Thursday, April 2, 2020
Post-pandemic international relations could change for the better
By Li Haidong
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far swept the world and many countries have declared a state of emergency. The pandemic has had a tremendous influence on the entire world and people are already considering the impact it will have on international relations. Indications are the pandemic is very likely to trigger a global economic crisis. If so, globalization and international relations will see fundamental changes. Economic globalization is characterized by the smooth flow of personnel, capital, trade and information, but global health and the environment have not received sufficient attention. As a result, globalization is handicapped by the COVID-19 outbreak. With its fatal flaw coming to light, globalization must undergo profound adjustments. Otherwise, some countries will embark on a populist journey, which would create even more volatility in the world's economy. Globalization will need to incorporate new elements like human health, nature and the environment. High-quality enterprises will be attracted to countries with effective public health mechanisms and good environmental standards. These countries will then take the lead in globalization's new processes, and their ideas and development model will be respected by other countries and regions. The COVID-19 will help redefine legitimacy in international relations. The prevention of the pandemic once triggered an argument over democracy and sovereignty. In face of the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, people will have to learn to play down ideology and sovereignty. Hopefully this will become a universal principle in the field of public health security. If a country succeeds in both overcoming the virus and making a contribution to easing the world's situation, its prestige is sure to be enhanced and its diplomatic concepts will prevail. The pandemic's huge threat to the world calls for improvement in international public health. The global governance system must include public health as a key component. In terms of authority, resources and capacity, there are serious deficiencies in international coordination of public health security. It is imperative that greater empowerment is given to the WHO, new mechanisms centering on the United Nations are jointly built and all countries coordinate. Multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ASEAN and APEC also need to add public health security as a key priority. The improvement of regional or global public health governance mechanisms are the scale by which effective international relations will be measured. Setbacks emerging in the fight against the virus remind people that international stability is under threat. Some self-centered countries still blindly pursue national priorities, unilateralism and hegemony. This may not only worsen the situation in their own nations but international concerted efforts to curb the pandemic will also be impacted. The inherent detriments of hegemony and unilateralism are exposed amid the global war against the COVID-19. The strict adherence to alliances as a dominate force in the international order is losing appeal. In the face of severe situations, the world will eventually turn to coordination and cooperation. The pandemic will change the industrial and supply chains of international trade. China has made great achievements in fighting the virus, which will increase the world's confidence in the country and reinforce its role as a stabilizing influence on the global economy. China's vision of building a community with shared future for mankind is being better understood through the mutual help between China and countries like Japan, South Korea and Italy. The pandemic has also had a profound impact on China-US relations. Americans and state governments are willing to communicate closely with China, while the federal government pins the blame on China. Most Americans can see that Washington is merely attempting to deflect domestic criticism by unfairly tarnishing the image of America's main geostrategic rival. Such practices have created serious obstacles to China-US cooperation in the ongoing fight against the virus. China-US relations will be determined to a large extent by whether the Americans and local governments can restrain the federal government's paranoid policy toward China. It's a pity that the US government is using the global crisis to create new conflicts while forgoing the opportunities presented for increased cooperation. The COVID-19 outbreak will have an all-round impact on the theory and practice of international relations. Through the global fight against the virus, the world will develop some enlightened ideas for reshaping more stable international relations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far swept the world and many countries have declared a state of emergency. The pandemic has had a tremendous influence on the entire world and people are already considering the impact it will have on international relations. Indications are the pandemic is very likely to trigger a global economic crisis. If so, globalization and international relations will see fundamental changes. Economic globalization is characterized by the smooth flow of personnel, capital, trade and information, but global health and the environment have not received sufficient attention. As a result, globalization is handicapped by the COVID-19 outbreak. With its fatal flaw coming to light, globalization must undergo profound adjustments. Otherwise, some countries will embark on a populist journey, which would create even more volatility in the world's economy. Globalization will need to incorporate new elements like human health, nature and the environment. High-quality enterprises will be attracted to countries with effective public health mechanisms and good environmental standards. These countries will then take the lead in globalization's new processes, and their ideas and development model will be respected by other countries and regions. The COVID-19 will help redefine legitimacy