Current Projects
‘Karachi Seeing Marked Improvement In Law & Order Due To Rangers-Led Operation’
CRSS report says target killings have decreased from 110 per month last year to 48 a month this year Karachi. Amid a tug of war between the security establishment and the Sindh government over the jurisdiction and policing powers of the Rangers, a recent quarterly report of an Islamabad-based security think tank shows a marked improvement in law and order in Karachi due to the ongoing Rangers-led operation against criminals in the city. The report, prepared by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), also states that there has been a significant improvement in the security situation in the entire country. “Although the military operation [in tribal areas] is nearing conclusion, the operation in Karachi continues and may be further extended because of high-profile incidents of violence in the city,” says Muhammad Nafees, a Karachi-based security analyst who compiled the report. Launched in September 2013, the Karachi operation represents yet another dimension of the security crisis that Pakistan faces. “In Karachi, there is a significant decrease in targeted killings on the basis of ethnicity, sect and political affiliation. But proscribed militant outfits have still been carrying out selected attacks, targeting soft targets, such as police personnel deputed to protect anti-polio medics and security officials,” Nafees says while talking to The News. Security situation in country It is stated in the report that deaths from violence in Pakistan during the second quarter [April-June] of 2016 were slightly lower than the deaths recorded during the previous quarter. A total of 788 casualties of violence (545 dead and 243 injured) occurred during that quarter. The overall figure shows that the Fata and Sindh regions, for the first time in the last three years, recorded a lower number of fatalities than Balochistan. On the district level, Karachi recorded the highest number of fatalities from violence with 332 deaths during the second quarter, while...
‘Karachi Seeing Marked Improvement In Law & Order Due To Rangers-Led Operation’
CRSS report says target killings have decreased from 110 per month last year to 48 a month this year Karachi. Amid a tug of war between the security establishment and the Sindh government over the jurisdiction and policing powers of the Rangers, a recent quarterly report of an Islamabad-based security think tank shows a marked improvement in law and order in Karachi due to the ongoing Rangers-led operation against criminals in the city. The report, prepared by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), also states that there has been a significant improvement in the security situation in the entire country. “Although the military operation [in tribal areas] is nearing conclusion, the operation in Karachi continues and may be further extended because of high-profile incidents of violence in the city,” says Muhammad Nafees, a Karachi-based security analyst who compiled the report. Launched in September 2013, the Karachi operation represents yet another dimension of the security crisis that Pakistan faces. “In Karachi, there is a significant decrease in targeted killings on the basis of ethnicity, sect and political affiliation. But proscribed militant outfits have still been carrying out selected attacks, targeting soft targets, such as police personnel deputed to protect anti-polio medics and security officials,” Nafees says while talking to The News. Security situation in country It is stated in the report that deaths from violence in Pakistan during the second quarter [April-June] of 2016 were slightly lower than the deaths recorded during the previous quarter. A total of 788 casualties of violence (545 dead and 243 injured) occurred during that quarter. The overall figure shows that the Fata and Sindh regions, for the first time in the last three years, recorded a lower number of fatalities than Balochistan. On the district level, Karachi recorded the highest number of fatalities from violence with 332 deaths during the second quarter, while...
