Current Projects
Karachi Violence at Record Low
An analysis of the recent security situation in the country Data from the third quarter of 2015, compiled by a private think tank in Islamabad, suggests that while the number of casualties from violence has not seen a sharp decline, the focus of violence-related fatalities has shifted from civilians to militants. Military personnel and other law enforcement agency (LEA) members also make up for a large percentage of the casualties in the third quarter. The month of July saw a brief lull, with 265 lives lost to violence, but was immediately followed by August, the second bloodiest month in 2015 with 535 deaths, including Colonel (r) Shuja Khanzada, Punjab’s home minister. The biggest indicators of change lie in Sindh. Karachi, the largest city and largest district in Pakistan, consistently took the top spot in terms of violence and fatalities. Target killings, robberies and muggings, and sectarian violence were the top contributors to violence in the city with a projected population of 24 million. Even at the height of Operation Zarb-e-Azb which targeted and eliminated hundreds of militants in the tribal region, Karachi district managed to top North Waziristan in terms of casualties. Karachi saw more casualties than North Waziristan However, 2015 has seen a steady decline in both the volume and severity of the violence that had besieged Karachi. For example, Karachi lost 2,029 lives to violence in 2014. In 2015’s first three quarters, Karachi has seen 358, 332 and 248 fatalities respectively. If the trend continues, by the end of 2015, Karachi would have reduced violence-related fatalities by nearly half, when compared to 2014. The sheer size of Karachi also has an incontrovertible impact on national statistics, depicting a receding trend of violence overall. This is despite some regions showing increased fatalities from violence – but their overall impact is minimal when juxtaposed against Karachi. The other region that showed a decline in violence normally ranks...
Hike In Global IS Attacks In Past 3 Months: Analysts
LONDON: A major increase in violence by the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group saw over 1,000 attacks and nearly 3,000 deaths worldwide in the past three months, analysis firm IHS Jane's said Thursday. The figures show a 42 per cent jump in daily attacks by the militant group, averaging 11.8 per day from July to September, up from 8.3 per day between April and June. The figures suggest that air strikes by the United States-led coalition have had only a limited impact on the group. The London-based analysis firm recorded 1,086 IS attacks, causing a total of 2,978 civilian and government fatalities ─ a huge 65.3pc increase in the average daily killings by the group compared to the previous three months, and an 81pc jump on one year earlier. IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre uses open sources to compile their database, and said IS likely carried out far more attacks that could not be verified. "While the air strikes and wider coalition efforts have put the group under significant pressure, it is seemingly still some way from being sufficiently weakened to allow the recapture of territory, let alone be defeated," Matthew Henman, head of the Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, told AFP. Boko Haram's contribution The figures reflect the inclusion of Nigeria's brutal Boko Haram militant group, which declared allegiance to IS in March. Renamed Wilayat Gharb Afriqiyah, the group's attacks were the deadliest of any IS affiliate. "This underlines the nature of the group's insurgency in Nigeria and several bordering countries, with its operations characterised by mass-casualty operations targeting the civilian population in the group's northeast operational heartland," Henman said. The new figures also reflect changes in the type of combat over the summer in Iraq and Syria, which still account for the vast majority of IS activity. After capturing some key areas ─ including the Iraqi city of Ramadi and Syria's Palmyra earlier this year ─ the group focused on defending...
China to Increase Investment in Thar Coal Project
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – China has agreed to increase financing in Thar Coal project to raise the generation capacity from 660 megawatt to 1320 megawatt, reported Radio Pakistan. This decision was taken at a meeting held on video Conference between Secretary Ministry of Water and Power Mohammad Younus Dagha and Vice Administrator National Energy Administration China Zhang Yuqing. The meeting also took similar decision for a Coal fired Power Plant at Hub in Balochistan. Both sides also recognized the importance of a heavy transmission line from Matiari to Lahore. Published October 20, 2015 on http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/
An Uncertain Path: Pakistan’s Push for Nuclear Power
Pakistan is eager to expand its use of nuclear power with a fleet of new plants by 2050, backed by support from China. However, this has caused jitters among some, who fear the country could be looking to increase its nuclear arsenal. Adam Peters reports. According to a World Nuclear Association country profile, updated in April, Pakistan currently has 725MWe of installed nuclear power capacity. However, if the country's leaders manage to realise their goals, this will increase substantially in the future. Looking back, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Committee was created in 1955 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, but it wasn't until 1966 that construction of the first nuclear power plant began in Karachi. Although there was interest to build more, it took another 20 years for work on a second plant, Chasma 1 in Punjab province, to be put into action. According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, this was "due to an unfavourable international environment coupled with lack of indigenous technological and industrial capabilities for design and construction". With the assistance of the China National Nuclear Corporation, construction finally began in 1993, and the plant was connected to the grid in 2000. This was followed by Chasma 2, a third and improved plant, in 2011. The fourth and fifth, Chashma 3 and 4, which are largely financed by China, are expected to be online by 2016. In July 2013, The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) also approved 3.5GWe of new power projects, of which 2200MWe is nuclear. On top of the Chasma sites, China has also agreed to construct two reactors near Karachi, using the ACP-1000 reactor design, which costs approximately $5bn to build and was developed from previous designs in China. China-Pakistan: an evolving partnership The heavy reliance on Chinese support for these projects has drawn criticism from multiple sources. "China's expanding civilian nuclear cooperation with Pakistan raises...
