Current Projects
Sabawoon Showcase: March 06, 2017
Violence Against Women and Civil Society’s Role in Raising Mass Awareness for Women’s Rights The latest episode of Jarga Maraka (debate and council) discussed violence against women in Pakistani society and the role of government and civil society organizations in raising public awareness for women’s rights. Recent cases of violence against women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were passed in review and the urgent need of special legislation and laws to counter violence against women was stressed. Furthermore, the debate focused on the role of female parliamentarians and activists as well as the establishment of Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) and Women Desks in police stations to tackle domestic violence cases. The program highlighted efforts of social welfare organizations to end violence against women and the violation of their rights. Moreover, the importance of education for women and societal barriers encountered by them was elucidated. Ms. Zareen Zia, Member of KP assembly and Secretary Information of Women Parliamentarian Caucus (WPC) and Mr. Asif Elahi, Program Officer, Aurat Foundation, Peshawar, were the studio guests in the show. Ms. Zia said: “Unless there is no proper legislation, violence against women will be continued. As our government came into power, a committee drafted a bill to end violence against females, but it was utterly rejected by the Council of Islamic Ideology. We need a strict legislation like other provinces to overcome this issue.” Mr. Elahi said: “Due to the absence of concrete laws, violence against women is on the rise in KP. This ratio is believed to have escalated in the past few years because of deprivation of women’s rights and the lack of public awareness. Most of the victims cannot report domestic violence as it would bring dishonor upon their families.” A radio report was made part of the program which emphasized on honor killing and early child marriage cases in KP and...
Sabawoon Showcase: March 2, 2017
Climate Change and Plans of the Pakistani Government The latest episode of Ranra (light) discussed Pakistan’s role in climate change, and governmental plans to counter the problem. Irregular changes in weather like extreme heat and cold were discussed as well as the impact of climate change on Pakistan’s economy and agriculture. Furthermore steps and measures taken to counter climate change were deliberated in the context of a widespread negligence in environmental protection by the government and civilian population. The program shed light on the important role and responsibility of the government and the civilian population to curb a further deterioration of the situation. Another debate was about areas in KP, which are extremely vulnerable to climatic changes and the causes of environmental pollution in general. Dr. Muhammad Akmal, Director of the Climate Change Center at Agriculture University, Peshawar, took part in the show as studio guests. He said: “Pakistan is the eighth most vulnerable country for climate change in the world and its effects are already evident in the form of increasing rain, floods, storm, drought, unpredictable weather patterns and changing rainfall trends. If no serious actions are taken, it can cause catastrophes.” A radio report highlighted the impact of global warming on our climate and the role of Pakistan’s climate change policy for the country. Two callers participated live in the program. Both accentuated the responsibilities of the public to reduce pollution, which is one reason for climate change. About Sabawoon Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. 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...
Sabawoon Showcase: March 8, 2017
Women’s Rights and the Significance of Celebrating International Women’s Day The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (alive spirits) discussed the rights of women in Pakistani society and the significance of celebrating International Women’s day in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The show cast a look at the role of awareness campaigns for women's rights, their constitutional rights and rights of women in Islam. Moreover, the aim and vision of celebrating International Women’s Day throughout the globe, the acknowledgement of women's rights and services and the representation of women in different walks of life was debated. Furthermore the program included discussions on the role of women in economic development, politics and social change, honor killing, family issues, the deficient education and career opportunities for women and the hurdles faced by them in daily life. Ms. Shaista Hakeem, a Peshawar based journalist, took part as the studio guest in the show. Ms. Hakeem said: “Although the number of honor killings has increased immensely in KP, many cases aren’t reported as such for it would bring shame upon the victims’ families. Government should come up with firm legislation to ban honor killings. The few laws that exist are not implemented seriously. We must overcome this issue otherwise the number of cases will rise day by day.” A radio report was made the part of the program, which outlined the success and issues of women in Peshawar. About Sabawoon Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. 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...
CHINA WATCH [MARCH 21-27] CHINA READY FOR THE CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC)
China has said that it was ready to work with Pakistan to take forward CPEC to benefit the people of two countries. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the federal government agreed to work together for inclusion of more development projects in the CPEC. The Ministry of Water and Power informed the Parliamentary Committee on CPEC that National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) would be able to transmit 30,000 MW of electricity by the end of 2018. Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States (US) Aizaz Ahmad Chaudry has said that Pakistan’s close ties with China and its efforts to boost relations with Russia will not have an adverse effect on its traditional partnership with the US. Pakistan will participate in the 12-party peace conference on Afghanistan scheduled to be held in Moscow on April 14. KP government has announced it will create a special force for security of CPEC. Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan has said that attempts to derail CPEC will be foiled. China Ready for CPEC: China’s foreign affairs ministry spokesperson has said that China was ready to work with Pakistan to take forward CPEC to benefit the people of two countries.[i] The spokesperson Hua Chunying said that “CPEC is a new cooperation framework set up by Pakistan and China to pursue long-term development. It is also an important project of the belt and road initiative.” Still more importantly she rejected apprehensions that once the CPEC trade routes officially opened, Pakistan will be flooded with cheap Chinese products that might harm the local industries of the country.[ii] While there remains a big potential for CPEC to boost Pakistan’s development levels and indicators, such concerns are not unfounded. Pakistan already runs a massive trade deficit with China and if the government fails to adopt a preemptive economic policy vis-a-vis the post-CPEC trade, the conditions can get worse. Centre, KP agree on CPEC projects: KP and the federal government agreed to work together...
