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Encouraging Critical Thinking: It Is Impossible To Grow Without Questioning, Says Dutch Diplomat

Teachers are that part of the community who can help raise and provide critical thinking skills to children, Dutch First Secretary Political Affairs Nanna Stoltz said on Sunday. Nanna Stoltz stressed that without the ability to ask critical questions, it was impossible for a society to advance, progress, and evolve . “In the Netherlands, we have this quote that it takes a village to raise a child. The idea of teachers being a gatekeeper [of the future] intersects nicely with this idea,” the diplomat said at the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Centre of Excellence (PACE)’s third round of collaborative workshops – a four-day residential training programme. The discussion themed around rule of law, tolerance, diversity, fundamental human rights, equal citizenry, democracy and governance, and the scientific need to question the narratives we are given. Participants praised the initiative, and said that they were inspired by the pluralistic ideas propagated by the initiative. “I am a teacher, and I always thought I was sufficiently aware,” said Dr Ali, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Karachi. “But now I feel a change inside, there is so much I have to learn, so many positive things I have to teach my students. We have our work cut out for us.” The Center for Research and Security Studies Executive-Director, Imtiaz Gul, said that it was important to inculcate critical thinking in our youth, and to equip them with the art of questioning the narratives they had been given. He said that teachers were gatekeepers of our future, and had the ability to shape an entire generation’s mindset to propagate tolerance, diversity and equality. The resource persons and public intellectuals who interacted with the participating university lecturers and professors from different educational institutes across Pakistan included Dr Zubair Iqbal, Sara Farid, and noted academic and peace activist Dr AH Nayyar. This article originally appeared in...

Teachers are the Gatekeepers for the Future; They Must Impart Critical Thinking, says Dutch Secretary for Political Affairs

In the Netherlands, we have this quote that it takes a village to raise a child. The idea of teachers being a gatekeeper intersects nicely with this idea, as teachers are part of the community that can help raise and provide critical thinking skills to children. Without the ability to ask these critical questions, it is impossible for a society to advance, progress, and evolve. These remarks were made by Nanna Stoltz, First Secretary Political Affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, during the closing ceremony of Pakistan Center of Excellence’s (PACE) third round of collaborative workshops; a four day residential training program between May 12 and 15, 2016. PACE is a major CVE initiative launched by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) - with the support from the government of Netherlands - to promote democratic values, respect for diversity, fundamental human rights and virtues of tolerance as a measure of ensuring social peace and harmony for peaceful co-existence. It aims to facilitate a socio-political discourse – the Alternate Narrative on democratic rights and responsibilities anchored in the globally accepted and practiced concepts. These concepts include adherence to the rule of law, equal citizenry, secular governance as a primary condition for social cohesion, and tolerance within the society at all levels. The resource persons and public intellectuals who interacted with the participating university lecturers and professors from different universities across Pakistan included Dr. Zubair Iqbal, Ms. Sara Farid, Ms. Asma Sherazi, Dr. A. H. Nayyar, Mr. Safiullah Gul, Mr. Kapil Dev, Ms. Humaira Masihuddin, Mr. Qibla Ayaz, and Mr. Niaz Murtaza. The discussion themes we primarily rule of law, tolerance, diversity, fundamental human rights, equal citizenry, democracy and governance, and perhaps most importantly, the scientific need to question the narratives we are given. Participants praised the initiative, and claimed that they...