October Rage In India: Surprising?
A string of events in recent weeks — mostly involving Shiv Sena and RSS activists — shook not only outsiders but also a large number of Indians. Invariably, many have begun questioning whether this attack on the ‘unwanted citizens’ within India amounts to an assault on the secular foundations of the country, or does it reflect a genuine push for establishing the grandiose Hindutva vision across India? Dozens of Shiv Sena zealots, for instance, stormed the BCCI office in Mumbai on October 19, chanting slogans in protest against BCCI President Shashank Manohar’s meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan and demanded the guests go back. The same day, members of a Hindu extremist group threw black ink on a Kashmiri lawmaker, Engineer Rashid, outside the New Delhi Press Club. A week earlier on October 14, Shiv Sena activists doused the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni in black paint for hosting the launch of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book. They went to the extent of describing Kulkarni as a bigger threat to India than the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack. In Mumbai, the police brutally assaulted two Muslim teenagers — Asif and Danish Shaikh — and told them to go “back to Pakistan”. An angry mob, lynched a Muslim compatriot, Mohammad Akhlaq, on September 30 for allegedly eating beef. Elsewhere, RSS and BJP activists and leaders want a total ban on beef and are openly advising beef-eaters to leave India. As the list of religious militant absurdities grows, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged caution, drawing — justifiably so — the ire of Congress President Sonia Gandhi (on October 18) who said, “The prime minister says Hindus and Muslims should not fight. I say that they do not fight on their own, they are made to fight.” Should we be shocked and surprised over the juvenile exuberance, misplaced arrogance, overplayed pretence of innocence and an over-projected sense of self-righteousness currently flowing out of India?...
Pakistan Connected China to the Rest of the World
KARACHI: Pakistan helped connect China to the rest of the world by operating the first international flight from Karachi to Beijing, said former federal minister Dr Javed Jabbar. Before that, China did not have international flights, said Jabbar during a lecture on ‘Pak-India Relation: Issues and Prospects’ on Thursday at Karachi University. In the year 1971, Pakistan facilitated America’s secret link to China, claimed Jabbar. This allowed the then communist state to get United Nations’(UN) membership, he said. Hostile relations Pakistan is termed as a security state, but in Jabbar’s opinion, it is the most insecure state. “At the time of its creation, Pakistan was the most insecure state of the region,” said Jabbar. Its two neighbouring countries, India and Afghanistan, were not willing to accept its existence, he said. “The Indian leadership in 1947 claimed that Pakistan will not survive more than six months,” he recalled. On the other hand, Afghanistan opposed the membership of Pakistan in UN, he said. “When one of your neighbours is making statements against your survival and the other is not ready to accept your existence, naturally you will seek some form of security.” This is why Pakistan felt the need to seek military aid from United States of America, he added. Understanding 1971 “People use the example of 1971 to point out that it signifies the failure of the Two-Nation Theory,” said Jabbar. However, they need to realise that Bangladesh did not join India, he claimed. “Now it’s two nations and three states.” When asked who should be held responsible for the 1971 events leading to the break-up of the country, Jabbar said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was adamant to rule and his ‘aggressive’ behaviour escalated the violence. But his stance was legitimate, he claimed. Soviet invasion Speaking on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Jabbar said that till today, Pakistan continues to suffer from its effects. Due to the invasion, 15 million refugees came to...
