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Afghanistan’s Age of Transformation
The Afghanistan of today would surprise most outsiders, even those who closely follow developments in the country. We are often wrongly branded as a failing state with a struggling government whose young people are fleeing en masse for Europe and whose military has lost control of the security situation. While anecdotal evidence can always be found to lend isolated support to such claims, this sweeping characterization offers a distorted picture of reality. Afghans have always valued and cherished their freedom and sovereignty, as evidenced by our years of fighting off foreign and domestic enemies who sought to take both. Now we are reaching for new goals: freedom from dependence on foreign aid, freedom from corruption, freedom from outdated thinking that justifies the oppression of half our population, and freedom from sclerotic bureaucracy that prevents everything from citizens’ access to justice to the smooth functioning of a free market. Afghans overwhelmingly want a modern, sustainable, and self-reliant country whose government serves and is accountable to its people. Yes, the past 15 years have seen war, but they have also produced remarkable growth. Afghan society is thriving, which is a testament to the incredible resilience of the Afghan people. You might be familiar with the progress Afghanistan has made in the areas of education and on women’s rights, but there have also been advances in health, infrastructure, in media and telecommunication, and in sports and culture. 2001 to 2016 has been a time of hardship and sacrifice, but also one of innovation and hope. Today, 25 percent of our cabinet ministers are women, and there are scores of female deputy ministers, ambassadors, district governors, members of parliament, and civil servants. Afghan telecommunication companies cover some 90 percent of the population, which has an estimated 20 million cell phone users. Our media sector is thriving and can rightly be called the freest in the region. When...
Afghan Exodus: Can the Afghan government deal with more returnees from Europe?
In the first nine months of this year, over 5,000 Afghans voluntary returned to Afghanistan from Europe. The recent signing of an agreement between Afghanistan and the European Union to allow deportations of those who have not been accepted as asylum seekers means the numbers of Afghans returning from Europe will rise. AAN ’s Jelena Bjelica and Fazal Muzhary have been looking into the fate of recent returnees, who may have gone heavily into debt to fund their trip, and hearing from two young men who have just returned from Norway after trying to bicycle their way to a life in Europe. This dispatch is part of a joint migration series by AAN and the Kabul office of the German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). In early October 2016, Afghanistan signed four new readmission agreements, with Germany, Sweden, Finland and the EU. (2) These new agreements are a response to the large influx of Afghan asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, with over a quarter of a million Afghans arriving in Europe in this period (see AAN earlier reporting on Afghan migration. Germany, one of the main countries pushing for a deal, received the bulk of the influx, with 180,000 asylum applications by Afghans in 2015 and 2016. The agreements were partly in response to the trouble European countries faced in getting the Afghan authorities to cooperate with the deportation of failed Afghan asylum seekers. The agreements have widely been interpreted as a signal that European countries intend to significantly accelerate the rate of forced and voluntary returns. Voluntary and forced returns On 24 February 2016, a group of 125 Afghans arrived in Kabul from Germany This was the first group of voluntary returnees from Germany, after Europe’s ‘migration crisis’ in 2015. Germany hosts the highest number of Afghan refugees after Pakistan and Iran (for the number of Afghan refugees in Germany for the last 13 years. Apart from having their trips back to Afghanistan paid, the German government – in...
