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It must also be borne in mind that Pakistan faces potential belligerence on all its borders. The borders with India, Afghanistan and Iran are all 'hot' in terms of either insurgents penetrating Pakistan, or the threat of direct attack, or indeed military forays under the guise of 'hot pursuit' - particularly across the Durand line. Hence, the 60,000 troops deployed in the former tribal areas are necessary to deter any adventurism by US troops or their allies in the former Northern Alliance. As regards the operations against "terrorists" in the tribal areas, these have escalated in recent weeks under the tenure of new Peshawar Corps Commander Muhammad Hamid Khan. Such operations only provide a pretext for foreign military intervention and co-operation under the guise of pursuing "terrorists".An alternative to these destructive operations, destructive for civilians in the region as well as for the Pakistan army, is political dialogue as conducted by former Peshawar Corps Commander Safdar Hussein. Hussein was relieved of his command earlier in the year following an outburst aimed at US Lt. General Barno, then commander of US forces in Afghanistan, and against the US influence in Pakistan generally[3]. The operations are carried out under compulsion from the US as part of a strategic agenda of uprooting jihadists from Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan has stated, as have observers, that the real limiting factor on the speed and scope of the earthquake relief effort has been the shortage of suitable helicopters. Pakistan Army Aviation has 19 operational helicopters capable of working effectively at the altitudes at which much of the damage has occurred, including some settlements at altitudes of 18,000 feet.These helicopters are used principally to carry men and equipment to and from the Saltoro glacier in Siachien.
Ironically, Pakistan has provided, as postcolonial states corrupted by nepotism have invariably done, additional non-financial benefits for key employees such as luxury BMW 5-series cars, which come at a cost surpassing $70,000 [4]. Such expense can be used to cover the much-needed rarity of helicopters which can be purchased for not much more.
It must be borne in mind that a shallow outlook towards political responsibility won't see any direct benefits in increasing Pakistan's efforts to minimise the impact of earthquakes. Such a mentality is likely to compute a rudimentary cost-benefit analysis of such an effort targeting the saving of lives and seeking to rescue as many victims as possible as rapidly as possible against the financial and organisational cost of doing so.
The conclusion is likely to be that, econometrically speaking; it is actually beneficial to project the country as weak and incapable of responding effectively to such a calamity.This enables the country to attract massive pledges of financial assistance from international donors. This is thought to assist in developing the reconstruction of the effected areas,the relief effort in the disaster area and the local economy, instead what we see is the lining of pockets of deserving public officials.
However, a mindset that seeks to address the responsibility of taking care of the affairs of the people, arising from the Islamic obligation to do so in the best manner possible, would view the situation radically differently.
Authority in Islam is a trust and is established by a contract of offer and acceptance termed the "Baya" (oath of fealty to a Caliph conditional upon his execution of affairs by the Islamic criteria and mindful of citizens interests) which means the ruler in Islam has the responsibility manifesting from duty and obligation to achieve the highest level of effectiveness foreseeable.
Further to the Islamic obligation to do so,it is immensely advantageous to have an effective earthquake impact reduction programme in place. It enables the infrastructure to rapidly recover. It protects the health and well being of the citizens, who then in turn draw less upon the state and others for health and recovery costs, and generate economic recovery by their industrious activity. It prevents vital defence assets such as manpower and military transportation from being diverted from their essential defensive roles. It demonstrates to the world the Islamic example of how to respond effectively to a disaster, not in econometric or financial terms but in human terms.
Reference- Web site of the Geological Survey of Pakistan available at http://www.gsp.gov.pk/ .
- Details of research in this area are available from the web site of the University of the West Indies: http://www.mona.uwi.edu/ .
- Countering statements were made through August 2005 by Lt. General Hussein and Lt. General Barno about the influence of the Pakistan Army over the Taliban and also regarding the US expectation that the Pakistan Army would assist the US in 'hammer and anvil' operations.They were covered widely in the Pakistani English speaking press at the time. See http://www.dawn.com and http://www.dailytimes.com.pk .
- The government of Pakistan has provided, and continues to provide luxury BMW vehicles to key governmental functionaries, as attested to by eyewitnesses involved in the relief effort, interviewed by the author who were offered rides by such officials.
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