Current Projects
Sabawoon Showcase: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Initiative for Maintaining Peace in the Region
April 18, 2016, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was about the initiatives taken by the KP government to counter militancy, extremism, and to maintain peace in the region. The central points of discussion were related to the initiatives such as the ban on hate speech and literature, regulating seminaries, civil society interventions in seminaries, police capacity building and reforms, and overall improvement the education sector. Moreover, the program also highlighted the issues faced by lesser privilliged street children, and their rehabilitation via ‘Zamung Kor’ program that aims to create a society where children can enjoy their rights without any discrimination and deprivation of basic necessities. The program was aired under the theme of “JwandeyJazbey” (alive spirits), on Wednesday. The guest on the show was Mr. Salahuddin Khan, Assistant Director, Zamung Kor program KP. Report on ‘Zamung Kor’ in Peshawar: The special report aired on the show highlighted the views of the street children who are rehabilitating in ‘Zamung Kor’ and shared the strategies of the management to support these children. Shoaib Khan, an eight year old, said: “I am very happy here as I can study, play games, and have fun with my friends in a comfortable environment.” Mr. Muhammad Bilal, a student, said: “Within three months, I have learned Urdu at ‘Zamung Kor’. They are providing us with care, schooling, and motivate us to take part in extracurricular activities. My dream is to join the Pakistan Army and serve my nation.” Mr. Muhammad Naeem, Director ‘Zamung Kor’ project, said: “We try our best to provide a friendly environment to the children so they can avail all the facilities under one roof. This project will also be extended to other districts in the near future to revamp the street children.” Three callers took part in the live show. They appreciated the KP government’s initiative and demanded...
Sabawoon Showcase: Status of Female Education in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
April 18, 2016, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was about the current status of female education in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the role of FATA Secretariat in the education sector in FATA. The key points of discussion included the current scenario of education, damaged schools and their reconstruction, lack of proper infrastructure for students, accommodation problems for female teachers, and aftermath of the army operations against militancy. Furthermore, the program highlighted female enrollment, and the mindset of the residents regarding females’ education. The program aired under the theme of “Jarga Marraka” (debate and council), on Monday. Mr. Khan Malik Mehsud, President All FATA’s Teachers Association, Mr. Naseer Shah, General Secretary All FATA’s Teachers Association, and Mr. Asad Zia, a journalist from KP, were guests on the show. Report on Girls Education in FATA: The special report aired on the show highlighted the views of students, local residents, and the political administration about the prevailing situation of education in FATA and the plans of the government. Ms. Maryam Bibi, a student of Government Girls High School (GGHS), Bara Khyber Agency, said: “We do not have a proper place where we can study. We are using a tent in our school which will create a problem for us in the summers.” Ms. Saqina Naaz, student of GGHS Bara Khyber Agency, said: “In GGHS, there are two teachers currently while the number of students is above 500. Most of our classes take place in hujras and tents. We do not have basic facilities such as clean drinking water and washrooms.” The government mandated student to teacher ratio (STR) is 40:1; GGHs is at 250:1, severely hampering students’ ability to learn and engage with teachers. Mr. Ghulam Khan, a local, said: “I have voluntarily provided my hujra for school use so their education continues. Since two teachers are not...
Countering Extremist Mindset
by Imtiaz Gul In April 2016, extremists won — twice — in the federal capital; first, all the hooligans — supporters of a person whose execution was endorsed by the highest court — went away scot free. They breached agreements, violated law, disregarded government warnings, knocked off barriers and stayed put at D-Chowk to hand the government demands largely inconsistent with the law and the constitution of the country. The federal administration — personified by the interior minister — congratulated itself for ending the sit-in without spilling a drop of blood. All the protestors, on the other hand, walked away with a sense of triumph, a sense of having first trampled the law, taken the capital and phone services hostage and then subdued the government into letting them go — unhurt, without legal consequences. Then, a week later, even more worrying was the response of the local administration of an institution that prides itself as a high seat of learning for science and technology. It blocked a rights/responsibilities training programme, and used the distorted, incendiary feedback by two out of 21 trainees — mere 10 per cent to ask organisers out of the campus. Some of the heads of departments — all PhDs and scientists — used a fraction of the content — lectures and discussions — of an earlier training to argue against such endeavour. These scientists literally spoke in support of the feedback by two trainees who had practically resonated demands by the wily Qadri marchers at D-Chowk. Some even took offence as to why 20 fundamental rights of the constitution had been picked up for discussion. For them, any discussion on Equal Citizenry, or Blasphemy Law, or Respect for All faiths amounts to foreign represented a foreign agenda — as if we don’t want to treat our non-Muslim citizens as equals! The training programme, aimed at promoting constitutional literacy, was the result of a partnership between the science and technology institution and a private think tank....
