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Don’t miss Exclusive PTV show about “Grassroots Reform Implementation” on Sunday, Nov 16, 2014, at 6:00 pm on PTV News
Topic: Grassroots Reform Implementation Guests: Zar Ali Khan Afridi, Tribal NGOs Consortium, FATA Reforms Movement Arsala Hoti PML N, Privatization Commission. Member FATA Committee Theme: In this program Political Parties Order and FCR amendments from 2011 would be discussed. The important questions will be raised like; What are the lessons learned from the May 2013 general elections in FATA? Have political parties been permitted to operate freely? Are the FCR amendments being implemented at the grass root level? The program would focus on details of amendments and hurdles in implementation. It will highlight potential benefits of amendments, if implemented. Meanwhile, it would also describe new ‘appeal’ process including FATA Tribunal and problems with its implementation. If not implemented, what is the impediment, who is responsible for non-implementation? Discuss examples of non-implementation and explain the process for filing claims if FCR is not implemented properly FCR is one issue in FATA, but other issues apart from FCR can be addressed separately like Local Government, for example, is not dependent on FCR and can be implemented with no further FCR changes or repeal. Same is for amending Article 247.
A friendlier Afghanistan?
The government of the new Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani is in the process of formulating its policy towards Pakistan, but that will take time since the cabinet hasn’t been formed yet and the powers of Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah, who like his late leader Ahmad Shah Masood had serious differences with Pakistan in the past, aren’t yet clear. Though Pakistan in the recent past has made renewed efforts to befriend Abdullah and the non-Pashtun leaders of the erstwhile Northern Alliance, overcoming animosities accumulated over the years won’t be easy. These leaders and other members of the Afghan ruling elite are suspicious of Pakistan’s motives in Afghanistan due to its past and present links with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. However, the distrust is mutual as Pakistan’s civil and military rulers also have complaints with regard to the growing sanctuaries of fugitive Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists in Afghanistan and the increased Indian presence in the country. Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s Pakistan policy hasn’t undergone any real change yet, though Ghani unlike Karzai has refrained from criticising Pakistan. He is hoping to start a new and friendly era of relations with Pakistan with China’s help and this reason, as well as his wish to attract further Chinese investment in Afghanistan, prompted him to undertake his official visit to China after having visited Saudi Arabia earlier to perform Umra in keeping with a promise he had made during his presidential election campaign. Like the new Afghan government, Pakistan too is in the process of exploring possibilities of heralding a new phase of better relations with Afghanistan. It would like to leave behind the era of unfriendly ties between the two neighbouring Muslim countries during the almost 13 years of Karzai rule. Even in his parting remarks before handing over charge to Ghani, Karzai had spoken about his inability to get cooperation from Islamabad to restore peace in...
China seeks greater role in Afghanistan with peace talk push
China has proposed setting up a forum to restart stalled peace talks between Afghanistan and Taliban insurgents, the latest sign Beijing wants more of a say in its troubled neighbor's affairs as it frets about its own Islamist militant threat. Documents seen by Reuters show that China put forward a proposal for a "peace and reconciliation forum" that Afghan officials said would gather representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the Taliban command. The Chinese plan, discussed at a recent meeting of nations taking part in the "Istanbul Process" on Afghanistan's future, comes as U.S.-led combat troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan after 13 years of war. Despite the military's efforts to rout the Taliban and al Qaeda, militants remain a major force, launching regular attacks on military and civilian targets, and previous attempts to bring them into the political mainstream have failed. There is little to suggest so far that China will succeed where others have not, but its willingness to revive a bid to broker peace previously attempted by the United States indicates its role in Afghanistan is growing. China's proposal has not yet been formally announced because Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wants more time to see whether the Taliban and Pakistan are willing to join in, according to his aides. "This was a very, very important first step," said Daoud Sultanzoy, a former presidential candidate and now adviser to Ghani. "Once all the pieces are in place ... at a mature and opportune time there will be declarations." China says it is not seeking to fill a void left by the U.S. year-end withdrawal, and it already has a footprint in Afghanistan with financial support for counter-narcotics training and agreements to exploit oil and copper reserves. Washington will also continue to be a major donor to Afghanistan and thousands of soldiers are expected to remain there in training and counter-terrorism roles. China and Afghanistan are linked only by a tiny and...
