Current Projects
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: Merger of FATA with KP – Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities
February 07, 2018: The third radio program as part of Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on the topic of “Merger of Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) – Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities.” The program – broadcast on January 19, 2018 - discussed various constitutional rights and responsibilities that the FATA-KP merger will mean for the tribesmen. The first in-studio guest, Alhaj Shah Jee Gul, MNA said that the sanctity of constitution and compliance with its core values were critical for access to justice and fundamental human rights. The merger of FATA with KP will foster the political and democratic participation of the tribesmen and help them fathom the criticality of adherence to rule of law. The extension of Pakistani constitution to FATA is a fundamentally essential prerequisite for social peace and cohesion in the region. The second in-studio guest, Mr. Nasir Khan Musazai, PML-N leader said that the merger of FATA with KP was vital for peace and prosperity not only in FATA but the whole region. Mainstreaming FATA is critical for the provision of opportunities for education and socio-political and economic participation to its female residents. The entitlement of and access to the basic rights and opportunities to the people of FATA - as equal citizens - will definitely reduce the conflicts and disputes in the region. He further added that a more responsible and proactive role of provincial government and civil society would be needed to reconnect the FATA residents with the political system. “Denial of fundamental human rights to FATA tribesmen made them more vulnerable to militancy, extremism and flouting the rule of law”, said the former governor KP, Engineer Shaukatullah on a live call. The callers from different tribal areas were of the opinion that FCR was a challenge for the writ of the state as two parallel...
Ulasi Taroon Showcase: The Terrible Cost of Extremism
The second radio program as part of Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on the topic of “The Terrible Cost of Extremism.” The program – broadcast on January 12, 2018 - discussed various forms and manifestations of extremism and its terrible cost to Pakistan. The first in-studio guest Dr. Shabbir, Professor, Area Studies Center, University of Peshawar said that several religious and political factors were responsible for extremist mindset in some parts of Pakistan. Religious & cultural extremism, and intolerant behaviors are weakening social cohesion & harmony. Both media and religious leaders from all faiths can make a positive contribution in promoting inclusion, tolerance & equality of all the citizens. “We should understand that family can be the first breeding ground for extremist attitude. So the communities should consider this factor as well and play their role in preventing youth radicalization”, said the Executive Director of CRSS, Mr. Imtiaz Gul on a live call. The second in-studio guest Ms. Shagufta Khaliq, CRSS Programme Consultant and an Educationist said that the Center was consciously working to strengthen social cohesion and harmony through a discourse anchored in core constitutional values such as tolerance for diversity, respect for fundamental human rights and different opinions, equal citizenry, adherence to rule of law, primacy of constitution and inclusive governance. There is a huge onus on educational institutions to curb and prevent youth radicalization by cultivating and sensitizing them (students) in the core constitutional values. They should also bring critical thinking skills to youth and enable them challenge some of the preconceived notions within society about other cultures and religions. This is hoped to create a narrative that is more peaceful. A radio report was also aired where the representatives of academia, religious...
Sabawoon Showcase Ranra February 1st, 2018
Legislation for Females, Challenges and Way Forward The latest episode of Ranra (Light) discussed the importance of legislation for females and what challenges stand in its way. The government introduced some pro-women laws, for example, harassment at workplace law. However, the domestic violence bill is still pending, which is a predicament on the part of government and lawmakers. Ms. Ambreen Gulzar, lawyer and social activist was the studio guest in the show. She said that the family courts act of 1964 needs amendments in order to provide speedy justice to female victims. During 2017 alone, 7000 cases were registered in the family court, out of which only 3000 were resolved. She further added that if the laws were made on the basis of Islam and the constitution of Pakistan, then women would not suffer as much. If the right of inheritance and right of maintenance were provided to women then there will be less incidents of violence against women in our society. A report by Ceena Naeem was played during the show and three calls were received. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural affairs are discussed in Ranra on Thursday. The primary objective of the show has been to...
