Current Projects
Open Letters To USA, Afghanistan And Taliban By Russian Medical Association Appealing For Peace
Professor Dr. Ashot Sarkisian – Chairman, International Committee of Humanitarian Cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and President, Russian Medical Association – has penned open letters to key stakeholders in Afghanistan demanding an instant resolution to the country’s ongoing conflict. In his letters – addressed to President Ashraf Ghani, Taliban Commander Mawlawi Akhhunzada, US Secretary of Defense General James Mattis, and leader of the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar – Dr. Sarkisian believes that it is time to end the senseless and hopeless war in Afghanistan. Dr. Sarkisian also emphasizes on the urgent need for combatting growing extremism in the Afghan society through investments in education, healthcare, culture and science While emphasizing on the need for dialogue, Dr. Sakisian writes that ‘the people of Afghanistan can and should build their future through a broad national dialogue on peace. Turning Afghanistan into a stable and peaceful nation where no threats come from and which is able to secure decent life for its people, should be a strategic goal for the entire international community. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan’. The letters finally argue on how ‘the people of Afghanistan, tired of the endless war, having discarded ethnic and tribal differences, will support the joint actions and the beginning of active negotiation process. The letters, in full, can be found below: 1. Letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Taliban Leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhunzada 2. Letter to General James Mattis 3. Letter to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policy [HELP], Way Forward to Self-Sufficiency in Oil & Gas
ABSTRACT: The new government in Pakistan has inherited an economy mired in multi-pronged crises. Foreign-reserves’ crunch, massive unemployment, devaluation of the Pakistani rupee, and high inflation are among the challenges it will need to tackle. One of the fundamental causes of the economic crisis is energy imports. This dependence on energy import has crippled Pakistan. Meeting almost 85 percent of the energy demand through imports weighs heavily on Pakistan’s trade and current account deficit. To address these challenges on an economic front, Pakistan needs to enhance the domestic production of oil and gas on war-footing by removing the structural constraints. Proven oil and gas reserves are enough to meet national demand and make the country self-sufficient but a lack of a conducive policy and regulatory environment hinders the boosting of domestic exploration and production. Pakistan is thus groping for cheap energy solutions. It is also looking for ways to increase productivity and generate employment opportunities. Therefore, this report proposes an introduction of petroleum policy, given the acronym of HELP (HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION AND LICENSING POLICY) and a better regulatory environment. The report finds that unnecessary regulatory burdens could be reduced through new institutional arrangements - principally the new hydrocarbon exploration and licensing policy, establishment of an upstream regulator along with implementation of best practices in regulatory principles in all jurisdictions.The objective of this brief report is to help government make better Oil & Gas Exploration policy for self-reliance in production. It chalks out a road-map for exploration of hydrocarbons to make the country self-sufficient in minimum lead time and set it on a new trajectory of economic growth. The report reviews and highlights shortcomings in petroleum policies and suggests reforms to be able to attain self-sufficiency View full report on [HELP] here. The author...
Why not Embrace Global Norms
Prime minister Imran Khan ‘s announcement at Karachi to grant citizenship to Afghan refugees came across as relief for many, particularly young Afghans who have grown up in Pakistan. But it also caused some consternation among many, and ruffled up quite a few, particularly nationalist, narrow-minded political elements. The detractors also include a PTI ally, a nationlist sardar from Balochistan; should we declare Pakistan an orphanage for all and sundry, he quipped at a press conference. His fear; naturalizing Afghans would render Baloch natives into a minority. This way he resonated apprehensions that former chief minister Dr.Malik Baloch had expressed in opposition to the national census. I opposed the census because this might reduce the Baloch into a minority, Baloch had told us at a private gathering. This argument ignores basic principles of demographic dynamics, which have seen natives getting outnumbered by immigrants in many parts of the world, something manifest in the fact that about a dozen governors in the USA are of Indian or other origins. Several dozen MPs in the UK House of Commons or the German parliament – the Bundestag – for example are also of Turkic or Arabic or Slavic origin. But these facts have generally not obstructed the naturalization process in these countries. Many opposition politicians blurted out similar parochial views, some for genuine reasons in their own right and others only for the sake of running down the prime minister on an issue that has lingered on just because no government ever bothered to rationally address it according to globally practiced norms on refugees and migration. They overlook – advertently or otherwise – a basic practice in most parts of the world; naturalization by birth or through extended stay of aliens/refugees. The United States, for instance, naturalized 1.1 million foreigners in 2015 alone. In 2016, about 4.8 million Europeans lived in the United States, accounting for 11 percent of the roughly 44...