CRSS China Watch – April 19, 2016
Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal said that all efforts are underway to speed up the development work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He asserted that the civil-military leadership is committed for the quick completion of the project which will usher economic stability and prosperity not only in Pakistan but also in the neighboring region. The project would bring revolutionary changes and will overcome the energy crisis of Pakistan by the year 2018.[1] Habib Bank Limited stands as the first South Asian lender to operate in the world’s second largest economy since it has been allowed to open a branch in China. The bank intends to open a branch in Urumqi, the rising business and industry center and the regional hub for China’s Belt and Street Initiative (B&RI) in Central Asia.[2] Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan has registered a 15 percent growth during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, owing to the inflow for projects under the CPEC. The government has estimated $2.1 billion FDI disbursement from China in 2015/16, and power and construction sectors have been estimated as the prime recipients. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country received $975.4 million as FDI during July-March 2015/16 which is $125.2 million higher than the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.[3] [1]http://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/113362-CPECs-first-phase-to-be-completed-by-2018-Ahsan-Iqbal [2]http://tribune.com.pk/story/1087196/hbl-to-open-branch-in-china/ [3]http://tribune.com.pk/story/1087399/foreign-investment-china-contributes-more-than-half-to-fdi-inflow/
Muslim Identity and a Multicultural, Pluralistic Society can Coexist, says Bosnian Ambassador
Islamabad, April 18, 2016: Setting a good example as a Muslim is critical to building a better image of Muslims. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) is a nation that exemplifies multiculturalism, pluralism and ethnic and religious diversity. Muslims, Christians and Jews coexist peacefully, crime is at zero, and literacy rate is at 100%. BH has created a law-abiding, peaceful, tolerant society, all without sacrificing its proud Muslim identity. These remarks were made by His Excellency, Dr. Nedim Makarević, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Pakistan, during the closing ceremony of Pakistan Center of Excellence’s (PACE) second round of collaborative workshops; a five day residential training program from April 15-18, 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 such as Rule of Law, Equal Citizenry, Secular Governance as a primary condition for social cohesion, and Tolerance for, and acceptance of cultural diversity. The resource persons and public intellectuals who interacted with the participating university lecturers and professors from different universities across Pakistan included Dr. A.H. Nayyer, Ms. Sara Farid, Mr. Safiullah Gul, Mr. Dr. Mohsin Naqvi, Mr. Jehangir Khattak, Ms. Humaira Masihuddin, Dr. Samina Yasmeen, 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. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director,...
CRSS China Watch – April 15, 2016
The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Nawab Sanaullah Khan, had a meeting with a team from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the meeting, he said that, since the initiative of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the investment opportunities in Gwadar and Balochistan have increased to a great extent. He assured that the government would assist the efforts involved in the exploitation of such potential investment opportunities.[1] Pakistan’s former permanent representative (write down the name if it was available) at the United Nations in Geneva and envoy at the Conference on Disarmament claimed that China would not allow India to enter into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). He said that, regardless of the support of the United States (US), India would not be able to join the NSG as china aims to endorse the membership of Pakistan and India at the same time.[2] Pervez Khattak, the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), wrote a letter to the federal government seeking clarification over uncertainties of the western alignment of the CEPC. He has also sought reservations over the inclusion of some projects as part of the western corridor. However, the federal government has not made any clear commitment in this regard.[3] The Senate Standing Committee on Defence was informed that India’s premier spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), had set up a ‘special cell’ in New Delhi to disrupt the CPEC project.[4] In order to increase cooperation among the private sector of the Punjab province of Pakistan and Shandong Province of China, two agreements and six MOUs were signed. The agreement was signed by the Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, and Shandong vice Governor, Xia Geng.[5] [1] http://tribune.com.pk/story/1084288/safe-environment-cpec-opens-investment-vistas-says-cm-zehri/ [2] http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/pak-says-china-will-stop-india-s-entry-into-nsg-116041400264_1.html [3]...
The long road to Gwadar – I
by Zeeshan Salahuddin Some very clinical language is used to describe the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is a “game-changer” for Pakistan, “an unprecedented economic opportunity”, and “the foundation for industrial and technological revolution”. This is largely accurate, but in order to achieve it, Pakistan will have to move a few steps beyond the financing, the infrastructure, and the rhetoric. Pakistan will need to drastically improve its strategic communication with all stakeholders and citizens, and engage in transparency of information. This was a key takeaway in a recent bilateral dialogue between Chinese and Pakistani security sector practitioners. CPEC is indeed a game-changer, a veritable metamorphosis for Pakistan, catapulting the country into economic and cultural maturity. It is the beginning of a much larger Chinese vision, a vision that ends with China at the center of a united, inter-dependent, free-trading Eurasia. The CPEC, approximately 3,000 kilometers long, connecting Gwadar port in Balochistan to Kashgar province in western China, is just one of the several planned roads China plans to build over the next decades. Strategically, it is the most important for two reasons. First, it is the pilot project for the massive undertaking, and its success could make or break Pakistan’s future. Second, the CPEC connects the planned Chinese maritime route with the overland silk route, thus providing the crucial connection between the two roads. Working with Pakistan is like working with several governments at once The Chinese have trusted Pakistan with improving its internal security situation in order to facilitate the CPEC. This is paramount, because China has finally managed to provide Pakistan with something that six decades of western policy was never able to provide: a tangible, economic, existential reason for why Pakistan should stabilize itself from within and cast out the cancerous tumors that have been feeding on its soul for...
