Tapping experience in tackling disaster

That East Pakistan was lucky to have avoided a greater catastrophe in disease and malnutrition among the survivors in the aftermath of the cyclone was mainly because of the presence of a few giants among men, Admiral Ahsan, then Governor East Pakistan and Lt Gen Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, Commander Eastern Command at the helm of affairs. The heli-bone effort led by Col (later Maj Gen) Naseerullah Khan Babar and Maj (later Brig) Tirmizi was outstanding, the thread of that spirit is continuing in the Army Aviation of today. Kurmitola runway (Dhaka International Airport at that time) soon became choc-a-bloc with aircraft bringing in relief goods and helicopters, the aircraft turnaround had to be constant. The logistics effort required unloading, loading onto trucks, then into river transportation like boats, launches, barge etc, for forward despatch areas, and so on till they reached the affected. To overcome this logistics nightmare, Admiral Ahsan provided civil administration cover while the Pakistan Army led by Lt Gen Sahibzada Yaqub did a magnificent job.

The prime factors were simplicity of planning, cutting across red tape, effective implementation and plenty (and plenty) of flexibility. In crisis situations rigidity and dogmatic behaviour is asking for trouble. Col (later Maj Gen) Babar, the man-in-charge of the aviation effort, virtually took over relief controls. Those who know Gen Babar know he operates on one basis only , he leads from the front and expects his colleagues and/or subordinates to keep up, or else! Despite the selfless effort of the uniformed men in the air and on the ground (mostly from the East Bengal Regiment and East Pakistan Rifles), the great effort of the Pakistan Army was not recognized, rather it was very unfairly bad-mouthed, more or less in the manner it is being done now. The US$ 64000 question, why have we not tapped the vast experience of man like Yaqub, Babar and Trimizi this time? This inherent invaluable experience is presently wasted.

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My personal experience of the last few days on two issues concerning the present relief effort is case in point. Informed by Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Past-President Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and CEO Hero Industries, that CII would deliver the first lot of 26,000 blankets and medicines worth nearly Rs 10 million at Wagah Border at 12 noon on Nov 13, 2005 to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the necessary arrangements were made to receive the relief consignment. At 10:30 am on Saturday Nov 12 we came to know that a permit was required to get the goods across, this seems to have been in effect for days. It took 4 hours of telephone calls to reach anybody in the Federal Relief Commission (FRC). When I finally got through to Mr Mohsin Razi, DG Foreign Affairs with the FRC at about 2:30 pm. He informed me the permit was required so that "unscrupulous" elements did not "put the relief goods in their pockets", I assume he implied FPCCI and me. After some coaxing he gave the telephone numbers of the person concerned, Mr Hemayetullah Khan, Joint Secretary Cabinet Division, and Mr Ijaz Rahim, Cabinet Secretary. Since Hemayetullah was not available in his office, at his house or on his mobile, the next thing was to contact the Cabinet Secretary who had also left (it was already 3 pm Saturday). Twice I left my numbers at his house, I should not have expected a call back and did not get one!

In the meantime we came to know that the permit was actually to be made out either by the Ministry of Industries or the Ministry of Social Welfare, it was too late to call anyone. At 6 pm I spoke to Ch Shujaat, President PML, who was to receive the goods at the Wagah Border from CII on behalf of Pakistan. Coming on the phone himself, Choudhry Sahib told me not to worry, to just forget it! The next day the blankets and medicine came over the border and will eventually reach the affected, ego and obduracy of whomsoever for whatsoever reasons notwithstanding.

Meanwhile a Boeing 747 cargo flight donated by Polar Air has left New York at 2 am on Nov 15 morning with $3.5 million worth of, tents, blankets, wheelchairs, generators, medicines etc donated by "Operation USA" for Islamic Relief. For 14 days we kept requesting PIA for payment of fuel (including lifting 20 tons of their cargo) from New York to Islamabad but without any success, they foot-dragged successfully. Ultimately a good Samaritan in New York, Erik Brenninkmeijer, CEO of Cofra Holdings, sent a cheque for the fuel expenses (about US$ 160,000). Someone from the consignee rang me to ask about the invoice and permit, taking the Ch Shujaat cue I told him to forget it. Let the aircraft arrive on Nov 16 at 8 am (today) and dump the goods at Islamabad airport. Allah in his mercy (with a little help from the Army) will get the relief to the affected, stonewalling and foot-dragging by FRC and assorted foot-draggers notwithstanding.

Hundreds of intending donors are going through similar frustrating experience, particularly foreigners and Pakistani expatriates trying to expedite relief for those still living, badly bruised and/or dying. More of the survivors will die if we depend upon dyed-in-the-wool rigid and inflexible civil (and military) bureaucrats. The government must turn for advice to the invaluable experience of selfless men like Gen Yaqub, Gen Babar, Brig Tirmizi, etc. Turning to experience in handling a crisis may give the earthquake survivors some chance of living.

Ikram Sehgal, a former Major of Pakistan Army, is a political analyst and columnist.