ISLAMABAD April 5, 2013 – It is a significant achievement for Pakistan’s democracy that political parties have agreed on a code of conduct for the upcoming elections, and it is crucial that they adhere to it to ensure free and fair polls. This was the opinion of participants at a seminar organized on Friday by the Jinnah Institute, with the support of the Asia Foundation, on the recently promulgated code of conduct for political parties.

Raza Rumi, Director Jinnah Institute, highlighted the importance of political parties acknowledging the importance of a code of conduct and agreeing on its provisions. “It is a significant achievement that the political parties themselves have agreed on a code of conduct, but the security climate prevailing in the country can threaten the prospects of holding free and fair elections,” he said.

The seminar was attended by politicians from various political parties, members of civil society, journalists and researchers, and was a culmination of the consultation process carried out across Pakistan on the code of conduct by the Jinnah Institute. Over 15 political parties participated in the nationwide consultations, and the recommendations and observations gathered from the exercise were passed on to relevant institutions, including the Election Commission of Pakistan, local authorities, political parties, and the caretaker government.

Gareth Aicken, the Asia Foundation’s country representative in Pakistan, said that it is a major achievement in the context ofPakistan’s history that the recent National Assembly has completed its full term. Mr. Aicken added that the political parties now have a responsibility to adhere to the rules they have agreed on. “A successful transition now may build up trust in the democratic system of governance for generations to come,” he said.

Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) spoke about the importance of ensuring an even playing field for all political parties and stressed the need for institutions to not allow the marginalisation of any one party. Referring to the code of conduct, Hassan said that the MQM is orientating its candidates on the rules of the game. “We will ensure that all our candidates and members abide by the rules and regulations, added Mr. Hassan, while expressing concerns about security measures for the parties and their supporters.

Jan Achakzai of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) stressed the importance of facilitating women voters, and said that his party was committed to ensuring the implementation of the code of conduct. Mr. Jan also talked about the prevailing security conditions in Balochistan and FATA. “Voters particularly women will have serious problems accessing polling stations and the way out is to increase the number of polling stations”, Mr. Jan said.

Colonel Younus from the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the process of scrutiny of candidates’ papers needs to be improved, with greater emphasis on establishing the financial integrity of contenders. He said that there are problems in the electoral process, for instance, respecting the limits prescribed for election expenditures and publicity campaigns. Mr. Younas recommended stringent mobile monitoring teams in order to curb blatant display of money.

Siddique-ul-Farooq of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) said that the political process shows that the Pakistani nation is moving forward, despite problems, and highlighted the role of the media in helping strengthen democracy. Regarding the code of conduct, he said that it is a very positive sign that every political party supported the code but implementation remains a challenge. PMLN, he said, is holding regular briefings for its ticket holders regarding compliance with provisions of the code such as election expenditures, violence, security and facilities for women and elderly.

Afzal Khan, additional secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, also participated in the discussion, and highlighted the role of his organisation. Terming the forthcoming polls a historic moment for the nation, he said that much would depend on the parties for implementing the code. You cannot have free and fair elections, if parties don’t cooperate and fully respect the rules of the games. Urging the parties to develop internal capacity to undertake sustained orientation of members and candidates, Mr. Khan requested the political parties to help the commission in conducting peaceful and orderly elections.

Coverage: Express Tribune, Express Tribune, Dawn, Pak Observer, Daily Times. 

ISLAMABAD May 8, 2013 – Senior civil servants from the National Management College visited the Jinnah Institute on Wednesday, where they attended a seminar on the institute’s projects and activities, in particular Track II diplomacy, education policy and democracy.

Raza Rumi, the Jinnah Institute director, welcomed the participants and spoke about the various sectors in which the institute is active, including promoting democracy and human rights, domestic policy, and foreign relations. Mr Rumi highlighted JI’s most recent projects, including a review of political parties’ manifestos ahead of the 2013 general election, Pakistan-India Track II diplomacy, and Extremism Watch, the institute’s annual study looking at extremism and its various manifestations in Pakistan.

