Current Projects

Ulasi Police Showcase: Police Reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province

The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) aired three new episodes of its new flagship radio program “Ulasi Police” in the districts of Mardan, Peshawar, and Charsadda on June 07, 08 and 09 respectively. “Ulasi Police” is an awareness and advocacy campaign undertaken by the Center - 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 ameliorate the trust deficit between the public and police, and help KP police become an accountable and community-focused police force. Police Assistance Lines (PAL) and Police Access Service (PAS): Ulasi Police aired from Pakhtunkhwa Radio, FM-92.6, Mardan on June 07, 2016 discussed the functions and purposes of Police Assistance Lines (PAL) and Police Access Service (PAS) in district Mardan. It also discussed how efficient and effective PAL in Mardan was, its progress since its inceptions and different types of one-window corporate style solutions to the public for the resolution of their day-to-day affairs through the provision of services including: Theft reporting Lost Items reporting Extortion reporting Child lost and found Tennant Information Form and rental agreement reporting Police Security Clearance Certificate Police Character Certificate CNIC verification Vehicle verification Legal advice Women counter Traffic license and excise document attestation The mechanism of Police Access Service (PAS) was also discussed which not only provides prompt and swift police response to the public complaints but also enhances police accessibility. The police department has established a well-equipped Police Access Service Center in Central Police Office where citizens from across the Province access the police through a SMS and the concerned police officers contact the complainants within 24...

CHINA WATCH [June 20-26]: Heads of State Summit in Tashkent

The week of June 20-26 was dominated by the Heads of State Summit in Tashkent this week, and progress on both CPEC and associated rhetoric dominated the news. Security related matters remained a tertiary concern. Presidential Meetings President Mamnoon Hussain and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Tashkent. In meeting they reiterated their commitment to join hands to promote regional peace and stability. President Mamnoon Hussain appreciated Chinese support for the membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Nuclear Supplier’s group (NSG). Pakistan also signed the Memorandum of Obligations (MoO) on Froiday with the objective of obtaining the full membership of the SCO at its Heads of State Summit in Tashkent.[1] Simultaneously, Chinese official media has endorsed for Pakistan's inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It has also supported Pakistan for authentication of its nuclear record.[2] China was elected by a landslide vote, 182 out of 185 total votes cast, to become a member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[3] China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The government disapproved the condition of international competitive bidding in Chinese deals and permitted the construction of Eastbay expressway that would connect the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, passing along the Eastbay of the city of Gwadar.[4] This move is likely to continue to expedite progress on the CPEC, a crucial megaproject in collaboration with the Chinese government that promises to be a “game changer” for Pakistan. Additionally, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai asserted that the government of china is all set to support Pakistan in possible manner for the effective implementation of the CPEC projects.[5] Various statements from a range of notables this week also underlined the importance of CPEC for Pakistan. The Managing Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) Nadeem Naqvi has claimed that market capital would increase...

CHINA WATCH [June 20-26]: Heads of State Summit in Tashkent

The week of June 20-26 was dominated by the Heads of State Summit in Tashkent this week, and progress on both CPEC and associated rhetoric dominated the news. Security related matters remained a tertiary concern. Presidential Meetings President Mamnoon Hussain and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Tashkent. In meeting they reiterated their commitment to join hands to promote regional peace and stability. President Mamnoon Hussain appreciated Chinese support for the membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Nuclear Supplier’s group (NSG). Pakistan also signed the Memorandum of Obligations (MoO) on Froiday with the objective of obtaining the full membership of the SCO at its Heads of State Summit in Tashkent.[1] Simultaneously, Chinese official media has endorsed for Pakistan's inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It has also supported Pakistan for authentication of its nuclear record.[2] China was elected by a landslide vote, 182 out of 185 total votes cast, to become a member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[3] China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The government disapproved the condition of international competitive bidding in Chinese deals and permitted the construction of Eastbay expressway that would connect the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, passing along the Eastbay of the city of Gwadar.[4] This move is likely to continue to expedite progress on the CPEC, a crucial megaproject in collaboration with the Chinese government that promises to be a “game changer” for Pakistan. Additionally, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai asserted that the government of china is all set to support Pakistan in possible manner for the effective implementation of the CPEC projects.[5] Various statements from a range of notables this week also underlined the importance of CPEC for Pakistan. The Managing Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) Nadeem Naqvi has claimed that market capital would increase...

