Current Projects

NGOs and Civic Activism: Learning Best Practices of NGO Management

It was such a hope reviving experience to meet people who had gone through or going through many hardships and yet, have not given up on themselves and their communities. And despite the jet lag, I could not wait to share this great feeling and much more that I had learned and experienced during the past three weeks of my life in the US. I got the opportunity to visit United States of America (US) under the International Visitors Leadership program (IVLP) by the U.S State Department. The theme of the program was 'NGOs and Civic Activism'. The idea behind the program was to introduce us, all working for different nonprofit organizations in different cities of Pakistan, to the best practices of NGO management and to show how the trinity of Government, NGOs and civil society interfaces successfully to bring about social change. Therefore, meetings were scheduled with different nonprofit, fundraising and relevant government organizations, working for different causes (including women rights, domestic violence, child abuse, labor rights, underprivileged children, social entrepreneurism, surviving through poetry, philanthropy, economic self-sufficiency and food banks) in different cities of different states including the capital Washington DC, Michigan, Ohio, California and Georgia. The program provided an exciting exposure to diverse aspects of life in U.S. all the way from North to South. It uncovered to me a society of tolerance and respect for individual rights, regardless of ethnic, race, religion, color of the skin or financial background, attained after a long history of hardship and consistency. I was pleased to meet diverse segments of the American society (from top to low) and was amazed to learn on how differently and willingly the citizens are contributing towards the society. I was able to learn and share my experiences on a wide range of techniques including individual giving, e-giving, endowments, events and social enterprises. In addition, the program...

Below is the summary of a paper that Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director CRSS presented at the International Conference 'Pakistan: Opportunity in Crisis' on "Executive, Judiciary, Parliament and the Military:Rebalancing of Powers in Pakistan" held at Asian Studies Centre, St Antony's College, Oxford University from 10-11 May, 2014. Introduction: March 9, 2007 was a defining moment for Pakistan: Regardless of CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry's motives, his defiance of General Pervez Musharraf, the Supreme Commander and his close associates at the virtual Army House in Rawalpindi south of Islamabad, turned out to be a watershed in the senior judiciary's role in Pakistan. What we have seen since is the emergence of the senior judiciary as an ever-assertive and at times unnecessarily interventionist state institution which has been challenging both the military and the civilian leadership - albeit with limitations. Judiciary Use of Doctrine of Necessity vis-â”œÃ¡-vis the Military, Parliament & Executive A look back at the 67 years of political history of Pakistan shows five extra-constitutional emergency or martial law regimes where the constitution was either entirely abrogated or partly or wholly suspended. Martial laws were declared in Pakistan in 1958, (by Iskandar Mirza who appointed General Ayub Khan as the Chief Martial Law Administrator), 1969 (by General Yahya Khan himself), 1977 (by General Zia-ul-Haq) and in 1999 and 2007 (by General Pervez Musharraf). All first four Martial Laws in Pakistan were legitimized by the Supreme Court of Pakistan using the ¿Doctrine of Necessity– which was introduced by Chief Justice Muhammad Munir in Supreme Court of Pakistan jurisdiction in the mid-1950s. He drew support for the ¿law of necessity– from Braxton maxim which stated, 'That which is otherwise not lawful is made lawful by necessity', and the Roman dictum, 'the well-being of the people is the supreme law.' In all of the above martial laws, it was always the when there was...

Deaths/Injuries due to violence – April 2014

Violence followed by death and injury continued unabated in the month of April 2014. Following tables gives a concise report of the deaths and injuries suffered by the people all over the country. One table also records the desecration of the Holy Quran and place of worship .The victims are specifically women and children and polio workers. Attacks on Polio team workers Dead = 1 Injured = 6 Date Source Killed Injured City Method Affiliation Name of Victims 1-Apr-14 The News 1 0 Bannu Gunned down Polio team Fehmida Yasmin - Unidentified gunman shot dead a lady polio worker in Sukari Zabita Khan 17-Apr-14 Exp Tribune 0 1 Hangu Shot at Polio guard Muhammad Amil constable 17-Apr-14 Exp Tribune 0 0 Khyber Shot at Polio team Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a polio team in Ghareza area of Jamrud, Khyber Agency. Fortunately, no human loss occurred. 26-Apr-14 Dawn 0 1 Rawalpindi Hit at Polio team Imrana Shaheen was hit and injured by two men riding a motorcycle in the Dhoke Matkal area of the city on Thursday 29-Apr-14 Exp Tribune 0 4 Peshawar Hand grenade Polio team A lady health worker house was attacked in the early hours of Monday in Sro Kalay, Shabqadar, Dilshad, her brother Bilal and his wife Nazia, a polio health worker, All the residents were injured Desecration of holy places/scriptures Date Source City Province Location Sub-location Religion Name of Victims 2-Apr-14 Dawn Tando Allahyar Sindh Mansoor Colony unk Ahmadi Worship place Residents of various localities of Tando Allahyar city and activists of religious parties took to the streets against alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and attacked the home-cum-worship place of a man belonging to the Ahmedi community for his involvement in the alleged sacrilege. According to sources, 12-year-old Salman was coming from a seminary in Mansoor Colony, Tando Allahyar city, when he was intercepted by two men riding a motorbike and snatched the Quran from him and beat him up. Females and...

