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Discord over CPEC & selfish motives

The raging discord over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)symbolises one of the many symptoms of the disease that our political economy suffers from — an arbitrary, non-inclusive, narrow and selfish vision of national development. Even sadder is the intervention by the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on January 10: “China hopes that the relevant parties in Pakistan could strengthen communication and coordination on the CPEC to create favourable conditions for the project.” This amounted to a direct rebuke of the province-centred “development visions” of Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharifs. For these leaders, initiating the CPEC meant concentrating development in their home provinces. The embassy statement, in fact, resonated similar concerns that Chinese interlocutors had been expressing earlier. One had expected that following the agreement at the All-Parties Conference (APC) on May 28, 2015, the western alignment of the CPEC — from Attock to DI Khan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and to Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin and Quetta in Balochistan — would take precedence and thus allay reservations of the two provinces. But this turned out to be a misplaced expectation. Now we see the K-P chief minister threatening revolt against the CPEC plans and accusing the Sharif government of being unmindful of the problems of conflict-affected regions such as Balochistan and K-P. The political parties of the two provinces are demanding the construction of motorways, economic and industrial zones, oil and gas pipelines and fibre optic lines through their respective provinces. The issue has roots in the history of mistrust between the Centre and the smaller provinces. Even the Pakhtun nationalist Awami National Party has reservations, but it understands that opposition to the CPEC may jeopardise the project. The PPP, too, alleges that most CPEC projects are concentrated in Punjab. The party even plans an APC in Gilgit to press for the inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in the CPEC...

Discord over CPEC & selfish motives

The raging discord over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)symbolises one of the many symptoms of the disease that our political economy suffers from — an arbitrary, non-inclusive, narrow and selfish vision of national development. Even sadder is the intervention by the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on January 10: “China hopes that the relevant parties in Pakistan could strengthen communication and coordination on the CPEC to create favourable conditions for the project.” This amounted to a direct rebuke of the province-centred “development visions” of Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharifs. For these leaders, initiating the CPEC meant concentrating development in their home provinces. The embassy statement, in fact, resonated similar concerns that Chinese interlocutors had been expressing earlier. One had expected that following the agreement at the All-Parties Conference (APC) on May 28, 2015, the western alignment of the CPEC — from Attock to DI Khan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and to Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin and Quetta in Balochistan — would take precedence and thus allay reservations of the two provinces. But this turned out to be a misplaced expectation. Now we see the K-P chief minister threatening revolt against the CPEC plans and accusing the Sharif government of being unmindful of the problems of conflict-affected regions such as Balochistan and K-P. The political parties of the two provinces are demanding the construction of motorways, economic and industrial zones, oil and gas pipelines and fibre optic lines through their respective provinces. The issue has roots in the history of mistrust between the Centre and the smaller provinces. Even the Pakhtun nationalist Awami National Party has reservations, but it understands that opposition to the CPEC may jeopardise the project. The PPP, too, alleges that most CPEC projects are concentrated in Punjab. The party even plans an APC in Gilgit to press for the inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in the CPEC...

Discord over CPEC & selfish motives

The raging discord over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)symbolises one of the many symptoms of the disease that our political economy suffers from — an arbitrary, non-inclusive, narrow and selfish vision of national development. Even sadder is the intervention by the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on January 10: “China hopes that the relevant parties in Pakistan could strengthen communication and coordination on the CPEC to create favourable conditions for the project.” This amounted to a direct rebuke of the province-centred “development visions” of Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharifs. For these leaders, initiating the CPEC meant concentrating development in their home provinces. The embassy statement, in fact, resonated similar concerns that Chinese interlocutors had been expressing earlier. One had expected that following the agreement at the All-Parties Conference (APC) on May 28, 2015, the western alignment of the CPEC — from Attock to DI Khan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and to Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin and Quetta in Balochistan — would take precedence and thus allay reservations of the two provinces. But this turned out to be a misplaced expectation. Now we see the K-P chief minister threatening revolt against the CPEC plans and accusing the Sharif government of being unmindful of the problems of conflict-affected regions such as Balochistan and K-P. The political parties of the two provinces are demanding the construction of motorways, economic and industrial zones, oil and gas pipelines and fibre optic lines through their respective provinces. The issue has roots in the history of mistrust between the Centre and the smaller provinces. Even the Pakhtun nationalist Awami National Party has reservations, but it understands that opposition to the CPEC may jeopardise the project. The PPP, too, alleges that most CPEC projects are concentrated in Punjab. The party even plans an APC in Gilgit to press for the inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in the CPEC...

