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Democratic Values Key to Peace: Speakers
Social and political awareness and education are critical for both voters and election candidates. Public can play a crucial role to mobilize enough pressure on the legislature for effective representation and policy making. The youth participation in the democratic processes is vital to inclusive democracy in the country. There is a dire need to improve the educational system of the country and incorporate ideals of cohesion and peace in the syllabi. Good governance requires involvement of public in the decision that concern them. Rule of law refers to a society where judiciary, legislature and executive only commit to adjudication, legislation and execution respectively. Rule of law is rule of rights. The lack of understanding of culture and religious context leads to the discrimination and violations of human rights. The starting point for peaceful coexistence is acceptance. The levers of power should be in the hands of enlightened people to ensure equality in the society. We should avoid hatred as hate is the easiest tool to perpetuate violence. There were the notions expressed by the speakers – including Ms. Amna Sardar, Member of KP Assembly; Syed Khalid Hamdani, District Police Officer (DPO), Haripur; and Prof. Dr. Abid Farid, Vice Chancellor, University of Haripur - during the fifth round of Ulasi Taroon, Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at University of Haripur from April 18-19, 2018. Ms. Amna Sardar said, “For effective communication, it is important for students to speak up and clearly express their thoughts as future leaders”. She explained to the participating students that the social and political awareness and education are not only a critical trait for voters but also for the candidates asking votes. The consideration to cast vote should be national and societal interest instead of personal interest or family association. The individual qualification of the candidate - in regard to...
DPO Bannu Calls for Independent Prosecution to Uphold Rule of Law
Not king is law but law is king. Everyone is subject to law. Human rights education can prevent human rights abuses. Mutual respect, understanding and equal opportunities are critical for inclusive democracy and good governance. Accountability and rule of law require strict compliance with the core constitutional ideals of peace and cohesion. There were the notions expressed by the speakers – including Prof. Dr. Engr. Syed Abid Ali Shah, Vice Chancellor, University of Science and Technology, Bannu; and Mr. Sadiq Baloch, District Police Officer (DPO), Bannu - during the fourth round of Ulasi Taroon, Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) at University of Science and Technology, Bannu from April 11-12, 2018. “Not king is law but law is king”, Mr. Sadiq Baloch, District Police Officer (DPO), Bannu introduced the concept and history of rule of law to the participating youth leaders in the workshop. He said that rule of law means all people and institutions are subject and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced. Discussing the fundamental principles of rule of law, he said that rule of law demands equal application of law on everyone and considers everyone equal before law. Propagating knowledge and information about laws enshrined in the constitution - which are available to the citizens - is critical to ensure rule of law in the society, besides accessible justice. The accountability over the use of power, independence of judiciary, presumption of innocence – until conviction – and ensuring rights of the accused and victims are some of the fundamental principles critical to uphold rule of law in the society. Where there is rule of law, everyone resorts to the limits of their respective roles including government and enforcing agencies. It improves public order and security, protects fundamental rights, promotes positive changes in socio-economic development, ensures political stability and to...
Pakistan Must Lobby the UN for Kashmir Plebiscite: Gillani
The Sunday April 1st killings in Shopian district and in other south Kashmir areas expose Indian army’s design; that it is using demographic and psycho-graphic profiling to decimate the youth of Kashmir, Dr Syed Nazir Gilani, Secretary General of the London-based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) told Daily Times from London. The manner of killing and the news – that chemical weapons have been used to burn down the buildings – has shaken every human soul in Kashmir, and elsewhere around the globe to the core. Gilani also disputes the characterisation “militants and terrorists” used by Indian officials and many Kashmiris for those Kashmiris killed in encounters. They are state subjects and hence very much within their right to challenge “forces of occupation,” he asserted. Dr. Gilani is a major proponent of the jurisprudence of the Kashmir dispute and insists that Pakistan go back to the UN Resolutions and the mutually agreed demand for a plebiscite to determine the future status of the state. Gilani think that there is an urgent need to revisit the delayed time table for Plebiscite, which he reminds, the United Kingdom had officially proposed to be arranged between April and October 1948 (that in view of weather conditions of Kashmir). United Kingdom had demanded that UN Commission and Plebiscite Administrator should start work within a month, that is, May 1948. Pakistan needs to go back to the demand for plebiscite to reinforce its moral and political support for Kashmir. This article originally appeared in Daily Times , April 08, 2018. Original link.