in international relations. The prevention of the pandemic once triggered an argument over democracy and sovereignty. In face of the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, people will have to learn to play down ideology and sovereignty. Hopefully this will become a universal principle in the field of public health security. If a country succeeds in both overcoming the virus and making a contribution to easing the world's situation, its prestige is sure to be enhanced and its diplomatic concepts will prevail. The pandemic's huge threat to the world calls for improvement in international public health. The global governance system must include public health as a key component. In terms of authority, resources and capacity, there are serious deficiencies in international coordination of public health security. It is imperative that greater empowerment is given to the WHO, new mechanisms centering on the United Nations are jointly built and all countries coordinate. Multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ASEAN and APEC also need to add public health security as a key priority. The improvement of regional or global public health governance mechanisms are the scale by which effective international relations will be measured. Setbacks emerging in the fight against the virus remind people that international stability is under threat. Some self-centered countries still blindly pursue national priorities, unilateralism and hegemony. This may not only worsen the situation in their own nations but international concerted efforts to curb the pandemic will also be impacted. The inherent detriments of hegemony and unilateralism are exposed amid the global war against the COVID-19. The strict adherence to alliances as a dominate force in the international order is losing appeal. In the face of severe situations, the world will eventually turn to coordination and cooperation. The pandemic will change the industrial and supply chains of international trade. China has made great achievements in fighting the virus, which will increase the world's confidence in the country and reinforce its role as a stabilizing influence on the global economy. China's vision of building a community with shared future for mankind is being better understood through the mutual help between China and countries like Japan, South Korea and Italy. The pandemic has also had a profound impact on China-US relations. Americans and state governments are willing to communicate closely with China, while the federal government pins the blame on China. Most Americans can see that Washington is merely attempting to deflect domestic criticism by unfairly tarnishing the image of America's main geostrategic rival. Such practices have created serious obstacles to China-US cooperation in the ongoing fight against the virus. China-US relations will be determined to a large extent by whether the Americans and local governments can restrain the federal government's paranoid policy toward China. It's a pity that the US government is using the global crisis to create new conflicts while forgoing the opportunities presented for increased cooperation. The COVID-19 outbreak will have an all-round impact on the theory and practice of international relations. Through the global fight against the virus, the world will develop some enlightened ideas for reshaping more stable international relations.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1184430.shtml
#Covid-19 cases reach 1 MILLION worldwide, 50,000 dead as pandemic continues to ravage the globe
The coronavirus pandemic has passed its landmark moment, as over one million people worldwide have tested positive for the disease, according to figures from multiple sources.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases hit the 1 million mark on Thursday, according to tallies by both the AFP news agency and Johns Hopkins University in the US. Over 51,000 people have died worldwide from the virus.
The novel coronavirus outbreak was first recorded in December 2019, in the city of Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. The number of infected people in Wuhan skyrocketed, prompting a lockdown by the government. The virus then quickly spread abroad, hitting nearly every country.
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Two weeks later, the US became the most-affected nation, surpassing China. In Europe, Italy, Spain, Germany and France were hit the hardest, with each having more than 40,000 cases.
By April 1, close to half the world’s population – most of North America, Europe and India – had been ordered to stay at home, in hopes of slowing or stopping the spread of the contagion.
In many places, the rapidly-spreading virus has overwhelmed local healthcare systems. Doctors have struggled with shortages of hospital space and medical equipment, including testing kits and protective gear.
China said it had turned the tide on the spread of Covid-19 by late March, as the number of new domestic cases decreased significantly, prompting officials to gradually ease travel restrictions in Hubei.
Why Are So Many More Men Dying from Coronavirus?
The disproportionate toll this virus is taking on males isn’t an anomaly. When it comes to survival, men are the weaker sex.As coronavirus continues its spread across borders, oceans and continents, there is a perplexing piece of data that has so far evaded a proper explanation: It’s still early, but in almost every country that we have numbers for, more men than women are dying from the virus.
Most attempts to explain this discrepancy have focused primarily on behavior, some of which are almost certainly valid. Higher rates of tobacco consumption, a reluctance to seek proper and timely medical care and even lower rates of hand-washing absolutely do play a role in who will be hit hardest.
But what is being overlooked in these explanations is that the disproportionate toll coronavirus is taking on men isn’t an anomaly. Rather, it may be a timely and high-profile demonstration of what up until recently has been an underappreciated scientific fact: When it comes to survival, men are the weaker sex.
