10 minute read
The tribal administration of Balochistan
U n t i l t h e S a rd a r i N i z a m i s a b o l i s h e d, B a r k h a n i n c i d e n t s w i l l re c u r sons were kept in a private prison by the Sardar
Following protests by the Marri tribesmen, the mother and her two sons were freed from Khetran s prison by Levies personnel Khetran is a powerful tribal leader and a provincial minister for communication and works The detained woman had earlier released a video statement claiming she was being held as a prisoner in a private prison by Sardar Khetran masses are easier to manipulate and control
Advertisement
One of the most worrying aspects of the tribal system is its impact on the socioeconomic development of women The outdated tribal structure often prohibits women from pursuing education and binds them under strict cultural and tribal norms It can be argued that the lack of progress and education in the region is not only due to the absence of educational institutions but also because of the strict tribal laws and norms that hinder social development
A mu s i n g l y, M r Ju s t i c e ( r e t d ) N i s a r h a s l a u n c h e d a p r e e m p t i v e d r i v e t o r e f u t e t h e a c c u s a t i o n t h a t h e w a s i n c o l l u s i o n w i t h t h e fo r m e r D G I S I L t . G e n ( r e t d ) Fa i z H a m e e d a n d t h e fo r m e r C h i e f o f A r my S t a f f G e n ( r e t d ) Q a m a r J a v e d B a j w a i n d i s l o d g i n g t h e fo r m e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a w a z S h a r i f i n 2 0 1 7 which would be answerable to none Georgieva do you also offer any solution for this predicament?
Amusingly, Mr Justice (retd) Nisar has launched a preemptive drive to refute the accusation that he was in collusion with the former DG ISI Lt Gen (retd) Faiz hameed and the former Chief of Army Staff Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa in dislodging the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017
The judiciary has lost its credibility to the extent that any list of hearings which is not rescheduled or restored is considered to have fallen prey to some sort of collusion the jiggery-pokery Despite being fattened on the taxpayers money the judiciary has devised ways to deny justice
The writer can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo com
E d i t o r ’ s m a i l
S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today, 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y
Mob lynching
T h I S is with reference to the report “Mob storms police station lynches blasphemy accused (Feb 12) The insanity on display while lynching the blasphemy suspect in Nankana Sahib tells us how fanatic our society has become Snatching the suspect from police custody in broad daylight and hanging his body after burning him alive is not something novel anymore Such incidents are now recurrent episodes across the country
Th e tribal system of administration was widely practised in almost every society while its presence can still be found in some contemporary societies
In Pakistan, the tribal system known as “Sardari Nizam” is still prevalent, particularly in Balochistan Despite being an ancient and outdated practice, some societies have failed to remove the tribal system due to a lack of good governance economic growth and education Balochistan the largest province in Pakistan, is home to a diverse population consisting of Baloch, Pashtun, and Brahui ethnic groups
The Sardari Nizam is widely practised in Baloch and Brahui areas while the Pashtun areas are relatively free from the influence of tribal leaders, as they do not like to be governed by others
The Sardars or tribal chiefs have maintained their power through oppressive measures such as creating fear, harsh laws, killing and private prisons The Sardari system has been criticized for perpetuating feudalism tribalism and inequality Sardars are often accused of abusing their power and exploiting their communities for personal gain They have also been accused of impeding development and progress in the province by obstructing government initiatives and policies
The Sardari Nizam has once again come under scrutiny after a family of three was allegedly kept in a private prison by Abdul Rehman Khetran, a Khetran Sardar Khan Muhammad Marri alleged that his wife and two
Just like in most of the earlier societies the tribal system in Kalati Balochistan (more or less the present Southern Balochistan) has ancient roots and greater relevance For centuries, the mountainous and dry region was administered by the tribal leaders During the British rule, Robert Sandeman Agent to the Governor-General of the Kalati Balochistan strengthened tribal leaders in their respective territories for smooth and cost-effective administration Under British rule, a “levy” system was introduced in the region which involved establishing paramilitary forces provided by the Sardars
This system, known as the Levies, was continued by the Pakistani government after Independence
Although the British no longer governed the region their legacy of governance persisted The tribal leaders in Balochistan more or less enjoy the same privileges and rights as they did during British rule The bad governance, lack of resources, and political divide have allowed the tribal system to prosper
I t i s i m p e r a t i v e fo r t h e s t a t e t o d i s p l ay z e ro t o l e r a n c e t ow a rd s t r i b a l l e a d e rs w h o p o s s e s s p u n i t i v e p ow e rs . S u ch p ow e rs s h o u l d s o l e ly b e v e s t e d w i t h t h e s t a t e , a n d n o i n d i v i d u a l s h o u l d b e a l l ow e d t o w i e l d t h e m
It is alleged that the tribal system in Balochistan is working under the patronage of the state The Sardars work as a state proxy in the tribal region and in return receive a permit to exercise unrestricted power making them more dangerous and ruthless If true the nexus between the Sardars and the state needs to be broken otherwise the Barkhan incident will keep happening The Sardari Nizam established under British rule needs to be abolished as it has no place in today s world It can only be abolished through good governance, political tolerance, economic growth and education
