Current Projects
Bringing Up the Bodies
In a remarkable first, the Quetta Commission report delivers a strong indictment of the state’s performance and security establishment Sometimes it takes a judge to hunt down a suicide bomber in Pakistan. It was only when Justice Qazi Faez Isa forced the police to forensically enhance photographs of terrorists, print them in newspapers and offer a reward for information that someone came forward to identify the attacker and his accomplices for the two incidents that took place in Quetta on August 8. A lawyer, Bilal Anwar Kasi, was killed on his way to work and a suicide bombing targeted the lawyers that gathered for him at the Sandeman hospital that day. Seventy-five people were killed and 105 people were injured. By October 6, the Supreme Court had formed an inquiry commission. It worked straight for 56 days and gathered the testimony of 45 people and published its findings on December 14. What has emerged is a sobering indictment of Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan and the multiple institutional failures that have unfolded since the inception of the National Action Plan. “The people of Pakistan have been subjected to sustained terrorist attacks, which continue unabated, and deserve answers,” the report concludes. “Those who have failed the people of Pakistan need to be held accountable. Things cannot go on as they have been. Without top-tier accountability, it is unlikely systemic change will be possible.” The general critique of the government has centered on the leadership’s confusion, lack of coordination at the top echelons of government, selective application of laws, ministerial apathy and inefficiency, and deficient data collection in critical focus areas such as seminaries. “If the functionaries of the state had established a bank of forensic information on past attacks, and pursued the cases, they might have prevented the attacks of August 8,” the report notes, for example. To a certain degree the justice is justified; the SOPs for handling a...
Opening Aqina Railway Encourages China to Invest on Kabul -Quetta, Peshawar Way
Kabul (BNA) China is requesting construction of Peshawar –Kabul Quetta railway at a time that in opinion of experts, with exploitation of Ata Murad Aqina Lozur road - railway, a sound trade race has appeared among the regional countries and Afghanistan neighbors are in favor of good commercial ties with her. Economic experts said that China is making efforts to develop big economic projects in Afghanistan and the region to export its products to regional markets and find new markets for its products. Economic analyst Ibrahim Shams said, China has close ties with Pakistan and if she expert pressures on latter, ground will be paved for implantation of economic projects. It is possible that availing at influence on Pakistan would wish to pave the way for expansion of economic cooperation’s in which Pakistan would also be benefitted. It has been said that China has invested over US $46 billion for construction of many roads and railways from China to Pakistan inside Pakistan territory which is the biggest regional investment in recent years. Politicians believe that Pakistan is facing political, commercial isolation. While Afghanistan and Pakistan are strongly suffering of increasing insurgencies and presence of terrorist groups, China has started efforts for construction of economic projects. The region which this railway is expected to be transfer through it, is seriously affected by activities of terrorists groups. China has started efforts for construction of economic projects. The region which this railway is expected to be transfer through it, is seriously effaced by activities of terrorist groups China deputy minister has said that the main problem in the region is terrorists threats and his country would be making efforts to remove this threat. The ACCI authorities said that improving economic relations with regional countries is in the benefit of Afghanistan. Azrekh Hafizi said that further economic and trade cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan is in...
Why are only 2% Of The Executions In Pakistan Hardcore Terror Convictions?
In a recent report[1] released by the Justice Project for Pakistan (JPP), of the 419 executions conducted by Pakistan since the moratorium[2] on the death penalty, only 16%, or 67 individuals, were linked to terrorism. Of this 16% (or 67), 88% (or 59) had “no link to a terrorist organization or anything that can reasonably be defined as terrorism.” In other words, 8 of the 419 executed had serious terrorism-related convictions. This is in direct contrast to the first point in the National Action Plan (NAP), which specifically states that there will be implementation “of death sentence of those convicted in cases of terrorism.” According to the JPP[3], 8,200 are on death row in Pakistan, and have been convicted for a wide variety of crimes. There are a total of 27 crimes in Pakistan, for which the death penalty may be awarded. They include everything from the conventional such as murder and rape, to the unconventional, such as blasphemy. Put another way, most convicts on death row will not be convicted of terrorism or even terrorism-related charges. Even if the 16% figure is extrapolated to the 8,200 population, 1,312 of those would be convicted of terrorism offenses. On the low end, this number may be merely 164. The inflation results from a very broad definition of what constitutes as terrorism, but that is a debate for another time. So why is Pakistan executing every individual on death row, when the NAP specifically calls for “implementation of death sentence of those convicted in cases of terrorism?” The problem is that there exists no mechanism for lifting the moratorium selectively. Once it is lifted, anyone and everyone on death row must be executed by law. This is part of the reason that the government has come under severe criticism from rights organizations for executing inmates who may have been juveniles when convicted[4], or trying to execute a quadriplegic[5]. Lawmakers could legislate so that only those convicted of terrorism-related charges may be...
