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More Carnage in Balochistan
THE blight in Balochistan continues. This time a shrine in a remote, mountainous region of Khuzdar has been attacked and the death toll and number of casualties are devastating. It was the third monstrous attack in the span of three months – lawyers killed by the dozen in August; policemen killed by the dozen in October; and, now, members of the public killed by the dozen. The numbing scale of the disasters is difficult to process even in terms of a province that has been in the throes of every possible kind of violence for over a decade. Perhaps one day the people of Balochistan will be able to ask why they were cursed to suffer the violence of state and non-state actors alike, a macabre circularity that has seen them experience bloodshed in the name of security and insecurity. Then post-attack rituals too are wearyingly familiar. In the immediate aftermath, the state stands exposed. Neither is the state able to deliver an acceptable level of security that prevents such devastating attacks nor is it able to quickly arrange for the kind of medical attention the victims require and material attention for the victims’ families. It usually takes the extraordinary intervention of senior government or military leaders for medical care to be made available. Afterwards, it does not seem to occur to that very same leadership that what is really needed are stronger institutions and better service delivery so that if — when — another attack occurs, medical care automatically swings into action. Difficult as it may be to strengthen institutions in the midst of long-term conflict, actual performance is so dismal as to call into question the very competence and priorities of the country’s leaders. As ever, it is the citizenry that has to suffer because of the leadership’s failings. A day later, the devastation at the Shah Noorani shrine was already receding and a congratulatory narrative taking its place because of the Gwadar port inauguration. To be sure, the potential for...
Dealing with Trump’s America
At about one on the morning of November 9, Hillary Clinton conceded the election to her Republican Party rival, Donald Trump. This was an utterly unexpected turn in events. Before the results started to come in on the evening of the day before, no serious political analyst had predicted a Trump victory. The real-estate’s supporters had either not been covered by the experts or had kept their views to themselves until they entered the voting booth. They turned out massively to vote for their hero. A vast majority of them were the country’s white citizens. Now that the voters in the US have cast their votes and elected a new president to succeed Obama, the question remains as to how will the elections affect the evolution of the US political system? One of the more important consequences of the way the election was fought was to remove the veneer of respectability from public discourse. Trump scoffed at this tendency to be polite as “political correctness.” Certain things were not to be said openly; they may have been acceptable in the “locker room” but not in the public space. But that was not the right approach. People should express themselves openly. Only then they will get some response from the policymakers. This attitude gave latitude that was quickly exploited by the “angry white men” who are Trump’s largest support group. But this loss of inhibition was not confined to the political right. It also affected the left, it crept even into the commentary in newspapers and magazines of repute. To take just one example from the many that are available. It is hard to find so many pejoratives in one sentence written by a highly respectable columnist. This is what Roger Cohen had to say about Trump: “The campaign, thanks to Trump, has involved a kind of magical mystery tour of all that is vile, vulgar, repugnant, primal, violent, bullying, petulant, hateful, dishonest, superficial and lazy in human nature.” Trump’s behaviour “has offered a primer in how democratic...
Through Aide, Pakistan Reaches Out to Trump
Pakistan has approached US president-elect Donald Trump through one of his close aides, seeking to develop an ‘understanding’ with the new administration on issues ranging from war on terror to the complex nature of geopolitics in South Asia. The development came just days after Trump’s stunning victory in the US presidential election shook the entire world, including Pakistan, where policymakers are now discussing options on how to deal with the enigmatic leader given his radical stance on international and regional issues. Since Trump being the next president of the US is now a reality, Pakistan has decided to follow a ‘proactive’ approach to reach out to the Republican leader. A senior official with the knowledge of that ‘proactive’ approach told The Express Tribune that Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Jalil Abbas Jilani wrote a letter to Trump on behalf of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to congratulate him on his victory, as well as his government’s desire to work with his administration. But, apart from these diplomatic manoeuvres, the government is also relying on ‘unconventional’ approaches, such as reaching out to the Trump administration through his advisers. One of his advisers that have been approached by Pakistan is Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani-American, who came to the limelight after he founded a movement in the US seeking support of Muslims for Trump in the run up to the race for the White House. It was a bold and to some extent unpopular move on his part due to the fact that the majority of American Muslims as well as those of Pakistani origins supported Trump’s rival Hilary Clinton. With Trump’s unexpected victory, Tarar has now emerged as the most sought after person in the US. He was one of the 36 advisers appointed by the Republican candidate for the hard fought election campaign. Tarar, who originally hails from Mandi Bahuddin, is expected to be given a key role in the Trump Administration. On Sunday, in an exclusive interview by phone from...
