Tribune T Magazine 28 March 2021 by Express Tribune

SUNDAY March 28, 2021

COVER STORY Page 2

Media casts AI like it has agency. We should be thinking about our role — Dr Ingvild Bode

152 extreme weather events have taken place in Pakistan from 1999 to 2018

HISTORY & HERITAGE

LAW & JUSTICE

Page 7

Page 8

Believe me, people still believe in the post office — Abul Tahir

Courts must excercise their jurisdiction sparingly in election matters — Waqar Rana

Story by: Zeeshan Ahmad

A look into how the race for smarter AI is triggering and impacting great power ccompetition between China and the US, and the eethical and security considerations that must be aat the fore for those involved in its pursuit

hink of artificial intelligence and chances are you would find yourself in one of two camps. The popular notion that pervades our collective imagination is that of a malicious machine, humanoid or otherwise, hell-bent on eradicating humanity for one reason or another. On the flip side of the coin, there are those who perhaps take the concept too lightly, deeming it nothing more than new-fangled techno-gimmickry. But the field has the potential to alter all facets of life as we know it at a deeply fundamental level, much in the same vein as industrialisation and more recently, the internet did. Indeed, to some extent we may already be reaping the results of AI without ever stopping to ponder the when, where and how. Like when you run a search on Google or play around with filters on your social media app of choice. Any technology that holds the potential for such fundamental shifts also brings with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. Particularly in the realm of security and dominance, it could alter the very fates of nations, creating new powers and sometimes toppling old ones. Perhaps for this very reason Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sounded a warning a few years back: whichever country leads the way when it comes to AI will rule the world. More recently, the United States sounded its own alarm, signalling what could be seen as a formal step towards an AI arms race. At the start of this month, its National Security Commission on AI (NCSAI) issued a 756-page report suggesting that China could soon replace the US as the world leader when it comes to the technology. That shift, the report stated, holds significant ramifications for the US security and political interests, it warned. “Americans have not yet grappled with just how profoundly the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution will impact our economy, national security, and welfare,” the commissioned stated. “NCSAI is delivering an uncomfortable message: America is not prepared to defend or compete in the AI era.”

‘A moving target’ In some ways, AI is a nebulous concept, the exact definition of which has varied across the decades. In a 2019 paper exploring the notion of the AI arms race, Dr Peter Asaro pointed out when the term was coined in the 1950s, it was used to describe the work of a varied group of researchers who were

developing computer programs to perform tasks believed then to require human intelligence. “Over time, this proved to be something of a moving target; as computers regularly achieved new performances, the scope of what requires human intelligence has shifted.” In recent times, the term has come to be associated with an entire set of automated technologies, along with certain computer techniques and principles that have been around for decades. The revolutionary aspect towards these comes from advances in computation, miniaturisation and economies of scale, which have made it much more cheaper and effective to employ these.

A key moment for Chinese military thinking was when an AI beat a top player at Go using moves that no human had conceived of, despite 2,500 years of humans playing the game Dr Peter Singer On the other hand, science fiction and popular culture have also reinforced of a ‘super intelligence’, or an ‘intelligent’ computer system which exceeds human capability in a broad array of domains. Highlighting the impact AI could have on security and life in general, the NCSAI report stated no comfortable historical reference captures it. “AI is not a single technology breakthrough, like a bat-wing stealth bomber. The race for AI supremacy is not like the space race to the moon,” it said. “However, what Thomas Edison said of electricity encapsulates the AI future: ‘It is a field of fields ... it holds the secrets which will reorganize the life of the world’.” The report termed AI an ‘inspiring technology’. “The rapidly improving ability of computer systems to solve problems and to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence — and in some instances exceed human performance — is world altering,” it stated. “Scientists have already made astonishing progress in fields ranging from biology and medicine to astrophysics by leveraging AI.” It added that AI technologies will be a source of enor-

mous power for the companies and countries that harness them. “It will be the most powerful tool in generations for benefiting humanity.”

arms race, that is the weaponising of AI for conventional warfare using automated systems like drones and air defence systems.

The AI arms race

A new great power competition

The NCSAI report issued a chilling warning about the potential dark side of emerging AI technologies. “AI systems will also be used in the pursuit of power… AI tools will be weapons of first resort in future conflicts,” it acknowledged. “Adversaries are already using AI-enabled disinformation attacks to sow division in democracies and jar our sense of reality. States, criminals, and terrorists will conduct AI-powered cyber attacks and pair AI software with commercially available drones to create ‘smart weapons’.” “For the first time since World War II, America’s technological predominance is under threat. China possesses the might, talent, and ambition to surpass the United States as the world’s leader in AI in the next decade if current trends do not change,” it added. Dr Asaro in his paper, noted that the notion of the AI arms race is publically understood along five angles: economic, cultural, cyber, social and military. “The idea that there is a race to develop the most capable AI and to translate this into economic dominance by capturing markets, users, data, and customers is probably the most salient interpretation of the phrase,” he wrote. “Another way to view the AI arms race is as the space race of our generation… insofar as the AI arms race is a cultural battle to convince the world which country has the greatest technical prowess, and … holds the keys to the technological (and economic) future…” Another view he discussed is of AI weapons as ‘cyberweapons’. “Accordingly, the main strategic advantage to be sought for in AI developments will be in the cyber domain. As … cyberattacks become increasingly intelligent by utilising AI, it should become increasingly capable of … greater effects. Similarly, the best cybersecurity defenses against these cyberattacks will also depend more and more on AI.” The social aspect of the AI arms builds on the idea of cyberwarfare, he pointed out. “Related to the idea of applying AI to cyberwarfare is to apply AI to information warfare and propaganda. [And] just as AI could be applied to the human engineering side of cyber operations, it could also be used to shape public understanding and political action more generally. Finally, there is the literal interpretation of the AI

Speaking to The Express Tribune, political scientist and 21st century warfare expert Dr Peter W Singer said that while the ‘killer robot’ narrative gets most popular attention, AI applications go well beyond robotics. “For instance a key moment for Chinese military thinking was when an AI beat a top human at the strategy game of Go,” he explained. “It was not merely that it beat a human, but that it did so using moves and strategy that no human had conceived of, despite the 2,500 years of humans playing the game. For the People’s Liberation Army, this was a sign that the future of war would be shaped not only by information but ‘intelligentisation’.”

What Edison said of electricity encapsulates AI: It holds secrets which will reorganise the world NCSAI report For Dr Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, AI opens up new approaches to warfare that are radically different to traditional approaches. “This applies not only in kinetic operations, but in ‘grey zone’ operations such as disinformation and deception using social media,” he said. “In addition, AI allows an actor to rapidly understand a fast-moving environment more rapidly than humans can – a ‘machine speed’ approach if harnessed by the Chinese, against a US that lacks such a capability, would give China a decisive edge.” Dr Singer clarified that the report didn’t say that the US was now lagging behind, but that it was at risk of doing so. “China has made an immense investment in the field and been very open about its plan, as Xi expressed, to be the world leader in it by 2030. The US report was meant as a warning to US policymakers that this goal of Beijing could happen if it doesn’t invest similarly.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

COVER STORY

Hardware

“I don’t see the report blowing the threat out of proportion, simply to get funding,” replied Dr Davis, when asked. “They do need funding, and do need to reorganise their national security infrastructure as laid out in the report, but there is a very sound reason for doing so. The alternative is the prospect of major strategic defeat in a future war, and declining US power and influence globally in the face of an assertive China.”

Data

Security and disruption

Integration

Application Talent Algorithms

Planning & Optimisation

Computer vision

Determining necessary steps to complete a series of tasks can save time and money, and improve safety. Example Transportation Planning in Cities

Perceiving and learning visual tasks from the world through cameras and sensors. Example Livestock Monitoring

Modeling & Simulation

Prediction Event forecasting and pattern analysis have impacted nearly all industries (e.g., finance, farming, and transportation). Example Preventative

Modeling our physical, economical, and social world to support the study, optimization, and testing of operations through simulation without interfering or

USES FOR DEPLOYED AI TODAY

interrupting ongoing processes. Example COVID-19 Research

Vehicle Maintenance

Natural Language Understanding

Robotic Process Automation Software robotics to help organizations automate tedious and repetitive tasks. Example RPA Platforms

Asked how peaceful or everyday applications of AI figure would figure into security thinking and challenges, Dr Davis focused on how current and future societies in western liberal democracies will interact with the world around them. “Already, that process in 2021 is vastly different to say, 1981, when personal computers were just beginning to emerge, and the Internet simply didn’t exist,” he said. “The internet and PCs have transformed society, and made globalisation possible – and AI in the next five to fifteen years is likely to have the same revolutionary impact.” “So in considering how society from the middle of this decade, through to perhaps the late 2030s might evolve – AI will be a key engine for change,” he added. According to him, the state that can “understand it, exploit it, and control it,” has the advantage – “in the same way, that the US exploited the internet in the 1990s and PCs in the 80s for gaining an edge, in trade, finance, communications and warfare.”

