Current Projects
Consultative meeting with Bahawalpur Press Club
A consultative meeting with Bahawalpur Press Club on 'Rule of Law ´ Significance of Independent Prosecution Service in Criminal Justice System and Role of Media' was held on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at La Taska Hotel, Bahawalpur, as part of GIZ-CRSS-PPD advocacy campaign for the Support to the Punjab Prosecution Service (SPPS) project and sensitize media representatives on this subject. Faisal Bukhari, General Secretary Bahawalpur Bar Association, former General Secretary Bahawalpur Bar Association and Senior Lawyer Javed Akhtar Pirzada, President Bahawalpur Press Club Shahid Akhtar Balouch, President Human Development and Relief Organization (HDRO)Yasmin Muslim spoke on the importance of media in highlighting issues of common interest and creating awareness among the people. Faisal Bukhari called for comprehensive reforms in prosecution department and said while lodging FIRs a majority of complainants didn't understand the procedure. He stressed the need for an awareness campaign and asked the media persons to highlight the functions of the prosecution service so that a common man should know what benefits he could get. Senior Lawyer Javed Akhtar Pirzada said that due to poor prosecution system the results were not as expected. He demanded protection for the witnesses. He said awareness among the people, education and training of media persons were a must to make them understand what the prosecution service was all about. Yasmin Muslim said laws only existed in the books. She said basic function of a prosecutor was to ensure that a case was properly investigated and this was possible only when the prosecutors were independent. He said thelaws should be implemented in letter and spirit with a mechanism in place to monitor the performance of the prosecution service. Shahid Akhtar Balouch thanked the CRSS for providing the media persons with an opportunity to understand the reforms being introduced in the prosecution service. The journalists said they were not...
The society cannot gain strength without justice and the role of an independent prosecution service
A conference 'Rule of Law ´ Significance of Independent Prosecution Service in Criminal Justice System' was held on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at Ramada Hotel, Multan, as part of GIZ-CRSS-PPD advocacy campaign for the Support to the Punjab Prosecution Service (SPPS) project. Former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilaniaddressing CRSS conference on Importance of Independent Prosecution Services in Criminal Justice System in Multan Former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was the chief guest. Deputy Prosecutor General, Punjab, Abdul Wadood, President of Multan Bar Advocate Sher Zaman Qureshi, Senior Journalist Shaukat Ashfaq and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) District Coordinator Rashid Rehman spoke on the importance of an independently-working prosecution service in criminal justice system. Addressing the conference, the former prime minister quoted personal examples and saida fair trial was never conducted in all the cases he faced. He said the society could not gain strength without justice and the role of an independent prosecution service was critically important in conducting a fair trial to dispense justice. Mr Abdul Wadood gave an overview of the Prosecution Service and informed the audience about the working of the department and the reforms being introduced to build the capacity of the prosecutors. He also pointed out the difficulties being faced by the officers. Mr Sher Zaman expressed confidence in the prosecution service and said it was a good thing that had happened in the province. However, he said there was a lot more to do so that a common man really felt that no innocent person would be wrongly implicated in criminal cases and punished. Mr Shaukat Ashfaq said the system could not be improved until every individual respected law of the land. He said it was equally important to analyse and understand as to what exactly went wrong that today we were advocating for rule of law. He said there was respect for laws in 1960s and the society...
Monthly Report – March 2014
A steep decline was observed in the loss of human lives in March 2014. This phenomenon could be attributed to the peace negotiations initiated by the government and the ceasefire observed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban and the government for the whole month. The number of deaths dropped from 571 in February to 385 in March, signifying a drop of 30%. Does this mean that acts of terrorism ceased or took on a new shape and form? The report will take a closer look at all the incidents of violence committed during March 2014 to answer the question above. The targeted operation in Karachi came under criticism by some political and religious parties while the government showed no change in its policy regarding the operation. Targeted operation along with target killing, abduction, and dumping of dead bodies continued to plague the metropolis. Sectarian violence also registered a downward trend during the month. However, an alleged act of blasphemy led to the desecration of Hindu worship places in Sindh by angry mobs creating fear among Hindus living in Sindh and Balochistan. All these acts of violence and other facts reported in the national newspapers are collected to make this report as informative and factual as possible. Errors and omissions are always a possibility in statistical works including this one. However, such mistakes do not grossly affect the basic objective of this report. The report mainly covers the following topics: Ceasefire and its observance Casualties of militancy Casualties of security operation Attacks on Polio teams and their guards Sabotage activities in FATA and KP Sectarian violence Target killings in Karachi CRSS will appreciate receiving comments that the readers may have on this report. Report prepared by: Mohammad Nafees Senior Research Fellow Center for Research and Security Studies NOTE: Readers can approach CRSS for source of any information included in the report. Please send your request to: [mail@crss.pk]...