Kashmir: The Legal and Political Challenges for Pakistan
Kashmiris in 12 constituencies in various parts of Pakistan voted on July 21 to elect the state Legislative Assembly (LA). The Kashmir chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) swept the polls by bagging 32 of the 41 directly contested seats. Out of these, 29 seats are meant for all 10 districts of AJK and 12 for Pakistan-based refugees from Kashmir valley, Jammu and others areas. Ironically, the first-past-the-post system handed a thumping victory to the PML-N despite the fact that it polled about 689,000 votes, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of Imran Khan and the Pakistan People’s Party jointly received 735,000 votes. This however translated only into four seats, meaning thereby that the PML-N Kashmir will determine the fate of Azad Kashmir. Both Islamabad and Muzaffarabad presently face two pressing challenges: the legal status of the Pakistani part of Kashmir as well its international legal responsibilities. Secondly, the unrest in India-controlled Kashmir and possible consequences for the Pakistani Kashmiri territories. The skewed distribution of voter power resulting from the recent elections, as pointed out by Dr Syed Nazir Gilani, head of the Jammu/Kashmir Council for Human Rights, necessitates vigilance at all strata of the society to prevent the ruling party from bulldozing democratic norms and flouting constitutional obligations. “We need to act as vigilant citizens and make sure that PML-N (AJK) doesn’t deviate from the democratic path that is so essential for keeping the cause of Kashmiris alive,” Dr Gilani says. He points out that the civil society must keep the pressure up so the governments in Muzaffarad and Islamabad understand and do not fail to do the following: (1) The government of Pakistan has assumed trust responsibilities under UNCIP Resolution in Azad Kashmir “to provide for the better government and administration of Azad Jammu and Kashmir until such time as the status of Jammu and Kashmir is determined in accordance with...
Speakers Suggest Switching to Geo-Economics as Means of Strength
Ex-foreign secretary, Salman Bashir on Thursday said that Pakistan don’t have much options and choices for strategic partnership except China, and then it was also looking towards Russia too. He was speaking at the roundtable forum, “Troubled Neighborhood: Pakistan’s Options” organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at its Islamabad Office. Mr. Bashir stressed that the Pakistan should highlight Kashmir human rights violations like using of pallet guns by Indian forces there as this was also against the Geneva Convention. “Pakistan has been unable to unlock geo-economics because it has acted as a security state but that is true for India as well. They keep spending enormous amounts on defense” he said. “We as Pakistanis have done a lot, suffered a lot. Pakistan has tried to match external expectations but it’s time to get out of the school boy mindset and be on our own” he added. Dr. Moeed Yousaf, Associate Vice President, Asia Center, U.S. Institute of Peace earlier said that strategic location has only brought conflict to Pakistan. “Pakistan has done only a few things to broaden its alliances. It has done a fantastic job in balancing Iran with Saudi Arabia”, he said while adding that it did feel wronged and worried in the world tilting in favor of India. He said that the information revolution has made the soft power much more important than ever. “Despite, being a front-line ally of US, Pakistan’s image remains smeared by negatives.” He said that the status quo was keeping Pakistan weaker, while its differences with India were growing wider. “Evidence of weakness, comes from not unlocking the geo-economics, again because of geo-political fears. Pakistan’s neighbours also don’t make it easy either.” He said that it was becoming harder for Pakistan to remain relevant. “CPEC is a cold-war model of inter-state relations. Anything Pakistan does, is seen as being on the wrong side of the global narrative every time. Status quo is not working...
‘40pc Reduction in Violence-Related Casualties In Second Quarter of 2016’
A report launched by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) claims that violence-related casualties have declined by 40pc in the second quarter of this year, as compared to the first quarter. As many as 788 casualties – 545 fatalities and 243 injuries – were recorded between April 1 and June 30. No incidents of violence-related fatalities were reported from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan. The head of the CRSS, Imtiaz Gul, told Dawn the improvement shows that due to pre-emptive intelligence gathering, groups involved in terrorism are not able to reorganise. “Intelligence has been able to break the chain of command of major terrorist groups as we have been frequently hearing that the groups and members belonging to different terrorist organizations have been arrested,” he said. 10pc fall in violence-related fatalities in Balochistan, 75pc reduction in fatalities in Fata, think tank report finds “Army has done the job of fire-fighting and now civil law enforcement agencies should come forward to play their role. So all the responsibility lies on the shoulders of civil law enforcement agencies,” he added. In response to a question, Mr Gul explained that what he meant by civilian law enforcement was the implementation of existing legislation. “Hate speech need to be stopped, there is need to take action against the illegal use of loud speakers, and materials which have been creating differences between different segments of society should be removed from the curriculum,” he said. The report finds that 269 militants were killed in the aforementioned period, as well 270 non-combatants, including security officials and 172 civilians. Of the 72 security officials who died during this quarter, 46 were police officials, which count for over 60pc of the total fatalities of security officials in this period. Balochistan saw a marginal decrease in violence-related causalities, and a nearly 10pc reduction – from 181 to 166 – in fatalities....