Peace in Afghanistan will be the key to peace in Pakistan: Imran Khan

“Afghanistan has suffered for too long and the people in Afghanistan deserve peace as any other country. Pakistan should pursue a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, as stated by the government of Pakistan. Peace in Afghanistan will be the key to peace in Pakistan and all efforts should be made to pursue this objective. I am not pro-Taliban; I am anti-war - as war is never a solution for any country.” These were some of the remarks made by PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan in a meeting with Pakistani and Afghan regional security experts on the sidelines of bilateral Track 2 dialogue. He noted that Pakistan itself has suffered a lot due to terrorism. More than 60,000 people have died in Pakistan and over $100 billion worth of losses have been inflicted on the Pakistani nation. Both countries need to work together for peace and security in the region. He said that future of this region doesn’t lie in boundaries and hoped that in future there will be a time when Afghan and Pakistani citizens will have the right of free movement without barriers – similar to European Union. Mr. Abdul Qadir Baloch (Federal Minister for SAFRON Affairs and Inter-provincial Harmony) was the Chief Guest for the inaugural session. He noted that “People in Pakistan & Afghanistan want a bi-lateral relationship based on trust and mutual respect; both governments should sincerely work towards it. Government of Pakistan is sincere in its desire to cooperate with government of Afghanistan on all issues to bring peace and prosperity in the region.” Mr. Baloch Also observed that “Track 2 dialogues can provide an excellent opportunity for experts of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to discuss issues openly and frankly and remove any existing ambiguities. I strongly hope that the solutions provided by the track 2 working groups would enable both governments to take more meaningful actions for better bi-lateral relations.” Speaking on the occasion British High Commissioner...

Afghan Delegation of Regional Security Experts Arrive for Track 1.5/2 Dialogue

January 10, 2016: A ten-member Afghan delegation comprising members of parliament, politicians, government and former military officials, diplomats and security experts arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, January 10, 2016 for a land-mark series of Track 1.5/2 meetings/ dialogues. This initiative called “Beyond Boundaries” has been launched by the Center of Research and Security Studies (CRSS) - in partnership with its Afghan counterpart organization, DURAN Research and Analysis (DRA) and sub-national partner (Pakistan), the Foundation for Integrated Development Action (FIDA) - is a major Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II dialogue, as part of efforts to help improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Beyond Boundaries comprises two working groups, the Regional Security Group, and Civil Society and Youth Group, aimed at facilitating and promoting people-to-people contacts. The fourth meeting in the series and the second meeting of regional security experts from Pakistan and Afghanistan is taking place from January 12-13, 2016 in Islamabad and has assumed an unusual significance because of the high profile formation of working groups from both sides and the context between the two countries. The arrival of the Afghan Regional Security delegation marks the continuity of dialogue - facilitated by CRSS - between the stakeholders from the two countries to the backdrop of a politically difficult and challenging environment. The Track 1.5/II is also important because the bilateral relationship has been fraught with mutual mistrust being the proxy battleground for complicated regional relationships. An unstable Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship is fundamentally detrimental to peace and development in the region. Initiatives like Beyond Boundaries will bring together influential government and non-governmental stake-holders who can help lessen tensions, address misconceptions, and revive some level of confidence. More importantly, they will eventually urge both...