This isn’t just the case during once-in-a-lifetime pandemics. This innate biological advantage is apparent at every age and stage of human life: Baby girls are consistently more likely to make it to their first birthday; 80 percent of all centenarians today are women; an incredible 95 percent of those who reach the formidable age of 110 years old are women. While on average genetic males have more muscle mass and greater height, overall size, and physical strength, when it comes to surviving the physical hardships encountered from birth to late-in-life, genetic females almost always outlast genetic males.
We have long assumed that the only reason behind the earlier and disproportionate demise of men was behavioral. But in fact, the female survival advantage between the sexes still holds, regardless of education, economic factors, and alcohol, drug, or tobacco consumption.
I came to understand the female biological advantage in a very personal and painful way a few years ago. It was a beautiful summer’s day. The sun was finally out after a very long winter and a wet spring. I promised my wife, Emma, some quiet time, just the two of us: just her, an XX female, and me, an XY male. The last thing I remember was reaching over and holding her hand as we were driving westbound on a mostly empty street.
Witnesses later told us that we were hit dead-on broadside by someone who ran a red light and barreled toward us at more than 45 miles per hour. Our car rolled twice. The impact was severe, the roof of our car caved in, and none of the airbags deployed. Because of the extent of damage to our car, the first responders were preparing themselves for horrific traumatic injuries. We were lucky to be alive.
Given what we had just experienced, our injuries turned out to be relatively minor and pretty similar — but Emma’s were a bit more serious. So, while I was strapped to a spine board in the back of an ambulance hurtling toward the hospital one of the things I was thinking about — in addition to wondering why all seven airbags failed to deploy — was how grateful I was that Emma was a genetic female — because I knew that even if my wife’s injuries were the same as mine, given the odds, she was more likely to make a better and faster recovery.
What lies behind this female genetic superiority? It starts at the chromosomal level.
To review the typical basic chromosomal differences between the sexes: The cells of genetic females have two X chromosomes — one from their mothers, and one from their fathers — while those of genetic males have only the one X chromosome, from their mothers, and one Y chromosome.This is crucial, because X chromosomes come in handy for vital functions like building and maintaining the human brain and the immune system. And biologists have long understood that XX chromosomes give females an advantage in some arenas: Having the use of a spare X in case the other is somehow defective is why females are less susceptible to disorders like color blindness, for instance.But we’re only just now beginning to understand the full advantage that this extra X chromosome confers: It’s not just that women have a spare X chromosome to swap in. Rather, the more than 2,000 genes that, combined, make up two X chromosomes, are used by cells that actually interact and cooperate within a woman’s body. Each cell predominantly uses one X chromosome over the other — so if one X chromosome has genes that are better at recognizing invading viruses like Covid-19, for instance, immune cells using that X can focus on that task, while immune cells using the other X chromosome focus on, say, killing cells infected with Covid-19 instead, making the fight against the virus more efficient.
Typical males, by contrast, are forced to get by in life with just the one X chromosome. What if a male’s particular genes aren’t able to competently recognize or kill off cells infected with a coronavirus? In that case, his ability to fight the infection will be limited; his solitary X is the only one he’s got.
The bottom line is when it comes to dealing with the trauma and stressors of life — whether it’s avoiding a serious congenital malformation, a developmental disability, or fighting off an infection — females have genetic options. And genetic males don’t.
My wife doesn’t win only when it comes to overall longevity. Her risk for developing cancers in organs we both have, for example, is lower than mine. And if she does develop cancer, she has better odds of surviving, as research shows that women respond better than men to treatments.
And our sex chromosomes by and large determine our sex hormones — which also give her an advantage: Higher levels of testosterone appear to suppress the immune system; conversely, estrogens have been found to stimulate a more vigorous immunological response. As our recoveries from the accident took two very distinct trajectories — my injuries and subsequent infections took many weeks longer to heal — the reality of her genetic superiority truly sunk in. No matter what life throws our way, Emma is likely to outlive me.