Consultative Meeting with Sargodha Press Club

A consultative meeting on "Prosecution and News Reporting ´ Role of Media" was held at Sargodha Press Club on Thursday, May 08– 2014. The meeting was organized in partnership between CRSS and Sargodha Press Club as part of an advocacy campaign for the Support to Punjab Prosecution Service (SPPS) project. President Press Club Sargodha Naeem Akhtar Khan, Resident Editor Daily Tajarat Malik Muhammad Mouzam, President Sargodha Bar Association Mian Arif Nazir, District Coordinator of AAWAZ-Voice &Accountability Programme of Aurat Foundation Sobia Mirzaman Awan and Consultant of Developmental Organisations Qaisara were among the distinguished participants of the consultation. The main objective of the meeting was to stress upon the role of media in fair and speedy prosecution service, to highlight issues faced in the process and to provide knowledge on prosecution service. In this regard, Mr Naeem emphasized on providing information to masses as the main function of media. Lack of media ethics while reporting crime and law was highlighted as a major issue by Mr Naeem. While highlighting the challenges faced by the prosecution service, Malik Muhammad Mouzam pointed out the low number of prosecutors against high number of registered cases. Moreover, these registered cases are sensationalized by media most of the times which is also against the ethics and norms of journalism. Qaisara stressed upon an active appointment of women prosecutors and judges. She suggested 33 percent quota system for women in the prosecution department. Moreover, the participants believed that educating masses on the prosecution service and its working would itself improve the services of the department. And this part of education cannot be played any better than by the media which is playing a crucial role and carries a great responsibility towards social wellbeing of the society.

Rid FATA of the FCR

The 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulation(FCR) governing the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) remains an aberration in the age of cyberspace. It is a set of laws that was essentially a replication of the British-era magistracy system, but with a Political Agent (PA) at the centre who these laws turn him into the uncrowned king of the agency under his control. The PA control extends into the agency through the privileged class of Maliks ¶ about 35,000 of them officially hold the title of Malik and serve as the bridge between the PA and the tribes. Residents of Fata got the right of adult franchise in 1997 and the Political Parties Act was extended to it before the 2013 general elections to allow political parties to participate from there. But this hardly changes the reality ¶ that extremely wealthy people in Fata buy votes for the National Assembly or the Senate. It also remains a fact that while being part of the parliament, these MNAs cannot influence governance or legislation in their respective areas. Also, what is more ironic is that by the virtue of the FCR, these MNAs are virtually subject to the will of their respective political agents, who can place them under house arrest, banish them, or even have their properties demolished or seized. Why? Because the FCR empowers the PA to do so even if he has the slightest suspicion that a particular individual has or is about to commit a crime. This is one of the 50 or so regulations that arm the PA with absolute authority. The penalties that the PA imposes on tribes or individuals or the funds he gets from the federal government for his respective area are also essentially never audited. And that is why every new recruit to the civil service vies for the PA position, particularly in the Khyber Agency. The dominant majority of Fata residents demand that the FCR be abolished and the tribal area be brought under the Constitution. They question then, the value of Fata MNAs and what work they do ¶ apart from...

Secular & Religious Fundamentalism: Growing Formidable Threat to Peace

By Sitwat Waqar Bokhari The nexus of secular fundamentalism and religious fundamentalism represents possibly the most formidable challenges to a sustainable, peaceful cultural ecology of the shrinking global village and requires ever closer global cooperation among all religions and societies to prevent socio-political and cultural divisions amongnations of the world. These were the concluding unanimousthoughts at a conference organized by the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, an American-based organization made of a global network of affluent individuals, grant-making foundations, and socially responsible corporations. Held at at El-Hibri Foundation in Washington DC under the title 'Next Generation Leadership Development Program' on April 13, 2014, the event drew participants from various parts of the world to discuss the roots, manifestation, consequences, and possible remedies of fundamentalist thought. The objective of the gathering was to look for sources that could help repair the damage that fundamentalism had wrought on human culture. This topic was considered crucial for discussion due to the rise in extremism both in the Muslim and the secular worlds today. Participants included both Muslims and Christians from countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Qatar, United Kingdom and the United States. Mr. Peter Ochs, from the University of Virginia, USA, Mr. Nick Adams, from Edinburgh University, UK, and Mr. Basit Bilal Koshul, from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, were among the keynote speakers. The issues discussed included the 'irreligious roots of religious fundamentalism' and 'envisioning a post-fundamentalist future'. It was quite heartening to see scholars and young leaders from different parts of the globe voice their perspectives on various dimensions of fundamentalism and the shape it might take in the near and distant future. One set of challenges, according to the speakers, was rooted in the form...