Minorities have equal rights as rest of the citizens: Roohullah Madani
Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) is a bond; a binding force that holds the society together in a cohesive form and creates and fosters the linkages critical to peaceful coexistence and community building. Human development is absolutely important to ensure citizen’s participation in the socio-political and economic progress as well as the democratic development of the country. The remarks were made by Mr. Roohullah Madani, Former Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while he was speaking at the Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops’ Annual Alumni Gathering held by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in collaboration with City University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar. Mr. Roohullah Madani said that the guiding principles of the society are the core constitutional values and ideals critical to peace and harmony and their compliance also prevents disintegration and discord. A society is a very diverse place which requires it members to respect each other, exhibit understanding and acceptance for different opinions. Every society in the world consists of multiple faiths and their peaceful coexistence is not possible without mutual understanding and respect. The minorities’ rights are as important as the majorities’. The nations devoid of vision are more vulnerable to committing strategic blunders. The youth today are very talented and energetic, they need opportunities to grow, compete and harness their potential. Gratitude is not a courtesy but a responsibility. As future leaders, the youth must understand that expressing gratitude can increase the level of trust people have for you and inspire to be responsible citizens – it’s a key ingredient for effective leadership and cohesion. The event was participated by over 60 students representing more than 20 different universities across KP. The youth leaders participated in the speech competition on the topic Importance of Social Cohesion for Peaceful...
Time to Tackle Internal Divisions – General Bajwa
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, while speaking at the International Conference on Radicalization, Perceptions, Realities & Challenges of Campus Life held at Air University in Islamabad today, stated that internal challenges emanating from ethnic and religious sectarianism are more severe compared to any external challenges. He further said that even though roots of current religious extremism date back to the 1970s, Pakistan today stands at a place where even a critical discussion on religion has become a taboo. General Bajwa affirmed that the country needed to be ready to accept these challenges, and collectively rise as a nation to tackle our internal divisions. He further argued that terrorism in the country could only be defeated if the society acknowledged these problem in the first place. General Bajwa also raised several pointers in his speech, while speaking to the youth, faculty, and international scholars, on the threat of terrorism and the role of the military and the civilian government in this regard. Some of his salient points from his speech are as follows: In efforts to eliminate extremism and violence in Pakistan, the Pakistani Army launched several counter-terrorism operations over the past few years and successfully managed to eliminate terrorists from the tribal areas of Pakistan. In the process, the Army made many sacrifices, including martyrdom of over 6500 soldiers and military personnel. However, while the Army has killed terrorists, it cannot kill terrorism, which is the job of the civilian government. Out of the 20 points of the National Action Plan, three pertain to the armed forces. The Army has completed all those but the remaining 17, which concern the role of the civilian government, have remained far from implementation. Where Karachi in 2016 was ranked as the 6th most dangerous city in the world, today it is ranked as the 66th, while many cities in the US are still topping the list of dangerous cities...
PM Imran Khan’s Meeting With Pakistan & Afghan Regional Security Experts’ Delegations Of “Beyond Boundaries” In January, 2016
Prime Minister Imran Khan had met with CRSS’s Pak-Afghan Track II diplomacy project’s “Beyond Boundaries” regional security experts from Pakistan and Afghanistan, at Serena Hotel, on January 12, 2016. During the meeting with the Afghan delegation, Imran Khan, who was Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Member of National Assembly at that time, talked about his vision for Pak-Afghan relations and for peace in Afghanistan in particular: “Afghanistan has suffered for too long and the people in Afghanistan deserve peace as any other country. Pakistan should pursue a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, as stated by the government of Pakistan. Peace in Afghanistan will be the key to peace in Pakistan and all efforts should be made to pursue this objective. I am not pro-Taliban; I am anti-war – as war is never a solution for any country.” He noted that Pakistan itself has suffered a lot due to terrorism. More than 60,000 people have died in Pakistan and over $100 billion worth of losses have been inflicted on the Pakistani nation. Both countries need to work together for peace and security in the region. He said that future of this region doesn’t lie in boundaries and hoped that in future there will be a time when Afghan and Pakistani citizens will have the right of free movement without barriers – similar to European Union.
Rule of Law Necessary for Peace and Progress: Speakers
Rule of law is a long term goal and a continuous process. It refers to the society where the law applies on everyone, equally and indiscriminately; everyone is subject to law regardless of socio-political background and economic status; and has equal access to justice. Not only the law enforcement agencies but every single individual is responsible to uphold rule of law besides adhering to rule of law. Rule of law in the society nourishes social peace and progress whereas deviation from constitution and rule of law leads to disintegration and weakens the social fabric. These notions were expressed by Mr. Mirvais Niaz, Senior Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) Officer, posted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the ninth round of Ulasi Taroon, Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at the Department of Social Work, University of Peshawar from September 13-14, 2018. Barrister Ali Gohar; members of the faculty of social work department; and team CRSS also spoke during the workshop. Underscoring the importance of democratic dialogue, Mr. Mirvais said that the citizens should collectively voice and articulate their concerns and mobilize pressure - on those at helm - for the resolution of their issues but through a democratic discourse instead of flouting the law and resorting to violent means to communicate their demands. “Ideally, police should be an agency oriented for public service rather than to be used as a force for furthering political objectives. Equipping our police with the modern policing tools can enhance its capacity to better implement rule of law”, he concluded. Barrister Ali Gohar said that the religious leaders should be aware of the religious and cultural sensitivities in the society given the huge responsibility on them to achieve harmony and cohesion. They must realize the importance of their role in promoting tolerance, respect and harmony as all religions promote peace and humanity. Equal...
