Current Projects
Sabawoon Showcase Ranra Janauary 11th, 2018
Challenges for Home Based Female Entrepreneurs In connection with the objective of women empowerment, the latest episode of Ranra (Light) brought forward the various challenges faced by female entrepreneurs and home based workers. The studio guest were Ms. Saima Amjad, a female entrepreneur, and Ms. Asma Sadaqat, a social worker working with home based skilled females and connecting them to local markets. Ms. Asma, while sharing her experiences, said that time, costs, minimum wages and fixed prices by the wholesalers are just some of the major challenges faced by the home based workers. Ms. Saima said that majority of the home based workers are unaware of existing labor laws, minimum wages and working hours so they are easily exploited. She elaborated that even though Civil Society Organizations and Women Chamber of Commerce are trying to support these women, yet more intensive efforts are needed so that they can access the national and international markets. Ms. Asma was of the opinion that women in remote areas face more cultural and social challenges if they opt for a business and try to access the markets. A report was aired to share the views of females entrepreneurs. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, JargaMaraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da SimayJaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. JwandaiJazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for,...
Sabawoon Showcase Jwandai Jazbey January 10th, 2018
Street Children for Peace Building The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (Alive Spirit) discussed the initiative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government’s Zamung Kor, a shelter for homeless children. Among the studio guests were Mr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, Chairman Zamung Kor and Mrs. Fauzia Aleem, Director Zamung Kor. Mr. Gilani was of the opinion that the growing intolerance and extremism is a result of an imbalance in society caused by various factors. He added that children and women are the most vulnerable to abuse and harassment. He said that the state has to declare education as the top most priority by allocating more budget to it. He further added that it is imperative to make our education equitable to compliment the National Action Plan, as it is an antidote to all that Pakistan has suffered in the last 30 years. Mrs. Fauzia Aleem emphasized that the state must look into the establishment of more shelters for the street children so that they don’t fall prey to terrorists and extremists. A report was aired during the program and children shared their experiences of living in Zamung Kor. One call was received during the show. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, JargaMaraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da SimayJaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. JwandaiJazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural...
Why Not Embrace Afghans Living In Pakistan As Citizens?
Goodwill for Pakistan in Afghanistan, particularly in the capital Kabul, is practically non-existent. Nobody wants to associate himself with the name ‘Pakistan’. While the anti-Pakistan sentiment is driven and fueled by a certain lobby as part of a geo-political tit-for-tat, short-sighted and tactical Pakistani approaches too are to blame for the toxic narratives. In its responses such as abrupt border closures or absence of a long-term policy on Afghan refugees, a nuclear-armed country with the seventh largest army, which enjoys a special ally status with the new global economic power China, appears to have stooped itself to the levels of a war-battered country. In the latest example of ‘shooting yourself in the foot’, propensity became evident when Pakistan extended the stay of Afghan refugees only by less than 30 days. Not only was the announcement, made after a federal cabinet meeting on January 3, mind-boggling but also exposed the absence of a well thought-through strategy. Who made or influenced this decision? The prime minister must come clean on this. Following a meeting with the Afghan refugee and repatriation minister and UNHCR representatives a few days ago in Turkey, Pakistan had reportedly agreed to extend the stay of about 1.4 million Afghans in the country until December 31, 2018. But the January 3 decision on the extension stunned almost everybody. “After detailed discussion, the [federal] cabinet agreed to grant 30 days extension for PoR and also decided that the issue of early repatriation of Afghan refugees shall be raised with UNHCR and with the international community,” the announcement had said. It took even the Afghan refugees and repatriation minister Sayed Hussain Alami Balkhi, who had been all praise for Pakistan’s generosity on the issue after last year’s agreement on extension, too by surprise. Media reports suggest that the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has sent a separate summary to the prime minister for a longer...
Sabawoon Showcase Da Semay Jaaj January 9th, 2018
The latest episode of Da Semay Jaaj (Regional Review) focused on various important issues of the region. Nine callers shared the issues of their areas and were concerned with the unavailability of their respective Member of National Assembly (MNA). A social activist, Shakeel Waheed Ullah, said that the public still needs to be sensitized about the idea of accountability of the elected representatives. A report from Charsadda by Aisha Tehseen shared the details of an open forum organized by the district administration. The forum was specifically arranged for women, including female representatives from minorities of the area. The participants were of the view that the representatives of the district administration have to be consistent in arranging such open forums in remote areas so that the issues of females are timely reported and addressed. Gull Hussain from Momand Agency reported that the political parties were concerned with the delay in the issuance of National Identity Cards to the women of the area. This is because the recent directives of the election commission of Pakistan tell that the elections will be nullified if the women votes are less than 10%. The local residents suggested that mobile vans by The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) can help out in speeding up the process. The fourth report was from Kohat by Tahir Rasheed. It addressed the issues faced by the residents and the local body representatives. Five text messages were received during the show. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM....
