Unit Durbar, Circa 2000

Publisher and Managing Editor IKRAM SEHGAL  wrote this article for THE NATION which the DJ is re-producing with thanks.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica “Durbar” is a word widely used in India to signify a court or audience chamber; also any assembly of notables called together by a “governmental authority”. In the army, Commanding Officers (COs) of various units, particularly the fighting arms, hold regular Durbars to explain their policies, plans and intentions to the rank and file, this forum gives an opportunity to the Jawans to raise pertinent questions and vent legitimate grievances. The Durbar is a very special occasion, with the Jawans sitting cross-legged on the ground facing the CO with his ceremonial chair and table, the “officer loag” and “JCO Sahiban” sitting alongside on chairs on both sides of the Assembly, ready to answer questions (and sometimes be taken to task by the CO) if need be.

With the gathering of “Editors, Columnists and Reporters” representing the Pakistani intelligentsia and masses, with members of his administration sitting on both sides of the assembled media representatives, Gen Pervez Musharraf made a blunt presentation of his government’s performance as well as his intentions for the future. The intelligentsia may remain skeptical about the conduct and style of the event, the Chief Executive’s (CE) aim was to get his message across.   “The great silent majority”  that provides the maximum viewers for the “World Wrestling Federation” (WWF) bouts on TV,  was the target audience who had to be reached out to in words and actions in layman’s language which they would be able to absorb, more importantly, to accept.

The CE started by taking issue with the notion of being “isolated” as a country,  he was both right and wrong! We are not really isolated, however, neither do we occupy the same pedestal that we used to. Kargil brought negative dynamics into the situation, we are down diplomatically quite a few notches.  However wrongly, the international perception have raised the Indians to  the “moral high ground”, some of it is simply crass economics, the west’s commercial greed for tapping the vast one billion plus consumer market of India. It would be scary if we did not recognize this reality.  One must agree that the CE had more success than failure on his 19 trips abroad.  To dispel apprehension among our traditional friends the CE opted to personally apprise them of facts as they existed on the ground, to look them in the eyes in face to face contact and let them gauge the sincere intent or otherwise for themselves, The Army Junta in Burma made a major mistake by isolating themselves inside Burma and let universal perception about their rule be crafted by the world media’s continuing love affair with Aung Sun Suu Kyi. The lady’s democratic following notwithstanding,  Burma had many problems of grave nature which needed a firm hand. In contrast to Ms Benazir’s and Mian Nawaz Sharif’s imperial globe-trotting on private jet alongwith large retinues of little or no consequence to governance, Pervez Musharraf  travelled on scheduled flights  with  very small delegations. The trips  well worth the time and money and effort, as a damage control exercise have been largely successful.

Since Oct 16, we have seen a number of Pervez Musharrafs on prime time TV as dictated by his media handlers.   The real Pervez Musharraf finally stood up on May 25, 2000, symbolically with his gloves off.   The aesthetic sense may have been missing but it was effective, as befits a unit commander explaining hard facts to his Jawans.  There has been  an increasing apprehension among the masses about seeming inaction under military rule, not delivering the goods, such vacuum is fertile ground for rumours.  The CE explained the time lag in the language the masses understand,  to develop a  “strategy” in each area of concern time was needed, a comprehensive analysis of the problems had to be made before coming through with effective solutions.

On one major issue there can be no compromise, documentation of the economy. For too long a  large number of our businessmen have been taking a free ride, included are those  who have accumulated wealth illegally. 1.2 million people make for a miniscule “Atlas” to bear the burden of 140 million people.  There is a resistance to the tax net being broadened,  those affected are trying to scuttle the documentation process. 13 cities being targeted, one believes that an interim target of Rs 150-200 billion is achievable, eventually as much as  Rs 600 billion. The break-up of the list of 1,000 to be fired from CBR was extremely disappointing. About 850 of those being sacked are virtual junior nonentities,   sacrificial lambs meant as a diversion to protect the big culprits at higher levels,  the real leeches who have sucked this economy dry. Even if the whole lot of 30,000 CBR personnel are sacked it will make no difference to the collection,  if the Finance Minister (better a full-time a Revenue Minister) were to send 90% of CBR officials home and request the business community to pay 30% more in taxes each year for two consecutive years without any check or verification, coordinated at most by the respective Chambers of Commerce and Industry,  one believes that the response would be positive. Client-Patron relationships seem to go on and on even if new staff is inducted,  the problem is that the crooked soon find Godfathers for “protection”. One of the jokes at a play in Karachi made one cry for this country, it marvelled at a couple of very influential businessmen being picked up despite their “jack” in successive regimes. They were not picked up simply for tax and excise evasion of various kinds, involvement in making fake products,  taking of spurious bank loans, etc, they were hauled up  on  serious charges pertaining to national security,  charges that could not be ignored despite their “blue-chip” contacts.  Give credit to the regime for not knuckling under.

The appointment of the virtually unknown Sher Afghan Malik as MD PIA is controversial. What raised doubts was his CV, all rhetoric and no substance. No  mention of the organisations or appointments he has served in or the naming of the entities he is believed to have “turned around”.   Malik  simply happens to be the brother-in-law of someone having extensive business dealings with PIA in a private capacity, and who coincidentally happens to be the father-in-law of someone who is  “a dynamic young entrepreneur”  according to one of our ministers.  Coincidentally  this paragon of business happens to be a fellow franchisee in a major western food franchise of the businessman hauled up under national security reasons aforementioned. And one may well ask who recommended Sher Afghan Malik for the crucial PIA post to replace the much replaced Arif Khan Abbasi?  Abbasi was at least keeping PIA flying. Mr Sher Afghan Malik’s credentials to perform miracles need to be looked at carefully before this experiment grounds PIA permanently.  Of course if he has the necessary credentials,  more power to him.

Talking about PIA MDs, some columns ago I was very unkind to former Governor (and former MD PIA) Air Marshal (Retired) Daudpota when he was Governor. He is a fine, honourable gentleman, what better than to apologise  when he is not in power. Definitely not run-of-the-mill “yes man” material, the Air Marshal expresses dissent without any qualms when he feels a negative response is necessary. The agenda of his bosses in governance,  a decade younger than himself,   was way out of his conscience to handle.

The CE’s Press Conference reminded one of the time late Gen Ziaul Haq lost his cool at the OIC Meeting of Heads of State and Government at Rabat (or was it Casablanca) many years ago, and was applauded for his plain talking by the hard-bitten assembled Muslim leaders. Further back one remembers Gen Yahya Khan, very witty and spontaneous, when facing a hostile Press.  No leader has been as blunt to a fault as this genuinely honest but much-maligned man, one of the few leaders of Pakistan who made nothing for himself or even tried to.  A  modicum of plain, straight talking was required from Gen Pervez Musharraf. A rough sampling of public opinion shows he achieved what he wanted to. Now he has to come through on his promises or his credibility will be as short as was late Zia’s never-ending 90 days.  Beginning 1970 most of the units and formations of the Pakistan Army remained in field conditions for nearly 4 years,  reaching peace location even later than June 1974.  A symbolic act for the CE would be to shun the routine and move into the CE’s Secretariat with his camp cot, and in exclusion to everything else,  get on with his commitment on a war footing on a 24 hour basis.  Less than 1,000 days are left for his mandate to run out,  for the country the sands of time may be running out much faster.