Current Projects
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...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Use of Information Technology for Counter-Radicalization
October 28, 2018: The 33rd radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 31, 2018, on the topic of “Use of Information Technology for Counter-Radicalization”. Tolerance comes through its education and practice. Earlier, the education was only imparted in schools and homes but now the mediums have changed where it is not just limited to schools or any other physical medium but you can get quality education from the best institutions across the world by just sitting at home, through the use of information technology, said Mr. Zafar Iqbal, the first guest on show. He added that many social issues which would go unnoticed or unreported before have now been successfully highlighted through the use of information technology where the citizens are quite aware of its efficacy in getting their views across. New legislation is needed to regulate the use of electronic social media to ensure that it is going to be used positively and promote social cohesion rather than polarizing the society. The presence of divisive elements on social media - causing polarization in the society and jeopardizing the social peace and harmony - must be detected and penalized. Mr. Zafar emphasized that peace and tolerance perspectives are the fundamentally essential prerequisites for a society to nourish, therefore, there should be efforts at the state and society level to promote the democratic values critical to social peace and harmony. Also the media channels should broadcast such programming that propagates the messaging which can strengthen the social fabric of the society. The second guest on show, Syed Furqan Ali suggested that the state, in collaboration with the educational institutions should constructively engage the youth on the deployment of information technology tools to promote tolerance and acceptance in the society. The educational institutions should also...
‘Cooperation only way forward for US, Pakistan’
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. Thus, cooperation is the only way out. The 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 stability, according to former US Marine and Policy Research Analyst Adam Weinstein, who was speaking at a symposium organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS)at Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Monday. There are fundamental problems that cannot be attributed only to Pakistan, he said; for example, the trust deficit between the US military and its Afghan partners which makes it challenging to counter insurgency on the ground. Moreover, there doesnot appear to be any possibility that the US would withdraw from Afghanistan any time soon, Weinstein affirmed. If President Trump will not do it, then no one else will probably do it. Neither the US nor Pakistan have a clear foreign policy, nor a clear solution for the conflict in Afghanistan, because both countries are bound by the policies of frequently changing governments and their own agendas. Furthermore, the veteran was of the view that the defense department and industry certainly have a leverage in crafting the foreign policy and in this regard, the US military industrial complex as a stakeholder in the Afghan imbroglio cannot be overlooked. As far the Syrian and...
Only by Adherence to Law, Can Rule of Law Be Upheld: DPO Swabi
Law is not equivalent to the gun, nor is the role of law enforcement agencies just with the gun. It’s a set of rules and regulatory framework to regulate the human behaviors and interactions. For such regulation, the society develops cultures, traditions and ethics whereas the state develops laws to control the human conduct. The practical application of laws faces several critical challenges in the present times. The concept of rule of law is applicable across the board and not just for and on a specific group in the society. The policy makers - while devising laws and legislations – must not ignore the culture, its evolution and the sensitivities attached to it as the culture is always stronger than a law. This factor should be considered and analyzed during the policy making process given that you can fight crimes but you cannot fight the culture. The concept of rule of law has three important tiers that it originates from including constitution, laws and rules. It calls for abiding by these three and make sure that there is rule of law and not some powerful individual. It also calls for the indiscriminate application of laws and impartiality of those implementing laws. It is transparent and certain that everyone is subject to accountability and accountable to law no matter how powerful. It should be transparently applied - across the board - with certainty to uphold publics’ belief in law. Rule of law requires certainty of punishment; not the intensity of it. These were the notions expressed by Syed Khalid Hamdani, District Police Officer (DPO), Swabi during the tenth round of Ulasi Taroon, Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at the Women University, Mardan from October 26-27, 2018. Barrister Ali Gohar; Shagufta Khalique, an educationist; and CRSS team leader Malik Mustafa also spoke during the workshop. While sharing with the participating students the practical perspective and his experiences on...
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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.