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Pakistan to Use China’s Technology in Military Drones

In another sign of the increasingly close relationship between the two nations, Pakistan is to use Chinese technology in its drones. Pakistan had several requests for drone technology rejected by the United States, and went on to manufacture its own indigenous drones. Those drones have seen combat action in the tribal regions, where Pakistani troops are fighting Islamic militants along the border with Afghanistan, writes Syed Fazl-e-Haider for The National. Pakistan turns to China for drone tech after U.S. rejection The first combat mission was flown by the drones last month, killing three important militants in the Shawal Valley of North Waziristan. Far from being defeated by a lack of U.S. cooperation, Pakistan has proven its ability to develop drones armed with precision weapons and high-tech targeting capabilities. In addition to withholding the technology from a key ally in the war on terror, the U.S. continued to make its own highly-controversial drone strikes on Pakistani territory. These strikes have caused civilian casualties and sparked major opposition in Pakistan, but the U.S. did not hand over control of operations to Pakistan due to worries that sensitive military data might end up in the hands of the militants. While the U.S. did offer to sell Pakistan a Shadow-200 unmanned surveillance aircraft in 2010, by that stage Islamabad already had the necessary technology to build its own version. Pakistan wanted an armed drone. Increasingly close relationship between Islamabad and Beijing The U.S.-Pakistan alliance against terrorists was borne out of necessity rather than a shared interest. As a result, the relationship has been rocky at times, affected by a trust deficit, skepticism and a blame-game between the two sides. Given U.S. refusal to provide the technology for armed drones, Pakistan was driven into the arms of China. Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf confirmed that his administration would seek assistance from China in 2012, railing...

Pakistanisation of Turkey

Will the Syrian crisis and two million refugees have the same impact on Turkey as the Afghan jihad and the refugee exodus from Afghanistan had on Pakistan? This question has started doing the rounds among Turk intellectuals and political analysts. But first let’s look at the context that has triggered this question. This relates to what the ruling Justice Party has ‘achieved’ since it took over in 2002. Based on discussions with local intellectuals, former diplomats and army officials, one can safely conclude that — as of now — Turkey is no longer the secular and democratic country that it was when the Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP swept into power, promising economic and political stability. It delivered on the promise, stabilised the economy, raising Turkey’s per capita income to above $14,000, helped boost foreign direct investment to over $13 billion in 2014, with six million new jobs created since 2009. But what has been scary for most rivals and the civil society is the authoritarianism with religious trappings that has accompanied the economic development. Most Turk intellectuals think the AKP has emasculated the bureaucracy, judiciary and the media. It has also attempted to tinker with Turkey’s fundamental identity through administrative changes and a greater religio-centric policy. Today, Turkey has over 85,000 active mosques, one for every 350 citizens — compared to one hospital for every 60,000 citizens — the highest number per capita in the world. With 90,000 imams, there are more imams than doctors or teachers in the country. It has thousands of madrassa-like schools and around 4,000 more official state-run religious schools, not counting the unofficial religious schools, which may expand the total number tenfold. According tohttp://www.meforum.org/2045/fethullah-gulens-grand-ambition,spending by the governmental Directorate of Religious Affairs grew fivefold, from 553 trillion Turkish lira in 2002 to 2.7 quadrillion Turkish lira during the first...

Sabawoon Showcase: Right to Public Services Act & Commission KP

October 5, 2015, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon (Dawn), on Monday, focused on the Right to Public Services Act, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and the role of the Right to Public Services Commission. The key points of discussion were the Right to Public Services Commission’s powers, government legislations for public services and public awareness. The program was aired under the theme “Jarga Marraka” (Public Dialogue). Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner of the Right to Public Services Commission, KP, and Mr. Riaz Daudzai, a senior journalist from KP, participated in the show as guests. A report from Peshawer on the theme of the program was aired during the show as well. The story focused on the change agenda of the political party Pakistan Tehreek–e-Insaf (PTI) and public awareness about how the change can benefit them. It also emphasized on the Right to Public Services Act and the manner in which the general public can complain about any delay in essential state service delivery. Two callers participated in the live program. Mr. Waheed Gul from Lakki Marwat said, “It is indeed a good step taken by the KP government, but unfortunately the public is not aware. There should be a way to spread awareness so people can demand their rights.”Another caller, Mr. Rashid from Peshawar, said, “It has been a whole year since the act was passed, but it is not being implemented.” Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner, Right to Public Services Commission KP “The Right to Public Services Act aims include: a) public service organizations should be bound to a certain time limit in providing services to the public, b) the file processing in public organizations should be done within time, c) public servants will be penalized if they do not perform their duties on time. The Right to Public Services Commission has provided monitoring officers in all the districts of KP. Their job is to give constant feedback to...

