Topic: “What is the Future of FATA?” Hosts: Mr. Imtiaz Gul and Ms.Farah Farooq Guests: •        Mr. Shams Mohmand, (CRSS) Journalist •        Mr. Mukhtar Bachaa, Member FATA Committee •        Shah Jee Gul Afidi,  MNA Tribal Area •        Malik Akbar Khan, North Waziristan, Candidate National Assembly 2013 Producer: Muhammad Intisar ul Haq Theme: This show reviews the future status of FATA. The participants will debate and discuss means and measures required to mainstream FATA with the rest of Pakistan. This is considered important for not only improving the lives of the people in FATA but also to curb and deal with the problem of terrorism emanating from there. Please watch the program Hum Bhi and share your feedback on 

The alarming unraveling of circumstances in and around Iraq – the declaration of the caliphate by the new goliath of jihadists – al Baghdadi – and shocking fissures that Pakistan is experiencing internally underscore a stark, bitter reality: using religion as a political instrument entails unavoidable, debilitating, unintended consequences. Clearly, both the United States and Pakistan seem to be getting a taste of their own medicine; the former witnessing in awe a dramatically pulsating Middle East, including the endless violence in Syria, Iraq and Libya – a direct consequence of its geo-political ambitions that arose from a desire of bleeding the Soviet Union and promoting American geo-commercial interests across the globe. Pakistan, on the other hand, is embroiled in multiple crises – rooted primarily in a myopic, megalomaniac and at best a delusionary view of the world. It is ironic, though not unexpected, that the military establishment dreamed of securing military strategic space in Afghanistan through its proxies. It is now scared to death that the same proxies are either biting back or providing strategic space to those the army is fighting in Pakistan, and if they returned to power, could once again take Pakistani militants of all hue and colour under their wings – the way they did in the dark 1990s. Seeking strategic depth in Afghanistan has turned out to be like digging one’s own grave. It has hollowed out Pakistan socio-economically and polarized it politically. Cultivating and condoning relations with non-state actors represents a fatal blunder and its consequence is the biggest challenge to the country’s social cohesion, peace and security. The Afghan Haqqani Network represents one such non-state actor. Spread all over the greater Paktia Region (Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Logar and Kunar), the Network draws on recruits from the largest Zadran tribe that is settled in the Pakistani Waziristan region too. Jalaluddin Haqqani’s entire extended family has...

Topic:  Strengthen Economic Development, Education and Health System in FATA Hosts Mr. Imtiaz Gul and Ms. Farah Farooq Guests: •        Musarrat Ahmad Zeb, MNA PTI Sawat •        Dr. Farooq Muhammad,  PPP Mohmand •        Mr. Abdul Jalil Jan, JUI F Sec. Information KPK FATA Committee Member •        Sahabzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed. Jamat-e-Islami Producer: Muhammad Intisar ul Haq Theme: FATA lags behind in economic development, education and health infrastructure. Most of the funds allocated in the name of development schemes are skimmed off by officials and colluding FATA representatives. This show discusses possible measures for the uplift of FATA and also explores the possibility of ensuring financial transparency in development projects. How to promote education in FATA which has one of the lowest literacy rates in Pakistan? What steps to follow to bring economic development in the area and how to improve healthcare, especially the containing of the spread of polio virus? Over 80 percent of 66 polio cases until May 2014 were reported from FATA, the bulk of it coming from Waziristan. Please watch the program Hum Bhi and share your feedback on 

Pakistan’s infant National Internal Security Policy (NISP) promises to build a counter-narrative. Most officials began parroting the same theme, realising little that constructing a counter-narrative requires the existence of a narrative, which does not exist. And neither do officials nor ministers offer a coherent national narrative on issues such as militancy, the Taliban or the war against terrorism. Whose war are we fighting? Is the United States a friend or foe? Tragically, what we have is a conflation of viewpoints as put out by the civilian and military leadership, reflecting often confused, apologetic approaches and intellectual poverty within the governing structures. Another top-down obstacle in the way of a national narrative is the lack of understanding of the issues of even those officials responsible for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency. Clear identification of the causes of terrorism and the insurgency is missing, hence leading to a muddled response. The absence of a clear and candid state narrative on relations with neighbouring India or the US, or the need for fighting non-state actors has only weakened the state. Non-state actors prey on the government’s confusion, disunity between army and the civilians, disconnect between the state and the society, and the omnipresent sense of insecurity (physical, food, electricity, inflation). High-profile talks with the TTP are a case in point; Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan stood out as a sympathiser of the dialogue — evident from the hue and cry he raised — over the death of Hakimullah Mehsud on November 1 last year. Most of the cabinet sided with the prime minister and the army, but the interior minister thought they blew holes in his strategy. Senior officials, who attended national security meetings, speak of the “indecision and absence of consensus” among key stakeholders with Nisar believing that the army was once again taking the lead by forcing the government into accepting its advance...

