Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
Against the odds, hope in turbulent Pakistan
(Lynda Voltz is a NSW Labor MP. Recently She, Hon.Shaoquett Moselmane MLC NSW 7 others traveled to Pakistan as a member of Australian Parliamentary Delegation. Her article was published in Sydney Morning Healed and forward to Sada-e-Watan by Hon.Shaoquett Moselmane MLC NSW)
The recent assassination of Salman
Taseer, governor of Punjab, is a blow to the stable image his province has
projected, in contrast with the seemingly lawless north-west of Pakistan.
Punjab, which holds more than half the population of Pakistan, has been offering
the light to lead Pakistan towards more stable government.
I recently traveled the region and was impressed with the Punjabi government's
efforts to deliver better outcomes to its needy people.
Advertisement: Story continues below One of the more important pieces of
infrastructure was the new $30 million forensic science centre, which would be
the envy of any police force in the world. The centre could be used to build a
more professional police force and help to tackle the culture of corruption in
Punjab.
The centre was being built within budget and on time, at odds with what many
believe is possible in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government has also started to institute a national vocational
training system modelled on Punjab, which is acknowledged as having progressed
more than any other region.
I did not feel at risk as I travelled through Punjab's main cities, Lahore and
Islamabad. Even the Wagah border crossing, once a place of serious conflict,
reminded me of a summer day at any Australian cricket match against England.
Despite the differences between Pakistan and India, it was obvious that on both
sides, people enjoyed the animated behaviour of the guards closing the border at
sundown.
On my travels I met Taseer, who emphasised the importance of building a broad,
secular society that respects every culture.
He was a strong opponent of the jailing and death sentence imposed on Asia Bibi,
a woman convicted of blasphemy.
I found it surprising that the High Court had stopped Taseer's petition to the
federal government for a pardon, keeping Ms Bibi locked up until all appeal
processes had been exhausted.
I also visited a moderate madrassa.
These are not, as perceived in the West, hotbeds of radicalism but institutions
that teach boys and girls, men and women, in a country where just over 1 per
cent of the federal budget is spent on education and more than 60 per cent is
spent on defence.
This is a byzantine country where every extreme can be found but it is also a
nation of warm and friendly people who wish to live in peace and prosperity.
Taseer was a great advocate of such a society.
Pakistan still has a long way to go. It is a fledgling democracy that has
suffered years of military dictatorships and violence.
Since September 11, 2001, more than 16,000 civilians have lost their lives.
Everywhere you go people talk of corruption. But it is important that they talk
about it.
The media, so long restricted, have been allowed to grow and, over time, are
becoming braver and more forthright. More than 90 per cent of media condemned
Bibi's death sentence.
Taseer had his own problems. Appointed by the federal government, which is run
by the Pakistan Peoples Party, he had legendary battles with the speaker of the
Punjab Provincial Assembly, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, of the Pakistan Muslim
League (Nawaz).
To stabilise Pakistan, ongoing democratic government is needed.
Many people I met supported the idea of the judiciary as a brake on government.
But when the people are angry, they need to know that the government is
responsible and democratic elections, not a politicised judiciary, are the
mechanism to remove that government.
This will not occur under a military dictatorship or while the public believes
the judiciary has a role in the political process, even if it is
well-intentioned. Already there are stories of the judiciary initiating
prosecutions without just cause.
It is only 60 years since partition, and Pakistan has spent many years without
democratic government. It took 82 years for NSW electors to put the first woman
into the Australian Parliament and numerous royal commissions will attest to our
experiences with corruption.
Time and ongoing stable democracy will eventually deliver the changes the people
of Pakistan seek. Unfortunately, the death of Salman Taseer is a big blow to
progress.