The cost women seem to pay for having a more aggressive immune system, one that’s better at battling both malignant cells and invading microbes, is being more prone to autoimmune diseases. The immune systems of genetic females are much more likely to attack themselves, which is what occurs in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroiditis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and lupus. The only thing that I, as an XY male, have going for me is a lower chance of developing one of these conditions.
Progress in understanding and addressing these biological differences between the sexes in the practice of clinical medicine has been sluggish. For the most part, this is because the medical establishment has largely overlooked the profound chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical uniqueness of genetic females. The current practice of medicine was built using research that was done primarily on male cells, male tissues, male organs, male animals and male test subjects. As a result, we tend to know more about men when it comes to the determinants of health and well-being. With a few exceptions, such as gynecological and obstetric issues, we tend to clinically treat women just like we treat men. As a result, our comprehension of the staggering medical impact stemming from the differences between the sexes is only in its infancy.But the understanding of these differences has the potential to fill in the gaps of knowledge that have kept us from making medical breakthroughs. Our male-centric, one-size-fits-all model of health care and the research culture that stems from it need to change. Nowhere is this urgency more apparent than the current global pandemic, as the alarming numbers of male deaths worldwide continues to climb daily.
Almost 20 years ago the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences published a report that claimed the following: “Being male or female is an important fundamental variable that should be considered.” And yet, two decades later there has been little tangible progress that’s made its way into how we practice medicine. We must now push beyond mere consideration of this variable to apprehending the real biological strength that each genetic female inherently possesses and how men differ in this regard. The future of medicine depends upon it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/opinion/coronavirus-men-women.html
Bilawal slams abusive social media trends against dissenting journalists
“These trends are nothing but another attempt at silencing critics and giving a message to the rest of the media to stay silent or face the consequences,” he said in a statement.
“If the federal government and PTI social media teams focused as hard on corona awareness as they do on trolling dissenting voices, it would be a far better use of time and resources in these difficult times,” Bilawal was quoted as saying. The PPP chairman urged that in these extraordinary times, the country needs a unifying response to the unprecedented challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We cannot afford and must avoid divisive politics and settling of political scores at this critical juncture,” he said.