Sabawoon-Monthly Progress Report March, 2016
Executive Summary: In the month of March, 2016, a total of 18 radio shows were aired under the Sabawoon (the dawn) program. We collected 26 reports from our reporters from various parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). A total of 30 reports were aired on various programs. During the entire month we received 196 phone calls (live and post show) along with 207 SMS messages. A total of 27 guests took part in the live program, 14 of which were females. We aired the voices of 53 women in different reports. Out of 18 radio shows, 11 focused on women’s issues. One of our guests who appeared in Jwandey Jazbey (alive spirits), said, “Sabawoon as the name reveals, proved to be a tremendous dawn for me. After the show highlighted my achievements as a businesswoman, a listener of the show approached me from Dubai to help expand my business. My first contract with her is for Rs2 million. The show provided me a platform to market my business and to motivate people to believe in enterprising females.” Highlighted Episodes: Sabawoon is a CRSS flagship radio program aired from Peshawar for KP and FATA regions. It has been designed to inculcate respect for basic human rights, underscore the need for good governance, create awareness for democratic and governance reforms in democratic institutions and stress the need for improving women’s rights and participation in public spheres. It also creates avenues for the public to participate in policy discourse through formal or informal consultations. Brief descriptions of the Sabawoon programs aired in the month of March are given below: One episode was focused on “Women’s role in the Decision and Policy Making Process”. It was aired under the theme Jwandai Jazbey (alive spirits). The guest included a PHD student and FATA Youth Organization Female Wing President Shumaila Javed. The main point of the discussion was that women are not only facing problems like domestic violence,...
Sabawoon Showcase: Right to Public Services Act Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Its Commission’s Performance
April 11, 2016, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was about the Right to Public Services (RTS) Act 2014 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KP). The idea was to sensitize listeners about the Act, and the performance of the RTS C. The key points of discussion related to the need of the Act and Commission as a tool to ensure basic human rights, timely delivery of public services and the Commission as a tool to enforce the rule of law, imrpove governance, and accountability. Moreover, the program also highlighted the lack of public confidence in government institutions, lack of awareness among the public about the act, and progress made by the RTS commission to date. The program was aired under the theme of “Jarga Marraka” (debate and council), on Monday, Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner, RTS Commission, was a guest on the show. The special report aired during the show highlighted concerns of the public about the progress of the RTS commission and government officials to provide on time services. Mr. Aurangzeb Khan, a resident of Peshawar, said,: I used to visit the deputy commissioner office but never found him in office to resolve my property documentary evidence issue, which is stuck due to him. Deputy Commissioner lives in his bungalow where a common man is hardly allowed to get in. We have submitted many applications but in vain. Mr. Bilal Khan, from Peshawar, said,: I am not satisfied with the act and commission. Still, government officers delay our work. I have submitted documents for domicile certificate, but no progress so far. Five callers took part in the show. They urged the Commission to spread awareness among the masses about the Act, establish a complaint box in each government institution, and make its practical implementation possible in all the regions of KP. Mr. Muhammad Umar, a caller on the show, said: , We don’t know about this law and the Commission. This is the...
CPEC: Paradoxical Approaches
by Imtiaz Gul The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an inescapable part of the conversation, whenever officials, private businessmen or intelligentsia from both countries meet — regardless where. In Islamabad, the talk around CPEC is loaded with promises of a “game-changing initiative”. Here, ambiguities still surround many issues such as the preference for the western route. Projects such as the Orange Line or coal-based power plants continue to draw flak and controversy. Controversy, confusion, convolution of facts and connivance of the mighty ones to reap the maximum dividends (to the exclusion of merits and transparency) probably is one way of describing how the Sharif government is going about the CPEC. In Beijing, or elsewhere in China, guarded optimism and veiled or even direct questions accompany this conversation which, in fact, is rooted in a very clear strategy flowing from President Xi Jinping’s vision of One Belt One Road (OBOR); this initiative exemplifies China’s effort to produce new opportunities for itself as well as for others because no country can develop in isolation. Neither can you be well if your neighbour is poor, so they believe. Also, an inclusive development strategy is seen as the engine of the Chinese economy which is being run by local/regional governments. In contrast, the manner with which the ruling party in Islamabad and Lahore embraced the CPEC, entailed the impression that they aimed to create a haven of peace and prosperity i.e., Punjab (by advancing the longer eastern route). This clearly ignored the regions that are key to the shortest Kashgar-Gawadar route i.e., Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This deliberate deviation also reflected the rulers’ selfishness and apathy towards areas that have, in the recent years, been battered by conflict and insecurity. In Beijing, the entire state machinery representing all regions hunkered down to work out the best strategies for implementing the CPEC as the first of the...
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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.