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Islamabad-Kabul Ties Are Indispensable, Says Zakhilwal At Farewell Lunch Hosted By CRSS
The outgoing Ambassador of Afghanistan Omar Zakhilwal said on Monday relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are indispensable adding during his tenure he tried his best to strengthen the bilateral ties. “Pak-Aghan relationship cannot remain the way it is and no matter how many times we make attempts and those attempts fail, we need to continue till the time our attempts bear some fruit,” said the Afghan envoy while speaking on the occasion of a farewell lunch on hosted for him by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). The outgoing ambassador, further said Pakistan indeed was a challenging job however he accepted to be his country’s ambassador in Islamabad just to play his role in bringing both the countries closer. Ambassador Zakhilwal said his two and half years stint in Pakistan was not an easy job. It was ostensibly a tough call nevertheless he tried to deliver in the difficult circumstances. “I came to Pakistan with a very ambitious agenda – the agenda of taking forward the bilateral relations. We are certainly way far from where we would like to be, but during my tenure I had a chance to study this relationship rather deeply and now I can say I have a deep understanding of Afghanistan, Pakistan dynamics,” said Zakhilwal. He also told that during his diplomatic stint he at least thrice packed up his wherewithal to leave Pakistan and at one point in time he directly spoke with his President that he wanted to come back, but then he had a second thought and decided to brave the challenges and work for strengthening of bilateral relations. The ambassador further said the bilateral trade is dropping down adding he has put in his best efforts to improve bilateral trade. He said when he came to Pakistan, Afghan refugees were facing a number of problems, but he was able to help significantly improve living conditions for refugees. “I am returning to Kabul but for sure peace in Afghanistan and bilateral relations shall still be my top priority. Even...
Rule of Law Requires Responsible Citizenship: SP Cantt. Peshawar
The government should provide conducive environment to the citizens where they feel inclusion and interact with the government on the matters of public concern; articulating their issues in a dispassionate way. It’s only the vision of the leadership that steers the country towards the path of success, to the bright and connected future. Only by sensitizing, educating and enlightening the future leaders, inculcating the critical thinking skills among them and giving them opportunities for participation in the democratic processes, can we only have a visionary leadership tomorrow. The fundamental prerequisite for rule of law is social relations characterized by mutual respect and trust, that is only how it can contribute to social cohesion, and more the rule of law, more the social cohesion. As citizens, we can uphold rule of law by fulfilling our duties. Only by adhering to law, can we uphold rule of law. These were the notions expressed by Mr. Wasim Riaz, Superintendent of Police, Peshawar Cantt. during the eleventh round of Ulasi Taroon, Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Peshawar from November 13-14, 2018. He added that among all the other types of justice systems, the retributive system is extremely important to create deterrence against crimes in the society. However, the restorative justice tends to be more efficient and cost-effective - than the traditional justice system - with the alternate dispute resolution system at the core but it cannot address the issues related to crimes in the society. The Dispute Resolution Councils (DRC) model in KP is a paragon of alternate dispute resolution system for other provinces. DRCs have demonstrated a proven ability to solve the disputes of civil nature. The rehabilitation should be considered as an important prong of justice system in Pakistan. KP Police wants to engage youth in the...
Money Laundering: Collusion of Political Elites & Bankers
Pakistan is currently conducting its largest ever crime investigation, the largest money-laundering and fake accounts enquiry of its history if not of the region. This investigation is a telling comment on the discretion that the nexus of influential politicians and bankers used in the most unscrupulous way to skim off public funds and launder kickbacks. This As new fake accounts with billions worth of transactions keep emerging every now and then, some 39 accounts (originally 29) involving a whopping Rs.50 billion (at least) remain under sharp scrutiny of investigators – all drawn several state institutions – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) inter alia. Every day they delve into trails of accounts, their owners, and end up in hours of communication with concerned bank officials to identify or ascertain the nature of crime i.e the sources of unusual cash transactions (CTR) and suspicious transactions (STR) from a couple of banks worth billions. At the center are Summit Bank, the Sindh Bank and a couple of other private banks. It is a herculean attempt to reach criminals with the help of the crime committed via fake accounts. It is like unmasking the vultures who have been chipping away precious public money through deceit. As officials began tracking the 29 accounts – most of which are located in one bank alone – they stumbled upon another two dozen accounts – either fake or dubious that had been used for transactions of massive funds – often tens of millions released in cash off just a phone call. The number of accounts belonging to companies or individuals associated with the Omni Group alone has already crossed the 100 mark. The number of individuals being interrogated has crossed 800. Officials – through forensic exercises – have already determined the fakeness of all these accounts i.e. accounts opened either in...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Rule of Law and Peace
October 30, 2018: The 36th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on September 28, 2018, on the topic of “Rule of Law and Peace”. The show was dedicated to the international peace day celebrations across the world. The first in-studio guest, Mr. Amjad Tanoli, an advocate by profession noted that sowing the seeds of change in the society; cultivating it in the values of peace and adherence to rule of law creates empowerment critical to uphold rule of law and prevent the human rights violations. It also helps the members of the society to better speak for themselves and articulate their issues that matter to them the most. The activities related to the peace day celebrations are to voice the desire of the public for peace and coexistence. We should have a collective vision of a peaceful society that will ultimately help us better drive a social change and foster attitudes critical to social cohesion. The second in-studio guest, Mr. Haroon Faraz said the direly essential prerequisite to foster peace and cohesion is to sensitize the common people on the virtues of social peace and harmony, aware them of the ingredients of social cohesion and their role in the peacebuilding. The educated class can play a vital inspiring role in peacebuilding besides the state led and civil society supported interventions. He also appreciated the role of radio advocacy in this regard and said that Ulasi Taroon radio campaign is one such effort to foster peace. “Law is a body of principles and rules that regulate the human behavior. In the absence of rule of law, there will be no difference between the humans and animals”, he added. The guests emphasized that the state and individuals must work together for the promotion of peace as a top priority. Peace may seem just like a small word but it affects the whole human life. “I think access to justice and redressal mechanisms is...