Peace Process: Hostage to Haqqanis?

by Imtiaz Gul Going by the current official and private narratives out of Kabul, it is obvious that the bilateral relationship as well as the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) process are now practically hostage to the Afghan government’s expectations of a direct Pakistani action against the Haqqani network, which has emerged as the literal lynchpin of the al Qaeda-inspired Taliban insurgency. A string of events and statements clearly underscore this development. A public announcement issued in the capital on May 10 stated: “Insurgents from theHaqqani and Taliban networks are known to be planning attacks on the Afghan people” in the northeast provinces of Parwan, Kabul, Logar , Khost, Paktia, Paktika (greater Paktia region). “The Taliban are currently being commanded by [the] Haqqani [network]. We believe Haqqani and al Qaeda are two different names for the same terrorist organisation,” Afghan interior ministry spokesman Sediq Seddiqi told reporters in Kabul. He said Afghan security forces and military strategists are aware of the terrorist threat and are dealing with all of them as common enemies of Afghanistan. Only a week ago, officials in Kabul had blamed the Haqqani network for plotting a Taliban bomb-and-gun attack on a facility linked to the Afghan intelligence agency NDS that killed nearly 70 people and wounded 347 more. They said the militant group is operating from Pakistan and has links to that country’s intelligence apparatus. Almost simultaneously, officials at Nato’s Resolute Support mission in Kabul, too, warned of the threats coming from the Haqqani network and dubbed it as “the most lethal” and “most competent” terrorist organisation in the area. “Siraj Haqqani has been named the number two for the Taliban. And we think that he is increasing his day-to-day role in terms of conducting Taliban military operations,” US Army Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, deputy chief of staff for communications for Nato’s Resolute Support mission said....

“Ulasi Police” Set To Address Public-Police Trust Deficit

Institutionalizing police reforms is must to tackle the trust deficit between the public and the police in KP Province, Tariq Javed, Additional Inspector General of Police (Elite), KP spoke at the opening ceremony of “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 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. Speaking on the occasion, the AIG (Elite), Mr. Tariq Javed, emphasized on the institutionalization of the public police partnership and stressed on the need for greater advocacy for the image building of Police. He said the police need operational autonomy to function impartially and effectively and the KP Police – in this regard - has succeeded to some extent. Mian Iftikhar Hussain, ANP leader who also participated in the event as guest speaker, said that the KP Police has been playing a front line role in war against terror and has laid down tremendous sacrifices going above and beyond the call of their duty. “Due to prolong insurgency in the region, there is a dire need to bring social reforms in police system in order to make them more public friendly”. He assured his full support in bringing reforms in the Police system and improving its image. Mr. Shaukat Yousafzai, PTI Leader said that the initiatives like “Ulasi Police” is need of the hour to restore the public trust in Police and address the issue of trust deficit that subsists despite the operational autonomy of police force. The Police has multipronged challenges and its de-politicization can help them standing up to these challenges. DRCs is also a good step-ahead as...

What’s In It for China?

by Imtiaz Gul “China is reportedly upset over the slow progress made in awarding the $2-billion commercial contract that includes laying a gas pipeline and setting up a LNG terminal in Gwadar,” according to a newspaper report on May 3. “The commercial bid for the contract… had not been opened yet,” the report said, and “even after several months, no decision has been taken on the contract, much to the dismay of the Chinese side.” Another report the same day said political parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province vowed “to go to any extent” to get the province its fair share in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. Chinese President Xi Jinping had elevated the relationship between the two countries to a new geo-strategic level with his Islamabad visit exactly a year ago, when he signed several cooperation and investment agreements worth $46 billion with Islamabad, under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship initiative. This flowed from President Xi’s idea of One Belt One Road (OBOR) reflected also in some $110 billion worth of investments that China made in 49 countries last year. Some are calling it a Chinese tool for economic colonization According to Ms Xiheng, a deputy director general and advisor on international cooperation at the Development Research Center of the State Council of China, this reflects the consensus within China on outward expansion. Unlike the past decades when Beijing was inviting Foreign Direct Investment, it is now investing abroad, she says, because three decades of rapid growth and development have given the Asian giant a competitive advantage. “And now, we want to make use of this advantage – our ability for outbound investment – to help other disadvantaged countries. This underlines our desire to share the fruits of development with all those interested in peace and development,” she said during a recent dialogue at Beijing. Does the CPEC project enjoy a similar national consensus and resolve in Pakistan? Is our...

