Current Projects
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...
Donald Trump has three choices in Afghanistan: stalemate, failure, or sending in more troops
The continuing, if forgotten, war in Afghanistan is the United States' longest-ever conflict. But President Donald Trump has vowed to end "nation-building", raising expectations of withdrawal. The alternatives? Stalemate, or more troops. Last month, Republican Senator John McCain asked America's top general in Afghanistan, John Nicholson, a simple question: "Are we winning or losing?" "I believe we're in a stalemate," the commander of Operation Resolute Support replied to the chair of the Senate's Armed Services Committee. According to a January report from America's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the United States has spent approximately $150 billion on nation-building in that country since 2002. Why not cut the losses? Andrew Bacevich, a professor of international relations and military history at Boston University, suggests it is because of a "reluctance to acknowledge that we have failed". So what are the alternatives? Mr Trump has stated his intention to pull back from nation-building, but the US military - which the President has promised separately to build up and return to "winning" ways — wants a troop increase. Kate Clark, from the Afghan Analysts Network, says Afghanistan would fail if Mr Trump were to cut aid. "Clearly, if international funding — especially to the military but to the state in general — were cut, it is difficult to see the state surviving in its current form," she said. Of course, Afghanistan's survival wasn't the initial reason for invading. The so-called Islamic State (IS) is public enemy number one today, but in 2001, it was Al Qaeda. A week after the 9/11 attacks on New York, when President George W Bush made the case for going to war, he told America that the crucible of terror was Afghanistan, where the Taliban regime gave Al Qaeda safe haven. "It [the Taliban] is threatening people everywhere, by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists," he stated. Has the blood spilt and money spent...
Messy Officialdom in Interior Ministry
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is often a cauldron of outrage when responding to criticism of his ministry and allied departments. He believes detractors are being unfair to him. He has for sure a point there. But the point he misses is that — his sincerity, clarity and noble intentions notwithstanding — most of the army of officers and low-ranking officials are out of step with the challenges at hand. Their propensity to extract gratifications from Pakistanis and foreigners alike is boundless. Add to it inefficiency, lack of commitment and a hands-off approach when decisions at lower levels are needed to be taken and enforced. Often the police and ministry of interior officials responsible for issuing no-objection certificates and renewal of visas (in case of foreigners) come across as vultures on the prowl for prey. The predominance of non-commitment and the nexus among bureaucrats keeps torpedoing even good moves. Here are five examples that explain the minister’s limitations. A national daily reported (March 20) that the Immigration and Passport (I&P) director general has transferred regional passport office assistant director Zulfiqar Ali Iqbal on charges of ‘corruption’ after an FIA team verified complaints of corruption and misconduct at Gujranwala. Another report a day later (March 21) said a passports and immigration officer was suspended while two others were arrested on charges of malpractice. These two instances beg a basic question; how can transfer or suspension of an officer curb his corrupt instincts? If the investigators have caught them red-handed, why suspend them? Why the leeway and the permission to stay on? The third instance relates to the blocking of computerised national ID cards (CNICs). The minister informed the Senate, the upper house, on March 20th that some 344,597 CNICs had been blocked thus far and that a whopping two-thirds, ie, 217,007 belonged to Pushto-speaking people. These figures suggest that officials clearly...
CRSS Annual Security Report records a 66% decrease in violence since 2014
The year 2016 witnessed a significant decline in violence. The fatalities from violence in 2016 were not only half the fatalities of last year but significantly lower than the annual average of the fatalities (5,980 per year) recorded during 2013-2015. Overall, this is a 66% decline from 2014. This achievement says a lot about the kinetic implementation of the National Action Plan (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 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. Karachi has perhaps seen the most improvement, with urban crime and target killings on the decline. Compared to 1,671 people killed in target 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 it is perceived. Although many terror attacks are not categorized as sectarian violence, the motivations arise from mindsets influenced by religious hatred. The surge in attacks on polio team and the attack of a mob in Chakwal at Ahmadi mosque 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 spiked, while in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Sindh, it declined significantly. The persistence of militancy in Balochistan and KP reflected both a rapidly evolving militant strategy and difficult for the law enforcement agencies to...
Open Borders: What next?