It is imperative for the state to display zero tolerance towards tribal leaders who possess punitive powers Such powers should solely be vested with the state, and no individual should be allowed to wield them
Many such incidents, often false and fabricated for personal interests or vendetta occur in society without any end in sight Unfortunately this issue has been made so grave and intense that it is now beyond the people who may wish to have a sincere discussion on it Truth be told and for sanity to prevail eventually, this madness of believing to hold carte blanche to issue on-the-spot verdicts of blasphemy must stop now Laws of the land in sane societies are meant for the protection of citizens This is truly unimaginable to watch a tiny mob grab power beyond the state power to carry out with the murder spree This is even more irksome when seen against the backdrop of the revolutionary technologies and modern means of crime management This deeply ingrained psychotic behaviour has much to do with our unchanging discourses It is but natural to do what everyone is already doing
Teachers’ attendance
T h e Sindh education department has decided to launch a project management system (PMS) for marking the attendance of primary and secondary school teachers who have to install an application in android phones to record attendance twice a day The unions of primary and secondary teachers have announced to boycott the training sessions in this regard, and have refused to use this application
The tribal structure in Balochistan poses a significant threat to both the province s security apparatus and its socio-economic development
The tribal system creates barriers to social development as uneducated and underdeveloped
To eliminate the tribal system in Balochistan it is crucial to prioritize the promotion of social cohesion fostering trust between different ethnic groups, and investing in the province’s development This necessitates political determination and a long-term vision that transcends tribal and ethnic barriers
The writer is a Research Officer in Balochistan Think Tank Network BTTN Quetta
In May 2015 the biometric system was introduced for teachers’ attendance and to identify ghost teachers Chief monitoring officers and monitoring assistants at taluka and union council (UC) levels were recruited to record biometric attendance of teachers during random visits to schools This gave better results but could not track ghost teachers completely In several districts, this system also became a victim of corruption even today, when teachers get trans- ferred from one place to another, they can easily get a letter of transfer but a change in biometrics is not easy It is almost impossible to get biometric data changed to the place of posting free of cost Before 2015, a teacher from each UC was selected as a supervisor who would monitor the school and record the attendance of teachers This system worked well for a few years but later some supervisors started taking bribes from the teachers Now once again another project related to the introduction of a new application is being launched to ensure teachers attendance Undoubtedly this application is perfect for recording attendance but there are several issues and reservations that need to be addressed
This application is good to use for the teachers working in cities and urban areas however, its use is almost impossible for teachers working in rural and remote areas where mobile network is hardly available In fact it is not even available at all in some areas Besides senior teachers even have no idea of how to use a smartphone This application needs a strong cellular network which is hardly available in remote areas Also, the system has several issues such as the location of schools is often different from the actual location Teachers have to record their attendance while being within 10 metres of the relevant school building If the location is different, the feature of recording attendance becomes inactive This application is not backed by strong servers and stops working randomly For a while it shows that the attendance has been recorded, but later marks one absent Besides, every teacher has to purchase an android mobile, create an account, make the internet available and keep the mobile battery charged all the time
I T h the season of coup d état or direct military intervention in politics over and the establishment making a tactical withdrawal from manipulating or influencing political developments the political leaders have a heyday They are out to show their true colours! engaged in the noisy brawl of a blame game, they are blaming each other for the current dismal state of affairs: the nation’s fall from grace economic malaise rise of terrorism maladministration and deteriorating lawand-order situation Forming strange alliances amd coalitions of diverse rather opposite and contrasting ideologies and programmes of action there have emerged two political camps: the PDM and PTI They are involved in a pitched battle (of accusations and counter-accusations) fought both inside Parliament and out on the streets The shouting grown into a crescendo is duly relayed through the print and electronic and social media to the distraught nation The core argument is about the holding of early or delayed general elections
The PDM is struggling to cling on to power for as long as it can Its leaders, having just secured freedom through parliamentary reprieve do not wish to end up again in prisons And sensing the pulse of the electorate it can ill afford to enter the electoral arena, hence is making pretexts and excuses for the postponement of elections The PTI, on the other hand is striving to send them packing and take over the reins Seeing a bulge in popularity they are hellbent on holding urgent elections having abused and misused the legal and judicial process against the opponents, they are currently tasting a quid pro quo from the ruling alliance And with a no-holds-barred approach the battle between the two groups lingers on, getting fiercer and more ferocious by the day The casualties unfortunately are the legal and constitutional norms democratic and parliamentary traditions and civilized political discourse
Meanwhile, the country is in dire straits and the nation is experiencing most agonizing moments The successive