Sabawoon Showcase: Right to Public Services Act & Commission KP

October 5, 2015, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon (Dawn), on Monday, focused on the Right to Public Services Act, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and the role of the Right to Public Services Commission. The key points of discussion were the Right to Public Services Commission’s powers, government legislations for public services and public awareness. The program was aired under the theme “Jarga Marraka” (Public Dialogue). Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner of the Right to Public Services Commission, KP, and Mr. Riaz Daudzai, a senior journalist from KP, participated in the show as guests. A report from Peshawer on the theme of the program was aired during the show as well. The story focused on the change agenda of the political party Pakistan Tehreek–e-Insaf (PTI) and public awareness about how the change can benefit them. It also emphasized on the Right to Public Services Act and the manner in which the general public can complain about any delay in essential state service delivery. Two callers participated in the live program. Mr. Waheed Gul from Lakki Marwat said, “It is indeed a good step taken by the KP government, but unfortunately the public is not aware. There should be a way to spread awareness so people can demand their rights.”Another caller, Mr. Rashid from Peshawar, said, “It has been a whole year since the act was passed, but it is not being implemented.” Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner, Right to Public Services Commission KP “The Right to Public Services Act aims include: a) public service organizations should be bound to a certain time limit in providing services to the public, b) the file processing in public organizations should be done within time, c) public servants will be penalized if they do not perform their duties on time. The Right to Public Services Commission has provided monitoring officers in all the districts of KP. Their job is to give constant feedback to...

Sabawoon Showcase: Right to Public Services Act & Commission KP

October 5, 2015, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon (Dawn), on Monday, focused on the Right to Public Services Act, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and the role of the Right to Public Services Commission. The key points of discussion were the Right to Public Services Commission’s powers, government legislations for public services and public awareness. The program was aired under the theme “Jarga Marraka” (Public Dialogue). Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner of the Right to Public Services Commission, KP, and Mr. Riaz Daudzai, a senior journalist from KP, participated in the show as guests. A report from Peshawer on the theme of the program was aired during the show as well. The story focused on the change agenda of the political party Pakistan Tehreek–e-Insaf (PTI) and public awareness about how the change can benefit them. It also emphasized on the Right to Public Services Act and the manner in which the general public can complain about any delay in essential state service delivery. Two callers participated in the live program. Mr. Waheed Gul from Lakki Marwat said, “It is indeed a good step taken by the KP government, but unfortunately the public is not aware. There should be a way to spread awareness so people can demand their rights.”Another caller, Mr. Rashid from Peshawar, said, “It has been a whole year since the act was passed, but it is not being implemented.” Mr. Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Chief Commissioner, Right to Public Services Commission KP “The Right to Public Services Act aims include: a) public service organizations should be bound to a certain time limit in providing services to the public, b) the file processing in public organizations should be done within time, c) public servants will be penalized if they do not perform their duties on time. The Right to Public Services Commission has provided monitoring officers in all the districts of KP. Their job is to give constant feedback to...

Kunduz Debacle: Time For Soul-Searching

by Naveed Hussain Afghan government troops, aided by coalition forces, claim to have wrested back control of the strategic northern city of Kunduz three days after it was overrun by the Taliban [The claim is still contested by the insurgents]. This was a psychological blow to the fledgling national unity government in Kabul, and ignominy for the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police. Conversely, the stunning Kunduz seizure de-emphasised the leadership row in the Taliban and showed the resilient militia’s power to capture an urban centre outside their traditional powerbase of southern Afghanistan. Afghan officials were quick to point an accusatory finger at Pakistan for the Kunduz humiliation. Like in New Delhi, it has become a norm in Kabul to lay the blame at Pakistan’s doorstep for anything that goes wrong in Afghanistan. Ideally, the fall of Kunduz, though brief, should have prompted some serious soul-searching in Kabul rather than finger-pointing at Islamabad. The Taliban takeover of Kunduz shows: a) failure of President Ashraf Ghani’s new governance model; and b) anything but unity in his national unity government. Kunduz, one of the nine northern provinces of Afghanistan, is a cauldron of ethnic tensions, tribal rivalries, political factionalism and warlord-ism. Though the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group (over 30 per cent of the population), other ethnicities, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens and Aimaqs in particular, are collectively over twice the number of Pashtuns. Soon after his inauguration, President Ghani had selected Kunduz as a pilot experiment for his new governance model. In an ambitious overhaul of the provincial administration, he had sacked the governor, police chief, intelligence director, ANA commander and prosecutor. Subsequently, he had vetted a list of hopefuls and handpicked Mohammad Omar Safi, a foreign-grad Pashtun and political start-up, to implement his governance model in Kunduz. The trouble started soon after when...

Siachen – A Matter of National Security

by Arshad H. Abbasi University and college faculty serves as an agent of making leaders that will stop climate change; facts-based knowledge is imparted regarding environmental science. Faculty can take substantial steps in playing the key role in water security. The melting of Siachen Glacier is a big challenge, but the hegemonic Indian policy is the biggest hurdle to save this glacier. Science tells us that glaciers are the most sensitive indicators of climate change. Worldwide, it is believed that the glaciers melt due to atmospheric warming but in the case of Siachen and Himalayan glaciers, there are other factors that should be taken into account. Direct human intervention on a large scale is the most significant cause of this melting which is then causing variance in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including changing monsoon patterns in the sub-continent. The Global Sustainable Development Report 2015 (GSDR), places the South Asian countries on the top the 193 countries at climate risk. Bangladesh ranks third while India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan are 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th respectively. We owe this vulnerability to the human intervention in glaciers. Nevertheless, the official rhetoric of India over the melting of Siachen is global warming; this is only a red herring and is successfully sold by India, while Pakistan keeps mum over the issue. Why is India trying to cover up by using the excuse of global warming, without looking at the man-made direct interventions? Without accountability, climate change becomes a crutch. High-resolution images of the Siachen glacier show deep cracks or crevasses every 10 feet, both in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, owing to military presence in the area. The retreat of the glacier is also visible by horizontal expansion of glacial lakes throughout the glacier, but the most alarming sign is the vertical thinning of glaciers, which is aggravating the widening of crevasses...