Afghanistan Failures Rising, Progress Eroding 15 Years After U.S. Intervention
Opium production is up 43 percent in Afghanistan, the economy is struggling and the government has lost ground to insurgents over the last year, according to an inspector general’s report released Sunday that shows ongoing failures overshadowing the few signs of hope. Afghan army recruits increasingly are coming from the better-educated parts of society, and the army reports a high esprit de corps, but more of them also are being contacted by “anti-government elements” looking so sow dissension, the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction said in its quarterly report to Congress. The country averages 68 security incidents a day — the majority of which are shootouts, followed by explosive devices — and the first six months of 2016 were the deadliest in seven years. Nearly a third of the more than 5,000 killed or injured were children. More people are fleeing as refugees, seeking to escape worsening conditions and adding to the surge of Middle Easterners who are putting pressure on the U.S. and Europe. “Past gains are eroding: poverty, unemployment, underemployment, violence, out-migration, internal displacement, and the education gender gap have all increased, while services and private investment have decreased,” said the inspector general, citing World Bank conclusions. Fifteen years after the U.S. intervened to oust the Taliban government, taxpayers have ponied up some $115.2 billion for relief and reconstruction, yet Afghanistan continues to struggle on many of the key ways to measure that investment. This article originally appeared on www.washingtontimes.com , 30, October, 2016. Original link. Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.
Afghan Forces Suffered 15,000 Casualties In First 8 Months Of 2016
Afghanistan’s security forces battling the resurgent Taliban have suffered around 15,000 casualties, including 5,523 fatalities in the first eight months of 2016, says a U.S. government monitoring agency. The agency has also warned of eroding gains the war-shattered country has made with the help of the international community. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in its quarterly report published Sunday noted the Afghan government lost 2.2 percent territorial control during this year’s fighting. “Of Afghanistan's 407 districts, 258 districts were under government control or influence, 33 districts were under insurgent control or influence, and 116 districts were “contested.” There were 101 insider attacks from January 1, 2015 through August 19, 2016 in which Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF) personnel turned on fellow security forces, killing 257 and wounding 125 others. “The ANDSF lacks a risk-management system and therefore relies heavily on U.S. forces to prevent strategic failure.” The Taliban has intensified battlefield and other attacks since August and came close to recapturing the northern city of Kunduz and the capital of southern Helmand province this month. The insurgents continue to stage assaults on these two key urban centers and several other provincial capitals, inflicting heavy casualties on Afghan forces. The conflict-related incidents have caused more than 8,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including more than 2,500 deaths in the first nine months of 2016, according to the United Nations. SIGAR reported that the United States has committed at least $1 billion for projects intended to improve conditions for Afghan women, but support for woman having equal access to education and equal representation in political leadership has fallen since 2006. “Fifteen years after the United States ousted the Taliban regime, Afghanistan remains one of the worst places in the world to be a woman.” Poverty,...
Analysing The Trade Relationship Between Pakistan and India
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) consists of eight South Asian nations, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Founded in 1985, the major goal of SAARC has been to promote economic and regional integration of the member states. However, political tensions between two of the largest members, Pakistan and India, have plagued SAARC ever since its inception. Recent events on the Pakistan-India border have forced the cancellation of the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November. With recently imposed restrictions on cross-border exchange of artists, exhibition of movies and participation in cultural activities, other economic activities such as import and export of goods between the two countries risk being curtailed as well. Political tensions and uncertainties have economic consequences. The article will investigate what trade relations the two countries have enjoyed thus far to gain an insight into what possible effects derailment of their relations will have. Going back to 2004, when political tensions had receded, Pakistan and India embarked upon initiatives to increase trade and consequently improve regional integration. The following analysis is conducted using data from Trademap.org and COMTRADE. Before 2004, there was minimal movement of goods between Pakistan and India. Although, India had awarded Pakistan the Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) status in 1996, the exports from Pakistan to India remained almost negligible for a number of years. Pakistan’s exports to India were $84 million in 2003 and even at their peak in 2013, managed a modest $403 million, after which they receded to $312 million in 2015. On the other hand, the imports increased rapidly in absolute terms as trade relations moved towards normalisation. It increased from $184 million in 2003 to $2.18 billion in 2013. It was at $1.96 billion in 2015. The trade deficit for Pakistan – the difference between...
