly be termed ‘against national interest’, as implied by General Musharraf and his band of merry men. He has argued for judicial independence for a good ten years now, a necessary facet of a democratic set-up. And few, if any, can find faults with struggling to fight for constitutional superiority. That, especially, when a life of luxury, away from the hassles of politics, was not much of a problem for him. For Imran Khan to be incarcerated in the manner he has been, roughed up, bundled away and slapped with terrorism charges, ought to be an insult not only for Pakistanis, but all in the international community who advocate fair play. He has committed no crime save not siding with General Musharraf in uncertain times for the dictator. Clearly, in its drive to appear tough, the Musharraf regime is out of its depth.

Pollution disputes

A pollution report from a respected US think tank produces another take on who is emitting the most green house gas carbon dioxide. When measured on a per capita basis, surprisingly Australia emerges as the world’s worst polluter. These figures also throw a different light on the greenhouse gas contribution of the fast-developing economies, particularly China and India. On this CO2 emission per head of population calculation, Australia’s polluting activities are five times worse than those of China. The United States, which by this formula is ranked No. 2 polluter (it is No.1 in terms of sheer quantity of CO2 belched out) , is creating 16 times more greenhouse gas than India. Measuring the figures this way gives the lie of claims from the developed world it is the emerging economies that are creating the most mayhem. In terms of the total amount of carbon emissions from power plants, after America’s 2.5 billion tons, China comes a close second with 2.4 billion tons and Russia and India come next with “only” 600 million and 529 million tons respectively. But by focusing on the amount of pollution created per citizen, it is clear that the developed world is still benefiting to the disadvantage of everyone else. When this reality is added to the fact that it was the industrial development of wealthy First World nations that laid the original deadly foundations for the current level of greenhouse gases, their present performance is even less acceptable. These new revelations will undoubtedly inform the climate debate. Unfortunately they are more likely to foster further angry disagreements than lead to clarity and action. And action, even without clarity, is what is urgently needed. The two basic facts are now surely beyond dispute. The world is going through a natural cycle of climatic change but the effects are being accelerated and deepened by the filth that power stations, cement plants, ships, airplanes and road transport are pumping out every day.
As long as commercial rivalries are allowed to underpin the postures taken by governments at meetings on climate change, progress if any, is going to be painfully slow. In any event, as politicians bargain for this or that exemption or companies play the dubious game of carbon trading, they are all missing a key point. This is that the business of cleaning up the world’s environmental act represents a substantial commercial opportunity. Much of the technology already exists to clean flu gasses and used precious hydrocarbon resources more economically. That which is lacking will quickly be developed once the money and political will are put behind it. As the world heads for economic downturn, if not recession, here is a chance to generate new economic activity by attending to the causes of pollution, at a time when demand for the output of polluting plants will be lower and thus they can afford to come off-line for a while. If key technologies are licensed generously, there will enough work for everyone and when economic growth returns, it will not carry such a high cost in pollution.

—Arab News