Sabawoon Showcase Jarga Maraka January 8th, 2018
Religious Freedom in Pakistan The latest episode of Jarga Maraka (Debate and Council) focused on the recent situation of religious freedom in Pakistan after USA added Pakistan’s name in the list of the countries with no religious freedom. The guest speaker in the studio was Amir Shehzad, a representative of Christian Community, and Mr. Habib Ur Rehman, the Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs, and Dr. Qibla Ayaz, Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology, were the guests via telephone. Dr. Ayaz said that the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan clearly defines the religious freedom for minorities. Unfortunately, despite this clarity and as consequence of the Afghan war, minorities are going through a constant sense of insecurity. Mr. Shehzad was of the opinion that apparently minorities are living in peace, but the attack on a church in Quetta has caused fear. He added that being a government school teacher, he experiences good relationships with Muslim colleagues, though at times they invite him to convert to Islam. In a report on Christmas celebration by the Provincial Auqaf Department, it was shared that the celebration was the first of its kind in the province. Mr. Rehman said that this is also a religious obligation for the Muslim majority and the state to look after and protect the rights of minorities. Eight calls were received and two went on air. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, JargaMaraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On...
More Pakistanis Died in ‘Encounters’ than in Suicide Attacks in 2017 – CRSS Report
* Deaths in violent incidents declined by 21 percent but sectarian violence escalated compared to 2016, CRSS study shows. More Pakistanis died in incidents described by law enforcement agencies as encounters than in gun violence or in suicide attacks in 2017, according to the findings of a research conducted by the Centre for Research and Security Studies. A similar pattern was observed by CRSS researcher for 2016 with fatalities from alleged encounters the highest, followed by those from gun violence and those from suicide attacks. The study shows that in 2017, 495 people were reported killed in what the law enforcement agencies said were shootouts. The number of those killed in gun violence was 399, those in suicide attacks 298, and in bomb explosions 144. The corresponding numbers for 2016 were 645 in alleged encounters, 485 in gun violence, and 376 in suicide attacks. The study finds that sectarian violence escalated drastically in 2017, with a 32 percent increase from 241 fatalities in 2016 to 319 in 2017. Overall, the report maintains that the country witnessed a 21 percent decline in violence-related deaths in 2017. Except Punjab, all other provinces or regions show a decline in violence. As many as 4,131 casualties were reported in violent incidents in 2017, including 2,057 deaths and 2,074 injuries. In contrast, there were 2,613 deaths in 2016 and 4,647 in 2015. “While the decline is not as dramatic this year, the continually improving security situation is a positive development,” said a press statement released on the occasion. Of the top five districts with the highest number of deaths, three were provincial capitals – 337 killings were reported from Karachi, 149 from Lahore, and 128 from Quetta. In Punjab, there was a 10 percent increase in violence-related fatalities in 2017. Still, Balochistan remained the province with highest number of fatalities in absolute terms. As many as 489 killings were reported in various incidents of violence from...