Afghan Weekly (Mar 17 – Mar 23, 2017)
ISIS consolidating its power base in Achin district Afghan officials are claiming that ISIS is consolidating its power base in Achin district of eastern Nangarhar province and impressed upon a sense of urgency on international community and asked for tangible measures in the fight against it. ISIS spy-master Taj Gul has been arrested in Haska Mina District of Nangarhar province in one of the counter-terrorism operations carried out by Afghan National Police (ANP) this week. 13 ISIS militants also killed in a separate air-strike in Achin and Deh Bala districts of Nangarhar province. In another air-assault, 19 militants belonging to Taliban were killed in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan province. Two days later, Taliban killed 3 Afghan soldiers and wounded 4 in an attack taking place in Uruzgan province. Same day, a US drone killed Al-Qaeda commander Qari Yasin and three Taliban when it hit a car in Paktika province. On the other hand, Qari Yasin has been found to be involved in numerous high-profile terrorist attacks, including the assassination attempt on ex-president General Pervez Musharraf, attack on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and a bomb blast at Data Darbar in Lahore. Moreover, latest news brought skepticism of US General of probable involvement of Russian supplying logistic to Taliban. Moscow to host Afghanistan Global Peace Conference on April 14, 2017 Russia is continuing to expand its diplomatic circle in its efforts to gain support for carving out a peace road map for war-torn Afghanistan. Coming April 14 next month, Moscow is hosting another peace conference on Afghanistan which will be attended by representatives of twelve countries. This time, United States has also been invited to the conference along with some Central Asian states and the European Union. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Adviser to Kabul government, has shown his gratitude regarding Russian’s sincere peace efforts for stability in...
Hypocrisy On Kashmir
On October 26, 2017, it will be exactly 70 years since the dispute between India and Pakistan on the State of Jammu and Kashmir erupted. It remains unresolved to this day. But there is a solid agreement between the two states to maintain positions which each knows to be untenable and, while doing so, to deceive their respective peoples, especially the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an accord on hypocrisy which bids fair to last long. Neither country cares one bit for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Both covet its beautiful territory. Now nuclear-weapon states, both India and Pakistan know that the status quo cannot be altered by force. But the status quo is inherently unstable and oppressive. The revolt in Kashmir, which lasted most of 2016, provides additional proof of that. Time has proved that it cannot provide a solution as India fondly imagines. India calculates that use of force and recourse to bribery, and the services of the likes of Farooq and Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, an appropriate successor to the arch stooge Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, will help in crushing the people. They are unlikely to succeed where Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, G.M. Sadiq and Mir Qasim failed. One of India’s biggest assets is the division in the ranks of the separatists and the incubus that is the extremist and ambitious Syed Ali Shah Geelani with his demand for “All or nothing”. If neither India nor Pakistan can evict the other by force, the separatists cannot overthrow Indian rule either. The Kashmir dispute cannot possibly be resolved except by an honest acceptance of four stark realities: (a) there does exist a dispute on the “disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir”, to use the words in the proviso to Article 253 of the Constitution of India which implicitly recognises its disputed status; (b) there are three parties to the dispute—India, Pakistan and the people of the State; (c) the dispute can be resolved only by a compromise which necessarily means concession by...
Annual Security Report – 2016
Introduction Pakistan recorded a significant decline in violence in the year 2016, continuing a two-year trend. Terrorism began losing its sway soon after the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas. The results of the kinetic operations are now quite evident and manifest in the improved security situation. However the root cause threats of extremism still linger. The militants, facing the onslaught of the military operations and the tightening of the law enforcement noose around their necks, began fleeing the country and evolved new strategies. They targeted geographical areas and population centers that were softer, least protected, and unprecedented. In addition, they deployed a wider array of improvised explosive weapons and suicide bombers despite strong resistance by the security personnel. Another major change observed was the escalation of fatalities from violence in those provinces that earlier experienced a decline while an inversely opposite trend was observed in other provinces. Violence in Balochistan spiked, while in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Sindh, it declined significantly. A large number of high profile Pakistani militants hiding in the bordering areas of Afghanistan were killed in US drone attacks during 2016. Some Pakistani as well as foreign-born descendants of Pakistani nationals, under the influence of the Islamic State (IS), took up arms in foreign countries, as a result of which they were either eliminated or arrested during security operations in their adopted countries. The assessment and reviews of all these incidents of violence are discussed in detail in this report based on the data CRSS has collected during the year from open sources, i.e., national print and electronic media. CRSS endeavors to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible within the available sources. However, it does not rule out errors and omissions, which are always a possibility in handling and working on statistics. Such...
