The criminal justice system in Pakistan can be improved considerably by implementing stated FIR reforms, recommended the Additional Director of the Federal Investigation Agency (ADG FIA) Dr. Ehsan Sadiq. He was speaking at a research launch event for the Center of Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Islamabad on Monday. The event centered around the launch of four research publications that look at national security in Pakistan from a variety of socio-economic and cultural perspectives. Executive Director CRSS, Mr. Imtiaz Gul stated that empirical research forms the basis of all programmatic endeavors, and should be the go-to resource for any and all formal policy interventions. Dr. Sadiq stated that a range of factors have rendered the FIR in Pakistan a complex phenomenon and a constant battleground for social and legal wrangling. He also reviewed the legal framework, relating to the registration of an FIR, explained reasons for non-registration and remedies available in case of non-registration. Finally, he shared the past efforts to resolve this issue and evaluated their impact and implementation. The CRSS Annual Security Report 2019, authored by Muhammad Nafees and Zeeshan Salahuddin states that there were no drone strikes in the country in 2019, a first since 2004. Consolidating its position in its fight against terror, this year Pakistan observed 30.71% drop in terrorism, reducing from 980 fatalities in 2018 to 679 in 2019. Mr. Talha Ali Madni shared some shocking ramifications of unnecessary judicial activism in Pakistan. He stated that the total cost of just four instances is PKR 9.9 trillion, including PKR 1,244 billion in penalties and losses, and PKR 8,505 billion in loss of opportunity. Finally, Mr. Arslan Alvie apprised the audience that South Asian countries still rely on responsive approach rather than proactive, as a common proactive in the developed countries. Karachi, being the biggest city in Pakistan, contributes 20% to Pakistan’s GDP and...

Note: This is a public event. Anyone is free to attend. The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) is pleased to announce the launch of our Annual Security Report and three other publications (details below) on Monday, January 27, 2020, at Hill View Hotel Islamabad, from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm, followed by hi-tea. The event, focusing on various cross-cutting themes, would be sharing research in four significant security areas i.e., national security, financial security, urban security and human security. The details of these CRSS publications and their authors are as below: CRSS Annual Security Report 2019 by Mr. Muhammad Nafees and Mr. Zeeshan Salahuddin The Politics of FIRs by Dr. Ehsan Sadiq The Cost of Judicial Activism by Mr. Talha Ali Madni Urban Disaster Risk Management by Mr. Arslan Alvie The presentations will be followed by a short Q&A session. Note: This is a public event. Anyone is free to attend.

Unprecedented regional consensus appears to be behind Afghan peace push. A renowned US expert on Afghanistan believes that continued internal instability in the embattled country is likely to remain a challenge in the medium to long run. The good news, however, is that despite their competing interests, almost all regional powers appear to be committed more than ever to promoting U.S.-led Afghan peace and reconciliation efforts, said Professor Barnett Rubin at a round-table held at Afghan Studies Center (ASC). Rubin, a veteran on Afghan affairs and author of multiple books, also underlined that almost every body seems fed up with the continued Afghan instability and so are most of Afghans themselves, and that should be a cause for extremely cautious optimism. “There are clearly much more economic incentives than in the past decades for these countries to cooperate to jointly pursue peace in Afghanistan,” argued Rubin, underlining that these incentives essentially rule out any possible vacuum even if the US withdrew from Afghanistan (lock stock and barrel). All indications, including the Taliban opposition to any residual US forces as a precondition to peace, suggest that the US does want to withdraw all its troops from the country. A small residual US force in Afghanistan may be a necessity as a “stabilisation force”, though, he noted. But this should at best take place in consultation with all key stakeholders for legitimacy and greater acceptance, Rubin argued. Professor Rubin, who has been campaigning across the region – including trips to Beijing, Central Asia – for a greater multi-lateral synergy of thought and action on Afghanistan, hopes to hear some positive news on the peace deal between the Taliban and the USA, after what he called the great hard work by Zalmay Khalilzad, President Trump’s envoy on Afghan reconciliation. “Never before did I come across such a grand regional commitment and consensus to conflict resolution in Afghanistan.” The American...