Sabawoon Inspiring Stories
Written By: Imtiaz Gul Edited By: Zeeshan Salahuddin Sabawoon (dawn) is a flagship radio intervention of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). It is aired from Peshawar for the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region. The shows are broadcast from private radio channels FM 101 Peshawar, AM 1260 Peshawar, FM 93 Dera Ismail Khan. Download
Q1 Security Report – 2018
There was a significant decline in incidents of militancy and the resultant fatalities during this quarter, but other factors kept Pakistan’s perception as a troubled state in the international limelight. The threat of being included in the Grey-List of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) also deteriorated relations with Washington, in addition to alarming tweets from the American President. Pakistan’s relationship with India and Afghanistan experienced hiccups as they continued accusing Pakistan for providing militant sanctuaries. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa rejected these accusations, stating “terrorists of all hues and colors” had been defeated in the troubled areas and a few disorganized residual militants were being pursued under Operation Radd-ul-Fasad. Internally, the echoes of the last year’s sit-in staged by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at Faizabad Interchange, Islamabad continued reverberate in politics. While the protestors successfully humiliated the state, the security forces failed to apprehend the two TLP leaders, Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Afzal Qadri against whom an arrest warrant was issued on March 19, 2018. Similarly, harrowing stories of extrajudicial killings by Senior Superintendent of Police Rao Anwar also called into question the methodologies being used by law enforcement to curb crime, and raised questions on a police force that nurtured and protected such deviants. In January, a congregation of more than 1,800 Ulema issued a fatwa against suicide bombing. While the fatwa failed to convince the militants to stop suicide bombings, a threat issued by the militants against western-style haircuts received quick compliance from the hair dresser’s union of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. In summary, it is undeniable that the security operations being carried out by law enforcement agencies are producing results. However, the issue of extrajudicial killings, unchecked religious zealotry, and continued presence of...
Cacophony of Triumphalism
What happens when nearly two-thirds of the speakers – either retired or serving state functionaries and a couple of members of parliament – at an “international conference” indulge in a cacophony of triumphalism against terrorism – from the minister to the president of Azad Kashmir to the secretaries to economists? Obviously an overdose of the same song with varying degrees of vocabulary and intonation. It becomes a club of mutual appreciation, with little space for an introspectively critical discourse. Had Pakistan been able to capture the attention of outsiders for its unmatched achievements against terror monsters through claims and self-assertions, then it would have avoided the impending grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force ( a move led by the US and a few other major NATO countries at Paris in February) as well as the blacklisting of several Pakistani firms by the US. Does this over-bearing self-praise help in selling Pakistan’s narrative of “from victim to victor” ? Is it enough to convince the extended audience of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism campaign? Yes and No. Yes because vast swathes of previously no-go-areas are now under the writ of the state. The dreaded TTP has been degraded. Both TTP / Daesh and terrorist auxiliaries are on the run. Some 2000 Baloch militants have surrendered. An anti-suicide bombing Fatwa (decree) by 1800 plus Ulema has been secured and broadly disseminated. Executions of convicted terrorists, however controversial, have also picked up. As a whole, deaths off violence/terrorist attacks declined to 2,057 in 2017 from a whopping 7,650 in 2014 – indicating an over 70 percent improvement. Hundreds of thousands of displaced persons have returned to Waziristan – albeit not without difficulties they face at the security check-posts – largely by the para-military and the army personnel. Although the military – that literally controls the FATA regions – have positively responded to demands resonating out of the protests held...
