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The law, the poor & the rich

Ayaan’s case is a classic example of how collusion of legal experts on both sides of the fence can blatantly obfuscate crime and delay trials. Taking advantage of the dated criminal procedure code (CrPC), lawyers camouflage their delaying tactics with walls of objections, reservations and at times frivolous arguments. It took the Customs Intelligence and Investigation several weeks to prepare a charge sheet, despite the fact that she was caught with $500,000 in her possession while she was on her way out of the country. The charge sheet is based on her statement which states that she “had purchased files of plots worth Rs5 million from a housing society and sold it for Rs50 million and that the housing society had paid her Rs50 million in the shape of over $0.5 million”. The figures mentioned are the same, i.e., Rs50 million, and the dollar-rupee parity, or the difference of sale-purchase value didn’t affect it at all. The charge-sheet doesn’t mention whether people named by Ayaan, i.e., the housing society manager and the currency dealer, were interrogated. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulations allow a passenger to carry not more than $10,000, or the equivalent of notes of another currency, out of the country. The same regulations are noted in most other countries, which make the possession of over $10,000 an offence. That is why people are asking whether Pakistan’s Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance 2007 and Anti-Money Laundering Regulations 2008 cover the undeclared money that Ayaan was carrying? Strangely, this case most probably represents only the tip of the iceberg; a former SBP governor, Anwar Yasin, had, for instance, told a parliamentary committee in 2013 that some $25 million were being siphoned out of the country every day in “briefcases through airports”. One of my acquaintances had an encounter with a nephew of a sitting prime minister on board a London-bound PIA flight in 2011. Protocol officers escorted the young man carrying a large briefcase...

The law, the poor & the rich

Ayaan’s case is a classic example of how collusion of legal experts on both sides of the fence can blatantly obfuscate crime and delay trials. Taking advantage of the dated criminal procedure code (CrPC), lawyers camouflage their delaying tactics with walls of objections, reservations and at times frivolous arguments. It took the Customs Intelligence and Investigation several weeks to prepare a charge sheet, despite the fact that she was caught with $500,000 in her possession while she was on her way out of the country. The charge sheet is based on her statement which states that she “had purchased files of plots worth Rs5 million from a housing society and sold it for Rs50 million and that the housing society had paid her Rs50 million in the shape of over $0.5 million”. The figures mentioned are the same, i.e., Rs50 million, and the dollar-rupee parity, or the difference of sale-purchase value didn’t affect it at all. The charge-sheet doesn’t mention whether people named by Ayaan, i.e., the housing society manager and the currency dealer, were interrogated. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulations allow a passenger to carry not more than $10,000, or the equivalent of notes of another currency, out of the country. The same regulations are noted in most other countries, which make the possession of over $10,000 an offence. That is why people are asking whether Pakistan’s Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance 2007 and Anti-Money Laundering Regulations 2008 cover the undeclared money that Ayaan was carrying? Strangely, this case most probably represents only the tip of the iceberg; a former SBP governor, Anwar Yasin, had, for instance, told a parliamentary committee in 2013 that some $25 million were being siphoned out of the country every day in “briefcases through airports”. One of my acquaintances had an encounter with a nephew of a sitting prime minister on board a London-bound PIA flight in 2011. Protocol officers escorted the young man carrying a large briefcase...

The law, the poor & the rich

Ayaan’s case is a classic example of how collusion of legal experts on both sides of the fence can blatantly obfuscate crime and delay trials. Taking advantage of the dated criminal procedure code (CrPC), lawyers camouflage their delaying tactics with walls of objections, reservations and at times frivolous arguments. It took the Customs Intelligence and Investigation several weeks to prepare a charge sheet, despite the fact that she was caught with $500,000 in her possession while she was on her way out of the country. The charge sheet is based on her statement which states that she “had purchased files of plots worth Rs5 million from a housing society and sold it for Rs50 million and that the housing society had paid her Rs50 million in the shape of over $0.5 million”. The figures mentioned are the same, i.e., Rs50 million, and the dollar-rupee parity, or the difference of sale-purchase value didn’t affect it at all. The charge-sheet doesn’t mention whether people named by Ayaan, i.e., the housing society manager and the currency dealer, were interrogated. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulations allow a passenger to carry not more than $10,000, or the equivalent of notes of another currency, out of the country. The same regulations are noted in most other countries, which make the possession of over $10,000 an offence. That is why people are asking whether Pakistan’s Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance 2007 and Anti-Money Laundering Regulations 2008 cover the undeclared money that Ayaan was carrying? Strangely, this case most probably represents only the tip of the iceberg; a former SBP governor, Anwar Yasin, had, for instance, told a parliamentary committee in 2013 that some $25 million were being siphoned out of the country every day in “briefcases through airports”. One of my acquaintances had an encounter with a nephew of a sitting prime minister on board a London-bound PIA flight in 2011. Protocol officers escorted the young man carrying a large briefcase...