Do not miss Exclusive PTV show ‘Hum Bhi Pakistan’ about “Justice and Separation of Power” on Wednesday Nov 12, 2014 at 6:00 pm on PTV News
Topic Justice and Separation of power Guests: 1. Advocate Ijaz Mohmand FATA Lawyers Forum 2. Hashim Baber, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), FATA committee member Theme The Show will discuss extension of High Court and Supreme Court Jurisdiction to FATA. It will also discuss extensive powers of the political agent (PA) and the lack of checks on that power. The PA holds judicial, executive and electoral powers in FATA, unlike anywhere else in Pakistan. What should be done about this? Is this a bad thing for the people of FATA? What are the pros and cons of extending the Pakistan superior judiciary to FATA? What are the legal mechanisms for moving forward with such a proposal? Should the constitution be amended to make this change or could the president simply sign an executive order? What is stopping this reform from moving forward? How does the lack of checks on the PA powers and lack of access to higher judiciary impact the human rights situation for FATA people? What are some real examples of how justice has been denied? Is the argument that we must first wait for peace a valid argument? The April 2014, Peshawar High Court judgment on the matter would be discussed. Was the PHC reference to government (parliament via Law Ministry) taken seriously? Why has parliament not taken up the issue on the floor as a result? How can the nation allow this lack of justice to persist when it blatantly contradicts other articles of the same constitution? Whose action is needed to rectify this situation?
Thoughts and Ideology of Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi: the Godfather of ISIS
The sudden surge of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) has shocked everyone. The ultra-radical Islamist organization tricked the experts and practitioners in camouflaging and keeping a low profile for a number of years especially after 2010. The rise of ISIS is now the most-talked-about and most concerning issue as the number of Islamist militants joining the organization’s fold is increasing by everyday so as its sphere of influence with more and more territories coming under its control. Two civil war ravaged countries Iraq and Syria do not appear to have the muscles to confront the zealots of ISIS. Interestingly there is a widespread misconception that the ISIS is a new Islamist jihadist militia emerged after the injustices of Shia-dominated Iraqi government of former President Noor ul Maliki. After proclaiming Islamic Caliphate over the territories it has carved out of Iraq and Syria (almost the size of Belgium) the jihadist outfit is nor vying for power in the whole of Levant and Arabian peninsula. US Secretary of Defense described ISIS as, “as sophisticated and well-funded as any group that we have seen[1].” Its ranks are swelling with both militant Islamist young men and women joining in from all over the world and as one official of the US U.S. Special Operations Command said, "They're incredible fighters. ISIS teams in many places use special operations TTPs, tactics, techniques and procedures.[2]" Smashing the misconception and myths about the ISIS is the primary objective of this paper. Taking into consideration the roots of ISIS vis-à-vis it becomes imperative to understand the teachings of ISIS ideologue Issam al Barqawi alias Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi. ISIS’s original name was Tawheed wal Jihad which was founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2002 after the US invasion of Iraq, Maqdisi ideologically mentored ISIS’s founder and groomed his Salafist views. The Jihadist Godfather There is no such entity as worldwide network of jihadist movement. Al-Qaeda...