A Complete Encirclement?

by Imtiaz Gul Pakistan’s encirclement by the Indo-Afghan alliance is nearly complete. The Afghan Army Chief General Qadam Shah Shaheem said on April 30 that if other options don’t yield any positive results in bringing Pakistani incursions to a halt, the Afghan Army would step in as a last resort in responding to military aggression along the Durand Line. The Indian foreign secretary told Pakistan that it “cannot be in denial of the impact of terrorism on the bilateral relationship”, essentially reiterating that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. Quietly, New Delhi remains focused on entrenching itself at the Iranian Chabahar port to gain access to Afghanistan and Central Asian energy markets, as well as connecting with the Middle East and Europe. With Afghan transit trade down, traffic through Chabahar is likely to make Pakistan even more irrelevant for Afghan imports. India has also successfully cultivated the ruling elite in both Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian states, thereby trumping the natural geographical importance and relevance that Pakistan has for these countries. We in Pakistan believe to have successfully thwarted Indo-Afghan-American conspiracies against us. But empirical evidence — Pakistan’s image abroad and its continued isolation on issues related to terrorism — suggests that this ‘success’ continues to bleed Pakistan socially, politically and economically. Tactically, we have been successful — but at what cost? Beyond doubt, neither the US nor India can bend a nuclear-armed Pakistan. Both tried, but failed to dictate. Punish they can, nevertheless; and continue to do so, both directly and indirectly. Through its strategic investment and a whole-of-government approach towards Afghanistan, India has created a hornet’s nest for Pakistan. Those who are relevant in Afghanistan — from members of parliament, to President Ghani, to Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, to former president Karzai and the civil-military establishment —...

Second Round of PACE Collaborative Workshops

April 15-18, 2016: The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted the second four-day collaborative workshop for young university lecturers and professors between April 15 and 18, 2016 at Hill View Hotel, Islamabad. The workshop was conducted under the umbrella of the Pakistan Center of Excellence (PACE), a counter-radicalization, pluralistic values focused project, in collaboration with the Dutch Government. Participants included young university lecturers and professors from COMSATS Institute for Information Technology (CIIT), CECOS University, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), and the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies Department, Peshawar University (PU). [read more about PACE] Opening Ceremony Mr. Zeeshan Salahuddin, Project Manager, welcomed participants to the workshop, saying that PACE is put together by CRSS to counter radicalization, inculcate critical thinking, question preconceived notions and narratives, and embed the national discourse in constitutionalism and the rule of law. He said PACE is grounded in the universal values of tolerance and acceptance; tolerance is one virtue that leads to range of other factors such as perseverance, coexistence and the idea of peace building. [read more about Zeeshan Salahuddin] Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS elaborated on the objectives of the training saying equal citizenry is a concept which is guaranteed in all the constitutions of the developed countries, including Pakistan. We need to consciously treat all Pakistanis as equal citizens and should respect their rights. He said that the primary objective of the workshop was to trigger critical thinking through a discourse anchored in fundamental global values such as socio-political diversity, acceptance of diversity, rule of law and equal citizenry. The idea is to create a critical mass of young leaders equipped with the skills to critically analyze issues, look at each other as equal citizens, and correct misperceptions about...