Non-State Actors Not Allowed Any Monopoly Over The Use Of Force In Islam, Concluded CRSS’ 9th Pak-Afghan Youth Workshop
The Muslim World is faced with many challenges and one of the pressing questions of the contemporary era remains whether Islam is essentially a political or an apolitical religion. This question was posed to young Afghans and Pakistanis by Farman Kakar, an academician and a writer, invited as the Chief Guest and Speaker at the 9th Pak-Afghan Youth Training Workshop at the Center for Research & Security Studies (CRSS) held on Monday, April 09, 2018. Participants of the workshop included young Afghans and Pakistanis enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programmes at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), National Defense University (NDU), International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), Bahria University, and National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad. Speaking on the theme of ‘Political Islam in Contemporary Times,’ he stated that, while Islam is a divinely revealed religion dealing with religious aspects of human life, scholars also refer to it as a ‘Deen’ – where the religion lays out a complete way of life entailing all personal, social, economic and political spheres. In the contemporary world, while Islam is both partially a political and apolitical system of beliefs and practices, it does not allow non-state actors to have monopoly over the use of force. Categorizing the typologies of Islam in this respect, Mr. Kakar stated that political Islam claims to power by proposing the implementation of the religion as a system of government; either through violent or non-violent means. This is done by Islamists who can be democratic, in case of non-violent and legal methods to establish an Islamic system, or militant, those who use violent means to achieve their objectives. He cited several examples of these groups from both Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the Middle East; including that of ISIL, Taliban, JUI etc. He also stated that Islam also has an apolitical aspect where the religion is considered as one’s private affair. The precedence of...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Role of Youth in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
April 09, 2018: The twelfth radio program as part of Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on March 30, 2018, on the topic of “Role of Youth in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building”. The first guest on show, Ms. Emaan Sumaya, member of faculty, Iqra National University, Peshawar, said that the youth needs opportunities for cross-cultural interactions to share ideas and perspectives on common challenges, and understand the importance of their concerted efforts for peace-building and conflict resolution. The Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by CRSS prompted us into our self-assessment as leaders and agents of change. They motivated me to have a vision for my future; for my responsibilities towards society, and peacebuilding and conflict resolution role as youth leader. The second guest on show, Ms. Naseeha from Iqra National University, Peshawar, said that the youth has a great potential in making an important contribution in peace-building. We just need to cultivate them in the ideals of respect, tolerance and equality critical to social peace and cohesive society. There is huge onus on both educational institutions and families for developing conflict resolution, reconciliation and critical thinking skills in youth for their effective participation in the peacebuilding process. “We must respect each other’s rights and opinions, exhibit tolerance for diversity, set aside differences and strive for a peaceful and more connected society”, says a student, Abdul Wahab, during radio report. 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...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Volunteerism and Rule of Law
The eleventh radio program as part of Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on March 16, 2018, on the topic of “Volunteerism and Rule of Law”. The first guest on show, Mr. Usman Akbar, student of Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, said the Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops - organized by CRSS - connected them with a very diverse group of students from different universities across KP and helped them realize that many of their challenges were common that required collection action with dialogue at the core. A sustainable peace is only possible with tolerance for diversity, respect for each other's rights and opinions, and rule of law. Media is the tool of 21st century; it’s an opinion maker which can play a very important role in creating respect for different faiths, strengthening social cohesion and peace-building through positive messaging and dissemination of democratic values. The volunteerism among youth can counter the growing menace of intolerance besides bolstering rule of law in the society. The dream of peaceful Pakistan can come true only with respect for core constitutional values that promote social peace and cohesion. The second guest on show, Ms. Sheema Zeb, student of Islamia College University, Peshawar was of the opinion that the women in our society faced discrimination on many grounds, they were seen as fragile creatures which reduced space and opportunities for their effective participation in the national socio-political life. The recipe for Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) is celebrating the diversity and accepting the differences. We need a collective vision for Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion), with some small determined steps and a positive attitude at the individual level. Sheema added that they (participating group of students) were highly inspired by Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops organized by CRSS and stressed that...
PM Abbasi in Kabul: Roadblocks to Rapprochement
Weather permitting, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is set to land in Kabul on Friday. Both Abbasi and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani will meet in the context of immense grief and raging public sentiment over the killing of nearly 100 people, many among whom were students in their teens or even younger, in a seminary in Kunduz. Afghan government officials said the raids had targeted a Taliban gathering, but witnesses and local officials maintained that at the time of the attack, a Dastaar Bandi ceremony – an event celebrating young men completing the memorisation of the Quran – was taking place at the seminary. The near daily dance of death and destruction – mostly by Afghan Daesh and Taliban militants and to a lesser extent by Afghan security forces – inevitably and invariably casts ominous shadows on Pak-Afghan parleys on bilateral issues, making a meaningful conversation in an already complex geo-political environment very difficult. Such a toxic and loaded environment throws up several challenges for both countries. Thus, as both leaders meet today, enormous challenges rooted in history and geopolitics stare them in the face. The monstrous challenge for Pakistan is to convince the Afghan leadership that it is walking the talk on Afghanistan and is carefully sequencing its steps to avoid an internal militant eruption. Another challenge, for both Pakistan and Afghanistan, is to determine how to balance the US – the main financial lifeline for Kabul – against Moscow’s newfound love for Pakistan. Both are pushing and banking on an intense geopolitical and geo-economic engagement with Pakistan. One of the biggest roadblocks to a constructive Pak-Afghan engagement is the Pakistani military establishment’s unease with the Indo-Afghan geopolitical proximity as both feed into the USA narrative on Pakistan. India, supported by the US, is developing interests in UAE, Saudia and Qatar, worry top military officials. The daunting task for them, they insist, is to...
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TESTIMONIALS
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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.