Afghan, Pakistani Officials Hold Talks After Deadly Kabul Attacks
Senior Afghan officials on Wednesday held talks with Pakistani civil and military leaders after a series of deadly attacks in Kabul that killed nearly 125 people and injured more than 250, Afghan diplomats said. Afghan authorities blamed the Haqqani network for the deadliest attack in Kabul on Jan. 27, which killed 103 people. On Jan. 20, Taliban militants stormed the capital’s Hotel Intercontinental and killed 22 people, including 14 foreigners. Afghan officials say the Taliban and the Haqqani network operate from Pakistan, which denies the charge. Afghan officials had earlier said Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and intelligence chief Masoom Stanekzai would share evidence with Pakistani officials about the Kabul attacks. Afghan Deputy Ambassador Zardasht Shams said his country’s delegation had a detailed meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, its intelligence chief and other senior military and intelligence officials also attended. “The basic objective of the meeting was to discuss the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, which were publicly claimed by the Taliban,” Shams told Arab News. “The Afghan side shared the necessary information about the attacks, and demanded that immediate measures be taken,” he added. “Pakistan’s prime minister condemned the attacks, and promised that his country will take necessary action on the basis of the intelligence.” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Faisal tweeted that the Afghan government had requested that a high-level delegation visit Pakistan to discuss bilateral cooperation. Earlier, Javed Faisal, spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, said his country’s intelligence chief and interior minister went to Pakistan on Wednesday to “ask the military leadership to hand over Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the recent attacks in Kabul.” He tweeted: “We will also hand over docs and proofs to Pakistan’s military...
Afghan War Turns Bloodier
The latest wave of terror attacks in Kabul that has claimed dozens of civilian lives marks the bloodiest phase of the so far 16-year war with the insurgents getting more audacious. The escalation in fighting raises questions about the new US-Afghan strategy. Not that the Afghan capital has not witnessed such high-profile terrorist attacks before, but the ferocity and the frequency of assaults is alarming. Three attacks in a week in high-security zones indicate the increasing capacity and the organisation of the insurgents despite massive escalation in the US air strikes. While the Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for two of the first two attacks, the militant Islamic State (IS) group reportedly carried out the third one. The insurgents have taken the war into the nation’s capital. The rising toll of civilian casualties is disturbing. It signals a shift in insurgent strategy — from gaining territorial control to focusing more on the capital to test the mettle of the Afghan security forces. It seems that the Afghan Taliban and IS are competing when it comes to carnage in the besieged capital and other towns and cities in Afghanistan. The chaos resulting from the violence serves the objective of these militant groups — to undermine the confidence of the Kabul administration. It seems that the Afghan Taliban and IS are in a race to massacre the most people. Indeed, the Afghan National Army has improved its performance greatly over time, but it is still not capable of dealing with such organised terrorist attacks on its own. The frequent breach of security by the insurgents has further exposed the incapacity of the Afghan security agencies. While the Taliban control vast swathes of territory, the increasing presence of IS in Afghanistan is extremely worrisome. The terrorist group that is fighting both Kabul and the Taliban has been responsible for several high-profile attacks in the capital over the last few months. The terrorist group has made some inroads in...
Sabawoon Showcase Jwandai Jazbey January 31st, 2018
Democracy and Leadership The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (Alive Spirit) discussed the importance of democracy and leadership. In Pakistan, there are limited opportunities for the youth to get involved in political activities. This is one of the reasons why democracy has not flourished and the low level of awareness in the youth about the core constitutional values and democracy. Qaiser Zaman, Member of Provincial Youth Assembly, social activist and teacher was the guest of the show. He said that if the educated and trained youth is given the opportunity to participate in general elections as candidates, they can improve the fate of the country. He added that without the participation and contribution of women, Pakistan cannot achieve sustainable development and prosperity. He said that the curriculum being taught at government educational institutions should be reshaped completely to make it reflect the new needs and requirements. There were five calls received during the show. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programme, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural affairs are discussed in Ranra on Thursday. The primary objective of the show has been to underline the criticality of constitutionalism, fundamental...
CRSS Annual Security Report 2017
The past year continued the trend of declining violence over the last three years, with many outlaws arrested or convicted. Although the drop in violence-related fatalities was countrywide, the change fluctuates regionally, owing to several factors, including geo-political scenario alterations in the militant strategy. Internationally and domestically, terrorism has witnessed a decline. Daish lost territory in Iraq and Syria, while Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) lost its sanctuaries in the tribal regions of Pakistan. However, territorial loss does not translate to complete elimination, as they continued sporadic attacks throughout the year. Domestically, religious parties in favor of the militants either openly supported the Taliban or provided support in elections for the candidates who were considered to be affiliated with some banned outfits. Blasphemy accusations witnessed a sharp rise in the country involving social activists, media persons, and political party leaders like Imran Khan. A sit-in at Faizabad by a newly formed religious party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) was also in opposition to altering blasphemy laws. The shrinking operational space for militant groups has forced them to change their tactics, thus complicating and testing the security response. Militants also changed their focus to try and inflict damage that would legitimize their presence. Violence along neighboring borders increased significantly. The cross border attacks by the Afghan based militants revealed that a majority of them were Pakistani militants who had crossed borders during the Zarb-e-Azb operation. Additionally, of special consideration is the target killing and battering of media persons in various incidents across the country. To assess and evaluate new challenges and threats being faced by the country, this report makes use of the national print and electronic media sources. Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) scrutinizes the data within the...