‘Afghan Refugees Should Not Be Made Targets of Escalating Tension’
Representatives of Afghan refugees in Pakistan have asked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their differences. They have demanded that the refugees living in Pakistan should not be made targets of escalating tension between both countries. Speaking at a news conference outside Peshawar Press Club, Central Shura for Afghan Refugees President Baryalay Miankhail said, “Even if there is something wrong, [the Afghan government] must ignore it for the only reason that 1.5 million refugees are being hosted by Pakistan.” Honourable exit He said refugees have been living in Pakistan for decades now and have been amazed by the hospitality extended to them by their Pakistani brethren. “This hospitality has finished after a few unfortunate events,” he added. Miankhail said the refugees are no longer able to move freely in the country. “Even if they do manage to cross the border, they have to pay a visit to the police from Torkham border to Akora Khattak in Nowshera.” He said the government had made it clear that the refugees shall be allowed to stay in the country for a specified duration, but officials keep scolding and insulting them. “We want an honourable exit,” he said. “The international community, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, must take a few steps, including financial support from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, to make this journey feasible for us.” Cruelty of time Miankhail said a large number of Afghan refugees were mortgaged at different places where the majority was settled in brick kilns. Now they need to pay back to their landlords, he said. He asked the UNHCR to help them in making these arrangements. “Those who owe us money no longer receive our calls but those who had lent us money want to be paid on an immediate basis,” he said. He added students from the refugee communities are attending various colleges and universities on the basis of their registration cards. The representative added that the Afghan government...
Open Letter to Interior Minister
We keep hearing about the National Action Plan (NAP) as the antidote for terrorism, crime and poor law enforcement. We also realise the remarkable successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and the space it has created for civilian law enforcement in Pakistan, including in Fata. The operation has enabled the state to regain areas that were once notorious for being ‘no-go areas’. This has also been made possible due to countless intelligence-based operations — both in prevention and preemption of potential terrorist activities. Intelligence has indeed served as the bedrock of all counterterror (CT) activities and has caused a considerable drop in acts of terrorism. But unfortunately, there is also a darker side to this picture — the deployment of intelligence in several CT preventive and preemptive operations have also been both questionable and counter-productive. In one recent case, a mobile phone dealer and franchise owner in Rawalpindi was picked up. He was quizzed, then an apology was made for the inadvertent detention and he was turned over to the FIA. The FIA was also handed a list of all the cash and kind seized from the shop. And herewith began the torturous ordeal of the person in question. The FIA officials kept pressuring him to make a confession before he was to be presented before a judge. ‘Confession for what?’ he asked. ‘I never committed a crime and that is why I was passed on to you with an apology and all the seized materials’ he said. But, he recalled, the FIA officials kept pressing for a “confession”, which he soon realised was a ploy to extract money from him. Only after he coughed up over Rs300,000 did his torture stop and it was agreed that he would be presented before a court with a concocted charge-sheet. Dear Minister, the FIA officials are now refusing to return the seized assets i.e., mobile phones and SIM cards worth a million rupees or so. Instead, despite the court orders, the officials are dithering and offering only insignificant items to...