Bilawal further said that the media plays an important part in a democratic dispensation and around the world media has held governments accountable for their response to one of the worst crises in recent human history.
“For those who think media can be bullied into submission must also remember that journalists in Pakistan have a long history of resistance to injustice and tyranny,” he stated.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/638309-bilawal-slams-abusive-social-media-trends-against-dissenting-journalists
کرونا: ہزارہ برادری پھر نشانے پر
اس بحران کا باریکی سے جائزہ لیا جائے تو ایک اور گھمبیر معاملہ سامنے آتا ہےاور وہ یہ ہے کہ حکومتی اہل کار اور ادارے بلوچستان اور بالخصوص کوئٹہ جیسے کثیرالقومی اور کثیرالسانی خطے میں کیسے کسی قوم کے بارے میں بات کریں جس سے اس کی تذلیل یا دل آزاری نا ہو۔
امریکی کمیشن برائے بین الاقوامی مذہبی آزادی نے گذشتہ دنوں اپنے ایک بیان میں ان خبروں پر تشویش کا اظہار کیا ہے کہ حکومتِ بلوچستان ایک طرح سے کرونا (کورونا) وائرس پھیلانے کی ذمہ داری صوبے میں مقیم ہزارہ قوم پر ڈال رہی ہے۔
کمیشن نے کہا ہےکہ اسے افسوس ہے کہ سرکاری اہل کار کرونا وائرس کی آڑ میں ایک ایسی قوم کو قربانی کا بکرا بنا رہے ہیں جو پہلے ہی سے ظلم کا شکار ہے۔ بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ یہ وائرس کسی مذہب، قوم اور سرحد کا لحاظ نہیں کرتا اور اسے جواز بنا کر ایک مخصوص قوم کو موردِ الزام نہیں ٹھہرایا جا سکتا۔ کمیشن کا مزید کہنا ہے کہ حکومت نے ہزارہ قوم کے دو اکثریتی علاقوں یعنی مری آباد اور ہزارہ ٹاون کو مکمل طور پرلاک ڈاؤن کیا ہوا ہےاورایک سرکاری ادارے (واسا) نےاپنے ملازمین کو وہاں جانے سے روک دیا ہے۔
بیان میں اس امر کا بھی حوالہ دیاگیا ہے کہ چونکہ ایران سے واپس آنے والے بیشتر زائرین کا تعلق ہزارہ قوم سے ہےتو حکومت نے یہ کہہ کر ہزارہ قوم سے تعلق رکھنے والے پولیس اہل کاروں کو اس شبہ کے بنیاد پر دو ہفتوں تک کام پر نا آنے کا حکم دیا ہے۔ انہیں شک ہے کہ ان میں سے کسی پولیس اہل کار کے کسی رشتہ دار کو کرونا وائرس لگا ہو اور اسی کی وجہ سے باقی پولیس فورس میں یہ نہ پھیل جائے۔ سوشل میڈیا پر بعض تنگ نظر لوگ اس وائرس کو ’شعیہ وائرس‘ کا نام دے رہے ہیں اور یہ تاثرعام کیا گیا ہے کہ شعیہ زائرین ایران سے وطن واپس آکر اس وائرس کو مزید پھیلائیں گے۔
کمیشن کو خدشہ ہے کہ جوں جوں کرونا وائرس پورے پاکستان میں پھیلتا جائے گا اور ملک کے شعبہ صحت پر بھی بوجھ بڑھتا جائے گا تو ہزارہ قوم کی جانب اپنائےگئے اس غیرذمہ دارانہ رویے کی وجہ سے انہیں ( ہزارہ قوم کو) کرونا وائرس کےعلاج و معالجہ کی سہولیات سے محروم کیا جائے گا۔ آخرمیں کمیشن نے کہا ہے کہ انہیں اس بات کا اندازہ ہے کہ پاکستان سمیت دنیا کے دیگر ممالک کو کرونا وائرس کے روک تھام کے لیے کن کن مشکلات کا سامنا ہے لیکن پاکستانی احکام کو چاہیے کہ وہ مذہب اور عقیدہ سے بالاتر ہو کر تمام شہریوں کے تحفظ کا بندوبست کریں اور سب کو یکساں طور پر طبی امداد فراہم کریں۔
کرونا وائرس کہاں سے آیا اور اسے پاکستان کون لایا اور اس کی روک تھام کے لیے حکومت نے جو اقدامات کی ہیں کیا وہ کافی ہیں یا نہیں، اس پر کافی بحث ہوچکی ہے لیکن ایک معاملہ جس پر کم توجہ دی گئی ہے وہ یہ کہ بلوچستان میں کرونا وائرس کی وجہ سے پید اہونے والی صورت حال کو کس طرح شعیہ برادری اور ہزارہ قوم کے خلاف استعمال کیا جا رہا ہے۔