Machines are able to process, analyze, understand, and mimic human language, either spoken or written. Example Richer Human-Computer Interaction

If malicious actors can enact changes in our systems without us knowing, that is perfect war Dr James Rogers “If China has an AI advantage, it will be the prime mover in reshaping global society for much of the rest of the century – it will set the rules, in a manner that will disadvantage the US and its democratic allies, whilst conferring advantage – or even control – to authoritarian states. China would dominate globally, through AI. If the US can maintain a competitive edge in AI, China is less in a position to impose its will through this new technology,” he told The Express Tribune. Dr Davis and Dr Singer also highlighted the threat posed by non-state actors exploiting AI. “I could imagine terrorist groups and cyber criminals exploiting AI in cyber crime and cyber-terrorism attacks to make those more devastating – or through disinformation and deception via ‘deep fakes’ and influence campaigns through social media.” Commenting on the challenges posed by the AI revolution, Dr Singer said that, every industrial revolution leads to new political movements. “An Oxford study of over 700 different types of professions found that 47 per cent would face transformation, reduction or even full replacement in the coming decades from AI and increasingly intelligent robots. Every one of those jobs, from pilot to doctor to truck driver, has a parallel in the military,” he noted. “Think how the last industrial revolution led to new movements that ranged from workers rights to communism and fascism. Why should we expect this new industrial revolution to not also have a political side?”

The gateway weapon

Edge Computing

Novel Learning

RESEARCH FRONTIERS

Advanced Reasoning

Human AI Teaming More General AI

Science

Smart Cities

Education

AI-ENABLED FUTURE Space Health Care

AI-Enabled Information Operations

Since the US war on terror and its associated campaign of pinpoint strikes on ‘high value targets’, a new symbol of the brave new world of AI entered public consciousness. The iconic image on the missile-armed drone became a lasting symbol of what AI-tipped warfare would look like. But as war historian Dr James Rogers and war studies expert Dr Ingvild Bode pointed out, the history of automation in weapons and warfare is anything but new. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Rogers said drones are indeed an important representation of the weaponisation of AI, and help us think and visualise how AI and autonomous systems may be used in warfare. “It can, in fact, be said that drones are the ‘gateway weapon’ for AI,” Both Dr Rogers and Dr Bode agreed that drones create the impression that autonomous systems are a rather modern invention. However, they were quick to point out that certain weapon systems with automated systems have been around for a long time. They brought up air defence and missile defence systems as an example, which they said have been automated since the 1980s because of the need to take decisions immediately in response to the nature of the threat. “Lets say you have a supersonic missile coming in. These air defence systems have a machine recognise a target and make that decision,” Dr Rogers said. “The timeframes involve with such threats mean humans have no actual control over modern air defence systems,” said Dr Bode. Dr Rogers also drew a distinction between automation and ‘true’ AI. “Automated systems are preprogrammed and they operate along the parameters that are fed into them. An AI, on the other hand, allows a machine to compute data and take a decision independently,” he said. According to him, we are at the moment at the point of automation when it comes to warfare. “We are starting to see, for instance, things like the Sky Guardian drone which has the automated capacity to takeoff and land by itself. That capacity frees the drone from the contingent of ground-based operators that control most drones today.” He added that we are getting to point now where that team of operators or even a single operator will be able to control multiple drones at the same time. “But these systems still have a human in the loop. The next step is what is called ‘human on the loop’, where the individual just receives information or receipts of actions that the

drone can carry out based on the algorithm it runs on.” Beyond that would be true AI, which can take in information, process it, arrive at a decision and act autonomously, said Dr Rogers. “In the future, states may have multiple such drones deployed around the world to react to threats they assess independently. The history of warfare shows us that time and time again, we take technologies to unusual extremes to protect ourselves. AI, likewise, will be adopted, adapted and advanced in warfare by any nation that has the capability to do so.”

More autonomy or less? So far, the arguments presented in this article may suggest that the benefits of pushing ahead with AI and autonomous systems outweigh the risks. But on the ethics side of things, a global debate rages on over giving machines, especially weaponised ones full autonomy. Discussing the matter, both Dr Bode and Dr Rogers pointed towards past incidents with air defence systems where greater autonomy led to loss of civilian life or friendly fire. One example they both pointed out was the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988. A US Navy missile cruiser shot down the civil airliner during the height of the Iran-Iraq War, killing all 290 passengers and crew aboard. In their explanation, the US forces admitted that the airliner’s signature had been confused with that of an Iranian air force fighter, prompting the missile launch. In a paper she co-wrote on AI, weapon systems and human control, Dr Bode also presented the example of an RAF fighter jet, which was shot down by a Patriot missile battery in Iraq in 2003. “ Notably, ‘the Patriot system is nearly autonomous, with only the final launch decision requiring human interaction,” she wrote. “Incidents such as these already show the highly problematic positions humans supposedly in the loop with such automated systems are being put in,” Dr Bode told The Express Tribune. “In such cases and indeed, these systems, the human does not have the opportunity to critically assess the decision the system takes.” Speaking on the matter, Dr Rogers said an AI system of systems can allow us to see better through the fog of war and make decisions faster. “But if our reliance on systems that can make errors or be exploited is absolute, then we cannot know for sure what we are seeing is true.” He noted that we also cannot underestimate the threat from terrorists engaging in information warfare and manipulation. “Al Qaeda was once able to successfully hack a US drone, which then had to be patched,” he said. “AI can help us process the vast preponderousness of data we’re hoovering up faster, in military applications and everyday life. But when it comes to national survival, we’re going to have to make sure enemy can’t break our codes, use or change our systems against us,” Dr Rogers stressed. “If certain malicious actors can enact changes in our systems without us knowing, well that is perfect war.” Dr Rogers also said that we may be “overestimating the transformative power of our supercomputing at the moment.” He drew a parallel with the most advanced computers at the height of the Cold War. “In 50s and the 60s, the IBM 704 and that was most powerful computer system in the world. So, the US Strategic Air Command, which oversaw America’s strategic bomber fleet, acquired it to process data on where Soviet nuclear silos were located,” he narrated. “Using that IBM 704, US planners created this big plan to destroy the USSR in the event of nuclear war. And no one could really challenge it back then, because they did not have the money or capacity to do so.”

In our drive towards AI, the focus has been on precision. The risks of such systems being spoofed or hacked has not received a lot of attention He added that eventually they brought the human back in once the limitations of that system and the plan it helped create were better understood. “But it is astonishing to think how close we could have been disaster if that flawed plan was allowed to proceed into action because not many people understood how the system worked.” Dr Rogers added that with AI and big data, and all these algorithms that control our lives nowadays, we find it really hard to understand what they really mean. “So we have to go back into history to visualise it. Just like that IBM 704 gave US SAC Commander Gen Curtis LeMay immense power in his time because other leaders weren’t clued in, these new esoteric technologies give tech leaders in Silicon Valley immense power too.” Talking about everyday use of algorithms and AI, Dr Bode warned about the risk of misinformation and the ability of such systems to conjure and alternate reality. “We can see this already happen due to the fact that everything about these technologies is so hidden,” she said. “We need more critical awareness of the functions these tools are performing or can perform, but then the public may become aware of how complicit their own governments are. That in turn is something which may not be in the interest of these governments.” She added that in our drive towards AI and automation, the focus has been on precision and speeding up decisionmaking. “But the risks of such systems being spoofed or hacked has not received a lot of attention, even though the more complex a system gets, the more vulnerabilities it may develop.” “The way the media casts AI, suddenly it has agency of its own. It is a mover. But what we should be thinking about is the role of humans in using AI and automated systems,” Dr Bode said.

Data Harvesting and Targeting of Individuals

EMERGING THREATS IN THE AI ERA Accelerated Cyber Attacks

AI-Enabled Biotechnology

Adversarial AI Design by: Ibrahim Yahya

MARCH 28, 2021

ART, MEDIA & LITERATURE

Story by: Nabil Tahir

Pakistan’s growing DCS World community explains why the free-to-play flight simulator is the closest virtual experience to the real thing Growing up, most of us dream of flying supersonic jets at one point or another. Save for a lucky few, most are unable to ever to follow through on living that dream. All that is left is a sense of wondering. Every time you visit an air show or catch a glimpse of Top Gun on TV, you may find yourself imagine what it feels like to be in control of one of mankind’s most iconic inventions. But what if you could experience the next best thing? What if you could learn first hand how basic flight and combat maneuvers work? That too from the comfort of your own home no less. All of that is possible through a computer flight simulator called Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) World. The free-to-play software programme is widely known as a ‘study sim’. Players learn how to operate the aircraft from a manual made for each aircraft just as a real pilot would. A PC gamer, referencing the F-14 module, remarked that it may “require the user to familiarise him or herself with the actual manuals used to fly real planes to play.” Aircraft in DCS are meticulously modelled, with interactive buttons and switches in the cockpit, accurate flight dynamics based on open source real-world data, and even unique voice warnings from real military aircraft such as ‘Bitching Betty’ (a slang term used by some pilots and aircrew when referring to the voices used in some Western planes).

