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Travels At The Expense of The National Exchequer
by Imtiaz Gul This is the story of a government official — in his own words — who has served various governments in different capacities: staff officer, diplomat, federal secretary, since times immemorial. A recent report presented before the National Assembly, in fact, served as a trigger for him offloading some of his experiences below: I was indeed bemused to see the media go hoarse talking about the prime minister’s foreign trips and the costs incurred. The data presented in the National Assembly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells us that the premier’s 65 foreign tours thus far have cost the national exchequerRs638.27 million. But why should this come as a surprise when the actual costs of such trips may be manifold? These trips are not restricted to just prime ministers or presidents. They apply to ministers visiting foreign countries. What is tabled before parliament is only part of the costs such trips entail. Few Pakistanis would know that a significant portion of the ministry of foreign affairs’ budget goes into servicing VVIPs’ foreign tours and this doesn’t show up in the prime minister’s or the president’s official tour expenses. Let me share with you what I had to put up with in the last two decade. It’s indeed a litany of frustrations over the reckless way public representatives and military rulers, as well as their accompanying cronies abuse public money. Among the prime ministers, presidents, martial law administrators, ministers and parliamentarians I have served, I can recount very few exceptions. Most insist on at least five-star stay and travel by expensive limousines. I had to, for instance, cough up embassy funds — which don’t count towards the official cost of the VVIPs’ departments — to entertain a number of businessmen and journalists accompanying former premier Shaukat Aziz on his several visits to Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Back in the 1990s, I suffered public humiliation when the spouse of a prime minister got angry with me...
Respecting Institutional Democracy Must for Bolstering Positive State-To-State Engagement
You can’t talk about peace in an atmosphere of attrition and distrust. Media can play an important role to help develop positive engagement between India and Pakistan. It is extremely important to respect institutional democracy in our respective countries. India and Pakistan share a very turbulent relationship where at times it arouses great hope and at times it leaves us deeply desperate and despondent. The threats the citizens in the two countries can distort their way of life. These were the personal views shared by Mr. Vinod Sharma, Political Editor, Hindustan Times, on “India Pakistan Relations: The Way Forward” during a lecture at School of Politics and IR, Quaid-e-Azam University. He is visiting Pakistan as part of “Discussion Fora: India Pakistan Relations” organized by the Islamabad based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). He said that he was not making a presentation on behalf of the government of India or his newspaper and was sharing his personal assessment of India-Pakistan relations. “We have come to a stage where there is a degree of apprehension on our side and a degree of circumspection on your side. Apprehension on our side about what’s going to happen with regard to the threat that we perceive as emanating from Pakistan and circumspection from your side about India’s approach to the promised comprehensive dialogue to address Pakistan’s concerns”. “Rather than offering solutions to the problems of Kashmir or offering ideas as how to tackle terror that’s a common threat to both countries, I , as a media person and a student of mass communication, would share my perspective on how to create a climate for a meaningful engagement. You can’t talk about peace in an atmosphere of attrition and distrust. Many of the problems that we face in our respective countries directly involve the people of two countries.” Mr. Sharma said, “With the presence of threats around, you can’t get the way of life you want even when the governments are doing...
CRSS China Watch – February 19, 2016
Politics Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal stated that the federal government is concerned towards the development of western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He emphasized timely completion of western route and assured that any sort of discrimination with any part of the country, would not be acceptable for inclusive development of Pakistan. [1] Over the significant status of Balochistan in the CPEC, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri guaranteed to promote peace and stability in the region. [2] On eve of the launching of a special report based on Chinese President’s vision for peace and prosperity of China and the region, Ambassador Sun Weidong asserted that Chinese leadership is keen to reinforce strong bilateral relations by indulging Pakistan in projects from all walks of life. [3] Media In a meeting with Chinese media delegation, managing director Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Masood Malik appreciated role of Pak China media in strengthening bilateral economic relations. Media would be a useful tool to promote the peaceful execution of the CPEC. [4] Security In order to secure CPEC, government of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) has ordered Pak Army to build its headquarter in the district of Diamer. Deputy Commissioner Usman Ahmad confirmed the provision of a brigade-level military infrastructure in the region. [5] Economy Finance Secretary Waqar Masood Khan said that Pakistan will see its annual economic growth rate surge to 7 percent in two years as it reaps the benefits from China and others investing more than $40 billion in infrastructure. [6] The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved a supplemental treaty to protect the Chinese and their local partners from chronic circular debt. [7] _________________________________________________________________________ [1] http://www.brecorder.com/top-stories/0/16766/ [2]...