یہ درست ہےکہ جب کوئی قدرتی ا ٓفت آتی ہے تو اس کے ساتھ ساتھ افراتفری بھی پھیل جاتی ہے اور ہر کوئی اپنے آپ کو بچانے کے لیے دوڑتا ہے لیکن بلوچستان کے تناظر میں یہ بات قابل ذکر ہے کہ کرونا وائرس کے بہانے چند عناصر صوبے کی شعیہ مسلک اور ہزارہ قوم کے خلاف نفرتیں اور غلط فہمیاں بڑھانے میں خاصا سرگرم ہوگئے ہیں۔ باقی ملک نے ’تفتان‘ اور ’زائرین‘ کےالفاظ قومی میڈیا میں کرونا وائرس سے پہلے شاید کبھی اتنا نہیں سنا ہے لیکن بلوچستان کا تو زائرین سے ایک پرانا رشتہ ہے۔ ایک ایسا رشتہ جس سے بہت ہی تلخ یادیں وابستہ ہیں۔ مثلاً 20ستمبر2011 کا وہ سہ پہر کون بھول سکتا ہے جب کوئٹہ سے تفتان جانے والی شیعہ زائرین کی بس پر ’نامعلوم افراد‘ نے حملہ کر کے 26 زائرین کو قتل کیا؟
کوئٹہ میں ہزارہ اور شعیہ برادری کے خلاف ایک طبقہ کئی سالوں سے سررم رہا ہے جس نے اپنی مسلح کارروائیوں سے ان کی نسل کشی کی ہے۔ ماضی میں جب وزیر اعلیٰ بلوچستان نواب اسلم رئیسانی کو ہزارہ قوم کے آنسووں کے بارے میں بتایا گیا کہ یہ قوم تشدد کی وجہ سے کتنا متاثر ہو چکی ہے تو انہوں نےاپنے روایتی غیر سنجیدہ انداز میں پوچھا ’تو میں کیا کروں؟ میں ان کے لیے ٹشو پیپر کا ٹرک بھیج سکتا ہوں (تاکہ وہ اپنے آنسو پونچھ لیں)۔‘ لیکن لگتا ہےکہ وقت گزرنے کےساتھ ساتھ حکومت بلوچستان کے اسی بے حس رویے میں کوئی تبدیلی نہیں آئی ہے۔
جو لوگ اس معاملہ، اس کے پس منظر اور اثرات کے بارے میں مزید پڑھنا چاہتے ہیں وہ 29 مارچ کو روزنامہ ڈان میں سجاد حسین چنگیزی کا مضمون ضرور پڑھیں جس میں انہوں نےاس معاملے پر تفصیل سے روشنی ڈالی ہے کہ کس طرح بلوچستان میں عام آدمی تواپنی جگہ، صوبائی چیف سیکرٹری تک تول کر نہیں بولتے اور غلط تاثر دے رہے ہیں۔
کرونا وائرس نےصحت کے شعبہ میں حکومتی صلاحیتوں کے بارے میں تو بہت کچھ عیاں کر دیا ہے لیکن اگر اس بحران کا باریکی سے جائزہ لیا جائے تو ایک اور گھمبیر معاملہ سامنے آتا ہےاور وہ یہ ہے کہ حکومتی اہل کار اور ادارے بلوچستان اور بالخصوص کوئٹہ جیسے کثیرالقومی اور کثیرالسانی خطے میں کیسے کسی قوم کے بارے میں بات کریں جس سے اس کی تذلیل یا دل آزاری نا ہو۔ وزیراعلیٰ جام کمال کو پتہ ہونا چاہیے کہ ان کی بیوروکریسی کو ایسی تربیت کی فی الفور ضرورت ہے کہ وہ کسی قوم، فرقہ، یا مذہب کو سٹیروٹائپ نا کریں ۔یہ ایک ایسا سنجیدہ مسئلہ ہے کہ اس سے کرونا وائرس کے بحران کے بعد بھی اس وقت تک نجات نہیں ملے گی جب تک ایسے رویے کی اصلاح نا کی جائے اور ایسے رویے پر سزا مقرر نا ہو۔
سوچنے کی بات ہے کہ بلوچستان پولیس میں کون شخص یہ ’دانشمندانہ‘ فیصلے کرتا ہے کہ چونکہ ہزارہ قوم کے اہلکاروں کا تعلق شعیہ برادری سے ہے تو انہیں چھٹی دینی چاہیے کیونکہ ہوسکتا ہے کہ ان کے کسی فیملی ممبر یا ہمسایے کو کرونا کا مرض لاحق ہو؟ اس کا مطلب ہے کہ آپ نے یہ کہہ کر پورے صوبے کو ہزارہ قوم سے بدظن کیا اور ان سے دور رہنے کا مشورہ دیا۔ چنانچہ ایک یسے غلط فیصلے کا خمیازہ ایک پوری قوم بھگتی ہے۔ اس سے اندازہ ہوتا ہے کہ سرکاری ملازمین کو جو ٹریننگ دی جاتی ہے اس میں Conscious یا Unconscious bias کا تذکرہ نہیں ہوتا جس سے مراد وہ متعصب رویہ ہوتا ہے۔
کچھ لوگ تو جان بوجھ کر کسی قوم اور گروہ کی طرف اپناتے ہیں جب کہ دوسرے وہ لوگ ہوتے ہیں جنہیں اپنے قوم، قبیلے اور ہم خیال طبقے کے علاوہ دوسروں کے بارے میں کم روابط کی وجہ سے محدود علم ہوتا ہے جس کی بنیاد پر وہ دوسروں کے بارے میں دل ہی دل میں ایک ایسی رائے قائم کرتا ہے جس کا حقیقت سے کوئی واسطہ نہیں ہوتا۔( مثلاً ہم نے کئی بار لوگوں کو یہ کہتے ہوئے سنا ہے کہ فلاں قوم بڑی ذہین ہے یا فلاں قوم بیوقوف ہے۔)
چیف سیکرٹری بلوچستان، انسپکٹرجنرل اور واسا کےایم ڈی ہزارہ قوم کے بارے میں اپنے سرکاری روابطہ میں جن generalizations کا سہارا لے رہے ہیں اگر وہ کسی مغربی مُلک میں ہوتے تو کب کے اپنے نوکری سے ہاتھ گنوا بیٹھتے لیکن لگتا ہے کہ پاکستان میں ابھی تک ایسے رویے کی حوصلہ شنکی نہیں ہو رہی جتنا ہونا چاہیے۔ اگر ان ہی کے دفتر میں کوئی ملازم یہ کہتے کہ سر میں خود تو ہزارہ یا شعیہ تو نہیں ہوں لیکن میرے خیال میں ہمیں اس حکم نامہ میں کسی خاص قوم یا مسلک کا نام نہیں ڈالنا چاہیے جس سے ان کی دل آزاری ہو۔
