Security through lockdown

EDITORIAL: Hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference is by rotation; however, Pakistan rightly seized the opportunity to raise its diplomatic standing by demonstrating that the country is safe for very high level attending foreigners in the aftermath of the recent terror attack which killed two Chinese engineers in Karachi.

Pakistan’s security issues have also been evident in frequent attacks on foreigners in the restive Balochistan province and the increasingly bold cross-border attacks by the Pakistani Taliban.

Government officials have been quick to lay the blame for this heightened security on the looming threat of a protest call at D Chowk on 15 October by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) unless a doctor/family member is given access to its jailed leader, access denied for over a week and a half; however, this demand is neither unconstitutional nor against the jail manual. To insist on postponement of the protest call therefore has less legal merit in comparison.

It is important to note that the demonstration of fool-proof security necessitated a complete lockdown of the federal capital for three days, one day more than the SCO summit duration, affecting all major government ministries/departments, the Federal Board of Revenue (which may have been a reason for yet another extension in deadline for filing last year’s income tax returns) as well as schools and all public and private sector economic activity.

Additionally, the government passed on its own responsibility to provide security by invoking Article 245 of the Constitution which requires an explanation; and needless to add the resultant lockdown cost the fragile economy resources that it simply cannot afford at the present time.

This Tuesday past Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that the Economic Wing of the Finance Ministry calculated the cumulative loss suffered on account of strike and strife in the federal capital at 190 billion rupees per day with more than 0.8 million people affected in Islamabad – adverse impact in terms of loss of Gross Domestic Product, tax revenue, law enforcement costs, business and export losses, foreign direct investment flow and information technology. For three days of closure the total cost to the exchequer as per the Finance Minister is 570 billion rupees – an amount that the country can ill afford.

The Finance Minister, in all probability, was referring to a shutdown of the capital due to an opposition protest. However, this time it was the government that took the decision to shut down the capital and, in this context, it is relevant to note that there is an increasing trend to shut down entire cities as and when a foreign dignitary is visiting, which is having major negative consequences on the economy and on the peoples’ right of movement.

While the number of terror attacks has increased this year, which necessitates greater focus on security; however, to minimise the disruption caused by a potential strike call in Islamabad’s D Chowk, it may be appropriate to declare an alternate location as a protest venue as well as construct an international convention centre in a location away from the seat of government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024