Attiya Munawer

Journalism has not been an easy task all over the world. A journalist has to do his work in extreme danger and the situation in Pakistan is more alarming for the journalist community than in other countries exceptionally there are threats to kill journalists every day or sometimes they are subjected to violence. Despite this atmosphere of fear and harassment, the journalist community is carrying out their duties with great courage but there is a large number of such journalists for whom such conditions are fabricated that they cannot resist leaving their own country. Incidentally, senior journalist and anchor person Arshad Sharif is also counted among the few journalists who were forced to leave the country. Arshad Sharif left the country against his will but he returned earlier- he went on foot but he returned in a coffin.

Arshad Sharif always proved to be a fearless and audacious journalist and was never intimidated by any threats though, he was definitely forced to leave the country. Arshad Sharif unwillingly went to Dubai but he was not allowed to live there in peace and then he had to depart to Kenyawhere death was waiting for him. Arshad Sharif was martyred by a bullet near Nairobi, Kenya. According to the Nairobi police, the killing of Arshad Sharif is the result of a mistaken identity where the driver of the victim’s car made the mistake of not stopping the car on the bridge and this mistake has caused a fatal accident for Arshad Sharif, however, the questions raised by the Kenyan journalistic circles after reviewing the incident cast doubtson the statement of the police and a comprehensive investigation of the incident has become very necessary to resolve it.

It is gratifying that our government has decided to form a judicial commission in which will include representatives of civil society and journalistic organizations. It has been said that this investigation should not only be about the circumstances of what happened there whereas also about the scenarios why Arshad Sharif had to leave here and who has forced him to leave? These points are very important regarding the case and the comprehensive investigation can reveal the real situation, which is the main cause of this heartbreaking incident.

Prime Minister MianShehbaz Sharif has announced the formation of an investigation commission on this heartbreaking incident while our record in this context has been very upsetting. Several investigation commissions have been formed in this country before and as an outcome of which no criminal was found or none of those caught have been punished because most of the cases do not even reach the trial court. Everyone has seen the closing of the files of the murders of many journalists in this country. Here, the killing of one journalist is a message for another journalist and the matter does not even stop at a single murder otherwise Arshad was the first journalist to be martyred and he will not be the last and Pakistan would not have been included in the list of the three most dangerous countries in the world where journalism and journalists are facing extreme dangers. Before the incident, journalists were considered unsafe inside the country but now they are not safe abroad either.

It is necessary for our state and government to conduct a transparent investigation by using their resources and diplomatic relations in a sincere manner. We have many international organizations active in the name of protection of journalists of which the credibility of some of them is questioned. Government after identifying any such organization, should not request it to participate in the process of monitoring the fair and transparent investigation into the death of Arshad Sharif in mysterious circumstances because without a fair, transparent and credible investigation of this incident, the majority of people will think the same about the tragic death of Arshad Sharif, which is currently occupying their minds as at this time generality is living in doubt and no one is thinking of themselves as safe. Atransparent and credible death investigation can be the real antidote to rumors and conspiracy stories and can also bring a sense of security to insecure people.

Written by

Attiya Munawer

A researcher who often writes on politics and environmental issues.

Twitter: @AttiyaMunawer

Email- [email protected]

SHAYAAN WADOOD

It is necessary to place HR in a political and economic context in order to understand their global operation. The central position of HR in international law and politics is the result of gradual development following the Second World War. When the UN was founded, rights were not central to the idea of international order and the focus was on the co-operation between sovereign nations. As the UN system developed, the UDHR and the subsequent Conventions were seen as placing limits on the sovereignty of states. Indeed, in more recent years, HR have been linked to a vision of international development that place obligations on the developed countries to assist the social and economic development of poorer nations. HR have thus become central in articulating an international legal order committed to social and economic justice and have become an essential part of the management of the world economy.

The IMF, the WTO and the World Bank are institutions of international law that were created by treaties. The WTO regulates and encourages world trade, and the IMF and the World Bank both regulate world finance, make loans to nations and assist in the economic development of poorer nations. The Articles of Agreement for the World Bank and the IMF were drawn up and adopted at Bretton Woods in 1944. Their objectives were to provide finance for the reconstruction of the post-War world, but both institutions have become increasingly involved in the economic development of the Third World. The World Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries, as well as loans to higher income developing countries. The WB provides an essential source of finance to poorer countries who are either unable to borrow money in international markets, or can only do so at high interest. In the past the WB operated on the basis that economic goals such as the relief of poverty were strictly separate from HR, but it now argues that HR are an essential part of the economic development of poorer countries. Furthermore, rights themselves are only considered possible within developed economies, in that they are product of people organised through government. For example, many public services will only reach the poor if governments are both capable of delivering them, and do so without the obstacles of corruption; laws created to end child labor will be more effective in economic conditions that allow families to live off of the incomes of parents; and legal rights are better pursued in effective court systems.