China-Pakistan Entrepreneurs International Seminar Opens in Beijing
Friday, October 16, 2015 - Islamabad—China-Pakistan Entreprenurs International Seminar opens in Beijing with an aim to integrate the resources of all the parties concerned through Think-tank platform to enhance China and Pakistan enterprise cooperation. The seven-day long seminar is co-sponsored by RDI international think tank project of the Chinese Academy of Social, Tsinghua University Real Estate Presidential Chamber of Commerce, Pakistan China Institute, International Green Economy Association and other agencies, says a statement received here on Thursday. Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Khalid Masood, Pakistan Ambassador to China, Zhao Baige, member of NPC Standing Committee, Cai Fang, deputy head of RDI think tank project and others attended the seminar. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla said in his speech, the Pakistani people know very clearly the strategic significance of CPEC for both countries. “Pakistan welcomed with open arms for China’s investment and President of China Xi Jinping has rolled out great vision for people from China and Pakistan, and now the key points lie in action and implementation and to achieve the vision” he added. Saleem Mandviwalla introduced in the RDI international think-tank platform, the joint efforts of think tank from both countries, entrepreneurs and relevant all walks of life have carried out a series of joint cooperation this year in Haikou, Karamay, Beijing and other places. He recalled that on August 11-12 this year, Pakistan economic corridor Karamay Forum (2015), initiated by RDI international think tank project, was a good practice. In the forum, China and Pakistan signed 20 cooperation memorandums worth a total of 10.35 billion Yuan, and adopted the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor“Karamay Declaration”, attracting international attention. He said the China-Pakistan Entrepreneurs Seminar is one of the important outcomes to implement, bridge a direct communication platform between...
CRSS launches project ‘Beyond Boundaries’
Islamabad (October 19, 2015): The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) launched the project ‘Beyond Boundaries’ – Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II Dialogue 2015-16. The dialogue would comprise consultations between two working groups: 1. Regional Security Group (RSG), 2. Civil Society and Youth Group (CS&YG). Both groups will have eight members each from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The first orientation meeting for the two Pakistani groups was held today at Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad. Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS, welcomed Pakistani participants from the two working groups. He noted that in the current geo-political scenario and the growing trust-deficit between Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is vital that initiatives are taken to bring people from both countries together. ‘Beyond Boundaries’ aims to provide a platform for key stakeholders from both countries – former diplomats, civil society activists, former military officials, academia, journalists, parliamentarians and youth an opportunity to discuss challenges faced by both countries. The consultations between both working groups are expected to produce policy recommendations for the governments – with the overall aim of identifying opportunities for better relations through better understanding. Mr. Aized Ali (Director, Media and Communications CRSS) gave a detailed presentation about the aims and objectives of ‘Beyond Boundaries’. Pakistani delegates lauded the initiative and underscored the need for a broader role of civil society and people to people exchanges between both countries – to improve mutual understanding and bi-lateral relationship. Pakistani members of the Regional Security Working Group include: Lt. Gen (retd.) Waheed Arshad, Lt. Gen (retd.) Masood Aslam, Mr. Shoaib Suddle, Dr. G G Jamal (MNA), Ambassador (retd.) Ayaz Wazir, Shazia Marri (MNA-PPP), Ms. Ayesha Gulalai (MNA-PTI) and Mohsin Shahnawaz (MNA-PML-N). Pakistani members of the...
‘As Karachi’s situation improves, monster of violence recedes in Sindh’
Karachi: Despite the apparent tug-of-war between federal law enforcement agencies and the Sindh government over matters pertaining to jurisdiction, the province which used to attract the fiercest criticism over its propensity for violence seems to be rising to the challenge. According to a report released by an Islamabad-based security think tank, Sindh is the only province in the country where fatalities from violence have declined sharply during the third quarter of this year. However, what is even more interesting is that the most peaceful province of the country, Punjab, has traded places with Sindh, the province whose government and law-enforcement agencies, only some months ago, used to be flayed for being unable to curb the rampant violence. During the third quarter of this year, from July to September, Sindh witnessed a steady and remarkable decline in the rate and prevalence of violence. Moreover, stated the report by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), some specific forms of violence also decreased drastically or did not surface during this time period. On the other hand, it was said, Punjab witnessed rising incidents of violence, and thus more number of casualties, from July till September, making it one of the most violent provinces of the country. “The federal government used to criticise Sindh government for its inability to control security situation in the province,” said Muhammad Nafees, a Karachi-based security analyst who prepared the report for CRSS. “But the rise of violence in Punjab should compel the federal government to focus now on its province.” However, a detailed study of the report shows that the decrease in violence is not that uniform across the province. With a total of 321 casualties reported across the province, very few districts in the province were affected by violence out of which except for two, all recorded fatalities in single digits. Interestingly, as violence in Karachi was seen to decrease considerably, no...
Kashmir Activists Highlight Human Rights Violations at CRSS/CPDR Event
Khurram Pervez, a Srinagar-based leading human rights defender and Kartik Murukotla, lawyer associated with Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society(JKCCS) speaker at the Discussion Forum organised jointly by CRSS and CPDR. Both speakers highlighted the human rights violations that have been systematically taking place in the Indian part of Kashmir in the presence of 65,6000 security forces. The JKCSS is about to launch a report on the human rights violations in Kashmir, which underscores how Kashmiris have endured a systematic denial of rights and political disempowerment through brute force and management of perceptions on their political struggle for the right of self-determination.Pervez bemoaned what he said decreasing Pakistani assertiveness on the issue of Kashmir which he said had encouraged India to increasingly harden its position on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
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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.