Da’ish Forms Nexus with Other Groups
The deadly suicide bombing at the Shah Noorani shrine in Khudzar, which has been claimed by the Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Da’ish, shows the threat is not perceived, it’s very much real. Former interior minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that he had spoken about the presence of Da’ish in Pakistan based on documentary evidence. “Instead of taking action to stop the cancer from metastasizing, the government remained in denial mode,” Malik told journalists in Islamabad. “Today, we are shocked to know that Da’ish has claimed credit for the carnage at the shrine in Khuzdar.” Law enforcers in Peshawar lend credence to what Malik says. They believe that Da’ish has formed a nexus with other terrorist groups, TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar in particular, to carry out terrorist attacks in the city. In background interviews, senior officials of law enforcement agencies told Daily Express that three terrorist groups TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar, TTP Tariq Afridi group and Da’ish have contracted a sort of marriage of convenience, wherein Da’ish carries out attacks and TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar claims responsibility for it. “Most recent attacks, including targeted killings taking place in Peshawar, have been carried out by Dai’sh,” said a senior counterterrorism official. “Under an arrangement among these groups, TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar has claimed credit for all these attacks,” he added. In the past, the group’s spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, had repeatedly denied affiliation with Da’ish. The official admitted that in the past everybody denied Da’ish’s footprint in the country. “But now the situation has changed, especially after the law enforcement agencies, including Intelligence Bureau and Counterterrorism Department, managed to arrest dozens of facilitators and local leaders of the group,” he added. According to information gleaned from these detainees during interrogation, the Da’ish’s local leader belonged to Mattani, a village located about 20 kilometres south of Peshawar near...
Is The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a 21st Century East India Company?
A closer look at the hidden dangers CPEC could bring for Pakistan. When a Pakistani lawmaker recently warned in Parliament that “another East India Company is in the offing” in the form of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he certainly raised some eyebrows. This view came from Senator Tahir Mashhadi, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, who specifically voiced concerns about the exorbitant loans Pakistan will need to pay back to China for CPEC. Mashhadi also objected to China’s demands regarding power tariffs on projects according to Chinese interests. Since the official discourse in Pakistan has presented CPEC in very rosy terms (often calling it a “game-changer”), the “East India Company” analogy merits a proper analysis. To compare China’s role, within the context of CPEC project, with that of the British East India Company would be hyperbole, though not a totally discreditable argument. There cannot be exact parallels between both the cases. First of all, the method used by the East India Company (EIC) was entirely different. The EIC came to the subcontinent primarily with the intention of doing trade but usurped power through the brutal use of force, which the renowned British historian William Dalrymple described as “probably the most bloody episode in the entire history of British colonialism.” By contrast, China and Pakistan enjoy an exemplary friendship based on mutual trust and respect. Second, the EIC was enticed by the fabled riches, wealth, and resources of this region. In other words, the subcontinent was by far more prosperous than the EIC. In case of China and Pakistan, the story is the other way around. As an economic power, China is second only to the United States and sits on the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world ($3.20 trillion). With Beijing’s deep pockets and passion for spending, economic ties with China are even prized by the wealthy countries of the West like Britain and Germany. On the other...
October Deadliest Month in Past Two Years: Study
According to figures presented by security departments, more than 6,000 insurgents, nearly 500 security forces and more than 700 civilians were killed or wounded in October. The report says that insurgents' movements increased in October against September and that security forces mostly carried out offensives in response to insurgent activities. TOLOnews has recorded 1,164 security incidents in the month of October that shows an increase of 21 percent compared to September. Security forces conducted 662 ground operations. Military operations carried out by security forces increased by 26 percent in the month of October. October was a busy month for the insurgents and they increased their activities by 18 percent. In addition to bombings, kidnappings and rocket attacks, they carried out 143 group attacks. "The insurgents' movements reduced in the month of September and the security forces have had a chance to prevent their activities in the month of October. But it did not happen and insurgents' movements increased in October," said Sayed Abbas Hussaini, TOLOnews researcher. Nearly 4,153 insurgents were killed and 2,000 others wounded in October - the casualty toll among them increasing by 23 percent. The casualty toll among security forces also increased by 24 percent in October. In this month around 397 soldiers were killed and 83 others wounded. Civilians also bore the brunt of violence in October with casualties up 55 percent against September. Around 125 civilians including women and children lost their lives due to violence and 617 others were wounded in October. "The insurgents through the increase of their attacks tried to show they are powerful. But recently their attacks have been reduced and it is because they had lots of casualties," said Dawlat Waziri, spokesman of ministry of defense. In the month of October, Nangarhar, with 125 security incidents, Helmand with 96 incidents, Farah with 95 incidents and Kunduz with 74 were the most insecure provinces...