Do not miss Exclusive PTV show ‘Hum Bhi Pakistan’ about “Reforms Moving Forward” on Saturday Nov 08, 2014 at 6:00 pm on PTV News
Topic Reforms Moving Forward Guests: 1. Akhunzada Chattan PPP 2. Advocate Sangeen Khan Theme What are the successes of the FATA reforms movement? What are the ongoing challenges? Is the KP governor’s new FATA Reforms Commission a promising step? Who are the responsible actors for moving the reforms agenda forward? What are the best ways to include all relevant stakeholders—and especially FATA people themselves—in the reform process? What do the guests envision for FATA in the coming year? Are significant reforms possible? Status quo supporters argue that reforms must wait for peace first. Is this any way to move forward and progress? Does the responsibility lie with the KP governor, the president of Pakistan, National Assembly and Senate? Or all of the above, what is stopping the parliament from presenting a constitutional amendment bill to amend Article 247? If all the political parties agree to the 11-point reforms agenda, what is stopping them from moving ahead to amend the constitution for FATA? The program explains the details of Article 247 and the different changes to it that are being recommended. Why these changes are being recommended and that if Article 247 is correctly amended, then National Assembly and Senate would have the power to abolish FCR, implement local bodies, and extend High Court jurisdiction and anything else they can agree on in parliament.
Al-Qaida’s War on China; Pakistan’s role and threat perception
Introduction: The economic giant China currently faces mounting threat from the Islamist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) militant group in its north-western Xinjiang province, the Uyghur Muslim majority autonomous region. Following a crackdown by Chinese authorities in the 90s the leaders of the group fled to Afghanistan where Taliban regime provided them shelter. After the ouster of Taliban regime in December 2001 in the wake of the US-led invasion the ETIM fighters retreated into Pakistan’s semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan. Ever since ETIM increasingly became influenced by al-Qaeda’s philosophy of global Jihad. The first issue of ‘Resurgence’, a new magazine launched by Al-Qaida in Subcontinent (AQIS) also reflects this close nexus between ETIM and al-Qaida. The organization spells out ten reasons to support its ‘war’ against China. Uyghur Militancy: Background Before explaining the ten points a brief background on the evolution of ETIM may not be out of place. ETIM was founded in 90s by Hasan Mahsum, who was killed by Pakistani troops in 2003 in FATAs Waziristan region. ETIM seeks an independent state called East Turkestan that would cover an area including parts of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Mahsum’s successor Abdul Haq was also a member of Al-Qaida’s Shura Council in 2005[1], who too was killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan in 2010. Abdul Shakoor al-Turkistani succeeded Haq and led the organization until a US drone strike took him out in 2012. Abdullah Mansoor has been since leading the organization, occasionally issuing statements on the objectives of his organization. In an interview with Reuters news agency quoted in the magazine The Diplomat, Abdullah Mansoor called China “the enemy of all Muslims” and said that the “fight against China is our Islamic responsibility.”[2] Interactions between Uyghur...
Pakistan; one more life lost in the name of blasphemy
On November 6, another man, Syed Tufail Haider was killed by a police officer Faraz Naveed in prison on false accusations of blasphemy in Gujrat, Punjab province of Pakistan. District Police Officer (DPO) Gujrat, Rai Ijaz Ahmad while talking to media said that Haider was killed because he hurled abuses at Naveed and it had nothing to do with blasphemy. Moreover, the accused was also a mentally retard, who had been taken into custody many times earlier and later freed when nothing substantial was found against him. Originally belonging to district Jhang of Punjab, Haider had come to Gujrat to meet his relatives who did not receive him and thus was wandering in the streets scuffling with people and taken into custody by police. Meanwhile, earlier on November 4, a Christian couple - Shehzad and his spouse Shama - were beaten to death and their bodies burnt in the brick kiln where they worked. Their crime; allegedly desecrating a copy of the Holy Quran. The incident took place at the town of Kot Radha Kishan, some 60 kilometers (KM) southwest of Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province. This latest incident shows the mounting incidents of violence perpetrated under the cover of Pakistan’s Blasphemy laws, despite several protests and proposals by jurists and human rights watchdogs to bring about substantial changes to the laws to prevent their abuse. The table below provides a cursory look at the number of cases related to blasphemy, including 22 people who have been convicted to death but are still awaiting executions. Blasphemy Cases – 1953- November 7, 2014 Blasphemy Accused-November 7, 2014 Numbers Accused 508 Extrajudicial 61 Desecration 59 Acquitted 44 Death Sentence 22 Harassment 18 Lynching attempt 13 Life imprisonment 11 Imprisonment 1 Bailed 9 Jailed 9 Mild punishment 7 False Charges 6 Death in prison 6 Bail rejected 4 Extrajudicial attempt 4 Persecution 3 Acquittal /Extrajudicial 2 Ordered to make changes 2 Accused verbally 1 Appeal 1...