Private fleet

$65-70

troduced in general, it has impacted flight simulation the most and has brought it very close to reality but as DCS World involves military planes, they have kept it down to a game level even that is fascinating for a flying enthusiast.” DCS World, since its launch, has a representative in every country where a gaming community represents DCS World officially in their country. For Pakistan, it was Operation Swift Retort and Samad’s passion in DCS World and film making that brought Pakistan on the map of DCS World. After the Operation Swift Retort was carried out, Samad and his fellow community who were passionate about DCS World, film making, narration and creating cinematic record of the game, decided to make a video recreating Operation Swift Retort on 26 February 2020. “Once the video was uploaded on the anniversary of the operation, millions of people watched that video and it was shared thousands of times. At that time, I thought Pakistan should also represent DCS World and formed the community. When I started, I didn’t know that more people would be interested in this as this, as it is a very niche video game and the gaming community in Pakistan are mostly into the first-person shooting (FPS) games.”

A ‘healthy’ pastime A year after the launch of DCS World Pakistan, Samad has formed a community of around 250 players and has thousands of followers on social media. Talking about the number of players involved in this game, he said, “DCS World requires a lot of time to learn about the planes. You have to study the manuals of the planes that are between 250 to 300 pages for weeks or even months, practice the take-offs, landings, and understand engineering before you can finally fly the plane in the game for about 30 to 40 minutes.” “Most of the people get bored with this game quickly as to learn it, you have to have a strong mental capacity and patience,” he said, adding that it takes around 30 minutes to set up a jet before you take-off and two to three days to plan a mission. As the gaming community in Pakistan is mainly involved in First Person Shooting (FPS) games that carry violence, and we often hear news about those games affecting the player’s mental health, according to Samad, DCS World is the opposite and is considered a healthier alternative. “I do tell people that gaming is not bad as long as you don’t play violent games. This game has no violence. We have people who are doctors and engineers and flying enthusiasts. This is a healthy game for the mind, as you have to make strategies, learn the jet you are flying and then recall what to do in the specific situation,” he said, adding that learning every asset in the game is not an easy task. Talking about its popularity in Pakistan, he said that the game got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic when every student and professional were working from home and had time to study the jets. “When everyone was at home and had

is the cost of modules for DCS world, which allow users to fly more fighters like the JF-17 Eagle Dynamics, the developer, has been developing the military simulation for more than 20 years, and DCS World in its modern form has been incrementally upgraded to make the most of modern high-end computer hardware.

The Pakistani scene This virtual reality simulator is quite popular worldwide and there are communities made in every country linked with the developer Eagle Dynamics. In Pakistan, the DCS World community named DCS World Pakistan was made just a year ago and has been an active participant of DCS World in creating content with the developer. People worldwide are using DCS World for various uses, including training pilots, virtual air shows and for jet lovers seeking a real-time experience of flying a jet plane. In Pakistan, the simulator use is limited to jet enthusiasts enjoying the experience but to a level where they can make different formations, recreate any original scene, and even perform a virtual air show. Abdus Samad Khan, who is an HR professional and goes by ‘Phantom’ in DCS World and is also the founder of DCS World Pakistan. “When you are growing up as a teenager you want to do something fast like drive fast or fly jets, but as flying is costly and not everyone can afford it and those people resort to driving fast cars or bikes instead. But DCS World enables you to experience the feeling of flying a real jet.” “The modern version is just for people who want to experience fighting jets in front of a computer screen or a virtual reality set up. Since virtual reality has been in-

Photos: DCS World Pakistan/Adil Khalil

the time, it enabled them to channel their passion of flying and learning [how to operate] DCS World,” he said, adding that they started to make videos in Urdu to reach a larger audiences and were able to attract many government and other officials as well. “Even the DGPR shared our images on their platforms. There was a time when we wanted the official images of their jets, and now they are sharing our images,” he said. As DCS World is gaining popularity in Pakistan, its gameplay is also attracting people from every age group. “We are just enthusiasts and are limited to just playing and enjoying the game. For the younger generation who wants to be a pilot in the future or who want to work in aviation, they have a tool that enables them to experience real flying at home,” said Samad. Talking about the gameplay and the investment required for setting up a VR DCS World station, Samad said that the user is given two modules for free initially, and then as the user wants to buy more modules, he will have to pay. “You can buy from a list of F16, JF17 and other modules for just $65-70 per module. Even cheaper in sales. But as the technology is coming in Pakistan and the internet connectivity is increasing, the affordability of buying computer hardware and setting up VR has come down from one million rupeers to just 200,000 to 300,000 rupees, whereas the other games can easily be played on a Rs50,000 computer or a gaming console,” he said adding that one even has to buy a simulator software that costs around 12,000 to 13,000 rupees. Still, for a jet flying enthusiast, they are utilised in just two days,” he said.

Learning to fly Fahad Masood, MRAeS, Squadron Leader (R), an Ex-Air force pilot with 1,850 hours flight time, talking about the realism of the game said, “Considering the top flight simulators like; DCS World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and X-Plane DCS World have the most realistic fighter combat simulator, which is closest to the real thing, the young generation can improve their skills in less time through DCS World than going in the physical cockpit which is time consuming.”

DCS World requires a lot of time to learn. You have to study plane manuals that are between 250 to 300 pages for weeks Enthusiast Abdus Samad Khan “Still the need of the actual environment is not there. My students do practice on DCS World, but sitting in an airconditioned room is not the actual condition. So I take my students to the simulators we have where they can experience the force that is required to pull or push the steering stick, the psychological pressure, the heat and smell of the cockpit, how to start and shutdown an aircraft and the five sense that you use. Nothing can beat the real experience but yes to get them familiar with the set up and processes DCS World is quite useful,” said Masood who also the Program Manager Aviation Management for their undergraduate program at Air University in Islamabad. Although Masood has to take his students to physical simulators that they currently using for training, he believes that the future of commercial

Aircraft in DCS are meticulously modelled, with interactive buttons and switches, and accurate flight dynamics and military aviation is virtual. “The future lies in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and that is exactly what the players are doing right now by playing DCS World. In the future, pilots will be sitting in airconditioned rooms and controlling the aircraft from their seats. DCS World is the step towards its training and to attract a younger generation,” said the Rated Flight Instructor on Cessna 152/172, Masood. Talking about the time that will take for this to come into Pakistan, he said, “We are third world nation, it will take time for us to adopt things but yes eventually that is where the world is going and where we will be at,” he added.

The JF-17 experience The game contains most of the assets that have been retired and some of the modern ones are also used but doesn’t have every element of the actual jet but for those seeking to learn about aviation and flying, it pretty much gives you the idea. DCS World included the JF17 in the year 2019 after Operation Swift Retort, which was highly appreciated by the people of Pakistan and helped Samad recreate the operation scenes.

Professional appreciation

just the technicalities but it also involves art such as which angle or formation you use to attract the audience. Like using the golden hour, which creates beautiful scenes and then compiling it in a visually appealing way.” “Even the community of Eagle Dynamics, who has the professional pilots flying and editors editing the video, it takes them months to develop a good video,” he said. Since air shows have reduced in number, many nations are using DCS World to design an Air Show to air it on TV. The graphics and the different scenarios in the game enable us to create scenes that are so real that it seems as if it’s happening live. There is a virtual Air Show by the name of Virtual SOCHI 2021 International Air Show designed by the DCS World community in Australia and New Zealand where virtual aerobatics ex-pilots will also be flying the jets virtually. Although Pakistan doesn’t have the jets that are accurate in DCS, still Samad has plans to take Pakistan internationally in content creation on DCS World. “I have been developing the content that is applauded by the Eagle Dynamics, and still I plan to do more. Pakistan can also design an Air Show, but currently just at an enjoyment level, not at a professional level,” he said. There is an international DCS World tournament by the name of SATAL where some of the Pakistani teams like Thunder Vipers and others also take part. “We are taking it casually, but it has the potential to be taken as a profession. It does not involve a commercial aspect as they don’t have as much prize money as other games do, but it’s all about passion,” he said.

Although Pakistan is still developing in technology, there are many civil aviation pilots who are using this quite actively and are enjoying simulation. “There are many things that you can learn without flying a plane and using lots of fuel. Like there are many procedures, processes, which you can exercise sitting in front of the screen,” said Masood. According to Samad, people in Pakistan are using DCS World for film making as well. “They make the create an entire flying scene using different angles and shots just by sitting at home. The graphics of the game are so real, and the different scenarios present in which you can simulate visually, not much technically, but the thing which looks good visually,” said Samad. Talking about the time it takes to make a video, Samad said it takes around one month to create 10 minutes of formation on DCS World. “It’s not

MARCH 28, 2021

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Cash is still king in Pakistan Story by: Omar Qureshi | Design by: Ibrahim Yahya

Covid-19 may have opened the developed world’s eyes on the benefits of cashlessness, but a preference for banknotes still thrives in our own country

Investing in cloud services Merchant onboarding with banks

2019

When asked if the pandemic had boosted the fintech ecosystem of Pakistan, she said it had given it a marginal push because it was still far below the true potential. Profits have indeed risen but in fintech space, the amount of new customers matter more than the earnings and there is a lot of prospects to enhance consumers. Giving insights on contraction of cash economy, Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITeS (P@SHA) Chairman Barkan Saeed expected the trend of digital payments to rise in future because e-commerce was gaining traction in Pakistan. He underlined that the e-commerce sector was steering digital payments in every nation. “If the government desires to significantly narrow down the cash economy, it should support the e-commerce platforms because they are most crucial institutions with regard to raising digital payments,” he said.

