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Rabbani Assassination: A Jolt to Afghan Peace Process
The assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, former Afghan President and Head of the High Peace Council, seemingly a repeat of what had happened to Ahmed Shah Massod, the Northern Alliance military commander on 9th September 2001, underscores the extreme volatility of present day Afghanistan. Masood fell toassassins disguised as journalists, with explosives in their recording camera, at the height of his fight against Taliban, while Rabbani lost his life to an attacker disguised as a Taliban emissary, at a time when he had speeded up the reconciliation and peace efforts in the country. This event could be termed as the most high-profile political assassination since the US-led invasion in 2001. And since January, Rabbani has become the seventh high-profile victim of a campaign directed against pro-government personalities. Afghan President Hamid Karazai half brother, Ahmed Wali Karazi, was also one among the seven. This represents a severe blow to the reconciliation efforts under the High Peace Council established last year by President Hamid Karzai. The progress made by the 68 member High Peace Council was meanwhile slow, yet Rabbani made all possible efforts to initiate peace process between the government and those sections of Taliban who were willing to surrender their weapons to become a part of the political process. He had thus invited the 'emissary' into his highly fortified Kabul home, hoping it would get him closer to the Taliban.But a cursory look at the current thought stream, particularly the emanating from the American quarters, suggests that sections among the NATO alliance may not be in total favor of the peace process involving the Taliban, as this would endanger the pro-NATO Karzai government. Major events such as a day long siegein the heart of Kabul last week by Taliban insurgents, or the attack late last month on the British Council in the heavily barricaded capital, or recent assassination of Rabbani underline the Taliban ability to strike at...
ActionAid, CRSS stress for taking humanitarian angle into account to address deteriorating security situation in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Tuesday (September 20, 2011): Speakers at a roundtable discussion forum demand that the Center should shun the politics of security in Balochistan so that the public grievances and real issues of under development are better redressed. In a roundtable discussion forum'Incessant Descent: The State of Security in Balochistan' jointly organized by ActionAid Pakistan andCenter for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), issues related to proper implementation of ¿Balochistan Rights Package– and specially its components relating to security were discussed in detail. Speakers including Dr Aasim Sajjad, assistant professor at National Institute of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Ms Amna Yousaf Khokhar, research fellow at Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad and Mr Naveed Qaisar, lecturer at Defence and Strategic Studies Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad said that the federal government should stop treating Balochistan like a satellite state, rather it should try adopt an inclusive approach to address Balochistan issue. Mr. Naveed said from 1948 to 1977, there were three episodes of the traumatic state military run over the province. He said there are guerrilla forces operating in the area that are not willing to let down their arms until the government does not change its attitude towards their land. Meanwhile, Ms. Khokhar said the international players are becoming active due to the impending dearth of resources around the globe. She narrated that issues of Indian involvement and Saudi funded madrassahs should be taken care of by the state. She observed that sustained violence in Balochistan will push the province to a point of no return. Dr. Aasim highlighted that 'kill and dump' operations in the province has instigated the young Balochis to take up arms against the state and this is an alarming trend. He said state policies have failed to bring about a positive change in the situation. He said positive signals of...
Balochistan Weekly Monitor (September 12-18, 2011)
Against the backdrop of a deadly week, a rather tense calm prevailed in Balochistan during the week. There was no major incident of violence, however one act of dramatic abduction took place when an American national of Pakistani origin and his nephew were kidnapped and then released afterwards by unidentified abductors on Qambarani Road in Quetta on Monday, September 12. Government in Balochistan sought four weeks from Balochistan High Court to get an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf and other nominated accused in the killing of former Chief Minister and governor Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Bugti. A time where major parts of the country, especially Sindh province, are heavily affected by rain and flood, Balochistan is reportedly facing severe shortage of drinking and irrigation water. Hamid Latif Rana, the managing director at Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) said, earlier on, water level below ground was at a depth of 40 to 100 feet, which is now available, much deeper as compared the previous level. Week in Review a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversions and Abductions In a dramatic abduction episode, an American national of Pakistani origin and his nephew were first kidnapped and later on released by unidentified abductors on Qambarani Road in Quetta on Monday, September 12 afternoon. Police Superintendent Malik Arshad revealed that Zahid Hussain, a 33-year-old American national and his nephew Mubashar, a Pakistani national who is aresident of Rawalpindi, went to the Customs– House Quetta, to pay duty of an unpaid duty vehicle. A group of armed men intercepted them on Qambarani Road and after keeping them for 45 minutes in their custody, the abductors set them free.[1] b) Political Front Balochistan government on Wednesday, September 14 sought four weeks time from the Balochistan High Court to get an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf and other nominated accused in Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case. Deputy attorney general said arrest...
When Civilians Abdicate Foreign Policy?