Q2 Security Report – 2016
Introduction The upsurge in violence recorded during last quarter (January - March, 2016) dropped significantly during this reporting period (April - June, 2016). That being said, the militants, the noose ever-tightening around them, appear to have made a strategic shift in terms of areas of operation and targets. Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif declared that the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb was over, as the most dreaded areas in North Waziristan had been cleared. The military operation carried out in the riverine areas of the South Punjab also ended during this quarter with successful clearance of the area from the notorious gangster Chotu Mazari and his associates. Other than these successes in the war on terror, a few high profile incidents of violence shocked the country. One of them was the brazen assassination of the popular Qawal, Amjad Sabri, during the holy month of Ramazan at one of the busiest locales in Karachi. This also caused concern about the presence of fully operations criminal elements in urban centers. To assess and evaluate what new challenges and threats are being faced by the country, this report makes use of the national print and electronic media sources. CRSS endeavors to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible within the available resources. However, it does not rule out errors and omissions, which are always a possibility in such statistical works. Such mistakes, nevertheless, do not grossly affect the overall outcome and conclusions of this report. Readers can approach CRSS for information related to this report. Alternately, you may send your queries to mail@crss.pk, directly to Mohammad Nafees, Senior Research Fellow, CRSS – the author of the report ( mohammad.nafees@yahoo.com), or Zeeshan Salahuddin, Senior Research Fellow ( zeeshan@crss.pk) – the editor. List of Acronyms Security Report – Q2, 2016 Fatalities from Violence There were 788 casualties of violence (545 dead and 243 injured) during the 2nd...
CHINA WATCH [July 18-24]: CPEC Delays and Hurdles?
The week of July 18-24 was dominated by news of several China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects potentially facing the axe. These qualms first put to rest by the Federal Minister for Planning and then the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan. CPEC Security and the fallout after the South China Sea ruling also remained major themes this past week. CPEC Delays Several news agencies and papers reported that due to the other engagements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a delay has been observed in the execution of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, he has been found reluctant toward the idea of army involvement in the administration of the CPEC projects.[1] Further, the Express Tribune reported that slow execution of the CPEC has become so alarming that five energy projects of worth $7 billion could be terminated.[2] However, the Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal ensured that the execution of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has not exposed any hurdles. He asserted that China has been appreciating the execution process, rather than objecting. The minister’s words may not have been enough for most detractors. However, his sentiments were mirrored by His Excellency Sun Weidong, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, who said that the progress on the CPEC is smooth and the execution process is quite satisfactory.[3] This should lay to rest most concerns regarding the delays in CPEC. CPEC Security and Provincial Disdain The Senate Standing Committee on Planning Development and Reforms was informed that a group of security force has been recruited.[4] The 15,000 strong force includes 9,000 army men and 6,000 temporary civilians. Regrettably only 3 of the 12 members of the committee attended a meeting at the Parliament House.[5] Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak underlined that the government will ensure the security of personnel working on the CPEC projects.[6] This, and similar statements from political...
Institutionalizing Police Reforms is Critical, Senior Provincial Minister for LG&RD, KP
Our vision for the KP Police – which drives majority of the police reforms - is an apolitical, operationally autonomous, accountable and people friendly department. We have a system of governance and laws but we need to pursue good governance and rule of law. The institutionalization of police reforms is critical. A legislation in this regard would be groundbreaking if the provincial government can bring a new police act. We have reached a consensus on proposed legislation; with police and all major stakeholders on board. These were the remarks made by Mr. Inayat Ullah Khan, Senior Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, KP during a public forum on police reforms at press club, Peshawar. The other speakers included Mr. Muhammad Ijaz, Director General Projects, Coordination Unit, KP Police and Mr. Rahimullah Yousufzai, Senior Journalist. The event was participated well by the members of community with diverse backgrounds including lawyers, local government representatives, media, academia and youth representatives. The forum was part of the project “Ulasi Police” an awareness and advocacy campaign undertaken by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) – as part of USAID Small Grants and Ambassadors’ Fund Program – to strengthen the rule of law in KP province by promoting and disseminating the significant police reforms aimed at incorporating local communities’ policing needs and international human rights standards. The endeavor aims to tackle the trust deficit between the public and police, help KP police become an accountable and community-focused police force. Mr. Inayat Ullah Khan said that rule of law was critical to ensure implementation of laws, accountability and good governance. We have inherited several institutions including Police from the colonial era and still there are impacts of colonial culture on police. But now the government is making reforms in Police department to improve its efficiency and capacity and make...
TOP STORIES
TESTIMONIALS
“
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.