Gwadar, the CPEC and Hambatota
Notwithstanding the fact that the CPEC is a nationally owned mega-economic undertaking with the potential to change the economic profile of the whole region, more so that of Pakistan, a sustained campaign to belittle its importance continues unabated. Some columnists have tried to equate Gwadar and the CPEC with the Hambantota deep seaport in Sri Lanka and other infrastructure projects built there. These columnists feel that Sri Lanka has been pushed into a debt trap – paying 95.4 percent of all its revenues on debt servicing – since Hambantota and all the infrastructure built there were massive investments that failed to generate the desired profits. According to them, Pakistan might also face the same situation if the CPEC does not prove to be a game-changer. The other contention is that the Gwadar Port, like Hambantota, is based on political considerations rather than on economic necessity and that the leadership in Pakistan is trying to gain political mileage by terming the CPEC a victory of their vision. My view is that proponents of the foregoing assumptions have tried to over simplify things to prove their point. Drawing parallels between success and failure stories of two countries with different political setups, circumstances, geo-strategic importance and economic realities is always misleading. While it is true that the former Sri Lankan ruler Rajapakasa did it for political reasons as Hambantota was his home town, in the case of the CPEC the Chinese conceived the idea and Pakistan chose to become a partner in view of its potential. Rajapakasa was the one who took the plunge for the development of an international airport, a cricket stadium and a deep seaport at Hambantota and sought assistance from China, which agreed to advance loans on soft terms in return for using the port as part of its maritime route. Unlike Hambantota, the CPEC project is spread all over the country and the Gwadar Port provides an ideal outlet for the landlocked countries of...
Seeking Peace in Times Of War-Mongering
Raising a voice for peace in times of war-mongering seemed to be a great risk. But the peaceniks who gathered at an Indo-Pak peace conference in Amritsar were applauded by the audience for their display of amity and solidarity among people across the borders. It seems that people are now fed up with the continuing tension along the borders, despite being held hostage by the jingoists in the Subcontinent. Soon after the showdown between Pakistan and India at the Heart of Asia Conference on Afghanistan in Amritsar, the South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) in Indian Punjab, the Folklore Academy and the Hind-Pak Dosti Manch organised a peace moot last Sunday in the holy city of the followers of the revered saint of peace, Baba Guru Nanak. The city witnessed peace activists from both sides of the border who spoke out against the hate and xenophobia being spread by the mainstream media and extremist chauvinist forces. And the dos and don’ts presented by me, as the secretary general of Safma, were fully endorsed by both the hosts and a vocal audience. Despite threats from violent extremists in both countries, who reinforce each other, the peace conference called on all peace-loving people and democratic forces to take a stand against continuing ceasefire violations, proxy wars and the repression of the people. They cautioned against the spiralling conflict that can escalate into mutually assured destruction and result in a horrible nuclear winter. The conference called on politicians, the media and the security forces to observe restraint and take the ultimate route of resolving bilateral disputes through peaceful means. It urged them to support the resumption of multi-layered comprehensive negotiations, which must be unconditional, uninterruptible and complement one another’s concern. The conference emphasised adopting a course of normalisation and confidence-building for conflict resolution. The broader consensus reached among the participants proposed a...
China, Britain Issue Statement on Afghanistan In London
China and the United Kingdom (UK) issued a statement on Afghanistan Wednesday at the 8th China-UK Strategic Dialogue held in London, saying that the two countries remain committed to their long-term support for the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its people. "The future security and stability of Afghanistan are of vital concern to us, and we will continue to work closely together and with the international community to achieve a prosperous future for Afghanistan," the statement said. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led political settlement to the Afghan conflict. As members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and the UK would continue to support international efforts to assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in bringing safety and security to Afghanistan. The two countries expressed sympathy with the Afghan victims of the conflict and remain deeply concerned over the increase in civilian casualties. The two sides also paid tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the international community, including the UN-mandated international security forces, for the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Both sides, along with the government of Afghanistan, agreed to establish trilateral cooperation. On infrastructure development, "we plan to bring together Afghan, British and Chinese expertise to support the development of Afghan institutions and improve delivery of much-needed infrastructure," the statement said. "We will continue to work with each other and Afghanistan's regional partners, including the Heart of Asia -- Istanbul process, to help develop the economy, improve the security situation and implement the ambitious reform program being led by the Government of Afghanistan," the statement added. According to the statement, both countries will also work closely together to prevent the flow of weapons and support to all terrorists, violent and extremist groups. China...
China, Britain Issue Statement on Afghanistan In London
China and the United Kingdom (UK) issued a statement on Afghanistan Wednesday at the 8th China-UK Strategic Dialogue held in London, saying that the two countries remain committed to their long-term support for the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its people. "The future security and stability of Afghanistan are of vital concern to us, and we will continue to work closely together and with the international community to achieve a prosperous future for Afghanistan," the statement said. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led political settlement to the Afghan conflict. As members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and the UK would continue to support international efforts to assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in bringing safety and security to Afghanistan. The two countries expressed sympathy with the Afghan victims of the conflict and remain deeply concerned over the increase in civilian casualties. The two sides also paid tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the international community, including the UN-mandated international security forces, for the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Both sides, along with the government of Afghanistan, agreed to establish trilateral cooperation. On infrastructure development, "we plan to bring together Afghan, British and Chinese expertise to support the development of Afghan institutions and improve delivery of much-needed infrastructure," the statement said. "We will continue to work with each other and Afghanistan's regional partners, including the Heart of Asia -- Istanbul process, to help develop the economy, improve the security situation and implement the ambitious reform program being led by the Government of Afghanistan," the statement added. According to the statement, both countries will also work closely together to prevent the flow of weapons and support to all terrorists, violent and extremist groups. China...