Hurdles remain The Telemart and Priceoye.pk officials flagged high merchant discount rate (MDR) as the prime hurdle in way of enhancing digital payments in Pakistan. Shaffi said that MDR rate stood between 2% to 3%, which affected consumers’ preference of paying digitally and encouraged them to adopt cash on delivery mode. A commodity costing Rs30,000 could become costlier by an additional Rs1,000 due to high MDR and given that Pakistan is still in the midst of a pandemic, shoppers would want to save the Rs1,000 and opt for cash on delivery option he said. Rauf said that brands like food and clothing could absorb MDR fee but digital platforms were unable to do so because profit margins were already quite narrow. He said that MDR on point of sales (POS) machines was 1.3% to 1.4% but few digital platforms were paying over 3% in MDR. “Government should turn it the other way round and minimise MDR on digital platforms to discourage cash economy and to encourage people to pay through cards for their purchases,” he said. “We discussed this issue with banks but no consensus could be reached.” According to him, a drop in MDR would incentivise digital platforms to recommend customers to pay digitally as opposed to cash. Both officials called for reduction in MDR to give a boost to digital payments. Shaffi pointed out that another problem hindering online payments was that few banks demanded a picture of credit/ debit card and ID card of customers to approve online payments. “These days, if an online platform asks for these particulars, it triggers a sense of fear among customers who believe it to be fraud,” he said. In addition, banks sometime reject transfer of payments from customers to e-commerce platforms if the condition is not fulfilled and it usually happens after two weeks of purchase, which means that the consumer has received and used the merchandise, he pointed out. Reaching out to him after two weeks of purchase and presenting the case of rejected payment can affect the image of business and also encourage consumer to consider the business a scam. He appreciated that SBP was working at a rapid pace to enhance the use of digital payments and narrow down cash economy. Though the speed is generally good given the fact that Pakistan is a developing nation, it is quite low compared to the global initiatives, he said. He firmly believes that digital payments would persist even after Pakistan becomes Covid free.

If govt desires to significantly narrow down cash economy, it should support e-commerce platforms P@SHA Chairman Barkan Saeed

Incentivizing users to use online channels Digital marketing/ relationship building (emails, social media) Data analytics and increased KYC for Better supply chain management Omnichannel inventory management - shops become warehouse to smoothen operations

MARCH 28, 2021

60,000

0.8

18,000

0.5

Joining with established marketplaces to reduce transition costs

POS (Secondary Axis)

Central bank’s push

0.3

E-commerce Transition During Covid-19

E-commerce 55,000

0.0

16,000

Q1 2021

50,000

14,000

2020

POS

45,000

Mobile Banking

12,000

Internet Banking

Q4 2020

40,000

E-banking transition in Pakistan (in trillion)

10,000

Similarly, many commercial banks updated the digital applications to offer cashless payment services as the country was being gripped by the coronavirus. Tez Financial Co-Founder and Business Head Naureen Hyat said that her company, which specialised in digital financial inclusion, saw number of customers rise on the digital application after March 2020. “Our app offers different financial solutions ranging from lending to insurance and savings,” she said. “After Covid-19 hit Pakistan, we revised the lending criteria and turned it tougher however customers still increased on the application.”

ATM

35,000

is the merchant discount rate being charged on some digital platforms

8,000

Q3 2020

30,000

Lets take a look at where Pakistan stands in terms of cash economy. When Covid-19 emerged in Pakistan, the central bank introduced a handful of measures to reduce the use of cash. The schemes were initiated in light of the findings that Covid-19 traces could be found on cash and that cash payments would require consumers to visit banks, shops and other institutions that would raise the risk of Covid-19 infections. From March to June 2020, digital payments all over Pakistan soared in the wake of a nationwide lockdown and many not so tech savvy people learned and adopted the use of online payments to meet day-to-day expenditure. “Although cash on delivery remains the most preferred mode of payment, use of debit/credit cards and Interbank Fund Transfer (IBFT) has risen in both volume and value terms during this period,” stated a report from the State Bank of Pakistan. “The increasing trend of the already high level of cash penetration in the economy continues to undermine efforts to enhance the digital payments system infrastructure in the country.” It pointed out that the existing customer base of e-commerce platforms also tended to avoid making cashless payments. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Telemart Co-founder and Director Hamza Abdul Rauf confirmed that digital payments on his platform doubled since Covid surfaced in March 2020 but this was because the number

6,000

Superficial ‘digitisation’

Q2 2020

25,000

Disincentive

Q1 2020

20,000

“It would be an electronic form of money issued by the Eurosystem (the ECB and national central banks) and accessible to all citizens and firms,” it said. “A digital euro would not replace cash, but rather complement it.” According to ECB, a digital euro would give customers an additional choice about how to pay and contribute towards financial inclusion alongside cash. While developed nations are working on digitalising entire currencies, the developing world seems to be far away from even digitalising payments to their true potential.

An expert from financial sector, on the condition of anonymity, said many firms that offered only cash on delivery options, had also started implementing digital payments in wake of Covid-19. “Moreover, the growing digital payment ecosystem gave a drastic push to digital payment gateways because in the past few months, a lot of private firms introduced diverse payment gateways.” In addition, international payments through digital means were made easier and secure through SBP’s measures. A lot of companies in the financial sector particularly those specialising in mutual funds, micro lending and investment platforms created their mobile application and offered cashless investment opportunities, he said.

4,000

Telemart Co-founder Hamza Abdul Rauf

Far below potential

Payment Processing Infrastructure 2,000

Since the increase in orders was largely similar to the rise in digital payments, I would say there was a negligible increase in them

of orders soared. “Since the increase in the number of orders was largely similar to the rise in digital payments, I would say there was a negligible increase in them.” The preference of people for digital platforms increased after Covid hit the country but they remained averse to digital payments because cash on delivery option was available. Many other firms confirmed that the trend of digital payments had indeed risen during lockdown from March-June 2020 however it declined steeply after lockdown was lifted and cash was injected in the economy. Adnan Shaffi, CEO of Priceoye.pk, said that digital payments on his platform rose just 15% on a year-on-year basis, which was way below the true potential. However he cherished that diverse segments of the economy were now moving towards digital payments, which could be attributed largely to central bank’s measures. “Now even allied businesses of out platform have started demanding payments digitally as opposed to cash,” he said. “Our vendors, who earlier insisted on dealing in cash, now want payments to be done through digital means.” According to him, the push to digital payments and marginal contraction in cash economy was coming from commercial banks, which were in turn being pushed by the central bank to steer digital payments in the economy. He added that banks had been directed to enhance efforts aimed at improving the digital payment infrastructure of Pakistan.

This month marks a year since the World Health Organisation declared the worldwide novel coronavirus a pandemic. A year since nations around the world started declaring lockdowns in a bid to control the contagion. While Covid-19 has been subdued ever so slightly, even now it continues to hammer the world at large and various states continue to make fiscal and monetary adjustments to support battered economies. Among the few positive lessons a year of pandemic has left us with is that cashless economies are very much possible and beneficial in times of emergencies like the one created by Covid-19. Keeping this in view, a host of developed nations are moving towards adopting digital currencies at the national level. China has completed trials of its digital yuan while the Euro Zone and Canada are also bracing to introduce digital currencies. Detailing its plans in a statement, the European Central Bank said that a digital euro would guarantee that citizens in the euro area can maintain costless access to a simple, universally accepted, safe and trusted means of payment. It elaborated that the digital euro would still be a euro like the banknotes, but digital.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Payment Card Composition (Q1FY21)

Prepaid Cards 135,596 Credit Cards 1,639,115 Social Welfare 7,559,333 ATMs Only 6,978,079

20 Intra-bank Inter-bank transfers transfers Trillion Rs.

FY17

0.7

206.5

78.5

285.7

90,996.8

15,276.50

29,864.30

136,137.6

1.0

253.7

97.1

351.8

92,246.2

19,124.4

36,238.2

147,608.8

Value

36%

23%

24%

21%

in Rs. Billion

25%

21%

Volume in Million

FY19

FY20

Digital become more popular 250

100

93.8

Debit/credit card

150

51.3

200

39.7

140.7

45.5

60.3

Digital

73.7

Branchless banking (m-wallets, QR etc)