Afghan Weekly (Nov 6 – Nov 11, 2016)
As militant attacks by Daesh and Taliban have intensified in recent months, the Afghan government has come under criticism for failing to formulate a coherent strategy against the growing threats. Such views were shared on the floor of Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga in a debate on Monday among members.[1] However, several militants belonging to Daesh and Taliban factions were also killed during clashes with Afghan security forces this week.[2] The election of the United States’ new President was another major event for Afghanistan on Wednesday. President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah both congratulated the new US President on his win and stressed that the US was an important strategic partner to Afghanistan in the development of the country and in fighting terrorism. The Taliban also issued a statement directed at the new US President in which they urged Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, claiming that the Taliban had achieved victory in the ongoing war.[3] More updates on Afghanistan’s security, politics, governance, international engagements and socio-economic developments from last week are as follow. A Security Overview: Daesh, Taliban and Afghanistan Security Forces & Security Operations Daesh Poses Serious Threat to National Security: Ibrahimi - November 7, 2016 Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament), on November 7 said Daesh still remains a serious threat to Afghanistan's security and that government has failed to define a strong security policy to tackle the problem. "We persistently remind the president and the chief executive officer (Abdullah Abdullah). Threats emerging from Daesh and Taliban are on the rise, this has created serious concerns among the people, the government has also failed to define a coherent strategy to maintain security in the country," said Ibrahimi. MPs also criticized the U.S for ignoring threats emerging from al-Qaeda, Taliban and Daesh in...
Aug 8 Attack Mastermind Arrested, Says CM Zehri
Balcohistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri on Thursday announced the arrest of both the mastermind and facilitators of the Civil Hospital massacre which left more than 70 people dead in Quetta. No other details were provided by the chief minister. At the same time, he said, the perpetrators behind the Police Training College suicide attack were being actively pursued. Zehri said that a joint investigation team (JIT), comprising senior officials and experienced investigators, had already been formed to probe the attack. He contended that if the previous governments had taken effective action, the security situation in the province would have been far better. Referring to a terrorist attack in which he was personally targeted and his son, brother and other family members lost their lives, he said he boldly faced terrorists and had pledged to eliminate them once for all. Outlining his government’s achievements, he said that the national anthem, once shunned in all educational institutions, was sung in all schools and colleges across Balochistan. He said that terrorists were beating a hasty retreat. “Pakistan’s flag is now being proudly unfurled everywhere in Balochistan, confirming that terrorists and separatists have been defeated,” he added. The chief minister also presided over another meeting which reviewed development plans for Kalat division. This article originally appeared in The Express Tribune , 11 November, 2016. Original link. Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.
WB Urges Pakistan, India to Agree On Mediation
The World Bank (WB) on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to agree to mediation in order to settle on a mechanism for how the Indus Water Treaty should be used to resolve issues regarding two dams under construction along the Indus river system. The Bank released a statement in which it made the appeal telling both the countries that it was responding to their separate proceedings initiated under the Indus Water Treaty 1960. It also held a drawing of a lot to determine who will appoint three umpires to sit on the Court of Arbitration that Pakistan has requested. It proposed to the two countries the names of three potential candidates for appointment as neutral experts, following India’s request. “The World Bank Group has a strictly procedural role under the Indus Water Treaty and the treaty does not allow it to choose whether one procedure should take precedence over the other. This is why we drew a lot and proposed potential candidates for the neutral expert today,” said senior Vice President and the Bank's Group General Counsel Anne-Marie Leroy. “What is clear, though, is that pursuing two concurrent processes under the treaty could make it unworkable over time and we therefore urge both the parties to agree on mediation that the World Bank Group can help arrange. The two countries can also agree to suspend the two processes during the mediation process or at any time until the processes are concluded.” The Indus Water Treaty 1960 is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict. The Bank is a signatory to the Treaty. The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called “questions”, “differences” and “disputes” that may arise between the...
Ties With Trump’s America
INTO the void of uncertainty that is the policy outlook of US president-elect Donald Trump, has stepped Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In congratulating Mr Trump on his election victory, Mr Sharif has struck a sensible note: recognising the essential democratic nature of his soon-to-be American counterpart’s victory; noting the long-standing relationship between the two countries; and mentioning the need for the US and Pakistan to work together for the common causes of peace, stability, security and prosperity in this region. Yet, there ought to be a clear-eyed understanding of the potential challenges ahead. The American voter has installed in power a US president and Congress that are neither drawn to the idea of deepening ties with Pakistan nor necessarily willing to continue the old ways of doing business between the two countries. With Mr Trump, the major concern is obvious: he may choose to see Pakistan predominantly through an Indian, or perhaps even Afghan, prism. The vexed issue of hyphenation — Pakistan on some issues wanting to be considered in the same policy breath as India and regarded separately in others — has long bedevilled the Pak-US relationship. Complicating that issue are at least two factors. First, there is a government in India that may not only see a natural ally in Mr Trump, but could move quickly to try and cast Pakistan as a common rival of India and the US. Second, Mr Trump’s campaign rhetoric on China and his need to perhaps reassure the world about some policy continuity could translate into a quick embrace of the current Indian government’s priorities. Certainly, the triangular Pak-India-US relationship is not a zero-sum game and Pakistani policymakers should not fall into the trap once again of viewing it so. However, policymakers here should prepare for both possibilities — that a Trump presidency may seek to positively influence the Pak-India relationship, help defuse regional tensions and possibly nudge India towards addressing...
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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.