ہماری ایسی چھوٹی چھوٹی یاد دہانی سےہوسکتا ہے کہ وہ آفیسر حکم نامہ میں استعمال ہونے والی اپنی زبان پر نظر ثانی کرے۔ ایسا کرنا ہر وقت آسا ن نہیں ہوتا لیکن ان ایسے interventions کا جو اثر پڑتا ہے وہ لوگوں کے دل و دماغ میں بڑے عرصہ تک رہتا ہے۔ کچھ لوگ اپنی سوچ اور اپنا رویہ بدلنے پر مجبور ہوتے ہیں۔
اب یہ بلوچستان حکومت کی ذمہ داری بنتی ہے کہ وہ اپنی سرکاری خط و کتابت او رروابط میں کسی قوم، فرقہ اور قبیلے کا اس طرح سے نام نہ لے کہ باقی لوگ ان کے بارے میں غلط فہمیوں کا شکار ہوں۔ اسی طرح ایف آئی کو بھی چاہیے کہ ان تمام آن لائن پلیٹ فارمز کے خلاف کارروائی کرے جو کرونا وائرس کی وجہ سے قوم میں پائی جانے والی اضطراب سے فائدہ اٹھا کر انتشار پھیلا رہے ہیں۔
یہ ایک مشکل وقت ہے اور مشکل کےاس وقت (سوشل ڈسٹنسنگ کے باعث) شاید ڈاکٹرز ایک دوسرے کا ہاتھ تھام کر چلنے کی اجازت نا دیں لیکن ایک دوسرے کا خیال ضرور رکھنا چاہیے۔ اس بحران کا مقابلہ نفرتوں سے نہیں بلکہ محبت اور باہمی احترام و اشتراک سے کیا جاسکتا ہے۔
Pakistan court overturns convictions in killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl
By Sophia Saifi and Adeel Raja
A local court in Pakistan on Thursday overturned the death sentence and murder convictions of four men believed to be involved in the killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.
The men had all been in prison for 18 years. Three were handed life sentences. A fourth, British national Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, was awaiting the death penalty.
The high court in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh vacated Sheikh's murder conviction and reduced his death sentence to a seven-year prison term for kidnapping. His seven-year sentence will now be counted from the time served. It's unclear if all four will be immediately released.
Pearl, who was working as the South Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, was in Karachi reporting on Pakistani extremists and "shoe bomber" Richard Reid when he was kidnapped by militants.
The high profile abduction drew international attention, amid growing concern over the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism. Assailants later filmed his beheading and sent it to US officials. It was among the first propaganda videos targeting hostages created by extremists, and helped to inspire other terror groups to film horrific and egregious acts of violence.
Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was arrested in Pakistan in 2003, at one point claimed to have personally killed Pearl, but the admission was made while he was being tortured and he was never charged with the crime. Federal agents backed up Mohammed's confession by comparing photos of the veins in his hands and the vein patterns of an assailant in the video of Pearl's killing, according to a report by Georgetown University students and faculty and the Center for Public Integrity.
Further details about Thursday acquittal were not immediately available, as Pakistan's judicial system is operating at a limited capacity, owing to the coronavirus outbreak.