Afghan Reconciliation Initiatives: vindication of Pakistan?
The latest visit by a senior US diplomat Alice Wells took place just a few days ahead of a regional consultative meeting at Moscow involving Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and the host Russia. A Taliban delegation will also join the talks. Alice Well’s stop-over in Islamabad came to the backdrop of a few rounds of overt and covert direct US-Taliban talks. Most detractors had laughed off the proposal of direct talks as Pakistan’s “vested interest.” Some had called it the “result of Islamabad’s obsession with the notion strategic depth.” Others had dubbed it as bias towards its proxies (Taliban). But by getting directly in touch with the Taliban, the US administration finally shunned its opposition to directly engaging the Afghan Taliban, thereby acknowledging an unavoidable ground reality. Taliban have managed to bleed the country. The year 2018 has sofar been the bloodiest. The perpetration of violence by ISKP/Daesh fuels the conflict further. Forced by these circumstances, the US opened direct talks with the Doha-based Taliban, and is set to follow-up the first two informal rounds with more talks, and essentially turning its earlier position on its head; from terrorists and hosts of dreaded Al-Qaeda , the US is now treating TTA as a much sought after direct interlocutor, and literally enforced the release of five important leaders from the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison. Their release is likely to unleash the next round of reconciliation-focused discussions with Washington. And , to top it all, Gen. Scott Miller, the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan, thinks ” now is the time to start working through the political piece of this conflict”. “My assessment is the Taliban also realizes they cannot win militarily. So if you realize you can’t win militarily at some point, fighting is just, people start asking why. So you do not necessarily wait us out, but I think now is the time to start working through the political piece of...
Maj. Gen (R) Ithar Hussain Shah speaks to CRSS on US’ strategy and fate of ISIS in Afghanistan
Maj. Gen (R) Ithar Hussain Shah, while speaking to Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in an exclusive interview, shares his insights about the future game plan of the US in Afghanistan and its priorities in this regard. He also shed some light on whether/how the US is countering ISIS in Afghanistan. [Video]
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Role of Civil Society for Social Cohesion
October 30, 2018: The 35th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on September 14, 2018, on the topic of “Role of Civil Society for Social Cohesion”. The first guest on show, Mr. Imran Takar noted that the concept of civil society is a very broad which unfortunately has a very narrow understanding; referring it to the nongovernmental organizations only. The role of civil society is critical in almost all aspects of the public life. Nearly all private-owned media, out-of-government political parties, various non-profit social, political and economic associations of people, institutions and organizations form civil society of a country. The criticality of its role is manifest in the nature of their work that aims to sensitize and educate the masses on the fundamental components of democracy, good governance, human rights. Even some civil society organizations are supporting the elected representatives in the parliament and members of local councils to better deliver their outcomes. The second guest on show, Miss Baseerat emphasized that the civil society organizations are meant for the protection of human rights and sustainable peace in the society, however, they are working in isolation which is counterproductive to their role. She suggested that they need to be brought under one umbrella to develop an information sharing and cooperation mechanism to increase their efficiency. Mr. Imran Takkar added that the role of civil society organizations is also crucial to the economic growth and development; a factor than can greatly influence the social peace, prosperity and rule of law. He said that the importance of these organizations all over the world cannot be denied and their role becomes much more important especially in the developing countries where the issues relating to social cohesion and strengthening the social fabric of the society is not just...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Youth as Peacebuilders
October 30, 2018: The 34th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on September 07, 2018, on the topic of “Youth as Peacebuilders”. “Youth is the greatest asset of every nation. The role of youth is crucial to bring change in the society and all the nations need their contribution in the national development. It becomes much more critical in a country like Pakistan where the youth comprises over sixty percent of the overall population, thus, we need to harness their potential to promote peace, tolerance, equality, justice, rule of law and social cohesion in the society”. These were the remarks of first guest on show, Mr. Shahnam Khan, a young human rights activist. He appreciated the initiative of Ulasi Taroon and suggested that the youth capacity building workshops like the ones held under this initiative should be take place on regular basis and have an even bigger footprint across the country given their importance in educating the youth in the critical peacebuilding perspectives. Shahnam stressed that youth development is a collective responsibility where parents, civil society organizations, educational institutions and above all, the state should make concerted efforts to guide the youth in the proper direction and help them channelize their potential into the national development. The youth is abundantly talented, but just lack opportunities. Therefore, the government should provide proper opportunities and platforms to the youth to play their much needed role in and as social cohesion and peace builders. The second guest on show, Miss Mashal Khan noted that both male and female populations are equally responsible for peace building in the society. However, the key issue faced right now is the capacity of youth leaders and availability of forums that they can utilize to express themselves in a logical, dispassionate and focused way. She said that...