Sabawoon Showcase Da Semay Jaaj January 30th, 2018
The latest episode of Da Semay Jaaj (Regional Review) focused on the various issues of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with reports from Kohat, Swat and Mohmand Agency. Around 20 callers belonging to D.I Khan, Karak, South Waziristan, Peshawar, and Tank, complained regarding the power, gas, schools and infrastructure issues. Molana Ashraf Ali Marwat participated in the show via telephone. Commenting on Tahir Rasheed’s report from Kohat, he said that Islam preaches love, equality and tolerance. The cultural behaviors have become such that they promote hate, inequality and intolerance. Another report discussed the grievances of women local bodies’ members of Swat. Advocate Zehra, member of District Council Peshawar, also participated in the show via telephone. She said that women face discrimination during distribution of funds and other authorities. She said that the government should amend the local bodies’ Act for the betterment of women and minorities. Gul Hussain’s report from Mohmand Agency pointed out violations of human rights due the presence of the FCR (Frontier Crime Regulations) laws. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications program, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 kHz from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of relevance to, and significance for, youth, students and women. Socio-cultural affairs are...
CRSS and RDDC launch new study with critical insights on mainstreaming madrassas
The Royal Danish Defense College (RDDC), in collaboration with the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) launched a new book on Tuesday that provided critical insights on mainstreaming madrassas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It featured research from CRSS and Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), as well Afghanistan-based Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS). The event was attended by many notables, including the Federal Minister for Interior & Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, the National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua, the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan H. E. Mr. Rolf Holmboe, and Dean for the RDDC, Mr. Ole Kværnø. Speaking on the occasion, the Federal Minister for Interior said there was a time that through madrasas, we had the emergence of world's topmost scientists and leaders. He said that it is now a collective responsibility of the Pakistani government as well as the world powers to clean the mess of radicalization. He added that we must understand the causes of militancy and radicalization and find solutions accordingly. He finally stated that what we are facing today is a collective responsibility; therefore, we need to collaborate domestically and internationally together for the cause of peace and stability in Pakistan and beyond. The National Security Advisor said that this is a problem of human resource development, and that is how it must be framed. He added that we have to be considerate to these 3.5 million children in an estimated 38,000 madrassas; they are also sons and daughters of Pakistan. We should want them back with open arms as productive members of society. He stated that people working on madrassa mainstreaming had decided in principle that the children in religious seminaries will also study the same syllabi being taught in conventional schools along with religious education. He added that we have almost completed the...
Sabawoon Showcase Jarga Maraka January 29th, 2018
Importance of Paigham-e-Pakistan Declaration The latest episode of Jarga Maraka (Debate and Council) discussed the very important declaration, Paigham-e-Pakistan, which was announced by the President of Pakistan. “For the first time in the history of Pakistan, more than 1800 renowned Ulema and reputed scholars have collectively signed a declaration called Pagham Pakistan under the auspices of the president of Pakistan in the form of a book in Islamabad renouncing suicidal attacks, declaration of Jihad and chants of heresy by individual and groups as null and void and against the basic precepts of Islam. Only state has the prerogative to declare a Holy war. Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology Prof Doctor Qibla Ayaz was studio guest in the show, he said this was a much needed and in the present situation and it is hoped that when this declaration will filter down to the general public it will greatly help to contain the extremism and law and order situation in the country. Now it is the responsibility of academia, media, politicians and intelligentsia to make it public and spread the awareness.” A report of Farid shinwari was played in the show and there were seven calls during the show in which we aired only two calls. AboutSabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2011. It began as a counter-radicalization, strategic communications programm, designed to highlight and promote the fundamental governance values such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry, social cohesion. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with...
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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.