Are we moving backward in time? Yes, the latest example is the government decision that all students, journalists, artistes and NGO personnel would be required to obtain NOC from the Ministry of Interior. The details of the decision and the mechanism would be introduced soon, says the official news agency following an inter-ministerial meeting.
A day before Interior Minister Rehman Malik had broken this news on the floor of the National Assembly, justifying this draconian law as a measure to 'tackle the issue of terrorism'. It also includes the government decision to upgrade the passport by adding additional columns covering 'each and every detail' of the applicant, because "some elements want to sabotage success achieved against terrorism".
Isn't it ironic that over time much of the information about passport applicant was found unnecessary, even his description of his faith and sect, and the document was brought to harmonise with international code of values - except perhaps in security states where governments' principal detractors are their own people. That this should be done by an elected government is indeed very disturbing if not disgusting.
Before the implementation procedure is firmed up and announced, the government must consider some ground realities that would come into play before an NOC is issued or refused. Invariably the main part of information for NOC is to be supplied by the local police stations, which may have some raw information on potential criminals or known criminals but definitely not on the peaceful layman.
Given that the resource-starved police are already burdened with myriad problems of law and order and rising crescendo of street crimes and this would involve inordinate delays - only to be short-circuited by adding 'wheels' to the files. It's clearly a situation for more corruption at the lower levels of police force. Then who is brave enough to show red rag to extremists who would like to deliver street justice.
Also, the scheme to issue new passports is not that easy as the government tends to suggest. Are the present passport offices adequately equipped to go through proposed lengthy forms and replace millions of passports now with the people, many of them abroad? Before the Interior Ministry proceeds with this scheme it is required to make public the new passport requirements for debate and response.
Apparently, two recent developments have prompted the government for this knee-jerk response which would certainly cause a lot of pain to the ordinary Pakistanis. First, the Rahat Ali Khan saga that is now almost over with confiscation of his earnings from show and imposition of a fine.
How can you make that solitary case - thousands of Pakistani businessmen, artistes, journalists and political analysts and relatives of divided families visit India every year - as base for laws affecting thousands? How many of them were found involved in this business? None except Rahat Ali Khan who too may be a victim of rival singers' grudge in Bellwood.
Second, the recent visit of British immigration minister and his prescription must have infected our government. We seem to have failed to present a counter argument on the incidence of terrorism which is essentially home-grown, not forgetting that London is a safe haven for some of the high-profile criminals.
That the proposed policy clashes with people's fundamental right to undertake travelling, there should be no debate on it. But we must also take into account the growing political opposition to multiculturalism in European countries. Part of it may stem from their shrinking economies helped built by cheap labour force from Asia and Africa. But more importantly it is the by-product of radicalisation taking roots in the West since 9/11, an incident which can be blamed on certain extremist groups but certainly not the entire Muslim communities. By implementing this idea our government is giving the unmistakable impression that we are perhaps moving backward in our journey to future!