Safiya Aftab, an economist and analyst, spoke to participants about the recently released manifestos of the political parties contesting the 2013 election. She broadly discussed the economic policy in all manifestos and highlighted their similarities and differences, emphasizing that political will was necessary to resolve Pakistan’s outstanding economic challenges. “The PTI manifesto reads like a party contesting the election for the first time – very ambitious and confident, whereas, PML-N’s manifesto seems more honest and business friendly,” she observed. The PPP’s manifesto was geared towards their traditional vote bank and addressed concerns of rural communities and farmers in particular.

Dr A.H. Nayyar, a prominent education expert, discussed the various issues Pakistan has faced in improving both the quality andscope of its education system. Dr. Nayyar focused on the challenges related to Pakistan’s curricula, and the fact that years after a task force released its findings about the problems with what Pakistani children are taught in schools, the same text books are being used. Except for Punjab, other provincial governments have not been able to modernise and improve their textbooks in line with the task force’s recommendations. The content, Dr. Nayyar said, was particularly problematic in the history curricula.

Lt. Gen (retd) Talat Masood spoke about Track II diplomacy and its importance, looking in particular at Pakistan-India relations and the role that Track II channels have had in improving them. Gen. Masood said that Track II was useful for bilateral relations, especially when primary diplomatic channels are not engaged. He felt that new ideas can for conflict resolution can generated through independent forums like the Jinnah Institute. These ideas can then be taken back to respective governments and may bring about positive change. Gen. Masood pointed out, however, that a paradox comes about when voices that match government positions on critical issues are more likely to be heard and accepted in official quarters than those that offer a differing view. This sometimes defeats the purpose and aim of Track II engagements. Raza Rumi added that Pakistan should follow the China approach by trading in the region and seeking win-win economic solutions.

A lively Q&A session followed the discussion, where visiting civil servants engaged with the panel on issues related to the economy, social and development policy, as well as the issues and concerns around the general election a few days away.

Coverage: Express Tribune, Pak Observer

“Extremism, the greatest challenge to Pakistan’s progress”

“The insurgency in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a war waged against the state of Pakistan, said Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights at a report launch organized by Jinnah Institute. “The issue is not regime specific, but state specific and must be addressed as such, he added, elaborating that Muslim scholars must incorporate contemporary debates in their teaching curricula. He was speaking as Chief Guest as Jinnah Institute’s annual report launch for the publication titled ‘Extremism Watch: Mapping Conflict Trends in Pakistan 2011-2012’. The report maps incidents of religious extremism over the last 15 months and identifies violent and non-violent attacks at Sufi shrines, against Hazaras and other religious minorities.

Raza Rumi, Director Jinnah Institute said that extremism was a long term trend due to mass indoctrination via textbooks, sermons and state policy.  He added that the issue of terrorism should not be confused with extremism though the two are often linked.  He explained that the report recorded 379 incidents of extremism from October 2011 to December 2012, a 67 per cent rise over the 181 recorded in the previous year. The number of casualties, went down with 559 killed and 718 injured across Pakistan, compared with 534 killed and 1, 391 injured in the previous year. The highest number of deaths and injuries, however, were seen in Balochistan, where a wave of violent sectarian attacks against the Shia community killed 190 people.  Sectarian violence was also responsible for the highest death toll across the country, with 525 people killed.

Marvi Sirmed, columnist and human rights activist highlighted the violence and discrimination against Pakistan’s Hindu community. “There is no limit to how badly Hindu low caste women are treated in Sindh. They do not have family laws protecting them and it is impossible to prove whether a marriage or divorce has taken place, due to the State’s policy of legal neglect”. She also explained that sexual violence against women is rampant in the province and there is no recourse to justice, citing several examples of violence against Bheel, Meghwar and Kohli Hindus.