The Expanding World of ISIS: Affiliates and Associates
With increasing competition between the two ideological twins i.e. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), the two have hitherto shown their will and resolve to contest over wearing the crown of global jihad and being the umbrella jihadi organization of worldwide jihadi forces. Another key issue is to show strength and influence in order to gain media attention. The ISIS, though, quite new on the scene with not very experienced leadership has been able to flex its muscle by carving out Syrian and Iraqi territories and announcing a renegade Islamic State. On the other hand 26-year old Al-Qaeda (b.1988) under the leadership of experienced Zawahiri is living in shadows. In order to stay in limelight, Zawahiri has recently announced the creation of new Al-Qaeda wing, the Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)[1]. While Baghdadi’s ISIS non-stop tremendous track record has attracted the attention of radical jihadi groups worldwide. The creation of Islamic State (aka ISIS and Daash) has allowed a plethora of jihadis to seek the ISIS franchise. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri (aka Abu Dua) proclaimed his caliphate with a message to all Islamist groups, he said, “It is incumbent upon all Muslims to pledge allegiance [to him], once the caliph and his fighters arrive in a particular area, the legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organizations, becomes null by the expansion of the khalifah’s authority.[2]” By September 2014, a wide range of Islamist terrorist groups have either pledged allegiance or supported ISIS: Tehreek-e-Khilafat Pakistan Indonesian Mujahedeen, East Timor Liwa Ahrar al-Sunna, Lebanon Jamaat Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, Sinai, Egypt Jaish al-Sahaba (Supporter of the Companions), Syria Al-Huda Battalion (part of Jund al-Khalifa aka The Soldiers of the Caliphate), Algerians in Syria Boko Haram, Nigeria (supported) Okba Ibn Nafaa Battalion,(part of Ansar al-Sharia), Tunisia Al-Tawheed Brigade in...
Post-NATO Challenges in Afghanistan
Afghanistan currently finds itself in a unique situation, and promising bilateral and multi-lateral opportunities for a regionally coordinated support mechanism for Afghanistan are emerging like, US-Pakistan Convergences, China – Pakistan Convergence, China-led efforts for a regional forum to help and steer Afghan peace and development efforts, New Afghan leadership, Acknowledgement of Pakistan’s centrality to the Afghan reconciliation process by the US, China, Iran and Afghans themselves. In order to analyze, let us first have a look at how the US is repositioning itself and redefining its future role in Afghanistan US Afghan Policy The new Af-Pak envoy Danial Feldmann has come out with the contours of what seems to be the new policy on Afghanistan and looks like a marked departure from Washington’s policies so far: (Atlantic Council in Washington while discussing the status of Pak US relationship. (Washington, DC, October 14, 2014) Firstly, he acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts and sufferings as a result of involvement in the war on terrorism. But Pakistan has also suffered dramatically. Over 50,000 Pakistani lives have been lost as a result of terrorism. Pakistan’s economy has suffered dramatically. Growth prospects have fallen. In recent times, inward investment and exports have declined, as security concerns have compounded the energy deficit. Secondly, healso acknowledged how the US mission in Kabulshaped and influenced opinionin Washington: It is no secret that for the last decade, the American approach to the region has been filtered through the lens of our mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. effort in Afghanistan – in human, material, and financial terms – drove our focus. Perhaps no relationship has been more affected than Pakistan. Feldmann moreover underscored Commitment to continue political and financial support to Pakistan, and Afghanistan beyond 2014: “It is a misconception that we will not be there. We will be there in significant numbers. The combat...
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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.