Great guns
by Imtiaz Gul The F16s from the US will come with heightened expectations. On February 12, the US announced it will go ahead with the sale of eight F16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The $699-million deal also includes radar and electronic warfare equipment. “This proposed sale contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia,” said a news release by Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency. It “improves Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future security threats. These additional F16 aircraft will facilitate operations in all weather, non-daylight environments, provide a self-defense/area suppression capability, and enhance Pakistan’s ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations.” India summoned the US envoy to express “disappointment” India reacted sharply to the notification, summoning the US envoy in New Delhi to express its “disappointment” the very next day. “We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism,” New Delhi said in a statement. What does Pakistan need these F16s for? And why is the Obama administration ready ignore protests by India, which the US president had so far been calling a natural ally? Does it really reflect a new sense of justice towards Pakistan by a hitherto-skeptical United States? And what did India really want to achieve by publicly sharing its displeasure? Officials in Islamabad hailed the deal as a welcome step. The fighter planes manufactured by Lockheed Martin will certainly reinforce Pakistan’s precision strike capability in the mountainous border region with Afghanistan, defense experts and diplomats say, against the Pakistani Taliban and their splinter groups in South Waziristan, especially in the Shawal region, and Haji Mangal Bagh’s Lashkar-e-Islam in Khyber Agency’s Tirah valley. “This sale will increase the number of aircraft available to the Pakistan Air Force...
Annual Security Report – 2015
Introduction Compiling and contrasting the data on various forms of violence between 2013 and 2015, this annual report examines various aspects of militancy and the outcome of counter-militancy strategies being pursued by the country under the National Action Plan (NAP) and the counter-terror Zarb-e-Azb operation. To evaluate and assess the marked decline in violence, this report scrutinizes all incidents of violence, number of fatalities of anti-state actors, their victims, the identity of the victims and claimants of crime. It also reviews new methods of criminality and militancy that non-state actors deployed during the last three years and how terror and violence affect citizen’s lives. All assessments and reviews are based on open source data, mostly national print and electronic media. 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 work. 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 want send your queries to mail@crss.pk, directly to Mohammad Nafees, Senior Research Fellow, CRSS – the author of the report (nafees@crss.pk) or Zeeshan Salahuddin, Senior Research Fellow (zeeshan@crss.pk). Casualties of Violence in the Country Casualties of violence in 2015 recorded a marked decline; from a loss of 7,611 persons in 2014, the number dropped to 4,653 persons this year, a fall of more than 40%. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) topped the rest of the country in terms of fatalities, denoting a trend that began in June 2014 with the launch of the military operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan. The number of fatalities in the largest Punjab province, however, registered a slight increase with 328 deaths from various forms of violence. Table 01: Fatalities from...
Ignoring Constitutional Obligations
by Imtiaz Gul This is bigotry and confusion at its best: “Valentine’s Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided … we must maintain our religious and national identity.” This was the president of Pakistan, who also informed his audience on the death anniversary of Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar that “there is a need to formulate the educational curriculum of Pakistan according to the requirements of the modern age and ideology of the country”. Such a subjective and paradoxical statement by President Mamnoon — a top businessman and former graduate of one of the best business schools — was nothing less than a grim reminder of the hypocrisy that currently rules Pakistan. It was subjective because what is wrong with celebrating an occasion, regardless of whether it is Western or Eastern? It was paradoxical because the majority of affluent Pakistanis live largely in the Western tradition. Deception, fraud, maltreatment of servants and snobbery are all but a few hallmarks of our “Eastern” culture. Honestly, I learnt my manners of greeting people, showing deference to those walking ahead of you or behind you, considering others’ rights, all after arriving in Germany as a 24-year-old. Nearly every day was a bitter reminder of the bigotry and insensitivity that I had grown up with in a Muslim society. The president’s revealing statement on Valentine’s Day also runs contrary to the spirit of respect for diversity, tolerance and deference to other beliefs and traditions. He may hold his brief on other cultures as an individual, but he forgot that he represents a multicultural, multiethnic society that is also guided by the Constitution of Pakistan. The president and those who think like him need to be reminded that even if they abhor Western culture, they are supposed to follow the Constitution in its letter and spirit to ensure and protect equal rights to all citizens. They also need to be reminded, for instance, that Article 20 guarantees “freedom to profess...
Sabawoon Showcase: Regional Review on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
February 16, 2016, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was on the regional review of the role of female representatives of the local governments (LG) in KP and FATA. The program covered their role in resolving women issues, revival of literacy, and music gatherings in Hujra (community centers) to sustain and promote peace in the region. Issues such as cultural barriers and problems faced by the female police officers of KP and FATA were highlighted. The program, under the theme of “Da Simi Jaaj” (regional review), was aired on Tuesday. Ms. Ceena Naeem, a journalist from KP, participated as a guest. The program shared four reports on the views of the LG representatives, female police officers, and the general public about the aforementioned themes of the program. The first report accentuated the problems of female police officers and their role in providing safety and security to the public. Ms. Suriya Khan, in charge of City Women Police Center in Charsadda, KP, said, “We have a limited number of female officers due to which we are always overburdened. We handle emergencies and perform the same duties as male officers, but in return we do not receive any special allowance. Cultural bariers are a big issue, which leads to a public sentiment that centers around contempt for us, rather than compassion.” Another female police officer, Mrs. Toseef, said, “It is a full time job, even if we are at home, we receive a call to handle the emergencies. In that case our household chores suffer. We are not fully equipped which always put us through tough times. The government should facilitate us and provide us capacity building trainings to enhance our skills to better perform our responsibilities.” The second report shared the views of the female representatives from the LG Kata. They are still facing hurdles in acquiring funds from the government, which is why they are not able to work on...
