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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...
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...
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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.