When the Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples– Party swept into power in the Feb 2008 general elections and struck an alliance with Nawaz Sharif Pakistan Muslim League and Awami National Party, it radiated an unusual confidence and hope for qualitative, if not substantive change in Pakistan beleaguered foreign policy.Beleaguered because until then former president, General Musharrafand his cohorts, practically lorded over the entire state including the foreign policy.Shah Mehmood Qureshi¿s appointment as the foreign minister also promised a step forward. But, over three years down the lane, the major contours of the foreign policy remain more or less the same, practically abdication of diplomacy to the security establishment. During this period, many events and interventions took place which challenged, if not changed, the foreign policy of Pakistan. The major one was the Davis Saga. On January 26, 2011, Raymond Davis, an American official, shot down two Pakistani citizens -armed men- Faizan and Faheem - in Lahore as they were reportedly stalking him for abduction. The US claimedDavis had Diplomatic Immunity but the then foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Quershi, suggested otherwise, and insisted on the law taking its due course. This was a rareincident when the foreign office officials were united in fighting out any pressure from the governments. The resistance was short lived as Davis was bailed out followinga pardon granted by the affected families in return for a Diyya (blood money) of $2.4million. When Qureshifell out with the government over the issue in March, it delivered a stinging reminder that the war on terror and its consequences had left little space for the ministry of foreign affairs to conduct its defined task.At the same time, the Davis saga also reinforced the perception about the deep impact of the security establishment on matters that are foreign. Davis was released on March 17th butQureshi practically lost the job for disagreement with President...
Balochistan Weekly Monitor (September 5 – 11, 2011)
There was an unparallel surge in violence during this week. Twin suicide blasts, targeting a senior security official in Quetta on Wednesday, September 7 was among the deadliest of terrorist attacks in Quetta in recent months, which killed at least 26 people including Frontier Corps– (FC) Colonel Khalid, spokesperson Murtaza Baig and wife of the Deputy Inspector General FC Brigadier Farrukh Shehzad. The blast caused serious injuries Brig. Shehzad and his children. In sum, 27 people were preyed upon by terrorists during the week. In a joint operation with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of USA, Pakistan Army arrested a senior Al-Qaeda leader and close confidant of Osama bin Laden, Younis al Mauritani, on September 5 near Quetta along with two other senior Al-Qaeda operatives. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader in Balochistan, Senator Haji Lashkari Raisani, accused Interior Minister Rehman Malik of sabotaging peace efforts in Balochistan on Monday, September 5. Talking to the media in Quetta, Raisani said that the interior minister resorted to violence for restoring peace in Quetta, while talked about holding dialogue with militants in case of Karachi. Reko Diq (located in Chagai district of Balochistan) copper mining project, which is jointly run by Chilean and Canadian mining companies, is reportedly to get the nod of Balochistan government later in September. The said project has been delayed due to permit issues and licensing disputes in recent months, which led to Supreme Court of Pakistan intervention. Heavy rains and flash floods have once again struck the already fragile recovery efforts in Balochistan against the backdrop of last year worst floods. At least 40 mud houses collapsed in Kalat district, about 145 kilometers south of Quetta, as heavy rains continued to affect the area till early Monday morning. Week in Review a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversion A Hindu trader was shot dead on September 4 allegedly by extortionists, 700 kilometers south west of...
Dutch envoy to Islamabad, Mr. H. Gajus Scheltema, visited CRSS office.
Newly appointed Dutch envoy to Islamabad, Mr. H. Gajus Scheltema, visited CRSS office on Thursday, September 08, 2011.
The 9/11 Tragedy – Pakistan a Decade Later:
It has been a decade of trauma and pain for most Pakistanis ´ dominated by a gradual but unprecedented spike in violence, largely attributable to Al Qaeda and its Pakistani force-multipliers (in the words of Daniel Benjamin, the UN Counter-Terrorism coordinator). That basically means the Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkare Jhangvi (LeJ), Lashkare Taiba (LeT), and some other shades of Taliban, mostly nestled in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Most of the groups have, directly or otherwise, been part of the military establishment questionable calculus for quite some time, until some of them began biting the hand that had fed, raised and tolerated them. After the first suicide bomber killed some of those who were attending a service on March 17, 2002 in the only church in capital Islamabad Diplomatic Enclave, nearly 300 suicide bombings across the country have rattled Pakistan to the core, rendering it as one of the most dangerous places on the face of the earth. The daring twin-suicide bombing on the house of a regional army commander in Quetta, capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, on September 7th, underscored the death and destruction that Pakistanis have experienced from the north to the south; the two attacks early morning left at least 27 killed, including the spouse of Brigadier Farrukh Shehzad, the director general of the para-military Frontier Core (FC), Baluchistan and injured several others. This latest incident, for which the TTP claimed responsibility, delivered another stark reminder of the volatility that the 9/11 incidents and the US-led war against terrorism has brought upon this country of over 180 million. Ten years on, and Pakistan ´ used by the US as the bulwark against the Soviet-Russian expansionism in the 1980s ´ reels under the consequences of multiple crisis essentially rooted in the unholy alliance that the United States had cobbled together to defeat the Soviet-Russians ; political (polarization), insecurity (raked...