COD

5.8

9.0

FY20

FY19

FY18

0 FY17

FY20

FY19

FY17

20.1

20.7

2.4

34.6 23.1

68.3

90.5

100

Transaction type Q1 FY20

PRISM ESystem Banking

Q3 FY20

Total

FY18

E-commerce sales continue to rise

Q4 FY20

E-Banking Paper based

1.0

0.0

Q1 FY20p

% change

under review

Q1 FY20p

Q4 FY20

PRISM

Other payments

0.5

Q2 FY20

Payment Systems

Utility bills

1.5

Anticipating frauds in wake of digital transactions, SBP advised the financial industry to increase vigilance In October 2020, SBP launched the FX Regulatory Approval System (RAS) for end-to-end digitalisation of Foreign Exchange (FX) related case submission process. The initiative was aimed at providing a fully digitalized platform to the business community and individuals in approaching banks for their foreign exchange related requests. The scheme helped transform forex operations by replacing the paper-based requests with electronic submissions, which is not only efficient but also cost effective. This development is also congruent with the Government of Pakistan’s vision of Digital Pakistan. Baqir said that SBP worked with various public and private sector entities for providing alternate delivery channels for payments. Speaking at a conference late last year, he said that SBP has also fast tracked the licensing application process for EMIs which will help to accelerate digital payments by the non-bank players. Last month, SBP announced introduction of Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) Chip and PIN compliant payment cards to improve payments to online e-commerce services. They will be able to make payments up to Rs. 3,000 by just tapping the card on POS machines and no PIN will be required. Consumers will also be able to make loan repayments through cards. State Bank has directed the banks to implement all these measures by June 30, 2021. The measure, aimed at further strengthening the security of digital payments and curtailing the risk of frauds, is a culmination of SBP’s efforts that started in 2016 outlining a detailed roadmap for adoption of EMV Chip and PIN standard for payment cards in Pakistan. Banks have also been directed to step-up their efforts to facilitate customers in case they face any issue while using their payment cards. Taking notice of consumer complaints regarding delays in receiving refunds after resolution of disputes, SBP has directed all banks to immediately credit customer accounts once they receive fund from either merchants or acquiring banks. The regulator has also directed banks to facilitate their customers in registering their complaints and disputes using mobile apps and internet banking portals without the need for physically visiting branches. Enhancing the drive towards digitization of payments, SBP has also directed all banks/microfinance banks to take measures to facilitate their borrowers in making repayments of loans such as consumer loans, auto loans etc. digitally using internet and mobile banking applications of any bank. On January 11, 2021, SBP launched Pakistan’s first instant payment system, Raast. The scheme is a milestone in SBP’s broader strategic agenda of digitalisation and increasing financial inclusion in the country. Launching the system, Prime Minister Imran Khan termed it an important step towards fulfilling the government’s vision and commitment to effectively promote and encourage digitalisation of the economy. “Raast will provide digital, easy-to-use, efficient and cost-effective payment options to people of Pakistan and expected to be a catalyst for providing sustainable opportunities to small businesses and individuals,” he said. He was hopeful that Raast would help government resolve current inefficiencies in various types of payments such as salary and pension and further improve disbursements under Ehsaas Program and BISPs, amongst other areas. According to SBP governor, the system would provide cheap and universal access to people of Pakistan especially those who are financially excluded and less privileged like women. The central bank hopes that the system would help spur economic growth especially by facilitating small businesses and individuals. The system is expected to go live in June 2021. Talking about Raast, P@SHA Chairman Barkan Saeed held the view that payments systems were a thing of private sectors and governments were not supposed to make and run payment gateways. Due to this reason, he was uncertain over the success of Raast. “Government should encourage the private sectors to make digital payment gateways and provide conducive environment to them to diminish the cash economy,” he said. Saeed lamented that companies that are abiding with all regulations are the ones to be affected the most when government amends laws or changes regulation. He urged the government to introduce stringent regulations against unregistered firms that operate solely on cash to move to a cashless economy.

Debit Cards 26,670,759

Mobile banking transition in Pakistan

FY18

In the past one year, the SBP has taken countless measures to discourage the use of cash in Pakistan. These measures were introduced in light of the findings that Covid-19 traces could be found on cash and that cash payments would require consumers to visit banks, shops and other institutions, which would raise the risk of Covid infections. Initially, the SBP acted to reduce the need for consumers to visit bank branches or ATMs and in this regard, it resorted to promote the use of digital payment services such as internet banking and mobile phone banking. In March 2020, SBP instructed commercial banks to waive all charges on fund transfers through online banking channels such as Inter Bank Fund Transfer (IBFT) and SBP’s Real Time Gross Settlement System for customers. The SBP claims this incentivised people to transfer money through mobile phones or internet banking because they were earlier averse to such a method in wake of additional costs. “Consumers will not incur any cost in case of using ATMs or visiting bank branches for transferring large amounts and can avoid the use of cash,” SBP said. Banks were advised to facilitate customers in using online banking while taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of customer’s funds. Keeping in view the low digital banking and mobile banking penetration in Pakistan, SBP ensured that call centres/helplines of all banks were available round the clock for instant customer support. This in particular helped give a boost to cashless banking in Pakistan because addressing of complaints was one of the main issue of consumers who were forced to adopt digital payments. In addition, SBP instructed the financial sector to facilitate education fee and loan repayments through internet banking or mobile devices. “Financial institutions shall also run awareness campaigns through different channels to educate customers to use internet banking or mobile phones, limit use of currency notes and restrict branch visits,” it said. Anticipating frauds in the wake of digital transactions, SBP advised the financial industry to increase vigilance on digital channels and enhance monitoring on cyber threats. In this regard SBP Governor Reza Baqir held a meeting with presidents and high ranking officials of all banks and urged them to use all available means of communications including advertisements in print and social media for promotion of digital banking and cash less payments and funds transfers.

0.6

224.3

Mobile

RTOB

ATM

POS Internet phone Banking Banking

45.8

129.9

18.9

111,170.5 15,615.1 13,083.0 1,563.4 92.3 0.6

239.2

48.9

135.7

20.5

97,020.8 17,628.6 14,731.6 1,658.7 107.5 0.7

236.1

46.8

131.6

19.5

95,140.9 17,467.1 14,456.9 1,681.8 102.5 0.7

206.5

32.2

114.9

11.4

90,996.8 15,276.4 12,161.7 1,525.6 61.9 1.0

253.7

42.7

134.9

16.8

Call Ecenters/ ComIVR Banking merce

Paper based

Total

115.4

340.3

12.2

15.2

0.1

2.1

574.4

291.8

2.1

8.1 33,616.3 160,401.9

13.3

17.8

0.1

2.9

736.0

382.5

2.1

10.2 35,097.2 149,746.6

14.1

21.1

0.1

2.8

748.1

467.5

3.2

7.1 32,616.0 145,188.0

17.0

28.6

0.1

2.3

894.2

621.8

1.8

9.4 29,846.3 136,137.6

18.9

36.4

0.1

1.9

11.9 36,238.2 147,608.8

92,246.2 19,124.4 15,238.5 1,785.2 92.3 1,085.9 908.7

121.5

109.3

78.5

97.1

361.3

346.1

285.7

351.8

MARCH 28, 2021

CULTURE & SOCIETY

Story by: Shazia Mehboob

Most people in their 80s find themselves dependent on those younger than them. One octogenarian from Swat defies his age and, having cycled from the valley to Karachi, dreams of riding his bike around the world

Frail health means most octogenarians depend on others younger than them to move around and participate in day-to-day life. Not so for Swat’s Baba Abdul Qayyum. Not only is the 82-year-old, who calls the scenic district’s town of Kabal his home, completely independent at his advanced age, he remains renowned for his dedication to long distance cycling.

Beginnings of a journey Qayyum’s infatuation with cycling began in 1952, when he was as student in the seventh grade at a public school in Mingora. “It is definitely my first love,” he said with a smile on his face. “To this day, I find the same joy riding a bicycle that I did when I was just a teenager. I fear if I stop, I will fall seriously ill!” What was initially just a means to get to school, Qayyum turned it into a lifelong mode of transport. “With the passage of time, I started enjoying it so much that made my main means of going places,” he said. “I’ve always been struck with some wanderlust, and it was that passion which convinced me to purchase my first bike from my drill master for just Rs150.” Since that fateful decision in 1952, Qayyum must have pedaled over thousands of miles. Yet, his passion and his stamina show no signs of letting up. He now owns three bicycles and has used them to make visits to farflung areas of the region. “We used to ask Baba for stop riding his bicycle, as many people in the area did not consider riding at his age good but whenever he stopped riding, he fell sick or suffered joint pain,” said Palwasha, Qayyum’s younger daughter. Talking about his life’s journey, he said after completing secondary education, he went to Karachi for higher education where he completed his Masters in Geography. After completing his studies, he opted for a government job but due to nepotism in the hiring process, he stopped gave up his search and went abroad. “Because Baba is a strong opponent of bribes and nepotism in the hiring process and believes in merit so he never applied for any government service,” shared Palwasha. Qayyum has three sons and two daughters and all are well educated and contributing to the country’s economy in their profession. However, none of his children are pursuing the legacy of his father. “Baba often tells us that the job of salesmen or seaman was his passion as he loves living in deep waters but his father didn’t allow him to join the navy or merchant navy,” Palwasha added.

Baba often tells us that the job of salesman or seaman was his passion but his father didn’t allow him to join the navy or merchant navy Qayyum’s daughter Palwasha ‘Embodiment of eco-friendliness’ Due to his healthy lifestyle and eco-friendly passion, Qayyum not only holds aspirations for millions in Pakistan but people around the world. The local residents and people, in surrounding localities, who know well about his ecofriendly habit call him the ‘brand ambassador of an eco-friendly environment and adventure tourism.’ Arif Ahmed from Mingora, Swat says Qa-

MARCH 28, 2021

yyum’s lifestyle not only promotes an environment friendly lifestyle but also adventure tourism in the country. Abdul Qayyum’s health lifestyle is a message for the masses not only in Pakistan but for the entire world of how one can promote an ecofriendly environment and reduce pollution in the environment. “The extraordinary man by adopting this healthy lifestyle is also contributing his share into the reduction of global warming,” Ahmed maintained. During a survey, people in the area have demanded the organisations and departments to select Abdul Qayuum as ‘Brand Ambassador of EcoFriendly Environment”.