Counter-Terrorism and Pakistan Police

Pakistan is home to an estimated 200 million people, spread over six regions including the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sind, and the Gilgit-Baltistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). While the armed forces have largely led the counter-terrorism operations, police across Pakistan look after the regular law and order matters. Download

Al-Qaeda’s Women Wing in Pakistan: The Shaheen Force

The Al-Qaeda core operating from tribal areas of Pakistan is keen to compete with its splinter, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) at all levels. To match the magnitude and ferocity of ISIS terrorist attacks, Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan even attempted to hijack a Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar in September 2014. Just one week before that failed incident, the then Al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the establishment of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, led by Asim Umar. a veteran jihadi, on September 4, 2014 in a 55-minute video. Since Al-Qaeda wants to spread the tentacles of its Pakistani franchise in the Indian Subcontinent, the most recent Al-Qaeda endeavour in this regard is the launching of its women wing: Al-Qaeda Shaheen (falcon) Force. According to the statement this force would be led by Afinda Bint-e-Ayesha under the tutelage of Umaima Hassan Ahmed Muhammad Hassan, wife of Ayman al-Zawahiri. Mrs. Zawahiri has remained instrumental alongside her husband, the chief of Al-Qaeda, in mobilizing jihadi women. Time and again she has urged Muslim women to raise children for jihad. Author: Farhan Zahid Download

Voices from Balochistan

This report draws on over 80 radio nationally syndicated shows that the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) produced and aired in 2014-2015. These shows were titled “Balochistan Kay Awam ki Awaz.” (The Voice of Baloch People). The main objective of the publication is to: a) Highlight the socio-political grievances of the ethnic Baloch in the restive Balochistan province, b) Identify general governance gaps in the province, and, c) Document and disseminate these gaps and grievances in black and white across Pakistan for broader understanding of the Baloch dynamics. The primary data for this report was obtained from two distinct sources: 1. The discussions at radio programs by leading voices from Balochistan. 2. Exclusive field stories and news reports produced for the CRSS radio shows on the ground by reporters. Political and civil society activists, experts from various fields of life such as health, media, politics and education participated in these programs. Since “Balochistan Kay Awam ki Awaz” was a youth-focused show, almost every episode also included students and young socio-political activists. Most of these young leaders had been part of a similar CRSS intervention ‘Balochistan Youth Forum’ (2012) which included capacity building training workshops, dialogue and exposure trips to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. Balochistan Kay Awam ki Awaz endeavored to develop a democratic discourse on socio-political issues being faced by the people of Balochistan. It was essentially designed as a counter-radicalization measure that could help mainstream Baloch voices via airwaves across Pakistan. Under this initiative, over 80 radio programs were aired in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh on the following radio networks: 1. FM-101 Quetta (Balochistan), 2. FM-101 Peshawar (KPK), 3. FM-93 Multan (Punjab), 4. FM-93 Mithi (Sindh) All these programs were re-broadcast on the corresponding day on radio networks of Turbat and Loralai...

Envoys’ Band : Singing for Peace

Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) hosted an evening of live music concert played by the Envoys’ Band, to resonate the theme of the evening: “Singing for Peace”. The event was held at the Gun and Country Club on Saturday the 25th of April, 2015. The Envoys’ Band comprising Peter Heyward, the energetic Australian High Commissioner, Nedim Makarevic; the ever-smiling Bosnian Ambassador; the cheerful Danish Ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen; and Hiroshi Inomata, the focused Japanese Ambassador who is also an avid drummer, has made a tremendous contribution to the music scene of an otherwise dull Islamabad through their band. Unlike typical diplomats, these envoys of culture speak a language that is unambiguous, which is not boring, neither duplicitous in meaning. When they speak through a flute, drum, guitar or a violin, you cannot accuse them of being clever or evasive because the only interpretation flowing from the instruments is of love, peace and harmony. The cultural performances makes them unique ambassadors of music and harmony and puts them in the league of those who are global messengers of peace, art and music .These diplomats have simply transcended their professional political role to perform a cultural role as drummer, guitarists, flute player, and singers. Other envoys who attended the music performance, mostly with their spouses, included Mr. Richard Olson, the US Ambassador; Mr. Philip Barton, the British High Commissioner; Mr. Stefano Gatto, the Acting Ambassador for the European Union; Ms. Heather Cruden, the Canadian High Commissioner; Dr. T.C. Raghavan, the Indian High Commissioner; Mr. Martine Dorance, the French Ambassador; Dr. Cyril Nunn, the Greman Ambassador; Mr. Leif. H. Larsan, the Norwegian Ambassador; Mr. Andrzej Ananicz, the Polish Ambassador; Mr. Chiodi Cianfarani Adriand, the Italian Ambassador; Mr. Tomas Rosander, the Swedish Ambassador; Mr. MJ- de Vink, The Netherlands Ambassador; Mr...