Security analyst Imtiaz Gul stated that most political parties skirt around the issue of militancy and that extremism is a manifestation of systemic failures, that include non implementation of the constitution and violation of the law by state State institutions. He also elaborated that extremism is not a short term phenomenon contained within a specific geography. “If we don’t stand up to this challenge, Pakistan will remain isolated politically and socially.”

Prominent TV anchor, Dr. Moeed Peerzada gave a historical overview of extremism in Pakistan, pinpointing moments in the 1970s when the Ahmadi community was marginalized through a constitutional amendment. He emphasized that a secular polity could not be established thereafter in Pakistan. Dr. Peerzada cited examples from post-World War II Germany where curricula reform and retraining of bureaucracy was undertaken to curb the spread of militancy, violence and extremism. “Decreasing polarization between the Pakistani globalized elite and the religious right in Pakistan is necessary to curb extremism and for progress,” he observed.  

Maulana Amin Shahidi, of Mjlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen said that there was an urgent need for sectarian harmony in the country and the violence against Shia Muslims needed to be checked. He further added that the civil and military institutions of the country should wake up to the dire situation and protect all Pakistani citizens irrespective of their faith, sect and creed. The event was attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life. There was a heated debate on the issue of religious extremism and the imperative of turning Pakistan into a moderate, plural society. 

Coverage: Express Tribune, Dawn, Daily Times, Business Recorder, Pak Observer, Pakistan Today.

By Raza Rumi -

Pakistan’s next general election, due in a few months, will be the first where civilian forces are in charge of the transition from one elected government to another. Throughout its history, Pakistan’s military and civil bureaucracy have been the arbiters of political transitions.

 With the elections nearing, the political leadership of Pakistan faces many questions about not only the interim government that will oversee the polls, but also the rules of the game for those contesting elections.

While Pakistan’s noisy and multifarious media is highlighting various election issues, on most occasions the intent behind the programming is to sensatationalise matters. It is critical to inform the public about these issues and build sufficient pressure on institutions to take steps wherever necessary to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

There are seven main challenges before the political parties, especially those leading the coalition government and the opposition. The sooner these are dealt with, the more likely that the coming elections will make history.

Caretaker governments

The current National Assembly term ends on March 16, yet the election schedule and the interim government have not been decided. Both are the focus of much speculation, political point-scoring and conspiracy theories. It is vital for the major political parties to agree on the caretaker prime minister and chief ministers.

Instead of bickering over individuals, the government and the opposition should tilt the balance of power in favour of the political forces rather than leaving such decisions to unelected institutions. If the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz fail to agree on the caretaker government, the Election Commission of Pakistan would have to take a decision. In any case, we need to develop healthy parliamentary traditions and a culture of bipartisan consensus on matters of national interest.

Given that there are political forces outside parliament, the government and opposition need to consult parties like the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf which boycotted the 2008 elections. That consultation must be initiated immediately and concluded as soon as possible. If the politicians could agree on the 18th Amendment and other vital political compacts, then this should not be a difficult endeavour.

Compliance with the Election Commission scrutiny process

It would be counterproductive for the political parties to indulge in a confrontational game with the ECP. In fact, after the conclusion of a democratic tenure and public concerns over the quality of politicians who enter the legislatures, the political parties would be doing themselves a big favour by undertaking a clean-up process within their ranks.

Nominating candidates with dubious credentials hardly helps the image of the political parties and the future of democracy. Exaggerated or not, the perception that most parliamentarians don’t pay taxes or they are loan defaulters needs to be addressed by the parties themselves. Sections of media may be delegitimising the politicians, but the political parties must address these concerns instead of trying to sweep them under the carpet. This may be the best time to put in place internal screening mechanisms where the electoral strength of a candidate may be tested against his or her eligibility as per the ECP rules.

The third challenge pertains to intra-party mechanisms for adherence to the electoral code of conduct.