Balochistan Weekly Monitor (August 28- September 4, 2011)
Executive Summary: The current week witnessed a lower frequency of violence and militant activities compared to the previous ones, but an event of deadly sectarian violence revisited left a huge mark on security situation of the province. On 28th of August, armed men opened fire and launched rockets on a Peshawar bound Quetta Express near the town of Mach, some 60 kilometers southeast of Quetta, killing at least three people. Moreover, 12 people were killed when a suicide bomber of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) attacked members of Shia community returning home from Eid prayers on Wednesday, August 31. Furthermore, ten cars and two houses were badly damaged as a result of the blast. In sum, 15 people lost their lives due to the ongoing spate of violence in the province. Speaker National Assembly, Mrs. Fehmida Mirza, constituted a 17 member parliamentary committee, on August 28, to spearhead political efforts to restore peace in Karachi and Quetta. Lawmakers of seven mainstream political parties of Pakistan constitute the committee. Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI), on August 30, appealed for an immediate end to the widespread practice of enforced disappearances in the country, especially Balochistan. The AI further reiterated to higher authorities that the detainees must be granted full access to their legal privileges. Week in Review a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversion At least three people were killed and 19 others injured when armed men opened fire and launched rockets on a Peshawar bound passenger train, the Quetta Express(commonly known as Bolan), near the town of Mach, some 60 kilometers southeast of Quetta on 28th of August. The militants managed to escape, later on. Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The train stayed at Mach station for three hours after the incident before resuming its journey to Peshawar, according to security officials.[1] According to a report of Daily Times, Balochistan Levies...
Karachi: ethno-political cauldron on the boil again
Dr.Zulfiqar Mirza, a former home minister of the volatile Sindh province in the south, and a very close associate of President Asif Ali Zardari, rattled entire Pakistan on Sunday, Aug 29th resigning from all party positions and making a string of stinging allegations against the federal interior minister of being 'hand-in-glove with criminals and murderers', the fiery Mirza called the Muttahid Qaumi Party (MQM) ´ Karachilargest ethno-political party ´ as a 'band of terrorists and criminals ' who, he claimed, were out to disintegrate Pakistan. Mirza made several startling disclosures and leveled scores of allegations against the MQM and its self-exiled leader Altaf Hussein, who is meanwhile a British citizen but controls the party in Karachi.Mirza alleged that the MQM is a 'black-mailing party that supports the American plans to break up Pakistan.' He also resigned from all the party posts, saying he was fed up with the anti-state posturing of the MQM, which has continuously pressurized Zardari Pakistan Peoples– Party (PPP). The outburst by Dr.Mirza, whose wife is the president of the National Legislature in Islamabad, has kicked up many questions, and also once again raised the specter of Pakistan largest city and economic life-line on the Arabian Sea descending into political and ethnic chaos. Mirza claims he can restore peace in days, while the MQM has rejected his allegations as 'rubbish and baseless.' The storm kicked up by Dr.Mirza, however, is not likely to subside by mere rebuttals. Nor will President Zardari find it easyto pacify passions within the party or outside in view of Mirza allegations against the MQM, which enjoys majority in the provincial parliament and also the largest party representing Karachi and Hyderabad, the second largest city of the Sindh province, in the national parliament. In a late night reaction, President Zardari and other party members on Monday denounced Mirza outburst as his personal views and formally demanded an explanation...
Balochistan Weekly Monitor (August 21- 28, 2011)
Executive Summary: The Balochistan High Court disqualified Senator Mohammad Ali Rind from holding any public office on August 26, in connection with corruption charges leveled against him in his nomination papers for Senate elections in 2009. Rind was elected as a senator in 2009 on the ticket of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-Awami). The court declared that Rind would no longer be a senator under the Constitution of Pakistan. Moreover, the investigation team tasked to conduct an inquiry into the Nawab Akbar Bugti (former Chief Minister and governor of Balochistan) murder case has contacted media organizations on August 25 in order to seek help for collecting evidence and operation footage. Inspector General of Frontier Corps Balochistan Major-General Obaidullah Khan, while speaking to media on August 25 said that the government is in the process of negotiating with Baloch rebels to maintain peace in the province. The IG added: 'We will not allow the creation of a state within a state, nor will anyone be permitted to challenge the writ of the government'. A US spy plane was surveying the Pak- Afghan border when it crashed near the Pishin Scouts compound in Chaman (75 kilometers northwest of provincial capital), 300 meters inside Pakistani territory in Balochistan on August 25. At least three people were killed and 19 others injured when a group of armed men opened fire and launched rockets on a passenger train near Mach Town, some 60 kilometers southeast of Quetta on Sunday, August 28. On total, 8 people lost their lives in various acts of terrorism this week. While in acts of sabotage and subversion, 19 NATO oil tankers were set ablaze in the Dasht area, about 15 kilometers from Quetta, when a group of armed men on motorbikes opened indiscriminate fire on Monday, August 22, on containers. While on economic front, in funds allocated for the Drought Recovery Assistance Program Project (DRAPP) in Balochistan during fiscal year 2008-09, embezzlements and...
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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.