Af-Pak Cooperation must for Regional Peace

January 11, 2016: The democratic institutions and their decisions can have a great impact on Af-Pak bilateral relations. Afghanistan cannot be stable without stable Pakistan. Pakistan - under any circumstances - would not allow any sort of terrorism in Afghanistan. We should focus positively on building friendly relations between the two countries. Harsh statements by leaders create divide and should be avoided. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan should pursue dialogue as sovereign states. Electronic media should be utilized to neutralize the negative sentiments that exist on both sides. These were the deliberations exchanged by the regional security experts from Afghanistan and Pakistan during their meetings with the political leaders at Senate of Pakistan including Chairman Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Awais Laghari, Chairman Senate's Standing Committee on Finance, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Kamil Ali Agha and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) lawmaker Mehmood Khan Achakzai. This meetings were organized as part of the initiative “Beyond Boundaries” - launched by the Center of Research and Security Studies (CRSS) - in partnership with its Afghan counterpart organization, DURAN Research and Analysis (DRA) and sub-national partner (Pakistan), the Foundation for Integrated Development Action (FIDA) - a major Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II dialogue, as part of efforts to help improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Chairman Senate's Standing Committee on Finance Senator Saleem Mandviwalla said that Afghanistan was a brotherly country and thus they did not consider it as a foreign country. He also said that National Assembly and Senate were willing to address any issues of bilateral nature that could be solved at their level. Mr. Mirwais Yasini, First Deputy Speaker, Lower House of Afghan Parliament highlighted the issues of transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan and asked the Pakistani Parliament to facilitate their transit trade...

Monthly Updates on the Covert War

CIA drone strikes in Pakistan fall to lowest level in 8 years, Bureau’s annual report reveals Covert drone strikes by the CIA in Pakistan fell to their lowest level for eight years in 2015, according to new research by the Bureau, with a sharp reduction not only in attacks but also in the number of people reported killed. The drones hit Pakistan’s tribal areas 13 times last year, killing between 60 and 85 people – almost half the 25 strikes in 2014 and 10 times fewer than the campaign’s peak of 128 in 2010. But while the attacks in Pakistan have now fallen to their lowest level since five hit in 2007, the number of strikes in Somalia surged to unprecedented highs during 2015, the Bureau found. The 11 attacks reported there against al Shabaab dwarfed the three from 2014 – hitherto the most in Somalia in a year. Until 2015, there had been seven reported strikes in the history of the drone war in Somalia. The figures come from the Bureau’s annual drone report for 2015, which also found that for Pakistan – the main theatre of the CIA’s covert counter-terror war – there have now been seven times more CIA strikes under President Obama (370) than there were under George W Bush. The reduction in CIA operations in Pakistan last year could be down to a number of factors, including outrage over a catastrophic strike on January 15 that accidentally killed an Italian and an American, both al Qaeda hostages. It could also be down to stretched drone resources with greater needs in other theatres such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. 2015 was also the year the US was meant to scale back its operations in Afghanistan, leaving a relatively small number of troops and advisers for training and support, plus a small counter-terrorism force. The aim was to cut troop levels from 9,800 at the end of 2014 to 5,500 a year later. This move to a counter-terrorism focus, similar to US operations in Yemen, prompted the Bureau to start recording data on US air strikes in the country. But in...

