Manhandling by uniformed personnel

 In less than a month’s time, second incident of manhandling and physical assault of citizens by uniformed personnel has, reportedly, occurred. The battered and badly disfigured face of a senior staff reporter belonging to a leading newspaper was splashed in the print media on Nov 18. Earlier, in a similar incident, some officers of the NAB allegedly maltreated a political party figure resulting in the latter’s death. There cannot be two opinions that the recent occurrence has only added to the already poor image of the Armed Forces in the eyes of public at large. To intensify the matter further was, till late, the persistent failure and helplessness of the police to file FIR against the accused on one pretext or the other.

Incidents of brawl and scuffle are a common sight on the roads in Pakistan mainly because of poor writ of the traffic police and fragile traffic rules, yet it only leaves one wondering if uniformed personnel have a licence to manhandle, show highhandedness, bully or insult commoners at the slightest cause.

Despite years of deep involvement in the civil affairs of the country, armed services men have not become adept in public dealing. Whereas, the sanctity of the uniform and service should be foremost in the minds of such disciplined cadre, psychological protection of the parent organization makes them become the judge, the jury as well as the executioner even at the smallest provocation. For them, wielding brute force, harassment and humbling civilians or public organizations to submit is a must to resolve matters, if not all at least some. It is this element that has eaten into the authority of our institutions reducing them to rubble. Instead of protecting the rights of citizens, the public administration (police in this case) has, thus, become an apparatus to be manipulated by few as deemed fit.

That such course of action does little good either to the image of the individual or the outfit he belongs, needs to be driven clearly in the minds of all personnel. Similar incidents during the past almost decade long sham democracy only eroded the impression of civilian governments in the eyes of public. But the military rule must differ to facilitate restoring the confidence amongst citizens of their few remaining and dwindling rights. This was, in essence, the sum total agenda presented by the governments on Oct 12, 1999.

As long as the citizens feel that some segments of the society are too sacred to be questioned, can take law in their hands and the police remains firmly under the control of the powers that be, the sense of real democracy will always remain illusive in this country. This in turn will certainly give rise to bigotry and intolerance, be that religious or otherwise.

These are not trifling issues but rather immensely important since the public rage is gradually but surely gaining momentum. Under the increasing lawlessness, backbreaking price-hike and waning sense of security, the commoners have little left to praise the regime. Government must pay heed to educate and discipline its men in public affairs and endeavour to unshackle the state institutions from its hold, especially those meant for public protection.

Commander (Retd) Muhammad Azam Khan,

Pakistan Navy

House No 3, Lane 1

Air Force Officers Housing Scheme

(Shaheen Housing)

Tufail Road

Lahore Cantt

Tele: 0300- 9425574

042-6682600 (for message only)

Email: mazam@hotmail.com

Dear Editor:

International Cricket Council (ICC) is the Supreme body of the cricket the world over, like FIFA, IHF or any other similar Sports Federation. The chief purpose of these world bodies of sports is to spread the game throughout the globe and protect the rights of its officials, umpires and referees. Their sporting codes stipulate that the decision of match umpires and referees are final and all teams and their respective Boards have to abide by them regardless of their personal or individual opinions and circumstances. 

ICC’s Articles of Constitution as well as its bye-laws and rules governing the game of cricket including appointment of Match Umpires, Referees and other officials for test as well as ODI’s played anywhere in the world have been ratified, approved and adopted by all its members irrespective of their status (whether they are full, associate or affiliate members of ICC) including India and South Africa.

The Indian Cricket Board as well as some emotional Indian fans are unable to understand that ICC drives its functional powers from its members and if the same members, after granting those powers to its main body, start challenging ICC without following proper procedures, it leads to nothing but chaos, anarchy and bad days for global cricket.

Individual Indian cricketers, Indian Cricket Board officials as well as the members of the Indian cricket fraternity can’t pass their individual judgment on a particular “On the field Incident” like that of Match Referee Mike Dennis sanctioning six Indian Test Players including Star Batsman Sachin Tendulkar, by terming it as Racism, Colour or National Origin bias, Discrimination, Prejudice etc. They should be smart enough to understand that these cases must be addressed in various ICC forums like Executive Board meetings. Not in their drawing rooms or Press Conference Venues.

It might be pointed out that the Chairman of the ICC Panel which appoints Match Referees is Sunil Gavaskar, ex-Indian Captain and present world record holder of making maximum number of centuries in Test Cricket. Does it imply that by appointing Mike Dennis as Match Referee in the second India Vs South Africa test match at Port of Elizabeth, Sunil Gavaskar did not do his job rightly?

BCCI made a big mistake by not following the proper procedures. They could have played the match “Under Protest”. This would have still enabled them to make their point with ICC at a later stage and could have forced the ICC even to review its present laws and authority given to the match referees, Umpires and other officials including the right to appeal against a decision of the Match Referee, Code of Conduct for Match Referees, Consistency in the Penalties imposed by the Match Referees and whether or not Match Referees should be allowed to explain their decisions to the public and the media etc. etc.

By not following the set procedures of its parent body, BCCI has not only harmed the noble game of cricket but has also made a mockery of the test matches as well as the role of a match referee. Let’s hope that the present crisis engulfing the entire cricket fraternity of the world comes to an end and irrespective of the final outcome, ICC’s authority must be protected and strengthened and the game of cricket should come out as real winner.

Thanks and Best Regards,’

Sincerely,

Engr. Aamir A. Salaria,

St. Louis, Missouri 63131,

U.S.A.

Ph: 001 - 314 - 469 - 7511

Mobile: 001 - 314 - 435 - 1095

E-Mail: AamirSalaria@aol.com

Massacre at Mazar

The mass murder of over 600 prisoners of war will remain a blot on the perpetrators of the outrage — the Uzbeks but mainly the US. Not that the Americans are new to such senseless massacres, the memories of My Lie are still fresh in public mind. However, My Lie could be explained, as an individual act of hyperactive slightly deranged Lieutenant William Calley but the systematic bombardment of Qala-e-Jangi where prisoners of war were incarcerated could not have taken place without the involvement of senior level decision makers.

What was the military aim of the incessant bombing of the POW cage? What military threat that lot of miserable prisoners, a number of whom had their hands tied behind their back, posed to the nearly completed campaign in Afghanistan?

An uprising in a jail compound is not a military problem by any stretch of imagination. It should have been allowed to be tackled by the bands of Dostum. Neither the scale of the revolt and nor the capability of the prisoners qualified for the priority or the weight of the response. Was the US  counter-action proportional to the threat? What has Fort Leavenworth been teaching its new crop of military planners?

There is a lesson for the other side also. Military operations are not about senseless suicides. These are meticulously conducted movements of troops and firepower that aim to change the balance of force in own favour at the point of choosing. The side that can maintain such a situation over a sufficient period of time emerges victorious. Warfare today is more a question of meticulous mathematics than foolhardiness.

But then the Taliban did not go to a Staff College.

M.Zafar

125 Defence Housing Scheme II

Malir Cantt Karachi 75070

Telephone: 92-21-4900021

Dated November 29, 2001