To this day, I find the same joy riding a bicycle that I did when I was just a teenager. I fear if I stop, I will fall seriously ill Baba Abdul Qayyum

From Swat to Karachi In 2018, Abdul Qayyum travelled to Karachi on his bicycle. The journey took about 20 days to reach from Swat to Karachi. Recalling his landmark visits to Karachi on bicycle, Baba Qayyum said that he was in 80s when he travelled to Karachi. “My journey from Swat to Karachi took 18 days and cost approximately Rs25,000,” he said. Besides, Qayyum is used to riding to different parts of KP on his bicycle. Travelling to Kohat and Peshawar on bicycle is his common practice, according to Qayyum’s daughter. Local people, particularly youth don’t appreciate Qayyum’s mode of transport. He said local people, particularly children, when they see him riding, laugh at him. “ ‘See this old man riding bicycle,’ they say.” The octogenarian man said that he had plenty of injuries during his ride to different areas, adding that on one occasion, “I still re-

member, I was bitten by a dog on foot and remained in hospital for many days.”

Worldly aspirations “I have a strong wish to traverse across the world on my bicycle but my health is not sound enough to make a world tour so not sure if my desire will be fulfilled or not,” he said. “I don’t know, God knows better about the secret to my good health. I’ve just ridden my bicycle since childhood and have always eaten simple food,” he adds. “My body structure doesn’t conceive fat and if when it does sometimes, my riding habit burns all the fats and keeps me healthy and smart,” he added. A favourite of qayyum’s is begami rice, a local dish, along with yogurt and milk. Baba Abdul Qayyum’s interest is not restricted to bicycle riding, but he has also authored four books. Two of his written books titled Dastan-e-Swat (Tale of Swat) and Abraham Lincoln are in Urdu language and two others in Pashto and English respectively. His book “Dastan-e-Swat” is about the history, tradition and culture of Swat. Qayyum was more interested in writing in English and also authored a book titled “The Charming Swat” but due to his lack of understanding of the English language, he reverted to writing in Urdu and Pashto. Whenever he gets free from his daily work, Qayyum also plays a melodic bansri and rabab for his family and to soothe his own soul. “If we generalise the impact of ecofriendly ride, if being practiced at a mass level, its positive impacts can be witnessed at micro and macro levels, said Akbar Zeb,” a Swat-based activist for an eco-friendly environment. Referring to a study on pollution in Swat and its surrounding districts, Zeb said, “Mingora has a high rate of carbonmonoxide in the air as compared to Bannu and Swat, and to control the air pollution, use of eco-friendly transport is crucial. If the quantity of carbon-monoxide reaches 1% its life threatening,” he added. Terming Baba Abdul Qayyum ambassador of eco-friendly environment, he said, ‘the government should make him the ambassador of an eco-friendly environment to acknowledge and recognise his life approach to promote a healthy lifestyle in the country.” Using China as an example, he said, “We can also get inspiration from China, where cycles are being used at mass level. China has built infrastructure for cycle riding.” In Mingora, roads are already over flowing with traffic and there is a need to establish a network of cycle tracks in the city to improve air

According to the Global Climate Risk Index for 2020, Pakistan is 5th on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change pollution and reduce smoke emission in the environment. The example of Abdul Qayyum can be an effective tool at community and national levels to not only create awareness among masses about the positive impact of cycling culture but it has economical impacts on the national economy as well. There are two levels needed to make it work, community level for awareness and at government for advocacy.

A case for cycling According to the Global Climate Risk Index, according to its annual report for 2020, Pakistan is 5th on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change. The report states, Pakistan lost 9,989 lives, suffered economic losses worth $3.8 billion and witnessed 152 extreme weather events from 1999 to 2018. According to Muhammad Nadeem, an environmentalist based in Islamabad, cycle riding is an eco-friendly practice and it can leave positive impacts on environmental warming. “If the state takes measures to promote a culture of cycle riding and builds cycle-friendly infrastructure at public and government offices,” he adds. “The government through encouraging public-private partnership can break the status quo,” said Nadeem. “Otherwise, the society will not shift from easy mode transports to bicycle as bicycle riding isn’t considered good and remains a mode of transport used only by marginalised communities.” “However, in hilly areas, cycles with modifications according to the requirement of region and local transport needs are what’s needed,” he further said. “The state-level ecosystem’s impact would be positive. The government’s measures can bring this culture on our collective consciousnesses.” There are unlimited

benefits of bicycle riding. It not only improves public health and reduces fuel expenses, leaving finances to invest in other sectors of life. A large majority of people in the country spend a major chunk of income on health issues and many of our health-related expenses are because of our unhealthy lifestyle. In such situations, the culture of cycling can bring numerous benefits not only for the people but for the country’s economy, said a Swat-based environmentalist Akbar Zeb. Zeb, who is the CEO of Environmental Protection Society CEO, further added. “This culture will not only save our healthrelated expenditures in the prevailing situation of unemployment and inflation by improving public health but will also help reduce environmental warming - a growing risk for Pakistan,” Zeb added. Zeb has been working to create awareness among the public regarding the importance of an eco-friendly environment and its impact on the community, region, country and the world under his organisation’s environmental protection society. Talking about the impact of last year’s lock down in the world, Zeb said that according to some studies, the damage to the ozone layer has begun repairing due to the reduction in flow of traffic on roads and closure of industry in the world. “We [Pakistanis] are stuck in the hazards of inflation and unemployment, which has hampered our already deteriorated national economy. The Covid-19 pandemic and impacts of climate change have further added to the state’s vulnerability,” he said.

In 2018, Abdul Qayyum travelled to Karachi from Swat on his bicycle. The journey took about 20 days Photos: Shazia Mehboob

HISTORY & HERITAGE

Holding o! a deadletter fate Before physical mail was classified as snail, the general post office was woven into the fabric of dayto-day life. With it no longer vogue, the architectural heritage of Karachi’s GPO appears condemned to perpetual neglect

ALI OUSAT KARACHI

Amid the hustle bustle of the busy II Chundrigar road, the vertical concrete structures signify the city’s business landscape. They say that the city has already touched new horizons and entered the new age of technology and development. It also sends the message to those who have been living in older, similar times, to catch up and embrace these newer, faster-paced world. But if you look past these structures, there is a building here that carries a rich past but a bleak future. The General Post Office (GPO) in Karachi is a reflection of the state of the city’s long neglected architectural heritage. The building was constructed under the supervision of Public Works Department. Architect MA Ahad was responsible for the design and the influence of Walter Gropius is quite evident in the red-bricked edifice. Its high ceilings, huge doors and big halls and above all peepal trees tell their ordeal to those who are interested to listen. They speak of an institution long forgotten in the era of whatsapp, facebook and other social media tools. Although the post office is a government service and my stakeholders have the resources to make it touch new horizons of technology, due to their mala fide intentions they all want to run it into the ground so they can privatise all its affairs. An institution whose relationship with its users was once so maternal and once dealt with millions of people and helped them connect with everyone across the country and the world, holds little regard in the eyes of citizens today.

While convenient, technology lacks the quaint romanticism that a hand-written letter from a loved one symbolised In the past, the post office held great significance. A symbol of hope for those eagerly anticipating correspondence from a loved one far way. A mother waiting for a letter from her son working overseas only to read it over and over again once it arrives; so much hope and love in between those few pages. A young student waiting to hear back about a job application a letter or a letter of confirmation from his choice of university – so many hopes and dreams laid inside one envelope. When the post man arrived, holding a stack of envelopes and knocked on your door, the knock held so much significance to those on the other end of the door. As time has moved forward and technology has rapidly transformed the way we connect with loved ones, people no longer need to send letters. Correspondence that once took weeks or months, now only takes minutes and is on your fingertips, just a quick Whats app text and or email. However, while convenient, technology lacks the quaint romanticism and personalisation that a hand-written letter from a loved one, anticipated for weeks on end, symbolised.