Behind the scenes diplomatic efforts, particularly by the United Kingdom, as well as intense lobbying by business community and civil society has finally yielded fruit. Life at and through Torkham and Chamman border to Afghanistan will now return to normal, allowing tens of thousands of people and vehicles to travel either side of the border. The order to open the borders came after the UK special envoy Mark L.Grant hosted a meeting between Pakistan's advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz and the Afghan National Security Advisor (NSA) Hanif Atmar in London late last week. Pakistan had used "TTP-led terrorist sanctuaries" and a spate of attacks as the justification for the closure on February 17. That is why a statement issued by the Prime Minister House, quoted PM Nawaz as hoping the Afghan government would address the reasons that led to the closing of the border. Bilateral relations had dipped to a new low after Pakistan slammed the border shut, alleging the Afghan authorities had failed in checking anti-Pakistan terrorists operating out of eastern Afghanistan. In this context, one could assume, Pakistan's unilateral action was designed to deliver three key messages to the Afghan government. Firstly, a unilateral opening of the border without reciprocity and some sense of understanding on border management in a situation complicated by terrorist and criminal syndicates will not be possible. Secondly, how could Pakistan help in the peace process if neither the Kabul government nor the Taliban are ready for talks, with Pakistan beset by its own limitations. Resumption of talks and fighting the common enemy depends on Kabul, Afghan officials were told. The third message was to stop looking at Pakistan through the Indian or US prism. Unless we conduct the relationship bilaterally, and independent of the historical baggage, it will be hard to move out of the current stand-off. Although the border will ease life for tens of thousands, repairing the damage to...
CHINA WATCH [MARCH 14-20] CHINA’S POSITION ON KASHMIR
China has said that the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) did not affect its position on the Kashmir issue. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has for the first time supported China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI). China and Pakistan agreed to enhance military cooperation between the two countries. China plans to increase the size of its marine corps from about 20,000 to 100,000 personnel to protect its growing interests overseas. Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal, has rejected the criticism on Chinese investment in Pakistan as ‘unjust.’ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has prepared a list of nine projects for inclusion in the CPEC. China’s Position on Kashmir: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that the development of CPEC did not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue.[i] While explaining Beijing’s position on the news that Pakistan was going to declare the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region as a province, she said that “[A]s a leftover issue from history between India and Pakistan, it (Kashmir issue) needs to be properly settled through dialogue and consultation between the two sides.” Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Minister for Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzad had told Geo TV that a committee led by the Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had proposed giving the status of a province to GB.[ii] On the other hand, India has strongly opposed any such move as it has always maintained that GB - like Pakistan-held Kashmir- is an integral part of India. As China has started investing billions of dollars in the CPEC that traverses the GB region, Pakistan has been mulling the idea of mainstreaming the region so as to be in better position to counter the Indian claims. For now, it seems that Indian assertions about GB have gained little traction with Pakistan and China who have been proactively engaged in carrying out work on the corridor in GB...
Sabawoon Showcase: February 28, 2017
Regional Review on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) The latest episode of Da Simay Jaaj (regional review) discussed several public issues such as education, beggars’ involvement in crimes, transportation, and the rehabilitation of orphan children and IDPs. The show included a report about the lack of governmental focus on the Government Girls Primary School in Karim Banda, Charsadda, which is nonfunctional since the last 10 years. Another topic was the involvement of female beggars in criminal activities in the Kohat district and the lacking of police control. Furthermore the problems of residents of the Central Kurram Agency caused by dilapidated roads and infrastructure, as well as the distribution of clothing and hygiene kits among orphans in Mohmand Agency by civil society were discussed. Conclusively the implementation of Sada-e-Aman cards scheme for internally displaced people of Waziristan agency was reviewed. The IDPs remain victims of Rah-e-Nijjat operation against the war on terror in the region. Callers Response: Four live callers took part in the program, urging government to strengthen the rule of law and policing in different parts of KP. 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 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...
Partnership with Russia to Promote Regional Peace: PM
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said Pakistan’s “longstanding partnership” with the Russian Federation as well as with its Muslim regions, including the Republic of Tatarstan, would witness significant progress in all areas of mutual interests. The prime Minister reiterated his resolve to establish a strong partnership between Pakistan and Russia in all fields “as this cooperation will positively contribute towards promoting peace and stability in the region”. He was talking to President of Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, who called on him at the PM House, according to the PM Office media wing’s press release. While warmly welcoming the president of Tatarstan and his delegation to Pakistan, the prime minister said: “Longstanding bilateral relations are a manifestation of a common desire to explore possibilities for enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and Russia.” “Pakistan has been pursuing a policy of peaceful neighbourhood and wishes to resolve all outstanding issues with its neighbours peacefully through dialogue.” President Rustam Minnikhanov thanked the prime minister for extending warm hospitality during his visit to Pakistan and informed him that the Tatar business delegation held fruitful meetings in Lahore. The prime minister expressed the hope that the Joint Business Forum “will develop mutually beneficial contacts and help boost bilateral trade”. “Cooperation in sectors including banking, Halal food, production of cement, automotive industry, pharmaceuticals, technology, culture and education, should be explored,” he added. The visiting delegation comprised Albert Karimov, Deputy Prime Minister; Alexey Dedov, ambassador of Russian Federation to Pakistan; Ms Taliya Minullina, chief executive of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency; and Marat Gatin, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs. Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Secretary to the PM Fawad Hasan Fawad and Zaheer Janjua, Additional Secretary,...
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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.