PM Khan Offers Nationality to Pakistan-Born Afghans
The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) is heartened and welcomes Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision, on Sunday September 16, to grant Pakistani citizenship to hundreds of thousands of Afghans born to refugee families in Pakistan. “Afghans whose children have been raised and born in Pakistan will be granted citizenship inshallah (God willing) because this is the established practice in countries around the world. You get an American passport if you are born in America. Then why can’t we do it here. We continue to subject these people to unfair treatment. They are humans. How come we have deprived them and have not arranged for offering them national identification card and passport for 30 years, 40 years,” said PM Khan, while making the announcement at a public event in Karachi. CRSS is pleased to take ‘some’ credit for this unprecedented decision by PM Khan as through its Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II initiative Beyond Boundaries CRSS has consistently highlighted the issue with relevant government stakeholders. Some of the major stakeholders included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SAFRON Ministry, Pakistan Military Officials, and the UNHCR. CRSS’ Executive Director Imtiaz Gul also raised the issue in his Op-Eds, commentaries, analyses and TV shows, pressing on the need to naturalize such Afghan refugees, especially those born and raised in Pakistan. On January 12, 2018, Mr. Imtiaz Gul wrote in the Daily Times: “Can’t we stop scape-goating issues of terrorism and sanctuaries by singling out these Afghans as ‘facilitators’ of terror, and instead play a master-stroke by naturalizing all Afghans. Wouldn’t this blunt some of the Pakistan-focused negative rhetoric and create a groundswell of goodwill? The ongoing documentation of the hundreds of thousands of unregistered Afghan refugees could also help in taking this bold decision and winning at least some hearts, instead of continuously taking measure that sow bad blood and keep multiplying the...
Afghan Studies Center Brings Together Pak-Afghan Youth In A Musical Evening & Get Together
Afghan Studies Center (ASC) and the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), on September 05, 2018, hosted a “Pak-Afghan Youth Alumni Get Together, Musical Evening & Dinner” for its alumni at Hillview Hotel, Islamabad. The event was attended by over a hundred young Afghans and Pakistanis from tribal districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Kohat, Hangu as well as Afghans from Jalalabad, Kunduz, Kabul, Badakhshan, and other regions, though currently residing in Pakistan. Additionally, CRSS’ Pak-Afghan Track 1.5/II dialogue Beyond Boundaries‘ visiting Afghan delegation that comprised members of Afghan Parliament, Advisors and former Ministers also graced the evening with their presence. The Afghan delegation included Mozammil Shinwari; Advisor to the Office of Afghan Chief Executive Officer on Trade, Khalid Pashtoon; Member of Parliament, Jarullah Mansoori; former Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Sayed Qutbuddin Roydar; former Deputy Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Saleem Khan Kunduzi; former Governor of Nangarhar, Faridoon Sikander; Representative to Afghan Chief Executive, Mohammad Younas Momand; Vice President Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PAJCCI) and Anees Ur Rahman Shinwari; Senior Journalist from National TV of Afghanistan. Former Ambassadors Mian Sanaullah and Ms. Fouzia Mian Sanaullah represented Pakistan’s delegation. Rahimullah Qatra – the Afghan Political Councilor, Afghan Embassy, Islamabad, was the Chief Guest. In the opening, Aized Ali, CRSS Project Director, warmly welcomed the distinguished guests and thanked the Chief Guest and Pak-Afghan dignitaries for taking out the time to interact with the youth from both countries. He apprised the audience that the primary objective of the ASC is to encourage peaceful co-existence based on universal values of neighborhood. By providing a platform for the youth of the two countries to interact, exchange ideas and...
[Videos] Pak-Afghan Youth Brought Together In A Musical Evening
At a musical evening & dinner hosted by Afghan Studies Center (ASC) and the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) on September 05, 2018, over a hundred Afghan and Pakistani youth gathered to celebrate their commonalities of language, music, and culture. Young ambassadors from both countries addressed the gathering sharing their views on the improving Pak-Afghan relations and their desire for peace in their country as well as Pakistan-Afghanistan friendship, while also adorning the evening with exquisite performances of the Pashtoon victory dance ‘Attan’. These youth are part of Afghan Studies Center’s 400+ alumni which began in April 2017. https://youtu.be/gP_h_aQN8dk https://youtu.be/reI7anWBcFo https://youtu.be/plmRKL6pOtQ https://youtu.be/Dw_CUfsncG0
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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.