Sabawoon Showcase: Health Community Protests and Effects on Female Staffers
February 15, 2016, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was about the effects of Peshawar’s health community protests on female staff members and patients. The episode also covered lack of professionalism in hospital administrators and doctors, absence of basic facilities in operation theaters, importance of first aid for females during emergency, and the lack of basic facilities for female staff members in hospitals. The program, under the theme “Jarga Marraka” (debate and council), was aired on Monday. Dr. Alamgir Yousufzai, President Young Doctors Association (YDA) Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP), took part as a guest in the program. Ms. Gulshan Arra, Vice President of Pakistan Nursing Association, shared her opinions via telephone. A report was made part of the central theme of the program. The report shared the views of the female attendees, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar staff members, and the public about the impacts of health community protests against the proposed health reform bill. Ms. Gul Marjana Bibi, attendee in LRH, said, “Everything is disorganized because of the protest, and it is directly affecting us. It has been two days since I have been waiting for the doctor.” Ms. Alam Naaz Bibi, a female nurse in LRH, said, “Being a female nurse, I am not only supposed to work in the hospital but I have to perform the household chores as well because of our culture and marital status. The hospital administration adopts a non-professional attitude with us. Three nurses are sharing a single room in the hostel which is completely against the ethics. In every protest, we are affected the most because of the male dominance.” A total of five callers participated in the show. They urged the KP government to provide the basic facilities in hospitals and basic health units (BHU) in rural areas, and empower doctors and health practitioners so they can better perform their duties. A caller on the...
Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism in 2016
by Imtiaz Gul Let us first measure as to what year 2015 entailed for Pakistan; as a whole it meant considerable successes for Pakistan against terrorist outfits, religiously-inspired militancy, with world powers such as United States and China rallying around its efforts. The latter in particular went an extra mile by committing unprecedented infrastructure investments worth approximately US$46 billion over the news few years. If realised, this Chinese engagement could potentially be a game-changer both on the economic as well as the security front. It is likely to have pronounced impact on Pakistan’s struggle against economic adversity and jihadist outfits. This backdrop offers somewhat optimism for Pakistan’s battle with religiously-motivated terrorist and militant groups. And the major question staring it is whether Pakistan can build on the relative successes against these groups in 2015 as well as the international empathy and consolidate its gains against these groups in 2016. On the domestic front, as interior minister Chaudhry Nisar explained in his December 11 address at the National Defence University (NDU), the fight against intolerance, extremism and terrorism represents a continuous challenge in the years to come. “These had been plaguing the country for decades and our journey now, to a tolerant and progressive society is a long, painful and arduous task. This would also require an ever more vigorous and sincere implementation of the 20-point National Action Plan (NAP) adopted in December 2014 - virtually the first counter-terrorism roadmap in Pakistan. An associated internal challenge to counter-terrorism efforts is purging the militant and religio-political groups of the the Saudi influence, particularly those currently operating across various borders in south Asia. The war in Syria and the simmering conflicts in Yemen as well as in Iraq are some of the manifestation of how the Saudi geo-political agenda drives political narratives in countries...
Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism in 2016
by Imtiaz Gul Let us first measure as to what year 2015 entailed for Pakistan; as a whole it meant considerable successes for Pakistan against terrorist outfits, religiously-inspired militancy, with world powers such as United States and China rallying around its efforts. The latter in particular went an extra mile by committing unprecedented infrastructure investments worth approximately US$46 billion over the news few years. If realised, this Chinese engagement could potentially be a game-changer both on the economic as well as the security front. It is likely to have pronounced impact on Pakistan’s struggle against economic adversity and jihadist outfits. This backdrop offers somewhat optimism for Pakistan’s battle with religiously-motivated terrorist and militant groups. And the major question staring it is whether Pakistan can build on the relative successes against these groups in 2015 as well as the international empathy and consolidate its gains against these groups in 2016. On the domestic front, as interior minister Chaudhry Nisar explained in his December 11 address at the National Defence University (NDU), the fight against intolerance, extremism and terrorism represents a continuous challenge in the years to come. “These had been plaguing the country for decades and our journey now, to a tolerant and progressive society is a long, painful and arduous task. This would also require an ever more vigorous and sincere implementation of the 20-point National Action Plan (NAP) adopted in December 2014 - virtually the first counter-terrorism roadmap in Pakistan. An associated internal challenge to counter-terrorism efforts is purging the militant and religio-political groups of the the Saudi influence, particularly those currently operating across various borders in south Asia. The war in Syria and the simmering conflicts in Yemen as well as in Iraq are some of the manifestation of how the Saudi geo-political agenda drives political narratives in countries...
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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.