Envoys' Band : Singing for Peace

Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) hosted an evening of live music concert played by the Envoys’ Band, to resonate the theme of the evening: “Singing for Peace”. The event was held at the Gun and Country Club on Saturday the 25th of April, 2015. The Envoys’ Band comprising Peter Heyward, the energetic Australian High Commissioner, Nedim Makarevic; the ever-smiling Bosnian Ambassador; the cheerful Danish Ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen; and Hiroshi Inomata, the focused Japanese Ambassador who is also an avid drummer, has made a tremendous contribution to the music scene of an otherwise dull Islamabad through their band. Unlike typical diplomats, these envoys of culture speak a language that is unambiguous, which is not boring, neither duplicitous in meaning. When they speak through a flute, drum, guitar or a violin, you cannot accuse them of being clever or evasive because the only interpretation flowing from the instruments is of love, peace and harmony. The cultural performances makes them unique ambassadors of music and harmony and puts them in the league of those who are global messengers of peace, art and music .These diplomats have simply transcended their professional political role to perform a cultural role as drummer, guitarists, flute player, and singers. Other envoys who attended the music performance, mostly with their spouses, included Mr. Richard Olson, the US Ambassador; Mr. Philip Barton, the British High Commissioner; Mr. Stefano Gatto, the Acting Ambassador for the European Union; Ms. Heather Cruden, the Canadian High Commissioner; Dr. T.C. Raghavan, the Indian High Commissioner; Mr. Martine Dorance, the French Ambassador; Dr. Cyril Nunn, the Greman Ambassador; Mr. Leif. H. Larsan, the Norwegian Ambassador; Mr. Andrzej Ananicz, the Polish Ambassador; Mr. Chiodi Cianfarani Adriand, the Italian Ambassador; Mr. Tomas Rosander, the Swedish Ambassador; Mr. MJ- de Vink, The Netherlands Ambassador; Mr...

Envoys' Band : Singing for Peace

Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) hosted an evening of live music concert played by the Envoys’ Band, to resonate the theme of the evening: “Singing for Peace”. The event was held at the Gun and Country Club on Saturday the 25th of April, 2015. The Envoys’ Band comprising Peter Heyward, the energetic Australian High Commissioner, Nedim Makarevic; the ever-smiling Bosnian Ambassador; the cheerful Danish Ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen; and Hiroshi Inomata, the focused Japanese Ambassador who is also an avid drummer, has made a tremendous contribution to the music scene of an otherwise dull Islamabad through their band. Unlike typical diplomats, these envoys of culture speak a language that is unambiguous, which is not boring, neither duplicitous in meaning. When they speak through a flute, drum, guitar or a violin, you cannot accuse them of being clever or evasive because the only interpretation flowing from the instruments is of love, peace and harmony. The cultural performances makes them unique ambassadors of music and harmony and puts them in the league of those who are global messengers of peace, art and music .These diplomats have simply transcended their professional political role to perform a cultural role as drummer, guitarists, flute player, and singers. Other envoys who attended the music performance, mostly with their spouses, included Mr. Richard Olson, the US Ambassador; Mr. Philip Barton, the British High Commissioner; Mr. Stefano Gatto, the Acting Ambassador for the European Union; Ms. Heather Cruden, the Canadian High Commissioner; Dr. T.C. Raghavan, the Indian High Commissioner; Mr. Martine Dorance, the French Ambassador; Dr. Cyril Nunn, the Greman Ambassador; Mr. Leif. H. Larsan, the Norwegian Ambassador; Mr. Andrzej Ananicz, the Polish Ambassador; Mr. Chiodi Cianfarani Adriand, the Italian Ambassador; Mr. Tomas Rosander, the Swedish Ambassador; Mr. MJ- de Vink, The Netherlands Ambassador; Mr...

Chinese Strategic Rise and Asia Pacific Region

Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS, read this paper at the conference Security Trends in the Asia Pacific Region: Prospects and Challenges for Pakistan held at the National Defense University, Islamabad on 28 April 2015. The purpose of this presentation is no strategic forecasting but to underscore that geo-strategic rise and economic development do not happen in a vacuum. They require self-belief, a clearly defined policy direction and unflinching commitment to implementation First let us see what factors shapes /defines the broad contours of China’s socio-economic and security agenda? Chinese World View a) China’s assessment of the current world order: It acknowledges that the world is increasingly competitive, still dominated by the combination of geo-politics – geo-economics which are the primary tools to protect and promote the commercial interests of the western industrial and military complex. They not only offer opportunities but also pose security challenges. China – still a developing nation – accepts that, on the one hand, the world is increasingly becoming interdependent, and that it needs to be able to exert political influence wherever possible to protect its own security and economic interests. Thomas Fingar commented in the National Bureau of Research that: • China appears to want to maintain most elements of the current global order, including U.S. leadership. But it also wants the U.S. to allow other nations, specifically China, to have a greater voice in decisions affecting the international system.[1] • Fingar further stated that China is more interested in improving and establishing rules and institutions needed to meet 21st-century challenges than in wholesale replacement of existing mechanisms. This makes China a willing as well as necessary partner in the remaking of institutions to meet shared international challenges.[2] b) Traditional Chinese or Confucian concepts of world order: Five traditional principles constitute the core...