The 30th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 10, 2018, on the topic of “Importance of Accountability for Good Governance and Inclusive Democracy”. The guest on the show, Mr. Arbab Farooq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) representative, stressed that accountability is one of the most important pillars in the structure of democratic governance. He noted that it is the fundamentally essential ideal to prevent the misuse of authority and uphold rule of law. Accountability of public representatives before law and general public is the beauty of democracy and it ensures an egalitarian and cohesive society. Across the board accountability is at the core of every developed country’s success story where everyone is accountable and subject to law and even those at helm are not allowed to misuse their powers whatsoever. The guest on phone, Mr. Zarak Shah, an advocate by profession, emphasized that media has played a remarkable role over the last 15 years in sensitizing the general public and creating awareness among them on the importance of indiscriminate accountability as a core democratic tenet to ensure good governance. People were ignorant but now they are more aware of their rights and responsibilities and can hold the public representatives accountable for their service delivery. Nevertheless, there should also be a check on media so that it does not exceed its limits and convey the right and truthful information to the public. About Ulasi Taroon Ulasi Taroon is a counter radicalization initiative of Center for Research and Security Studies that aims to address the radicalization challenges, extremist ideologies and foster social cohesion through a discourse anchored in the core constitutional values which are fundamentally essential prerequisites for social peace and harmony. The endeavor aims to cultivate and sensitize the people of KP in the...

The 29th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 03, 2018, on the topic of “Merger of FATA, a Step Towards Inclusion”. The programme was primarily focused on the report “FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future”, launched by the CRSS as part of its special publication series. It is the first report of its kind which provides an introduction to the history, culture, traditions and demographics of the ethnic Pashtun tribes inhabiting the north-western border regions of Pakistan. The focus of this report is on the tribes, sub-tribes and notable families residing in the seven administrative units that make up FATA. It also looks at the various traditional conflict mitigation and resolution mechanisms that these tribes have practiced for centuries where an overview of economic, demographic, and geopolitical dimensions of FATA is also provided. The guest on phone, Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS, noted that the recent publication by CRSS was initiated to bridge the gaps between the people residing in FATA and the other parts of the country as it had been - for long -  presented as a no-go area and a nursery for extremist activities. The state must make efforts to uphold rule of law in the tribal areas and introduce alternate dispute resolutions mechanisms like the ones deployed in the other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - such as Dispute Resolution Councils, besides modifying the existing conflict resolution mechanisms in the region. “The first and most important step towards inclusion of the ex-FATA in the political stream is to hold local bodies’ elections in these areas to speed up the development activities,” said Mr. Iftikhar Firdous, Bureau Chief, Express Tribune, Peshawar. The policy planning for the development of FATA ought to take into consideration the local culture, traditions, values and...

The 28th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on July 27, 2018, on the topic of “Role of Youth for Equality and Social Cohesion”. The radio show kicked with the recorded remarks of Mr. Noor Jamal, Superintendent of Police (SP) Operations, Chitral, expressed during the 8th round of Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops held at University of Chirtal. He said that rule of law means equality - i.e. every individual in the society is important - and indiscriminate application of law; equally applicable and accessible on and to everyone regardless of their background. Rule of law is conducive to peace, socio-political and economic progress, democratic development, employment opportunities, foreign investment, equality and across the board accountability. The linkages between the public and police are extremely crucial to counter-extremism and foster rule of law. The youth must be educated on their rights and responsibilities enshrined in the constitution to uphold rule of law, besides, the media should also create awareness among the masses on the criticality of adherence to rule of law. The in-studio guest, Mr. Waheed Ullah, a youth activist said that the tenets of equal citizenry are clearly enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan especially articles 8-28. As citizens especially the young population, we must all be aware of these constitutional protections critical to our peaceful coexistence. All these core constitutional values clearly state that every individual is an equal citizen irrespective of gender, color, cast, creed, socio-economic or political background. The youth can play a great role in positively engaging with the communities - through volunteerism - on values critical to social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. The second guest on show, Ms. Mashaal Zia, a professional career consultant, noted that the youth is very capable...

The 26th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on July 13, 2018, on the topic of “Freedom of Expression and Social Cohesion”. The guest in studio, Mr. Bakht Zaman, a lecturer from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Peshawar, noted that the difference of opinion is as natural as diversity when it comes to cross cultural dialogue, however, it should be respected and not taken personally or converted into a conflict or an opposition. He said that powers and rights come with great responsibilities. Same is the case with freedom of expression that comes with the huge social responsibility and requires one to be keenly considerate of the political, cultural or religious sensitivities living in the society. The civil society and media should promote respect and tolerance for diversity and acceptance of differences while at the same time underscoring that the freedom of expression has its redlines. The second guest on show, Mr. Ali Asghar, a senior journalist, said that all forms of media especially the social media offer a great opportunity to the public for strategic engagement with the policy makers on the issues - to be considered for inclusive legislation -  that concern them the most. The freedom of expression is directly proportional to good governance and rule of law, therefore, the state must ensure the provision of freedom of expression for all its citizens. The guest on phone, Mr. Iftikhar Firdous, Bureau Chief, Express Tribune, emphasized that we are presently enjoying a lot of freedom of expression manifest in the availability of social media platforms, but we must realize that it comes with a great social responsibility to understand the diversity and accept differences in the society. “Freedom of expression has a huge importance in our society as it’s extremely crucial to provide an environment conducive to...

The 25th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on July 06, 2018, on the topic of “Rule of Law and Role of Youth”. The first guest on show, Advocate Ali Gohar discussed the history of law and said that the concept of rule of law - based on different principles - was existing since centuries and had evolved as a result of different historical and natural factors. In a country where the youth comprises sixty percent of the total population, the realization of the importance of rule of law among the young population becomes much more critical. Our youth is living in the digital age which presents itself as an opportunity to effectively outreach and sensitize them on the tolerance perspectives, and acceptance of and respect for others opinions.  The social fabric of the society is strengthened by compliance with the social contract and abiding by the core constitutional values critical to social cohesion. The guest on phone, Ms. Bushra Gohar, former MPA, stressed that the youth had to be provided with the avenues for positive and active participation in political processes to ensure and uphold rule of law. She suggested that political leadership had to be the role models for their followers and lead with examples such as self-accountability and equal citizenry. The second guest on show, Ms. Nihal, an advocate by profession and human rights activist, said that the youth is the back bone of a nation and they must perform well, work preemptively and proactively, and be cognizant of their role and responsibilities for the development of the country. “It is need of the hour that youth should perform their due roles and not just confine themselves to books only but also display their learning from books in practical life. We should involve them in extracurricular social activities to bring a positive change in the society”, said Mr. Samiuddin, a student from...