CHINA WATCH [June 20-26]: Heads of State Summit in Tashkent

The week of June 20-26 was dominated by the Heads of State Summit in Tashkent this week, and progress on both CPEC and associated rhetoric dominated the news. Security related matters remained a tertiary concern. Presidential Meetings President Mamnoon Hussain and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Tashkent. In meeting they reiterated their commitment to join hands to promote regional peace and stability. President Mamnoon Hussain appreciated Chinese support for the membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Nuclear Supplier’s group (NSG). Pakistan also signed the Memorandum of Obligations (MoO) on Froiday with the objective of obtaining the full membership of the SCO at its Heads of State Summit in Tashkent.[1] Simultaneously, Chinese official media has endorsed for Pakistan's inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It has also supported Pakistan for authentication of its nuclear record.[2] China was elected by a landslide vote, 182 out of 185 total votes cast, to become a member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[3] China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The government disapproved the condition of international competitive bidding in Chinese deals and permitted the construction of Eastbay expressway that would connect the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, passing along the Eastbay of the city of Gwadar.[4] This move is likely to continue to expedite progress on the CPEC, a crucial megaproject in collaboration with the Chinese government that promises to be a “game changer” for Pakistan. Additionally, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai asserted that the government of china is all set to support Pakistan in possible manner for the effective implementation of the CPEC projects.[5] Various statements from a range of notables this week also underlined the importance of CPEC for Pakistan. The Managing Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) Nadeem Naqvi has claimed that market capital would increase...

Pakistan’s Healthcare Crisis

IN Pakistan, the most important aspect of well-being is also the most neglected. In its 70-year history, Pakistan’s successive governments — civil and military — have not made health a priority. It is woeful that discussions around health policy receive little to no space in the agenda of political parties. And while the media tends to report heavily on specific heath-related crises — such as the spread of polio and child deaths in Thar — meaningful debate around the causes of abysmal health services is virtually absent. The result of this apathy is appalling health indicators. The infant mortality rate in Pakistan is 66 per 1,000 births, compared to 38 in India and eight in Sri Lanka. Life expectancy in Pakistan for women is 67 years, as compared to 73 in Bangladesh and 78 in Thailand. The maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is 170 per 100,000 live births, in contrast to 30 in Sri Lanka and 20 in Thailand. The indifference of Pakistan’s government to health is reflected in the fact that Pakistan spends a mere 0.9pc of its GDP on health. Only two countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh, have a lower ratio of GDP to health spending. Another indication of the government’s neglect is the fact that public expenditure on health accounts for a little over one-third of Pakistan’s total health expenditure. Pakistan’s citizens rely heavily on private healthcare, which they avail primarily through out-of-pocket payments. This is in stark contrast not only to the developed West, but also to developing countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka, where public expenditure accounts for most of health spending. The poor quality of government provided health services in Pakistan is the major reason behind the large role played by the private sector in healthcare. Behind the dismal numbers lie heartbreaking stories of lives ruined and cut short due to the unavailability of affordable and quality healthcare. An unhealthy population with severely diminished...

You Can’t Cook a Narrative

Two incidents compelled me to write this column: the directive by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to two private TV channels to air apologies for promoting controversial and sectarian views during their Ramzan transmission, and a consultation at the national counter-terrorism authority to prepare some policy recommendations. The PEMRA order followed a meeting of the council of complaints, three days after the watchdog snubbed and banned Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shabir Abu Talib from hosting their shows. The directive exemplifies the crisis of intellectual poverty, conceptual confusion and bankruptcy of political vision in our governance structures. It also reflects how political expedience prompts even state institutions and their guardians to compromise on citizens’ constitutional rights. The two channels have been asked to apologize only for asking questions related to Article 19 of the constitution (Freedom of speech) and the rights of citizens who are protected by Articles 14, 19, 20, particularly 22(3) and Article 25. Article 22(3) says: “Subject to law: (a) no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community (b)no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth.” Article 25 is about the equality of all citizens. Article 8 of the constitution specifically states that “any law, or any custom or usage having the force of law, in so far as it is inconsistent with the rights conferred by the Chapter 2, shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void.” Should the state be guided by law or by perceived fears? A perceived fear of public disorder or blow-back by those flagrantly disregarding the constitutional rights of Pakistani citizens and those threatening to take life keeps the legislators and the guardians of public order on the defensive....

Ulasi Police Showcase: Police Reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province

The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) aired three new episodes of its new flagship radio program “Ulasi Police” in the districts of Mardan, Peshawar and Charsadda on May 31, June 01 and 02 respectively. “Ulasi Police” is an awareness and advocacy campaign undertaken by the Center - 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 ameliorate the trust deficit between the public and police, help KP police become an accountable and community-focused police force. First Information Report (FIR) - Importance and Procedure: Ulasi Police aired from Pakhtunkhwa Radio, FM-92.6, Mardan on May 31, 2016 discussed the process of the registration of First Information Report (FIR) and Diary, and how a case is processed further in the courts after the FIR has been registered. The program also highlighted the importance FIR in justice system, difference between FIR and Diary, cognizable and non-cognizable cases and online FIR registration mechanism. “First Information Report (FIR) is a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First Information Report. It triggers the government machinery to provide justice to the victims of crimes. A cognizable offence is one in which the police may arrest a person without warrant. They are authorized to start investigation into a cognizable case on their own and do not require any orders from the court to do so. In-case of a non-cognizable offence in which a police officer has no authority to arrest without warrant, the police can register it in Roznamcha (Diary)”, said Mr. Luqman Khan, Station House Officer (SHO),...