How it works

We have been living in a state of apathy. We do not know when the govt will privatise this giant Post Office official

Photos: Athar Khan

In February 1845, when Sindh fell to the British followed by Punjab in 1845, Sir Bartle Frere became the Chief Commissioner of Sindh in 1850 and improved upon the postal system by introducing a cheap and standard rate for postage. Since then Pakistan Post has provided its postal services to every nook and cranny of the country through a network of around 13,000 post offices. It provides delivery services to about 20 million households and businesses as a community service without any cost considerations. During a recent visit to the Korangi post office, a flurry of activity seemed underway. Letters and parcel from different part of the country and abroad were being managed for delivery. An old postman with a long beard sat outside in the heat oiling the chain of his bicycle - the lone one left who still left in the city who still delivers post on a cycle. Entering at the dark green main gate of the post office reveals that most people avoid crossing the gate, as they prefer private courier services to send their letters and packages. It seems the people have lost their confidence in the department. “Just 10 years ago, the

condition was even better, a large number of people would deliver the parcels and lay their trust in our department,” said an employee of the post office on the condition of anonymity. “However, we have been living in a state of apathy. We do not know when the government will privatise this giant,” he added. “As we all know the department has also indulged in massive corruption and everyone is eating from the it.” When entering the huge hall of the post office Korangi where public dealing happens in the day, most of the counters were a sorry state of affairs. A man behind a counter revealed that he meets only three to four people in a day, while in the past, so busy were the counters that he had no time to discuss personal matters during office time. “I would have no time to even drink tea during office hours and now I am taking care of butterflies,” he chuckles. The senior post master, named Ahmed says that mostly people are reluctant to speak to journalists, “as you know corrupt always are coward, they fear that someone will come here and hold them accountable.” He points out that although we have technology and can save and manage our data online but still rely on conventional system as everyone here is doing corruption so they prefer to save documentation offline hidden between the pages of registers, he says and points to the stacks of registers lying inside the counters. “The big industrialists are also not interested in the development of the post office system, which is tradition and the delivery system should be considered as heritage,” he said.

The postman sees all Abul Tahir, has been a dakiya for the last 35 years. “The post office is the bread and butter of thousands of employees and the government must act accordingly to save the huge infrastructure of post offices,” he said. “People still believe in the government post office department. If the government makes it efficient, believe me the department would flourish day and night,” said Tahir Tahir works at the Quaidabad post office every day. He travels at least 120 kilometers to deliver the posts. An expert of face reading, he would know each and everything after indulging in conversation with a person. He remembered his early days where his salary was Rs 520 and he was still able to save money even after spending on groceries and his children’s education. “Now I receive a good amount of money but am not able to save even a penny,” he said. “Even after having worked for 35 years, I have not been able to build my own house. The government must do something to overcome the burden of common people.” Tahir narrates his story that he was in early age when he joined the post office and since then has been tirelessly delivering post to people. “I spent my whole life on a bicycle. I used to ride daily about 120 kilometers along with my mail bag. It was 10 years before the government finally gave us Chinese motorbikes so we could shift our burden onto its faster wheels.” “All these years later but now, I have nothing left in my hands.” He recalls an old mother who waited for him an entire month at a time just for him to bring a letter from her her son. She always offered him tea and treated him like her own child. A postman who delivers mail to entire neighbourhood often knows the goings on of the area. His job may seem simple and harmless but that kind knowledge is more valuable than one may think. Sometimes law enforcement personnel also end up needing the help of postmen and having pinpoint hard-to-find locations. “I know who is who and what is what in the area,” he said adding, “there are people who are corrupt, involved in unlawful activities there are thousands of people in my area. I know each and everyone.” Tahir also complains that like other parts of the world, he points out that for reasons unknown to him, people are hesitant to put their address at their front of their homes. “Maybe Pakistani people as a whole are shy enough and do not want to mingle up with the community unconsciously, but one can observe that in every part of the city even in the country, mostly people do not put nameplates on their

door steps.”

Reflection of foreign policy One of the most important works that the post office would continue till this date that issue commemorative postage stamps, which highlight Pakistan’s international affairs to the international community. Besides highlighting the international issues, the post office also issues the postage stamps that point out the native culture, heritage, achievements stamps for national Heroes such as Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Syedna Burhanuddin Rabbani and Sir Agha khan. Pakistan post also highlights the struggle for Kashmir people and remains front line soldiers. People still remember the day when Indian armed forces killed Kashmir fighter Burhan Wani and to acknowledge the struggle of the Kashmir people, the government of Pakistan issued the Burhani Wani stamp. Imran Ahmed who looks after the philatelic department at GPO said that whenever the issue need to be highlighted or commemorated internationally, we are requested to issue the stamps.

We need to save jobs as well as our heritage; we have to save Pakistan Post Stamp dept official Allaudin Ahmed Federal government gives us proposals, so we design the stamps and after its approval, they are released. “We issue two or three stamps in a year,” he added. “Every stamp has its own theme. When Pakistan won the ICC trophy, we issued the postage stamps celebrating the triumph.” He recalled restoration of Muree GPO in 2015, which has its own significance as it is one of the most historical landmarks of Pakistan’s popular hilly summer town. It was established in 1867 and is considered a heritage site. As drug addiction poses a great threat to the masses and remains a constant challenge, the Pakistan post issues stamps on international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, When Pakistan issued its new political map in 2020 after revoking of article 370 on August 2019, India issued a new political map which included Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, as part of Indian occupied territories. The government of Pakistan approved the new political map Pakistan on 4th August, 2020, to demonstrate Pakistan’s stated position with respect to Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen and sir creeks. To commemorate this historical milestone, the post office also issued a new political map of Pakistan. Allaudin Ahmed, Assistant Superintendent Stamp department says besides delivering post to far flung areas, the aesthetic sense that reflects in Philatelic postage stamps cannot be neglected. He pointed out that Pakistan post is still relevant as no private courier service has a system to deliver posts in far flung areas of the country. The post offices still has a huge mechanisms but government’s lenient policies have already ruined the system, he adds. “Pakistan post is one of the traditions and reflections of Pakistan’s society and the government of Pakistan must embrace new technologies to compete the challenge posed by the digital age,” he adds. “We need to save the jobs of thousands as well our traditions and heritage; we have to save Pakistan post,” he concludes.

A postman knows the goings on of the area he delivers mail to. That kind of knowledge is more valuable than one may think MARCH 28, 2021

LAW & JUSTICE

Of Sadiq and Ameen Senior members of the judicial fraternity have long talked about the ‘nightmares of interpretation’ when it comes to terms so obscure. And yet, as long as parliament does not render them obsolete, courts will be obliged to interpret and obscure them A HASNAAT MALIK ISLAMABAD

Discrepancies have been found in excercising of quo warranto jurisdiction by the Supreme Court and high courts against lawmakers to examine their qualification after elections. Under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution, a person cannot be qualified as a member of the national or provincial legislatures if he is not ‘Sadiq and Ameen’ – truthful and trustworthy. Some provisions of Article 62 of the constitution were introduced into the constitution by military dictator General Ziaul Haq. Six years ago, former chief justice of Pakistan Asif Khosa, while hearing the Ishaq Khan Khakwani case, described the words ‘Sadiq’ and‘Ameen’ as obscure and impracticable. He also talked about the ‘nightmares of interpretation and application’ that they involved. However, the same judge in the Panamagate case judgment on April 20, 2017 noted that these provisions have not been undone by the popularly elected parliaments in the last many decades. Khosa further observed that as long as the said provisions are a part of the Constitution, the courts are obliged not only to decide matters according to the same but also to enforce them whenever called upon to do so. He held that provisions of Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution apply to a person’s public conduct – that affects others – rather than his private conduct not affecting generality of the populace. However, his interpretation was not followed by majority judges in Panamagate case. Although, these constitution provisions were introduced during General Zia’s regime, the superior courts have shown restraint in disqualifying lawmakers on the basis of these two terms for more than two decades. Soon after his restoration in March 2009, ex CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while enforcing Articles 62 and 63, started to disqualify lawmakers by excercising suo motu jurisdiction. Dozens of lawmakers were disqualified by the superior courts on the basis of fake degrees, dual nationalities and concealment of assets during his tenure as CJP. In the meanwhile, the Supreme Court July 28, 2017 judgment in Panamagate tightened scrutiny regarding the asset details of parliamentarians and now any parliamentarian can be disqualified on the basis of concealment of assets anytime by the superior courts under Articles 184 (3) and 199 of the constitution.

Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done as well Justice Isa Justice retired Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who was part of Panama bench noted that a plain reading of Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution reveals that in order to be a Member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), the person must be, inter alia, sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest, and ameen. However, if there is a declaration by a Court of Law to the contrary i.e. he is not sagacious or righteous or non-profligate, honest, and ameen then such person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). Justice Saeed observed that a declaration by the Court of Law would mean a conclusive finding: “Obviously, such finding would be with regard to a list before the Court, arising out of the violation of a law or non-fulfillment of a legal obligation. It is clear and obvious that lack of qualifications in terms of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution is the effect of a declaration by a Court of Law to the contrary, which is the cause. The obvious, legal and logical conclusion would be as long as the cause i.e. the declaration of a Court of Law holds the field, its effect i.e. the lack of qualification shall also prevail. This appears to be the only possible interpretation of Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution.”