CRSS Critique of the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO)
Implications for Law and Security in Pakistan A contentious piece of legislation ´ the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) 2014 that was rushed through the National Assembly ´ the legislature ´ on April 7 has kicked up a nation-wide debate over its legality and implications for the country. The government now wants to put it before the Senate ´ the Upper House ´ in a session beginning on April 14. Almost all opposition parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the third largest in the Senate, have rejected it and vowed to resist it. The Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) trumped other parties two days later, when a pro-PTI lawyer Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi petitioned the apex Supreme Court (SC) against the proposed legislation calling it 'a blow to the fundamental rights of the citizen and 'in conflict with several provisions of the constitution. Quoting protests by major parties in the lower house and their eventual boycott of the session in which the government used its majority to pass the law, Naqvi took the plea that the PPO accords judicial powers on the administration , in contravention of the apex court 1996 decision. The right to fair trial had been snatched from the citizens, and prayed before the court to declare the 'black law' in direct clash with the fundamental rights provided in the federal constitution. They contend that the PPO gives license to security agencies to indiscriminately exercise their powers, but also helps them escape embarrassments or public pressures, without any fear of accountability. Mian Raza Rabbani, who heads the PPP in the 100-strong Senate with 39 members, early Thursday spoke of his party serious reservations over the legislation and vowed to oppose it. Though divided, all parties outside the government ´ the PPP, the Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaide (PML-Q) appear united in their opposition to the proposed legislation which they says is draconian and...
Faith, accountability and rule of law
Addressing the launch ceremony of a new think tank on April 4, which was attended by religio-political leaders and activists, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan touched upon an issue that he considers is responsible for the social decline in Pakistan. I am pained to observe that our people have stopped recognising differences between right and wrong and do not differentiate between truth and falsehood anymore, Khan said in a rather emphatic, though imploring tone. He also underscored the importance of 'self-accountability' for a 'true Muslim society', and said that rulers should also subject themselves to strict standards of accountability in order to stem the degeneration in society. Khan is a devout, practicing Muslim. He is candid and well meaning. His high-pitched voice, at times, also betrays his inner emotions of disgust and helplessness. But he apparently forgets, or willingly glosses over the basic fact that if 'moral exhortations grounded in religion' were enough, the entire Muslim world would be an island of peace, development and equality. Unfortunately, the human propensity to deviate from regulations for personal benefit knows no limits. Devout Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, etc. can be very nice human beings, but this alone does not guarantee that they ¶ on their own ¶ would be law abiding too. Most nations have devised ways to keep religion an individual matter, while law enforcement is treated as a secular matter and as a responsibility of the state. Bo Li, a New York-based attorney, in his essay, 'What Is Rule of Law,' draws a distinction between 'rule by law' and 'rule of law'. Under rule by law, the law is an instrument of the government and the government is above the law, meaning thereby, dictatorial governments and elected leaders who act arbitrarily to bend or circumvent the law: it is essentially, rule by a few persons. 'In contrast, under the rule ¿of– law, no one is above the law, not even the government.' The core of 'rule...
Judicial assertion impacted relations between State Organs
A general consensus emerged on Monday at a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) that the 'judicial assertion' in Pakistan has impacted the imbalance that had existed between the state organs before the lawyers– movement for independence of judiciary in the country besides helping create an environment for establishing the rule of law with all state institutions without overstepping their respective domains as defined in the Constitution. The FGD on 'The Pakistani State, Military and Judiciary' was organized by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). Lt. Gen. (Retd) Talat Masood, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Masood Aslam, Mag. Gen. (Retd) Athar Abbas, Ayaz Wazir, Masood Sharif Khattak, Ammara Durrani, Dr. Moeed Pirzada, Tahira Abdullah, Brig. (Retd) Tughral Yamin, Khalid Azeem and Imtiaz Gul were among the panelists of the discussion. Opening the discussion, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Talat Masood said that the judicial assertion challenged the monopoly of military in state affairs and the media had played a central role in the lawyers– movement for independence of judiciary. He was of the view that the politicians did benefit from the lawyers– struggle and its consequences as the parliament has become more effective. 'They (the politicians) have become more assertive and a consensus is emerging now that the politicians should not support military,' he said, adding that the continuity of the democratic process too suggested that the military monopoly over state affairs was receding. Though, he said, the judiciary under Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry acted immaturely as it had almost paralyzed the executive, the situation was improving now with the present Chief Justice not following the footprints of his predecessor. However, he said the environment that emerged as a result of the lawyers– movement would go a long way to strengthen the democratic process. Participating in the discussion, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Masood Aslam said all the state institutions should accept the independence of...
