South Asian politics

Petra Ernstberger is the chairperson of the German-South Asia Group of parliamentarians in the Bundestag, the German Parliament, and Member of the opposition Social Democratic Party.

Deutsche Welle: You travel a lot through South Asia and meet with government officials and representatives of interest groups. What impression do you have of a region which is home to nearly a quarter of the world's population?

Petra Ernstberger: It is a very important region which does not get enough attention in our parliamentary work (in Germany). We as MPs focus primarily on domestic politics and foreign policy tends to come to the fore only when a bomb goes off or a war starts. MPs must be in close contact with their constituents and they are not very interested in foreign policy.

Do you think Germans will take a greater interest in the region as a result of the Western intervention in Afghanistan?

I am not very hopeful that that will be the case. We still don't know what the solution to Afghanistan will be. Pakistan is playing a difficult role at the moment. They have been hit by natural disasters, have a weak government and then of course there is their geographical proximity to Afghanistan. Moreover the Pakistani government is sending troops into action against the Pakistani Taliban, their own people after all, which is psychologically very problematic. We don't know what will happen in Pakistan but must work for a stabilization of the situation.

With whom are you in contact in Pakistan?

During my last visit I spoke to MPs, also with the politician who was later murdered (Shahbaz Bhatti). He was the only person who had tried to get the blasphemy law repealed. And we spoke to EU representatives and relief organizations. My impression was that the development in the country – above all the security situation – is not very positive.

Did you have the impression that the security situation has worsened?

Very much so! Pakistan is one of the world's largest Muslim countries, the second largest after Indonesia. And Indonesia is pursuing a moderate interpretation of Islam. Pakistan could pursue such a path. But a hardline conservative interpretation of Islam has come out on top. Look at the 20,000 Madrassas, the Taliban, the activities of the intelligence services or the military.

Would you advise Pakistan to reform the party system? Is a reform of party structures possible?

No, I don't think so. There are too many powerful interests involved – too much money. Look at what happened during the flood. The water flowed through the country from north to south. Certain flood gates needed to be opened to reduce the pressure on the dykes. And people started asking who owned that land, or what party controlled it, and then they took the decision to open the flood gates. Sorry, this shows quite a lack of understanding of democracy.

That sounds like more than just the failure of the parties but also the failure of the government. Does this mean you think that Pakistan is a "failed state?"

"Failed" is putting it too strongly. I always believe in giving everyone a chance, an opportunity to develop, to move forward. People need to be put in a position in which they can make their own decisions. They should not be instrumentalized by Islamist teachings or preachers. Many people do not fully understand the situation.

Do you think the Pakistani government should do more to counter Islamist terror?

This is a difficult problem. Some people in Pakistan can get very agitated very quickly and may be willing to use violence to achieve a certain goal. The government does not seem willing to tackle the problem head on. In Swat valley the government did take action and was pretty successful. But the government advocates democracy but lets (extremists) also carry on. And I do not believe the intelligence service, which has a lot of influence on the government, has changed its ways. They are thinking about possible advantages they have if they have the Taliban under their control.

Interview: Grahame Lucas
Editor: Sarah berning