CPEC Security Worries China
Misgivings about Pakistan’s ability to provide adequate security to Chinese workers employed in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects are still weighing heavily on policy makers despite reassurances publicly conveyed by Pakistan. However, the Chinese government remains committed that CPEC projects would be completed to realize the dream of building a China-Pakistan Community of Shared Destiny. Also, Chinese are concerned over the simmering controversy between Pakistan’s Federal and two provincial governments regarding distribution of projects under CPEC. They are displaying extra sensitivity over any valid or flimsy criticism of CPEC by Pakistan’s smaller provinces. Pakistani scholars made it clear that CPEC enjoyed support across all political parties among Pakistanis. Nevertheless, the umbrella project should be seen generating employment, establishing economic zones and not becoming a conduit for trading Chinese goods and commodities alone. It was hoped that the Chinese state companies would use their experiences in Africa, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan to recruit Pakistani engineers and technicians in line with their qualifications. Projects should benefit wider sections of population, beyond the political and business elites. Pakistani delegates to the Beijing and Islamabad dialogue pointed out that the strength of bilateral ties comes from mutuality of strategic interests, tested interdependency in moment of despair and needs, mutual willingness to transform relations to meet new and emerging challenges and finally unstinting public support in both countries for each other at regional and international levels. For commonality of interests and mutual respect, any change in government or leadership in either of the two countries, or the demise of the Cold War era and its associated alliances or subsequent readjustments could not affect their relationship. Chinese Concerns Chinese officials and academia are reluctant to assume that CPEC...
CHINA WATCH [OCTOBER 22-28] FRIENDSHIP RALLY
China-Pakistan friendship car rally dominated the news this week. That Pakistan and China successfully conducted joint military exercises was overshadowed by the atrocious attack in Quetta. Politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), once again, expressed their resentment about the negligence of western route in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Sale of Chinese products in India saw a sudden slump after calls for boycott. Finally, Pakistan and China started an art exhibition in Islamabad. Balochistan; a trouble spot: Balochistan came under horrifying terror attack. On Tuesday night, three heavily armed suicide attackers assailed a police academy in Quetta and killed 61 people and wounded 117 at least.[1] The government was quick to blame cross-border elements once again. While conveying the concerns of Pakistan to the US, National Security Advisor Lt Gen (Retd) Naseer Khan Janjua told the American ambassador, David Hale, “[T]here is a need to break the nexus of Afghanistan-based terrorist who are operating under the patronage of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and National Directorate of Security (NDS).[2] Before this heinous attack, two coast guards were gunned down on Sunday in the vicinity of Gwadar district.[3] Recurrent attack like these will cast serious doubts over Pakistan’s ability to maintain even a modicum of law and order so that CPEC can be secured against both the internal and external security threats. Western Route: It seems that differences regarding the western route are going nowhere. Parliamentary Committee on CPEC held a session on Wednesday to inform the members about progress on different facets of CPEC. The government’s response could not mollify opposition concerns. They complained that second part of route, i.e. Dera Ismail Khan to Khunjerab, was being ignored by the central government. Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, told media that “[O]fficials concerned could not satisfy us as to why work has...
CRSS Report Records Sudden Increase in Violence-Related Casualties
A report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) on Thursday shows a sudden increase in incidents of violence and casualties of civilians and law enforcement officials. However, the report – which focuses on the third quarter of this year – also found that militant casualties have fallen compared to the first two quarters. The head of CRSS, Imtiaz Gul told Dawn the increase in casualties is linked to relations with India and Afghanistan. “Whenever tension builds with India, it starts creating problems in Balochistan to build pressure on Pakistan. During the third quarter, we saw the incident of an attack on lawyers due to which casualties increased. In the fourth quarter, an attack was held on the police which will increase casualties in the fourth quarter,” he said. In response to a question, Mr Gul said once tensions with India normalise, casualties will also drop. The data shows that during the third quarter of 2016 from July to September, 1,092 casualties including 651 dead and 441 injured , were recorded. This is 19.4pc more than the previous quarter. In addition, 265 militants, criminals and insurgents, including foreigners , were killed and 386 non-combatants including security officials died in this period. The largest group of killed non-combatants was civilians at 287. Largest group of non-combatants killed in third quarter of 2016 were civilians In the previous quarter 172 civilians lost their lives, compared to this quarter’s 287. The number of militants, insurgents and criminals killed fell, from 475 in the last quarter to 265 in this quarter. Therefore, the report surmised that civilian deaths saw a sharp increase to 58pc, while the loss of life of militants, insurgents and criminals saw a sharp decrease of 56pc. Out of the total non-combatants killed, civilians accounted for 44pc, security officials for 11pc, political activists for 2pc, government officials for 1pc and religious party members, religious persons, foreign...