Pakistan NAP(ing)!

A consultation that a national counter-terrorism outfit held to prepare for a conference on policy recommendations to the government exemplified the crisis of intellectual poverty, conceptual confusion and bankruptcy of political vision within our ruling and governance structures. This also reflected how political expedience prompts state institutions and their guardians to compromise citizens’ constitutional rights. The inability to delineate governance and security through globally practiced good governance/rule of law norms also underscore limitations and the quality of analysis on critical issues in the country. The National Action Plan (NAP), for instance, had taken off on an extremely positive note in January 2015 but with the passage of time, it lost steam and zeroed down to reliance on hard power i.e., military and police actions instead of carving a path nestled in the state’s soft power. Unfortunately, governmental inaction, lack of resolve for indiscriminate action against criminals and terrorists as well as disregard for commitments contained in the NAP — naively projected as a counter-terrorism (CT) roadmap — have rendered this set of 20 points into a joke. This became obvious during the CT consultation as well. As pointed out only by a couple of the two dozen or so participants, the entire focus of this consultation seemed to draw on borrowed Western terminology such as “building community resilience” or a “counter-narrative anchored in Islam”. Not a single of the six Terms of Reference (ToR) referred to the much-needed rule of law paradigm. Most of the talk sounded like confused rambling without any clarity on concepts such as CT, countering violent extremism (CVE), de-radicalisation and the national narrative. Officials seem to be still grappling with the concept of a narrative or national narrative. They continue parroting on the need for a “national narrative”, not realising that narratives reflect the intent and action by a state and society on...

CHINA WATCH [June 13-19]: National and International Security

The week of June 13-19 was dominated by security related matters, both in terms of ensuring the safety of the CPEC route, and regional relations and frictions. Security The Sindh government has announced that it will recruit 2,000 ex-servicemen for the security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Presenting a budget proposal for the fiscal year 2016-17, provincial finance minister Murad Ali Shah said that the Sindh government has kept law and order as one of its topmost priorities.[1] While addressing a joint meeting of senate’s standing committees on foreign affairs and defense, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed said that the CPEC project was irksome for the United States.[2] CPEC is just the start of a much larger Chinese pivot to dramatically increase its footprint in Eurasia, a fact that is of much concern to the global superpower status of the US. This trepidation with the rise of China as the new superpower will have consistent and far-reaching repercussion on both inter and intra-national relations for Pakistan. Since the inception of CPEC, the project was opposed by national and international forces, reported Chinese media this past week.[3] This also marks the growing Chinese ire with the various contextual local challenges to the project from the Pakistani side. From the nationalist movement in Balochistan, to the unrest in FATA, and from the crime syndicates in Karachi to the sectarian violence in Gilgit Baltistan, China is wary of the various security challenges in Pakistan, and expects Pakistan to do its utmost to mitigate these. However, incidents such as these cast a shadow of doubt over Pakistan’s ability to capably protect the route and the Chinese working on it. With reference to the CPEC security, the government notified the senate that 22 additional wings of civil armed forces (CAFs) would be raised for this matter.[4] 17,000 security personnel will protect the route, of which 3,000 have already been hired. Six CAF wings will form...

Playing the Victim

A Pakistan Army major and an Afghan soldier lost their lives during overnight clashes at the Torkham border that began late on May 12. At least 22 others were wounded on both sides, ten of them civilians. Pakistan had closed the border down days before the incident, and tensions had been rising since Islamabad said it would build a gate on the border crossing and fence the two kilometer area to stop Afghan nationals from entering Pakistan without a visa. Kabul had opposed the decision and tried to stop it. The incoherence of Pakistan’s foreign policy was exposed in the statements that followed. “Maj [Jawad] Changezi’s martyrdom will be avenged,” defence minister Khawaja Asif said, “even as our enemies seek to rob us of the peace gains of operation Zarb-e-Azb.” “Pakistan’s sincere efforts for border management are being sabotaged from across the border,” sai Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the interior minister. Meanwhile, foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told the Senate’s standing committees on foreign affairs and defence, according to reports, that the United States was “probably upset over the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project”. The priorities of external players may change Sartaj Aziz, adviser on foreign affairs, said: “The recent drone attack in which the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed has breached our sovereignty, caused a serious setback to the peace efforts and intensified hostilities in Afghanistan.” Most of these statements not only belie the art of strategic communication, but also betray the poverty of considered thought on critical issues in a government that is virtually headless and whose sole focus appears to extricate its prime minister from the mess of the Panama Papers. Pakistan’s current foreign policy focus – with regard to Afghanistan, India and the US – is on counterterrorism, border management, Afghan refugees and CPEC. Washington continues to press for measures against Afghan Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba,...