100 Chinese Business Persons Due In Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: China, Pakistan’s major trading partner with volume of trade reaching an all-time high of $12.299 billion in 2014-15, is going to send a 100-member delegation comprising private sector entrepreneurs and investors to Pakistan for investment in arrears of energy, infrastructures, telecom and textile primarily to wriggle Pakistan out of economic morass. The visit of 100-member delegation would kick off with a Business Opportunities Conference on 18th-19th January in Islamabad, to be organised by the Ministry of Commerce with the support of Board of Investment (BOI), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and World Bank. The delegation will then travel to Lahore where business sessions with prominent CEOs and senior executives of top companies headquartered in Punjab will be organized by Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on 20th January 2016. The government of Punjab will arrange field visits for the delegation to major industrial areas on 21st January 2016. At the last leg of the visit, the delegation would proceed to Karachi, where Pakistan Business Council (PBC), with support of government of Sindh and TDAP, would host an event, which would include B2B sessions with premier Karachi based businesses on 22nd January 2016. China, which is going to invest $46 billion in Pakistan under the umbrella of CPEC wants Pakistan to have energy sufficient to improve its economic muscle through maximum investment in various sectors of economy. The decision to send 100 investors has got significance knowing the fact that Pakistan has imposed regulatory duty (RD) on Chinese products. This means that China seriously wants Pakistan to improve its economic muscle. Though Beijing has expressed its annoyance over the regulatory duty (RD) on Chinese products imposed by authorities saying that the said initiative is tantamount to violation of the existing China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), yet it wants to provide economic solace to Pakistan...

A Long Way to Go

Data from initial reports of violence-related fatalities in Pakistan in 2015 paints a rosier picture than we have seen in years. Compared to 7,611 deaths in 2014, a total of 4,654 people died in 2015 as a direct result of violence, which is an average decrease of roughly 40%. This is even more impressive when you consider that year-over-year, 2014 had seen a 35% increase in fatalities over 2013, and that 2015’s figures are lower than those of 2013 as well. A few conclusions can be drawn. First, the space for proscribed and terrorist groups is rapidly shrinking in the country. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is reportedly beleaguered, in severe disarray and has had considerable difficulty finding any reliable footing in Pakistan. The leader of one of the most violent groups, Malik Ishaq, along with several followers were gunned down in a police encounter in July. The death of Ishaq, leader of the globally designated terror group Lashker-e-Jhangvi, marked a new turn for the security strategy in the country, but was answered brutally in the murder of Punjab’s Home Minister Shuja Khanzada, just over a month later. On the other hand, several other groups and individuals have been allowed to operate unimpeded in the country. Oddly, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar stood on the floor of the parliament and asked the public to bring to light any evidence against the controversial firebrand cleric of the Red Mosque. This is a strange and unsettling departure from the security endeavors in the country, as cases have already been registered against the cleric, a non-bailable arrest warrant issued well over a year ago, and yet he roams the streets holding rallies to enforce Sharia Law, in open defiance of the state and its apparatus. Additionally, newer threats have also emerged, such as the group that targeted an Ismaili bus at Safoora Chowk in Karachi, killing dozens, as well as the ever-looming threat of Islamic State recruitment, financing and presence....

On the Edge

The Pathankot air base saga and a nearly simultaneous attack on the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif has turned out to be the real “existential” challenge to the India-Pakistan relations, resurrected recently from the ruins of acrimony and hostility. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quick to ring up Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Colombo to condemn the strike in Pathankot, and committed “prompt and decisive action against the terrorists.” A press statement by the Indian Prime Minister’s office said Sharif promised “to act on the intelligence given by India about suspected handlers and the mastermind of the terrorist attack.” During the telephonic conversation, Mr Modi called for “firm and immediate action” against those involved in the Pathankot strike. “Specific and actionable information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan,” Mr Modi was quoted by the Indian external affairs ministry to have told Mr Sharif. The Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Khan Janjua held a similar telephonic dialogue, which helped in quelling the scornful noises resonating in much of the Indian media. Unlike the Indian statement, according to a Pakistan national daily, the statement issued by Mr Sharif’s office did not contain any explicit commitment about action on Islamabad’s part, but said: “Our government is working on the leads and information provided by the Indian government. We would like to investigate the matter.” Equally measured response came from the Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar, who admitted “gaps in security” but refused to drag Pakistan’s name into it. All he said was that “once the investigations are over, things will become clear, and every security detail cannot be discussed openly.” There is no way around talks So far so good. All this sounds good and augurs well for both neighbours. They seem to have survived the storm arising out of these attacks. Critical will be whether they stay on the...