Second Round of PACE Collaborative Workshops

April 15-18, 2016: The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted the second four-day collaborative workshop for young university lecturers and professors between April 15 and 18, 2016 at Hill View Hotel, Islamabad. The workshop was conducted under the umbrella of the Pakistan Center of Excellence (PACE), a counter-radicalization, pluralistic values focused project, in collaboration with the Dutch Government. Participants included young university lecturers and professors from COMSATS Institute for Information Technology (CIIT), CECOS University, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), and the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies Department, Peshawar University (PU). [read more about PACE] Opening Ceremony Mr. Zeeshan Salahuddin, Project Manager, welcomed participants to the workshop, saying that PACE is put together by CRSS to counter radicalization, inculcate critical thinking, question preconceived notions and narratives, and embed the national discourse in constitutionalism and the rule of law. He said PACE is grounded in the universal values of tolerance and acceptance; tolerance is one virtue that leads to range of other factors such as perseverance, coexistence and the idea of peace building. [read more about Zeeshan Salahuddin] Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS elaborated on the objectives of the training saying equal citizenry is a concept which is guaranteed in all the constitutions of the developed countries, including Pakistan. We need to consciously treat all Pakistanis as equal citizens and should respect their rights. He said that the primary objective of the workshop was to trigger critical thinking through a discourse anchored in fundamental global values such as socio-political diversity, acceptance of diversity, rule of law and equal citizenry. The idea is to create a critical mass of young leaders equipped with the skills to critically analyze issues, look at each other as equal citizens, and correct misperceptions about...

Second Round of PACE Collaborative Workshops

April 15-18, 2016: The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted the second four-day collaborative workshop for young university lecturers and professors between April 15 and 18, 2016 at Hill View Hotel, Islamabad. The workshop was conducted under the umbrella of the Pakistan Center of Excellence (PACE), a counter-radicalization, pluralistic values focused project, in collaboration with the Dutch Government. Participants included young university lecturers and professors from COMSATS Institute for Information Technology (CIIT), CECOS University, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), and the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies Department, Peshawar University (PU). [read more about PACE] Opening Ceremony Mr. Zeeshan Salahuddin, Project Manager, welcomed participants to the workshop, saying that PACE is put together by CRSS to counter radicalization, inculcate critical thinking, question preconceived notions and narratives, and embed the national discourse in constitutionalism and the rule of law. He said PACE is grounded in the universal values of tolerance and acceptance; tolerance is one virtue that leads to range of other factors such as perseverance, coexistence and the idea of peace building. [read more about Zeeshan Salahuddin] Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS elaborated on the objectives of the training saying equal citizenry is a concept which is guaranteed in all the constitutions of the developed countries, including Pakistan. We need to consciously treat all Pakistanis as equal citizens and should respect their rights. He said that the primary objective of the workshop was to trigger critical thinking through a discourse anchored in fundamental global values such as socio-political diversity, acceptance of diversity, rule of law and equal citizenry. The idea is to create a critical mass of young leaders equipped with the skills to critically analyze issues, look at each other as equal citizens, and correct misperceptions about...

Q1, 2016 Has Lower Violence/Fatalities Than Q1, 2015; Escalation Since Q4, 2015, CRSS Report Shows

The first quarter data on violence-related casualties (both fatalities and injuries) shows an overall decline when compared to the data from Q1, 2015. 872 people were killed in this quarter, while another 573 injured. This is a decrease of 36.8% from Q1, 2015, which saw 1,360 deaths. Despite this overall decline, Q1 showed a nearly 10% increase in violence-related fatalities when compared to Q4, 2015. Additionally, militants, insurgents and criminals accounted for 68% of all fatalities in Q1, 2015, which has dropped to 54% in Q1, 2016. Conversely, fatalities of non-combatants (civilians, security officials, and government officials) rose from 32% in Q1, 2015 to 46% in Q1, 2016. The decline in violence in Sindh, particularly District Karachi, is remarkable with 152 fatalities, against 368 in Q1, 2015. Punjab, on the other hand, showed a striking increase in violence, from 163 in Q1, 2015 to 259 in Q1, 2016. Balochistan also showed a slight increase. FATA showed a marked decrease, from 619 in Q1, 2015 to 239, a 61% reduction in violence-related fatalities. KP was about on par with data from Q1, 2015. The number of deaths from sectarian violence also decreased by nearly 48%, despite major attacks, such as the one on Easter Sunday. This data suggests that the fight is far from over, and the unconditional implementation of rule of law should be the most paramount objective moving forward. The detailed report (attached) also contains additional statistics and infographics for your perusal. Please send any queries directly to Mohammad Nafees, Senior Research Fellow, CRSS – the author of the report (nafees@crss.pk).