ANALYSIS: Why America Failed In Afghanistan
America for the past few years has tried in vain to extricate itself from Afghanistan. The fact is, however, try as we may, we seem to be pulled deeper into the situation. Our work with the Mujahedeen and Northern Alliance forces in defeating and driving Al Qaeda and Taliban forces out of the country within months of our entry into Operation Enduring Freedom seems a distant memory now. Today, Afghanistan is sinking back into a quagmire of chaos; an atmosphere which encourages insurgent forces such as ISIS and a resurgent Taliban, while local rule by the strong trumps national order and security in most of the country. Graft and corruption, largely unheard of before 9/11, today is the norm. ‘Rule by warlord’ has to a great extent, remained triumphant over the square democracy, we have tried to force into a round hole. Last month, one of Afghanistan’s vice presidents, former Northern Alliance commander Rashid Dostum, kidnapped and held hostage one of his political opponents. The opposition candidate was kidnapped and held prisoner in one of his palaces in the northern city of Sheberghan. Something went wrong with our utopian view of what Afghanistan could be, and it is vitally important that we understand what that was. With a new administration with a seemingly new philosophy vis-à-vis America’s role in world security and international relations, we have a chance to reconsider the manner in which we pursue future conflicts. It would be folly to assume there will be fewer rather than more world conflicts that directly and indirectly affect America. It would be further folly to assume America can stand on the sidelines in all such conflicts and hope to avoid negative repercussions of such a policy. In light of this, we must reevaluate the mistakes we’ve made in the past, and Afghanistan offers a perfect lab for study. World War II was the last American military conflict from which soldiers returned en masse to tickertape parades and kisses from liberated strangers. A...
Sabawoon Showcase: Regional Review of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
December 20, 2016, Peshawar: The latest episode of Sabawoon[1], flagship radio program of Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), focused on the theme of Da Semi Jaaj (regional review) on Tuesday. It presents the summary of important news in the region with a crisp analysis. Following reports were included in the program: Cultural expo for women in the district Swat to promote female entrepreneurship and market for homemade items prepared by women Problems faced by the recently internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the central Kurram Agency of FATA Issues faced by the residents of Kohat due to lack of traffic management system Increase in accidents due lack of driving skills of rickshaw drivers and the role of license issuing department in punishing drivers without license Problems of locals in Mohmand Agency because of patchy roads and absence of a proper transportation management system. Sabawoon airs Monday through Thursday on FM-101.5 Peshawar & DI Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. [1] Sabawoon is a flagship radio program by CRSS in the KP/FATA region, designed to highlight local issues, and promote fundamental global values such as women’s rights, rule of law, equal citizenry, democracy, governance and accountability. It airs four times a week, under four themes. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and issues, coupled with government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Semi Jaj gives a holistic regional overview of the most important stories across the length and breadth of KP/FATA. On Wednesday, Jwandei Jazbay covers issues most important to youth, students and females. Finally, on Thursday, Ranra covers social issues that have a cultural angle and/or impact.
Sabawoon Showcase: The Importance of Poetry and Its Role in Mass Awareness
December 15, 2016, Peshawar: The latest episode of Sabawoon[1], flagship radio program of Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), focused on the importance of poetry and its influence on society. The program discussed the effects of militancy on Pashtu poetry and literature, image of Pashtun society as portrayed by different poets, role of poetry in promoting gun culture, lack of literary gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and changes in poetry due to the problem of terrorism in the region. The program also shed light on the role of poets and scholars in promoting peace. The program was aired under the theme of Ranra (light) on Thursday. Mr. Gul Muhammad, a poet and drama writer, participated as the studio guest. A radio report based on the aforementioned theme was made part of the program. It highlighted the negative impact of Talibanization and war on terror on literary society and gatherings in KP and FATA. Two callers took part live in the show. They underscored the role of poetry and literary gatherings in society. Mr. Gul Muhammad said: “Poetry has key role in shaping lives. Unfortunately, literary activities like poetry have been seriously affected by terrorism over the last decade.” Sabawoon airs Monday through Thursday on FM-101.5 Peshawar & DI Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. [1] Sabawoon is a flagship radio program by CRSS in the KP/FATA region, designed to highlight local issues, and promote fundamental global values such as women’s rights, rule of law, equal citizenry, democracy, governance and accountability. It airs four times a week, under four themes. On Monday, Jarga Marrakka covers current affairs and issues, coupled with government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Semi Jaaj gives a holistic regional overview of the most important stories across the length and breadth of KP/FATA. On Wednesday, Jwandai Jazbey covers issues most important to youth, students and females....
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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.