Interview: Muhammad Amin Karim: The role of HIG in Afghanistan
Following the peace deal with its leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the HIG's chief negotiator spoke to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera: What motivated HIG to negotiate a peace deal with the Afghan government? Mohammad Amin Karim: The relationship between Afghans and the international community was a lose-lose situation. Thousands of people were killed by the American invasion. The invaders repeated slogans like the "fight against terrorism", build "good governance" and "bring democracy". But if you look at what the US actually did, the result was negative. So at that time we proposed that there should be a win-win situation for the Afghan people and the international community based on the interests of Afghans and the legitimate goals of the US and its allies, which is to fight against terrorism. Only Afghans can do it effectively. If Afghans in the villages decide that there shouldn't be any groups attacking other countries, they are the only ones who can do it. If you want to bring democracy and an elected government, you can't do it with Humvees, tanks and drones. You should work with the people. That was the beginning of these negotiations. First, in 2010, I brought the delegation of HIG to propose this solution to the government. But unfortunately at that time there was no real wish for peace. Then in 2014, Barack Obama announced that by the end of 2016 there would be no more American combatant soldiers in Afghanistan. That was the beginning of the new process of negotiations which I led. And after two years of hard discussions and negotiations, finally, we achieved this goal. Al Jazeera: Where is Hekmatyar now? How closely was he involved in these negotiations? Karim: He is in Afghanistan, like he has always been. He will return to Kabul as soon as possible, once all the sanctions are lifted and all the technical problems are solved. He was involved in the negotiations as closely as it was possible. Al Jazeera: In the 1990s, Hekmatyar was offered the position of prime...
Islamabad Offers Doha to Set Up Arms Production Facilities
Pakistan has offered Qatar all possible technical assistance for setting up military hardware production facilities on Transfer of Technology (ToT) basis as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan, Qatar and Turkey can set up joint ventures for undertaking defence related manufacturing. The development came on Thursday as Qatar’s Minister of Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohammad al Attiyah held separate meetings with PM Nawaz, Army chief General Raheel Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Talking to the minister at the PM House, Nawaz said: “Our relationship with Qatar means a lot to us and you can count on Pakistan as your closest ally and brotherly state. “The relations between the two nations will be further strengthened into sustained economic cooperation for the benefits of both the countries,” the PM said. “The trade volume between Qatar and Pakistan will multiply, especially after the import of LNG from Qatar”, Nawas added. He also extended his heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani, the grandfather of Emir of Qatar. Dr Khalid said Qatar sees Pakistan as a strategic partner and every effort would be made to make this relationship stronger. He said with the assistance and cooperation of Pakistan, Qatar wanted to improve its military hardware to be prepared for the uncertain threat of terrorism, prevailing in the region. “We are desirous of buying Super Mushshak and JF-17 Thunder aircraft from Pakistan and also want to set up military cooperation and production of equipment in Qatar with the assistance of Pakistan and Turkey,” he added. He said Qatar will also establish a training academy for countering the unconventional enemy of terrorism and will seek services and expertise of the Pakistani instructors. The defence minister also extended condolences to the prime minister on the loss of precious human lives in the terrorist attack on Police Training Centre in Quetta. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja...
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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.