Closing ceremony of Workshop, “Methods of Instructions for Instructors”, March 31′ 2014, organized by GIZ in collaboration with Sindh Police, Karachi
The Sindh police and the Deutsche Gesellschaft f├â•r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) jointly organised a course on the methods of instruction for instructors serving at police training centres in Saeedabad, Shahdadpur and Larkana. The closing ceremony of the course, which was held under the project ¿Capacity Development Support to the Sindh Police–, was held at a hotel in Karachi on Monday March 31– 2014. The event chief guest, Sindh Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Ghulam Hyder Jamali, addressed the participants and distributed certificates among the successful police officers. A comprehensive training programme has been chalked out whereby the GIZ and the Sindh police would jointly conduct the courses for all the police officers at the training centres.Over 2,000 police officers will take the courses this year. The following courses would be held under the CDSP training programme: methods of instruction; first responder; investigation; duty officer, moharir; station house officers; traffic enforcement, education and engineering; and forensics. In December last year the GIZ had organised two workshops for police officers on the importance of forensics and crime scene investigation. Over 500 police officers of the Sindh police had attended the workshops
Closing ceremony of Workshop, "Methods of Instructions for Instructors", March 31' 2014, organized by GIZ in collaboration with Sindh Police, Karachi
The Sindh police and the Deutsche Gesellschaft f├â•r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) jointly organised a course on the methods of instruction for instructors serving at police training centres in Saeedabad, Shahdadpur and Larkana. The closing ceremony of the course, which was held under the project ¿Capacity Development Support to the Sindh Police–, was held at a hotel in Karachi on Monday March 31– 2014. The event chief guest, Sindh Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Ghulam Hyder Jamali, addressed the participants and distributed certificates among the successful police officers. A comprehensive training programme has been chalked out whereby the GIZ and the Sindh police would jointly conduct the courses for all the police officers at the training centres.Over 2,000 police officers will take the courses this year. The following courses would be held under the CDSP training programme: methods of instruction; first responder; investigation; duty officer, moharir; station house officers; traffic enforcement, education and engineering; and forensics. In December last year the GIZ had organised two workshops for police officers on the importance of forensics and crime scene investigation. Over 500 police officers of the Sindh police had attended the workshops
Alarming Intolerance takes 18 lives
Islamabad - In an alarming wave of religious intolerance as many as 18 persons lost their lives in the first three months of this year, statistics compiled by the Center for Research and Security Studies suggest. The CRSS figures reveal that some ten places of Muslim worship such as mosques, madaris, Imambargahs, sufi shrines, and three Hindu temples were desecrated during this period. This alarming trend of attacks on religious places of works poses serious risks to social cohesion and the religious freedoms envisaged in the constitution of Pakistan, a CRSS statement said. It said the acts were in clear violation of the PPC295 (Injuring or defiling place of worship, with Intent to insult the religion of any class). The article says that any body involved in destroying, damaging, or defiling any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons 'shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.' Perpetrators of most these crimes remain unidentified. However, a Hindu has been identified for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran in Larkana. Alarmingly, almost all religious parties and organizations ´ even those sitting in the parliament - continue to stay mum on these faith-related murders and acts of desecration that are clearly covered by the Blasphemy law, PPC295, the CRSS statement pointed out. Details of Incidents
Pakistan: Musharraf indicted
(Country divided as 'emotional' Musharraf is charged with high treason) The inevitable finally happened; a special court has finally formally charged Pakistan's former strongman General Pervez Musharraf on five counts, including treason on account of suspending the constitution on November 3, 2007. Musharraf expectedly pleaded "not guilty" in an emotional but composed response, saying he never even could imagine committing treason. The former president was charged with treason under Article 6 for suspending, subverting and abrogating the constitution, imposing a state of emergencyon the country in November 2007, making unlawful changes to it, and detaining judges of the superior courts. In what appeared to be a shock to him, the court later also rejected Musharraf's request for permission to leave for Dubai to look after his 94-year-old ailing mother. Itsaidallowing Musharraf to leave the country was the executive's prerogative.This way, the court threw the ball in the government's court. Interestingly, State Prosecutor Akram Sheikh had told the court in the morning, the government had no objection if the accused wanted to go abroad to see his ailing mother. Court appearance Following months ofdelaying tacticsby his lawyers, the special court had, on March 14, issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former president, instructing the authorities to arrest him if he failed to present himself before the court on March 31. "Whatever I did, I did for the country and its people. I am sad that I am being called a traitor,"stateda composed Musharraf, claiming that he made Pakistan a respectable country during his tenure and recalling that he also defended the country in two major wars with India. Musharrafinsistedthat he did not make decisions alone. His counsels reportedly have submitted a list of some269 "collaborators"of Musharraf between 1999 and 2007, when he imposed a state of emergency and suspended dozens of senior judges, including former Chief Justice...
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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.