Khan’s Visit and The Chinese Mindset
The 8-point joint statement released after PM Imran Khan’s maiden China visit and spread over nearly 2,900 words says it all about how the Chinese mind works; meticulous, insightful, far-sighted, penchant for detail, deliberately cautious and measured. It also underscores that the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good-neighborly Relations signed in 2005 remains the foundation of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. It encompasses nearly all social, political, and economic dimensions of the bilateral relations. It also touches most of the current simmering regional and international issues including Afghanistan and the US sanctions on Iran. Those familiar with the Chinese mindset and their cultural norms a little better most others know that Chinese officials and politicians are as much averse to verbosity and chest-thumping as to public trumpeting of critically sensitive issues. They love to pursue strategically important objectives quietly instead of making noises over media. Inherent in their culture is not to embarrass their friends. Nor do they like to be embarrassed by their close partners and friends. Also, Pakistan is not the only country in need of help and Beijing would like to do things in a way that doesn’t raise expectations of other developing countries for the same issue. This response clearly reflects the caution mode that reckless, uncalculated and uninformed comments by our ministers forced the Chinese leadership into. And the obvious loser could be the country and not cabinet members. Does the Khan visit and the ensuing joint statement bear any lessons for Pakistani politicians, military and bureaucrats, most of whom keep acting like care-free dons, unmindful of the sensitivities of a close friend like China, and ill-prepared when it comes to the substance of bilateral cooperation. Earlier, our entire DMG-led machinery under Nawaz Sharif got exposed when they failed to deliver the basic framework several months after the launch...
CRSS Symposium: Regional Security Dynamics; Hostage To Conflicting Geopolitics
Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) organized a symposium on “Regional Security Dynamics; Hostage to Conflicting Geopolitics” on October 29, 2018 at Marriott Hotel Islamabad. The keynote speakers included veteran of the US Marine Corps and Policy Research Analyst Adam Weinstein, former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua and former Ambassador Asif Ali Durrani. CRSS Executive Director Imtiaz Gul welcomed all the participants – comprising delegates, dignitaries and foreign guests. Gul opened the session by saying that there is exceptionalism we see in global politics. A lot of people talk about Chinese exceptionalism, but then there’s the other side of exceptionalism that is tied to the US, where contradictions are evident. To have the better understanding of US perspective in this regard, Gul invited an American friend Adam Weinstein on the podium to deliver the talk about the subject theme. Adam Weinstein, speaking on the theme ‘US Exceptionalism, Geopolitics and Regional peace: Can a Regional Initiative Work Without the US? What Went Wrong in Afghanistan?’ stated that US is stuck in a learning trap – where military solution repeatedly takes precedence when it comes to Afghanistan; Pakistan, on the other hand, continues to press for a political settlement. Owing to this divergence in approaches, the present relations between Washington and Islamabad are increasingly becoming dysfunctional. It has to be understood that the notion of Washington having considerable leverage over Islamabad is a misperceived one; this is due to US’ own conflicting policies, he added. Thus, cooperation is the only way out. The veteran was of the view that US and Pakistan are stuck in a blame-game-trap where Islamabad perceives that Washington is not committed to Afghanistan, while the US in turn disagrees with Islamabad’s approach towards Afghanistan. The cause of the continuing conflict in the region is that short-term goals are prioritized over long-term...
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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.