Sabawoon Showcase: March 01, 2017
Achievements of the Handicapped People in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (alive spirits) discussed the accomplishments and challenges of disabled people in KP and FATA . Education and scholarships opportunities for disable people and people with visual impairment were discussed, as well as the role parents, teachers, and the community play in supporting them. Furthermore the societal barriers and challenges handicapped people face, special schools and training center for education and capacity building, the struggle of being competitive and developing leadership skills and disabled people’s access to platforms for socio-economic development were debated. Moreover, the program also highlighted the role of government and civil society in helping disabled people to build capacities and create opportunities for employment. Two human rights defenders and visually impaired persons, Mr. Shabir Khan, and Mr. Nasrallah, participated as the studio guest in the program. Mr. Khan said: “There are unlimited challenges for disabled people in Pakistan. Fortunately, I faced them bravely with the support of my family. I got my education, and now I am working as a teacher in government school. The biggest hurdle is, that society always draws a line between physically fit and disable people. This culture should be eliminated.” Mr. Nasrallah said: “We have initiated an organization for the rights of disabled people. I request the government and civil society, to step forward and establish capacity building centers for handicapped people, so that we can play our role in socio-economic development of the country. A radio report was made part of the program which included some statistics about the significance of education for disabled people. Three callers participated in the show. They appreciated the efforts of the studio guest and urged government to establish special schools for disable people in different...
Pakistan Sees 66% Drop in Violence
The strong resolve of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Army to stamp out terrorism through the National Action Plan (NAP) is finally showing its effectiveness as fatalities from violence fell drastically by 66 per cent to around 2,033 deaths in 2016 as compared with the previous year’s 5,980. A report compiled by an Islamabad-based independent think tank revealed on Tuesday that the fatalities were lower than the annual average death toll (5,980 per year) recorded during 2013-2015. The achievement says a lot about the kinetic implementation of the NAP. The militants, facing the onslaught of the military operations and the tightening of the law enforcement noose around their necks, began fleeing the country and evolved new strategies. They targeted geographical areas and population centres that were softer, least protected and unprecedented. In addition, they deployed a wider array of improvised explosive weapons and suicide bombers despite strong resistance by the security personnel, the report by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said. Karachi has perhaps seen the most improvement, with urban crime and target killings on the decline. Compared to 1,671 people killed in targeted killing incidents in 2013, 183 people lost their lives in 2016. Threats, however, still exist and operate. For instance, sectarian violence has seen a major spike, even though the deaths resulting from it have reduced significantly. The menace is far deeper than generally perceived. Although many terror attacks are not classed as sectarian violence, the motivations arise from mindsets influenced by religious hatred. The surge in attacks on a polio team and a mob in Chakwal at Ahmadi place of worship are two examples of this trend. Another major change observed was the escalation of fatalities from violence in those provinces that earlier experienced a decline while an inversely opposite trend was observed in other provinces. Violence in Balochistan...
Pakistan, Afghanistan and others
There has been an escalation of friction in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the wake of the attacks within Pakistan. Pakistan gave Afghanistan a list of over 70 to be handed over. ‘And the group most linked to last week’s bombings, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, is an outgrowth of the Pakistani Taliban, which was driven into Afghanistan by a massive Pakistan army operation in 2015. Once the group had relocated, some members split off and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, a radical Sunni militia. Those militants have overrun several Afghan border districts, despite repeated efforts by Afghan forces to push them out, and they have claimed the bombing of several Shiite mosques in Kabul, the Afghan capital.’ (Pamela Constable February 21, 2017) Pakistan closed border with Afghanistan as a result of these ongoing attacks. Contrary to opinion by some to separate political and security issues from trade-related activities- both are inter linked. If opening borders means attacks on Pakistan it becomes self-defeating to take this step for trade purposes. “Pakistan sent a proposed draft on “preferential trade agreement” to Kabul several years ago but it has since been awaiting approval by the Afghan National Security Council, making it difficult for his government to meet traders’ demands for separating economics from security issues.” (Voice of America March 15, 2017) Afghanistan and Pakistan have exchanged lists of wanted terrorists in a high level meeting arranged by UK. Afghanistan has suggested having a third party to help and to verify and to monitor the process Talks, diplomacy, more talks and more diplomacy are a positive route. However sans actions this becomes just more of the same. International relations must be based on national interests. There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. There is a question as to how much Afghanistan can actually do to curtail her lands from being used against Pakistan. It is a fact that 19...
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TESTIMONIALS
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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.