The IMF’s Articles of Agreement indicate that it is directed to manage world financial systems. Its powers extend over international monetary co-operation, the maintenance of orderly exchange rate arrangements and the facilitation of world trade. A balanced growth of international trade will achieve high levels of employment, real income and the development of national economies. Another central task of the Fund is to offer ‘temporary’ financial help with ‘adequate safeguards’ to member nations having difficulties with balance of payments. The safeguards must ensure that the overriding objectives of international stability are achieved. Like the World Bank, these are first of all economic objectives. If one looks below the surface, however, all of the IMF’s activities contribute directly or indirectly to reducing poverty and fostering human rights. Macroeconomic imbalances and high inflation are detrimental to the poor. The wealthy are partly protected against inflation because they own assets, whose prices rise during inflationary periods. The poor often have their real earnings eroded because prices may rise faster than wages. Moreover, inflation contributes to the misallocation of resources, which hampers economic growth and employment (Leite, 2001).This argument is similar to the one put forward by the World Bank. Trade may promote growth, and a rise in living standards. If this is coupled with a well-managed economy, a nation should be able to ‘create an environment that supports poverty reduction’. Indeed, poverty reduction can be thought of as a precondition for a human rights culture. The IMF understands its task in helping poorer countries by ensuring that economic concerns are linked to the creation of ‘better governance’ structures. For instance, a right to property would be vital in securing investment in a country. Investors would have to be sure that their investments were safe, and that the courts of that country would use the law to ensure that protection. Thus a functioning legal system is a precondition for the attraction of foreign investments that would aid in the development of a nation’s economic prosperity.The WTO aims to regulate and co-ordinate world trade. It is a forum for negotiation between nations in relation to trading matters, and it also provides a dispute resolution mechanism. A number of key principles run through the agreements that the WTO oversees relating to the foundation and perpetuation of a multilateral trading system. Three principles are fundamental: (i) trade without discrimination: nations must treat their trading partners with equality; (ii) imported and locally produced goods must be treated equally with regard to tariffs and taxation; (iii) ongoing negotiations towards the realization of free trade is in the interests of all nations.

WTO take into account human rights obligations in regulating world trade? As Mary Robinson has argued that the world’s economic system and human rights law have tended to develop separately from each other. For example, intellectual property rules have led directly or indirectly to the exclusion of many people from access to essential medicines, notably those needed by the developing world to inhibit the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. Similarly, in many countries policies that promote the privatization of public services have made it more difficult for people to send their children to school, to secure safe drinking water, and to have access to health care. These failures have undermined the legitimacy of national and global political institutions, and impacted negatively on the quality of life of millions of people.Mary Robinson points out that both international HR law and international trade law seek to improve standards of living.Although the primary objectives of these institutions are oriented towards the management of world trade and the world economy, they have begun to appreciate in different ways that human rights form a part of their remit.

The IMF and the World Bank finance loans to aid the development of the economies of the world’s poorer nations. Human rights have increasingly come to be appreciated as central to economic well-being. Human rights are seen as an element in a broad approach to re-structuring economies. One way in which a government can be assessed in terms of its efficiency is the extent to which it has a functioning legal system that protects human rights. From the perspective of the WTO, there is a similar sense that rights and trade are not incompatible. One could consider, for example, the negotiations of the WTO in the area of anti-HIV/AIDS medicines and intellectual property rights.

By Muhammad Omar Iftikhar

The need for governance is always a matter of concern for any nation. A country should have visionary leadership working with a team of dedicated professionals each having a command over a diverse range of subjects. It is high time that Pakistan is led by those who have the acumen and the experience to bring results. The corporate sector of Pakistan must envision the birth of such startups and companies that bring in economic revenue and create job opportunities.

We should have at least one Unicorn. A Unicorn is a company that is valued at over $1 billion. For this to happen we first need to create scalability among the companies that are already working. Be it a national or a multinational company, the management and employees must share a vision for the future. They should know their duties and responsibilities and must be proficient in their fields of interest. Good governance needs to be implemented across the board.

 The top management must know the criteria for hiring employees and the key performance indicators against which their performance should be evaluated. They need to ascertain that the moral fabric of the employees remains positive. With good governance comes accountability. Every employee must be made accountable for their duties.

 The internal mechanism of a company to do good must be well-established. Each employee should be aware that he or she is being monitored. Their performance evaluation is to be conducted on how they fulfill their activities. Indeed, every employee may not have all these character traits.

However, a team will have individuals exhibiting such traits. A company grows when like-minded individuals become a part of a team and exhibit their values and principles to achieve their shared goals.