By INDER MALHOTRA
SOME responsible observers have calculated that huge, indeed gargantuan, though Pakistan’s ongoing floods have been, Islamabad has deliberately exaggerated their effect with a view to garner maximum possible help from the world community.
This may well be true, but the fact remains that the heart-wrenching tragedy the western neighbour is going through is the worst in living memory. On watching its extent and intensity the UN secretary-general, Mr Ban Ki-moon, remarked that he had never before seen anything like it. He also compared the calamity to a "slow-moving tsunami". It is immaterial whether 20 million people are afflicted, as Islamabad claims, or only 6 million, as experts have computed. There is no doubt about the mind-boggling dimension of the suffering of "miserable millions". More than 1500 fatalities apart, homes of at least 4 million people have been wiped out.
In this context two critically important facets of the problem have to be faced. The first sadly is the appalling performance of the duly elected civilian government that hasn’t improved much even a month after the nature’s fury struck. The second is the response of the international community to the hapless millions’ need for help, and Islamabad’s own handling of this matter, especially in relation to India. On both counts there is cause for disappointment.
Callous Pak Govt
To start with the Pakistani government’s response, everyone but everyone reporting from submerged areas, equal to the size of Italy, has lamented that the official efforts to mitigate the heart-rending plight of the marooned millions–most of whom are still homeless, foodless and even without drinking water–remains woefully inadequate. The entire government is being blamed, of course, but the popular anger is understandably concentrated on the President, Mr Asif Ali Zardari. At a time when he was needed the most at home, he embarked on a jaunt to France and Britain. Every Pakistani was outraged when photographs appeared of his helicopter flight to a French chateau that belongs to him. Another purpose of his easily avoidable European visit was to promote the fledgling political career of his son, Mr Bilawal, now studying at Oxford.
Mr Zardari has been home for quite some time and even accompanied the UN secretary-general to some of the worst-affected areas. But no one has a good word for him. On the contrary, Mr Ayaz Amir, a respected Pakistani commentator has said that even if the President had stayed home he would have done nothing for the people ravaged and ruined by the nature’s fury. "The only good thing," adds the writer "is that he has made himself even more ridiculous than before. This is the only silver lining in the layer of very dark clouds". Mr Najam Sethi, editor of The Friday Times has raised the question whether the president can survive the current calamity.
Compared with the bumbling civilians, the Army acted with alacrity and efficiency. It also saw to it that its work was fully publicised. But for reasons unknown it confined itself to the rescue of the stricken people, leaving relief and rehabilitation to the civilians that are unequal to the task.
The charities owing allegiance to the jihadi extremists, indeed run by them, reached the victims earlier than anyone else. They have since been busy helping the people diligently. This is bound to win them acclaim and increased public support. Exactly the same thing had happened during the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In today’s circumstances, increased strength of the extremists and fundamentalists would be bad for Pakistan as well as its neighbours.
International Aid
As for international response to Pakistan’s humongous needs, Mr Ban had regretted that the world community had been both slow and miserly in coming to the aid of the sufferers. At the time of writing, a senior functionary of the UNICEF has stated that despite some increase in donations–especially by such friends of Pakistan as Saudi Arabia, Gulf Emirates and, of course the USA–not enough was being done. However, somewhat surprising is the performance of China, Pakistan’s "all-weather friend" with trillions of dollars in its foreign exchange reserves. Originally, it had offered $ 5 million (same as India did though that story is different and painful). Beijing has since increased the amount to $ 9 million, pleading that it is also suffering heavily from floods and landslides in its North-western region.
As for India’s offer of help and Pakistan’s reaction to it, the tale is tragic, to say the least. There is no doubt that the people of both countries suffer from what the Germans call schadenfreude – a proclivity to draw comfort from the misfortune of the other. In the past, Pakistan had refused sincere Indian offers of assistance in difficult times though accepted them at least once. Of late, relations between the two neighbours have been tense because of Pakistan’s unwillingness to take appropriate and adequate action against the perpetrators and masterminds of 26/11. It was therefore noble of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh to send a message of sympathy to Pakistan. It was far from clear, however, why he did not combine an offer of aid with the message. Was he worried about public opinion, including that of his party? Some days later he did offer $ 5 million. Things were made worse by Pakistan’s reaction that can only be called churlish. It announced that India’s offer was "under consideration" when Dr Singh rang up his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Yousaf Raza Gilani. Many Indians felt that their Prime Minister was being snubbed.
At this stage it became known that as soon as the horrendous floods began, the Foreign Office in Islamabad called in the heads of all foreign embassies and high commissions to explain the situation and ask for help. The Indian High Commissioner was excluded conspicuously. Eventually, Islamabad did accept the Indian donation, but only at America’s prodding. This is no way for mature nations to behave.
Flood Rehabilitation
The suffering the people in the flooded areas have gone through and are undergoing is beyond description. But worse may lie ahead. For, as flood waters recede there would be formidable challenge of waterborne diseases. More than three and million children are under threat. Nor are adults immune from malaria, cholera and other mundane killers, especially when they are emaciated. To replace the livestock that has been swept away won’t be easy. Moreover, not only granaries located in Punjab and Sindh been destroyed or damaged but the infrastructure in these two more developed provinces has been virtually ruined. The task of reconstruction is therefore stupendous and immensely costly. That is where the foreign insistence in both cash and kind comes in.
The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, together with the UN, are expected to contribute $ 3 billion. Others are likely to pitch in. Some potential donors are expressing great concern about corruption in Pakistan. They would do well to follow The Economist’s sound advice to so coordinate their efforts that as much money as possible "should bypass Mr Zardari’s loose-fingered friends".