Vajpayee, Modi and a Shared DNA

It is, of course, a fallacy that there is a hierarchy of agreeable and less agreeable Hindutva ideologues. As such, it could be a Brahminical myth that Modi of a lower caste is by some yardstick worse than Vajpayee in his communalism. Modi is coarse. Vajpayee was urbane. Little else sets them apart. While Mohammed Akhlaq’s recent lynching by a mob of cow worshippers has set off finger-pointing at Modi, and rightly so, it was during Vajpayee’s rule that Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two small sons were roasted alive in their jeep by a Hindutva mob in Orissa. Instinctively, within weeks, Vajpayee was headed for Lahore for a globally applauded meeting with Nawaz Sharif, quite aware that the sudden rush of diplomatic finesse was needed to repair his tarnished image abroad. He was already in the doghouse over the nuclear tests. As for Dara Singh, the mob leader of Orissa in January 1999, he was only following the lead he got from his hero of the Nellie massacre of September 1983. The killing of children and women in Assam that year was the outcome of a ‘rivers of blood’ speech Vajpayee gave against Muslim residents, including those who had migrated illegally. The gruesome pictures from Assam had greatly embarrassed Indira Gandhi in front of Ziaul Haq for whom she had only contempt but who was in Delhi for a non-aligned summit. In May 1996, though hopelessly short of majority, he announced a pan-India ban on cow slaughter as his key policy objective. How was that different from other Hindutva ideologues, including Modi? Vajpayee subsequently headed two terms as prime minister of a coalition government when his mission to save the Indian cow became inexpedient to pursue. Neither grudging peace with a neighbour nor a state of perpetual confrontation can alter the Hindutva DNA Modi shares with Vajpayee. It was during Vajpayee’s tenure that Modi felt encouraged to abuse an entire community, mocking them as children of “Mian Musharraf” while...

Pak-China Joint Air Exercise Concludes

Pakistan and China on Saturday concluded joint air exercises held between the air forces of the two countries. The air exercise, ‘Shaheen IV’, was conducted in China with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) taking an active part. “The exercise was aimed at enhancing bilateral relationship and defence cooperation between the two friendly neighbours,” said Air Commodore S M Ali, a PAF spokesperson. The PAF spokesperson added that this was the first time that three different types of frontline fighter aircraft from various PAF squadrons participated in the exercise. It was the fourth exercise in the ‘Shaheen’ series, which commenced on September 12 and concluded on October 3. PAF’s Air Vice Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan and PLAAF’s Lieutenant-General Zheng Qun Liang, represented their respective countries in the closing ceremony. Published October 3, 2015 on www. pakistantoday.com.pk

Monthly Drone Report: Total Drone Strikes under Obama in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen now 491 after September Attacks

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Key points: - CIA and Pakistan Air Force drones hit Pakistan’s tribal areas - US strikes continue in Yemen as the civil war rages - Al Shabaab continue to kill peacekeepers and civilians in Somalia - The three drone strikes in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen in September means a total of 491 drone strikes there under President Obama - US air power helps stem the Taliban tide in Afghanistan - Medecins Sans Frontiers trauma centre in Kunduz hit in October air strike - The Bureau publishes investigation into UK’s Watchkeeper programme as Cameron doubles RAF drone fleet 2. The Bureau’s numbers: Recorded US drone strikes to date Recorded US air and cruise missile strikes to date * The Bureau’s estimates are based predominantly on open sources information like media reports. Sometimes it is not possible to reconcile details in different reports. This is why use ranges for our record of casualties and, in the case of Yemen and Somalia, our strike tallies. ** The US has only carried out drone strikes in Pakistan. 3. Bureau analysis for September 2015: Two drone strikes in Yemen plus one in Pakistan during September means the total strikes in the US’s covert drone war in those countries and Somalia during Barack Obama’s presidency now stands at 491. September was the second consecutive month when US air and ground forces reportedly came to the aid of the Afghan army and security forces in their struggle to contain a brutal insurgency. US air attacks continued into October when a series of strikes hit a hospital run by international NGO Medecins Sans Frontier, killing at least 19 people, including 12 staff members. A CIA drone strike hit Pakistan killing five or six people in the same month that Pakistan jets killed civilians in South Waziristan and the first Pakistan Air Force drone strike reportedly killed three people. In Yemen the US continued drone strikes while the Saudi Arabia-led coalition of Arab and African states continued its air and...