Sabawoon Showcase Ranra January 5th, 2018
Importance and Role of Provincial Commission on Status of Women The latest episode of Ranra (Light) highlighted the role and importance of Provincial Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). The guests of the show were Khurshid Bano, a social activist and Uzma Khan, a sitting Member of Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP), via live call. Ms. Khan shared that the major success of PCSW was the formation of 24 Dispute Resolution Committees at the district level. She added that PCSW is following up on the pending child and forced marriages, and domestic violence bills in KP Assembly. Khurshid Bano said that our text books and curricula must be updated with information on new laws and legislative measures for women. One call was received during the program. A report was aired to share the views of general public about how the commission was trying to highlight the issues of women and their rights. About Sabawoon Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications program, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural affairs are discussed in Ranra
The Afghan Translator Who Became A 9/11 Millionaire
Afghanistan claims to be "open for business", and some super-rich Afghans have begun investing in their own country. But how soon can their money start replacing the billions of dollars in overseas aid the country has had so far? The "9/11 millionaire" is how Afghan entrepreneur and businessman Fahim Hashimy is often described. He made his fortune, which he modestly calls "small-sized", from contracts supplying Americans in the wartime years. Before the international involvement in Afghanistan, Mr Hashimy - born and raised in Kabul - was a young English-language teacher and owned a bicycle. With the arrival of American boots on Afghan soil he was one of the first to be recruited, in his early 20s, as an interpreter on a US military base. At 35, he now heads an empire, the Hashimy Group, with an average turnover of more than $200m (£134m) a year, which includes Afghanistan's second-biggest TV station, 1TV, as well as logistics and construction companies. He also launched East Horizon, a low-cost domestic airline, in 2013. He puts his rapid career success down to luck. "Not everyone spoke English and I was lucky I did. I also had the ambition and the vision, followed by hard work and commitment, and I knew how to write proposals," he told me. Once he was firmly established with the military, and accustomed to "the American and British" way of doing things, he used his strong business nose to secure supply contracts from the international forces, starting with a small $600 order for bed sheets. That was in 2005. Now he is proud to have a contract with the Afghan National Army, supplying boots and fuel for soldiers. I caught up with him at his office in the heavily guarded Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, which he uses for his not-for-profit work as president of the Afghan National Olympic Committee, and for his other passion - a daily body-building workout in his private gym. "Afghanistan is a land of opportunity," he says. "We're investing in the country very,...
Sabawoon Showcase Jwandai Jazbey January 3rd, 2018
Role of Youth in Politics for Strengthening Democracy The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (Alive Spirit) focused on the role of youth in strengthening democracy in Pakistan. The guest speakers, Shahab Uddin, Member of Provincial Youth Assembly and Saima Umer, Vice President of Provincial Youth Assembly, emphasized that this is the time when the state must initiate concrete steps for an effective representation of youth in the political and democratic process. Shahab Uddin said that 60% of Pakistan’s population is youth, but their presence is minimal in the political system. Saima Umer was of the opinion that the presence of females in politics will have a positive impact. Shahab Uddin emphasized that the youth must understand that democracy is a system based on tolerance, respect and acceptance of different opinions. The youth must participate in the 2018 elections as it would pave the way for a stronger democracy. Two calls were received during the show. A report was also shared about the current political representation of youth and its importance for the future of democracy. About Sabawoon Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications program, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural affairs are discussed in Ranra ....
Geography Beats Tweets on This Turf
The Indo-Trumpian nexus will only exacerbate Afghan crises. Whoever is whispering anti-Pakistan axioms into the ears of President Donald Trump is certainly not serving the right cause. They should remember that unlike the anti-Iran and anti-Syria non-state actors that the US publicly finances and arms, Pakistan is not a non-state actor. Neither is it a push-away like Myanmar. It deserves the kind of respect from the US and its allies that countries such as China, Russia, Turkey and Iran accord to it as a full member of the United Nations. And whoever in Afghanistan is cheerleading this tweet (“United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools”) should understand that the Indo-Trumpian nexus will only exacerbate their country’s multiple crises. By cheering to the Indo-US song on Pakistan, these Afghan leaders forget one fundamental bitter reality; India and the US are only investing in the continued instability of their country. Based on its short-term investments to outdo Pakistan and carve out strategic space for itself, India has, of course, successfully made strategic inroads into the Afghan establishment and ruling elite. But by pushing relentless anti-Pakistan narratives, both India and the US are investing in a perpetual state of crisis in Afghanistan. How? US Afghan expert, Professor Barnett Rubin explained in July 2017 in the War on the Rocks journal: “Military and economic access to landlocked Afghanistan depend on transit through Pakistan, Iran, or Russia — all of which some in the Trump administration and Congress seem bent on confronting simultaneously. The only alternative, a path that snakes from northwest Afghanistan to Turkey through Central Asia and the Caucasus via the Caspian Sea, lacks capacity and is vulnerable to both Russian and Iranian pressure. Afghanistan’s forbidding location poses obstacles to...
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I am also a member of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting. Recently, we held a meeting with the Director General of Radio Pakistan and we told them to initiate such local programs (like Constituency Hour) in regional languages to educate and inform people. Even Indian Radio can be heard in FATA which is being used for propaganda purposes and must be closed. Therefore, we should launch some standard and quality programs like CRSS that will change the taste of the listeners.