The notion of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) as the epicentre of international terrorism has rapidly gained traction — not only are Pakistan and Afghanistan being affected by the militancy infested in the area, the threat has become credible enough for the international community to sit up and take note. A new debate is raging: what should Fata’s fate be? Fata is currently governed as a special tribal region under separate constitutional arrangements. The region, comprising a total area of 27,220 square kilometres, is inhabited by almost a dozen Pakhtun tribes. It is constituted by seven tribal agencies — Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan — and six frontier regions (FRs): FR Peshawar, FR Kohat, FR Bannu, FR Lakki Marwat, FR Tank and FR Dera Ismail Khan. Almost all of the seven tribal agencies that constitute Fata as well as the adjacent frontier regions have been overrun by militancy and the military operations carried out in response. Four schools of thought exist about the future of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. What are their merits and demerits? The discussion on the fate of Fata restarted after Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region (SAFRON) Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch claimed that the government is planning to give Fata the status of a province. “The government is working to hand a Gilgit-Baltistan-like administrative status for tribal areas,” said the minister on April 22 while speaking at a conference. Baloch had earlier aired the same suggestion in February, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s standing committee on Safron. The minister’s stance gives weight to the idea that the Pakistan government remains under immense pressure to act decisively to bring the region into the mainstream, and to make special provisions to end underdevelopment, backwardness and violent realities of the tribes’ people. Western diplomatic circles also confirm that they too have been...

Topic:    Women’s Empowerment Hosts: Mr. Imtiaz Gul and Mr. Naveed Shanwari Guests:  •        Mufti Hanif ullah Bajaur Agency •        Sobia Khan MPA PML N •        Sana Ijaz Journalist •        Syed Aysha MNA Jamat e Islami Sawa Producer:  Muhammad Intisar ul Haq Theme: The show discusses the plight of women in FATA and tries to underline the need for treating FATA women as equal citizens. Academics, social activists and students agreed that the conservative social set up limited their access to basic rights, political representation, voting rights etc. The fact that if they are even recognized as an entity as a human being and enjoying basic rights to decision making, education, health etc. And what measures may be taken to empower them. Please watch the program Hum Bhi and share your feedback on 

Incidents of heinous crimes in Pakistan continued unabated in the months of May and June 2014. An analysis of incidents involving extortion, abduction for ransom, acid attacks,  murders,  gang-rape with murder and cold-blooded executions in the name of family honour, mob violence ( involving police, demonstrators, lawyers (also called heinous crimes) reflects the extent of growing violent tendencies across Pakistan.[1] The data in the charts below explains that a total of 49 incidents of heinous crimes were committed in the months of May and June. As many as 16 heinous crimes were committed in the month of May. This figure almost doubled (33) in the month of June. The restive province of Balochistan, with just about three heinous crimes, however, reflects a dramatic decline compared to the corresponding period a year ago. The generally peaceful province of Punjab tops the list of such crimes with 29 heinous crimes – over 60 percent. This data indicates how intolerance, poor law-enforcement and the tardy justice system is adversely impacting social behaviour, encouraging crime, and enabling criminals to get away with crimes such as murder. The increasing crime rate also reflects the incessant erosion of law-enforcement in the country. The gradual breakdown of the institutions, which is evident from the data mentioned above, reflects their seriousness and commitment to control heinous crimes across the country. The data is just an indicator breaking down of social institutions, inability and lack of interest of the State to perform its basic duties. Common to most of the crimes listed in the chart is ostensibly intolerance and the propensity to take law in one’s own hands even in minor cases. Lack of trust in police and prosecution probably is another ostensible reason of people often tending to resort to violence; Public perception of police torture, illegal custodies, target-killing in fake police encounters, and high-handed conduct of a politically-partonized...

Topic:    “Access to-, Access of -, and the Role of Media in FATA” Hosts: Mr. Imtiaz Gul and Ms. Farah Farooq Guests:  •        Mr. Ibrahim Shinwari, Former President Tribal Union of Journalists •        Mr. Haroon Rashid, BBC •        Ms. Farzana Ali, Bureau Chief AAJ TV Peshawar •        Mr. Asif Orakzai, Journalist Producer:  Muhammad Intisar ul Haq Theme: This show discusses what legal and administrative reforms are needed to ensure FATA citizens’ access to media. Alternatively, what can be done to ensure that Pakistanis outside FATA get more accurate information about what’s going on inside FATA? One of the political parties recommended extending PEMRA’s jurisdiction to FATA because FATA cannot establish its own electronic channels. As such they rely more on foreign media, FM radio and Pakistan State radio from the settled areas. Journalists and other media have limited access to FATA. In addition, journalists are generally barred from entering FATA because of the security situation and threats from the militants. And when they are inside, they are often intimidated, threatened and blackmailed by military and political agents. As a result, the reporting that comes out of FATA is unreliable and influenced by powerful actors. Please watch the program Hum Bhi Pakistan and share your feedback on