Secular & Religious Fundamentalism: Growing Formidable Threat to Peace

By Sitwat Waqar Bokhari The nexus of secular fundamentalism and religious fundamentalism represents possibly the most formidable challenges to a sustainable, peaceful cultural ecology of the shrinking global village and requires ever closer global cooperation among all religions and societies to prevent socio-political and cultural divisions amongnations of the world. These were the concluding unanimousthoughts at a conference organized by the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, an American-based organization made of a global network of affluent individuals, grant-making foundations, and socially responsible corporations. Held at at El-Hibri Foundation in Washington DC under the title 'Next Generation Leadership Development Program' on April 13, 2014, the event drew participants from various parts of the world to discuss the roots, manifestation, consequences, and possible remedies of fundamentalist thought. The objective of the gathering was to look for sources that could help repair the damage that fundamentalism had wrought on human culture. This topic was considered crucial for discussion due to the rise in extremism both in the Muslim and the secular worlds today. Participants included both Muslims and Christians from countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Qatar, United Kingdom and the United States. Mr. Peter Ochs, from the University of Virginia, USA, Mr. Nick Adams, from Edinburgh University, UK, and Mr. Basit Bilal Koshul, from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, were among the keynote speakers. The issues discussed included the 'irreligious roots of religious fundamentalism' and 'envisioning a post-fundamentalist future'. It was quite heartening to see scholars and young leaders from different parts of the globe voice their perspectives on various dimensions of fundamentalism and the shape it might take in the near and distant future. One set of challenges, according to the speakers, was rooted in the form...

Conference: Sindh govt agrees to reform police laws

The Center for Research and Security Studies organised a conference on 'Policing --Challenges and Solution' in Karachi on April 26, 2014, as part of its advocacy campaign for the German Foreign Office-funded Capacity Development of Sindh Police (CDSP) project.The project aims at supporting the Sindh Police in professionalising their services vis-a-vis the citizenship, judiciary and the government. Senator Dr. Karim Khawja of PPP, former IG Sindh Niaz Siddikki, DIG Training Sindh Police Azhar Rasheed Khan, Hafizuddin, PTI MPA, Ahmed Chinoy, Chief of CPLC, and Senior Journalist Idrees Bakhtiar addressed the conference while Imtiaz Gul, CRSS Executive Director, briefed the audience about the CDSP project. DIG Training Azhar Rasheed Khan said the Sindh government had agreed to reform laws governing police and had asked the members of the 'Law and Order Committee' of the province to look into Police Order 2002 and Police Act 1861 and pick good things and draft a proposal for the new law. According to Khan, the Sindh government has promised to make those proposal a law and implement. Senator Dr. Karaim Khawaja stressed the need for a unified law for all provinces. Former IG Niaz Siddikki identified investigation as weak area of the police and said investigation should be improved. He also stressed the need for adhering to the constitutional provision related to human and fundamental rights. Journalist Idrees Bakhtiar said a complete overhaul of the police department was needed. CPLC chief Ahmed chinoy and Hafeezuddin also suggested better laws and implementation for improving the working of Sindh police.

Students regret Government’s failure to repeal FCR

Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) organized a discussion on 'Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR)'with the student community at the Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) Peshawar on April 24, 2014. The discussion started with a documentary on the history, imposition, implementation and consequences of the FCR on the people of FATA. The showing was followed by inquiring from the students about their experience with the FCR while living in FATA. The students regretted being part of the draconian and inhuman law, while at the same time held the government responsible for not taking adequate and meaningful measures to repeal the FCR. Executive Director Imtiaz Gul of CRSS while speaking to FATA students on this occasion said that this debate on the legality of FCR has been initiated to provide the people and youth of FATA an opportunity to discuss and envision the system they deem could be best to safeguard their, social, economic, political as well as legal interests. He said societies cannot remain stagnated forever and it time for the tribal people to move forward towards peace, progress and development.

Students regret Government's failure to repeal FCR

Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) organized a discussion on 'Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR)'with the student community at the Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) Peshawar on April 24, 2014. The discussion started with a documentary on the history, imposition, implementation and consequences of the FCR on the people of FATA. The showing was followed by inquiring from the students about their experience with the FCR while living in FATA. The students regretted being part of the draconian and inhuman law, while at the same time held the government responsible for not taking adequate and meaningful measures to repeal the FCR. Executive Director Imtiaz Gul of CRSS while speaking to FATA students on this occasion said that this debate on the legality of FCR has been initiated to provide the people and youth of FATA an opportunity to discuss and envision the system they deem could be best to safeguard their, social, economic, political as well as legal interests. He said societies cannot remain stagnated forever and it time for the tribal people to move forward towards peace, progress and development.