Expansion of jurisdiction Azmat Saeed Sheikh expanded his jurisdiction and held that it can initiate suo motu proceedings to examine the qualification of lawmakers. "We cannot abdicate our responsibility by brushing the issues floating on the surface under the carpet. Hence, we have no other option but to convert the instant pro-

MARCH 28, 2021

ceedings into suo motu proceedings under Article 184(3) of the constitution so as to examine the cases of the parties on the basis of the material available on record so as to examine the Order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) dated June 20, 2017 by determining whether Bhatti was…disqualified or not qualified for being a member of the provincial assembly under the constitution,” states the 31-page judgment, authored by Justice Sheikh in Shaukat Bhatti case. In an another matter, Sheikh observed that allowing a disqualified person become member of parliament or provincial assemblies would be considered as the apex court’s failure to protect and preserve the constitution. “Even where a matter comes before this court regarding the qualification or disqualification of a Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora or the Provincial Assemblies otherwise by way of proceedings other than under Article 184(3) of the constitution, this court not only has the jurisdiction to convert such proceedings to proceedings under Article 184(3) of the constitution but is bound to do so, as to permit an unqualified or disqualified person to continue to defile and desecrate the Majlis-eShoora or the Provincial Assemblies and masqulate as a chosen representative of the people would amount to frustrating the constitutional provisions. "In such an eventuality, if this court looks the other way, it would perhaps constitute a failure to protect and preserve the Constitution,” said Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed while authoring the detailed judgment regarding the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Abdul Munim in May 2018.

Lifetime disqualification At the same time, the apex court held that if it declares that a lawmaker is not ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ – truthful and trustworthy – under Article 62 (1) (f) of the constitution then he will be permanently disqualified to contest elections. Instead of referring the matter to the parliament for taking a final decision on the time duration of disqualification, Justice Bandial comprehensively discussed the importance of Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution. His main reliance was on Article 2A of constitution as well as verses of the Holy Quran. The verdict said that Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution imposes Islamic ethical conditions for eligibility of a candidate for election to the parliament but these are made applicable to both Muslim as well as non-Muslim candidates for parliamentary membership. Unlike legal experts’ predictions, Justice Bandial in his 52-page ruling justified the permanent disqualification of parliamentarians under the said constitutional provision. Instead of referring the matter to the parliament for taking a final decision on the time duration of disqualification, the court comprehensively discussed the importance of Article 62 (1)(f) of the constitution. His main reliance is on Article 2A of constitution as well as verses of the Holy Quran. The verdict said that Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution imposes Islamic ethical conditions for eligibility of a candidate for election to the parliament but these are made applicable to both Muslim as well as non-Muslim candidates for parliamentary membership. The court also reproduced current code of conduct of the members of United Kingdom. Its judgment stated that the universality of standards of honourable conduct in public life in the contemporary democratic world, irrespective of faith or culture, makes it plausible that firstly, the conditions of eligibility for election under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution are made applicable to all candidates for the parliament including non-Muslim candidates; and secondly, that these conditions have been retained by the elected parliament in the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The court said the same constitutional provision was endorsed by 18th Amendment, wherein several adjustments were made that if the declaration by the court has attained finality, the embargo under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution acquires permanent effect. “A court of law does not issue a declaration that offends mere sentiments or sensibilities. Consequently, a valid declaration by the court would involve the breach of a legal duty or obligation owed by the candidate for election to another person or the violation of the latter’s legal right or privilege” Justifying lifetime disqualification, Justice Bandial said a candidate for election who has

committed misconduct falling within the terms of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, has on the Islamic and also universal criteria of honesty, integrity and probity, rendered himself unfit to hold public office. Both Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen have been disqualified for a lifetime on the basis of this ruling. However, the verdict is being criticised by one section of lawyers due to different reasons. Firstly, they are objecting to the constitution of the bench to hear such an important issue. Out of the five, four judges namely Saqib Nisar, Azmat Saeed Sheikh, Umar Ata Bandial and Ijaz ul Ahsan) are from the province of Punjab. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah who belongs to Sindh, was also part of that larger bench which declared lifetime disqualification of lawmakers. Interestingly, most of these judges were also part of the benches which issued rulings in high profile cases relating to the Panama Papers, The Elections Act 2017, and the Hanif Abbasi case. The legal experts believe that such matters should either be fixed before a full court, or if the CJP constitutes larger benches, proper representation of each province should be ensured to remove any negative perception. That ruling has further tightened the eligibility criteria for lawmakers.

Interestingly, a murderer can contest elections after some time, but a lawmaker who lies under oath is barred permanently Lawyers are wondering if a fair opportunity and adequate remedy under relief is available to candidates. There is no chance of appeal in such matters and the review has a very limited scope. Former CJP Mian Saqib Nisar himself allowed former MPA Haji Nasir – who was disqualified under Article 62 (1) (f) of the constitution – to contest local bodies election. Ajmal Asif and Zafarullah Dandla cases, in which the SC had allowed them to contest the election despite their being disqualified under Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution. Legal experts believe it is time for political parties to learn from their mistakes and bring effective legislation to remove permanent bar on politicians under Article 62 (1)(f) of the constitution. Interestingly, a murderer can contest elections after a specific time, but a lawmaker, who lies under oath, has been barred permanently. In October 2018, the apex court in Khawaja Asif case finally laid down an ‘objective criterion’ to test the honesty of a lawmaker by declaring that Article 62(1)(f) could not be applied to every omission or non-disclosure of assets. Later, the court set aside the lifetime disqualification of PTI Balochistan chief Yar Muhammad Rind in the fake degree case, declaring that such disqualifications must be based on oral or documentary evidences and not presumptions. SC in the Khawaja Asif case judgment held that mere omission to list an asset cannot be labeled as dishonesty unless some wrongdoing is associated with its acquisition or retention which is duly established in judicial proceedings. Last year, the top court ruled that a returning officer (RO) – an official responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies – cannot disqualify a lawmaker for the lifetime under Article 62(1) (f) of the constitution. "Since the forum of the returning officer lacks the attributes of a court of law therefore the electoral disqualification imposed on the review petition under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution ceased to be effective after the 18th Amendment,” said an eight-page judgment authored by Justice Umar Ata Bandial while hearing review petition filed by a disqualified lawmaker Allah Dino Khan Bhayo.

Conflicting judgments On concealing assets, the top court in the Iftikhar Cheema case had only ordered de-seating. Cheema contested the by-election and became member of the National Assembly again. However, in a separate case, the Supreme Court disqualified Rai Hassan Nawaz under Article 62(1)(f) which was apparently a lifelong ineligibility, he added.

Justice Isa raised seven of the following questions for adjudication before larger bench:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Does every nondisclosure or misdeclaration in the nomination form result in the disqualification of a candidate or only those whereby one has circumvented some inherent legal disability to participate in an election?

If a petition does not disclose the particular facts, on the basis of which disqualification is sought, can these be considered when subsequently disclosed in the affidavitin-evidence of the petitioner or which may otherwise be discovered during the hearing before the tribunal/court?

Does Article 225 of the Constitution exclude the application of Article 184(3) of the Constitution to election disputes?

If the answer to the foregoing question is in the negative, then is an election dispute regarding an individual’s qualification or disqualification a matter of “public importance” which requires the “enforcement” of a Fundamental Right and if so can it be determined under Article 184(3) of the Constitution?

If the answer to the foregoing question is in the affirmative, are the procedural and evidentiary rules governing election petitions and appeals under the ROPA the same as those governing petitions under Article 184(3) of the Constitution?

Does the “court of law” mentioned in Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution include the Supreme Court when exercising jurisdiction under Article 184 (3)?

If a candidate is disqualified on account of nondisclosure or misdeclaration does such disqualification subsist only till the next elections or is it permanent?

The situation with respect to cases of fake degrees was similar. The court allowed Jamshaid Dasti to contest election again but disqualified Rizwan Gill, Samina Khawar Hayat and Amir Yar under Article 62(1)(f).

Instead of referring the matter to parliament, Justice Bandial discussed comprehensively the importance of Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution A person convicted in a criminal case would be barred for five years after imprisonment; one convicted under the NAB Ordinance would be disqualified for 10 years after his release; and in a contempt case, an individual would be disqualified for five years. However, it is interesting to note that a person giving a false statement before court or concealing his assets’ details in nomination papers would be disqualified for the rest of his life. The apex court jurisdiction on election matters is inconsistent, confusing and conflicting. Since 2009, the apex court has initiated a process to disqualify lawmakers by exercising the jurisdiction of quo warranto. When the apex court held that an RO could not disqualify any lawmaker under Article 62 (1) (f)

through summary trial and without recording evidence then how the superior courts could do the same by exercising quo warranto. However, it is established that superior courts could disqualify a lawmaker on admitted facts in writ jurisdiction. In the presence of Article 225 of constitution, the superior courts must show restraint to examine the eligibility of any lawmaker in quo warranto jurisdiction. Article 225 says that all elections matters will be decided by the tribunal. Former additional attorney general Waqar Ahmad Rana believes that superior courts must excercise its public interest jurisdiction sparingly in election matters. “Let other democratic norms flourish in the country,” he adds. Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court also raised serious questions over the jurisprudence evolved in view of Panama Papers verdict regarding the disqualification of lawmakers, calling upon the apex court to make every effort to dispel any impression that different persons are treated differently. “Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done as well. Every endeavour, therefore, should be made to resolve the prevailing legal uncertainty. The eligibility of members of parliament should be decided in accordance with one single and definite measure,” says Justice Isa in his 27-page dissent note in Sheikh Rasheed disqualification case. He also raised seven questions while recommending that a full court settle uniform principles for the applicability of Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution. Justice Isa believes that the court in the Panama Papers case clearly applied the strict liability principle but it did not follow the strict liability rule in PTI chief Imran Khan’s disqualification case.

Illustration: Creative Commons