Friday, March 22, 2013
Analysis: Obama scores unexpected successes on Middle East trip
Historic visit comes to close, Obama departs Israel
Ceremony nixed due to sandstorm; president visits Yad Vashem, says due to Israel's existence, Holocaust will never happen again.With the red carpet rolled out behind him, US President Barack Obama boarded Air Force One and departed Israel, as his three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank came to a close.
Obama’s Israel visit wins over Jews at home
http://www.timesofisrael.com/
President Barack Obama’s much-lauded speech Thursday before a crowd of young Israelis earned widespread praise across the American Jewish ideological spectrum.
The speech dealt with the broad sweep of issues on the US-Israel agenda, giving a wide range of American Jewish groups something to cheer about.Obama’s criticism of both past Palestinian rejectionism and of their resort to terror earned him high praise from the Anti-Defamation League, among others.
The influential group praised the president for recognizing “the risks Israel has taken for peace, steps often not met with reciprocity from the Palestinians.”
That was the only mention of the Palestinians in the group’s Thursday statement, which went on to thank Obama for emphasizing “the millennia-old connection the Jewish people have to the land of Israel” and “the grave security challenges facing Israel, including terror threats from Hamas, and the dangers posed by a nuclear-armed Iran.”
In a brief statement Friday, AIPAC “saluted” Obama for the security agreements announced on the trip and his call on the Palestinians to drop preconditions to peace talks.
That tone was echoed in a statement by Jewish Federations of North America board chair Michael Siegal, who praised Obama Friday for having “underscored America’s unshakable bond with the Jewish State at a critical time and expressed a profound understanding of the challenges Israel faces.”
More conservative groups were also broadly supportive of the speech.
The Orthodox Union’s Nathan Diament, head of the organization’s public advocacy arm, told the Times of Israel Friday that the group was “very pleased with [Obama's] explicit embrace and acknowledgement of thousands of years of history of the Jewish people in the land of Israel. We’re very appreciative of the support, the clear and strong policy, toward Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and the security of Israel.”
When it came to Obama’s call for establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Diament was noncommittal. “The president laid out his view,” he said, but added: “What was important was that [Obama] made it very clear that whatever the details, whatever is going to be decided regarding borders and everything, it’s ultimately going to have to be decided by the parties in negotiations. It can’t be imposed from the outside.”
For their part, left-wing groups seemed thrilled by the speech, which they said forcefully laid out the case for peace.
J Street’s Jeremy Ben-Ami praised Obama for “making the two-state solution a top priority for his administration.”
In a conversation with the Times of Israel Thursday, he pointed to the moment in the speech when Obama told Israelis, “the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine.”
“What I saw as the point of the speech was [Obama's] laying out clearly and starkly the crossroads Israel is at,” Ben-Ami said. Obama spoke of US-Israeli friendship, of Jewish ties to the land of Israel, and then explained to Israelis “that all of that is at risk, the entirety of Israel is at risk, without peace,” Ben-Ami said.
In an email to J Street supporters, Ben-Ami wrote that the speech represented “our moment — our time to lead! Never has anyone expressed with greater clarity and with greater conviction everything that our movement fights for and holds dear.”
The left-leaning Israel Policy Forum, in an email that quoted the same line from Obama’s speech, said simply, “We could not agree more.”
One US Jewish official who asked not to be named offered a reason for the widespread praise the speech garnered.
While Obama emphatically and passionately called for peace talks, he separated the issue of peace from the issue of security, the official said. “Security is something Israel needs fundamentally, and Obama has secured it for them regardless of peace. All the tangible things that were announced were on Iran and security. He could have announced new talks. He could have announced that [Secretary of State John] Kerry would host a meeting of the sides. There was nothing like that. No deadlines, nothing.”
So while Obama issued perhaps the most impassioned call for peace yet in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “his position is that ultimately the two sides have to figure it out themselves.”
Fear and loathing in Pakistan as polls loom
bY: AMANDA HODGEA PAKISTANI journalist's first-hand account this week of being caught in the latest terror attack summed up the twin furies vexing voters of this nation as it prepares for "historic" May elections. Trapped within a Peshawar court compound on Monday as two suicide bombers stalked the grounds, the Express Tribune reporter had a clear view of the carnage in which four people were killed and 49 injured. It might have been a routine story in this violence-racked country had he not concluded by cheekily thanking the outgoing government for the prolonged blackouts that had been such a feature of its five-year term but, in this instance, kept the television off at home and his mother mercifully ignorant of her son's predicament. Gallows humour is the order of the day in Pakistan as the country faces elections amid a worsening security crisis and spiralling attacks on religious minorities.A week ago today, the Pakistan People's Party-led administration officially dissolved the national parliament, making history in the process by becoming the first democratically elected government to serve its full term in office. If all goes to plan the nation's voters will notch up their own milestone in May by participating in the first transition from one elected government to another. Pakistan's power elite has hailed the occasion as a watershed for its troubled democracy, routinely interrupted by the ambitions of military men since the country was founded 66 years ago - even as dark mutterings persist of a military deferment of the polls. The military says it too supports the democratic process, - a position some cynics suggest indicates just what a parlous mess the country is in. Among those who would rule this nuclear-armed South Asian nation, there is wide support for the imminent elections, though the Taliban and allied militants have made their opposition clear. Yet enthusiasm for Pakistani democracy seems conspicuously lacking among the general population. More than 25,000 people flocked last Sunday to Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh - the scene of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's 2007 assassination - to hear Pakistani-Canadian cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri eviscerate all sides of politics for greed and rampant theft. The moderate Islamic cleric gave a fire-and-brimstone political sermon, exhorting supporters to boycott elections, punctuating his message with regular blasts of a theme song whose lyrics appeared to consist of one word: revolution. Qadri has been largely written off by the political establishment since he brought the capital to a standstill in January to demand political reform, including a ban on politicians with criminal records and loan defaults, and that elections be deferred while a technocrat-heavy caretaker government swept the system clean of corruption. There were predictions his 40,000-strong Islamabad rally outside parliament would result in a "Pakistani Spring", along the lines of the uprisings that have unseated some Arab governments. It was not to be. While the government made some concessions, Qadri failed to persuade former cricketer Imran Khan, another anti-corruption advocate and "change" candidate, to join his rally, and the Supreme Court disallowed his challenge to the election commission. Yet his message - that Pakistan's democracy is a sham, its politicians robber barons, and that the country needs a revolution - is taking root among citizens exhausted by terrorism, poor governance and economic near-collapse. "They say I am trying to derail democracy," Qadri told a rapt audience from behind bullet-proof glass as he reeled through a list of price rises and poor governance. "What democracy are they talking about? The greatest gift this democracy gave us in the last five years is 12 people killed every day in this country. Did God make Pakistan for this purpose? We will all be responsible for this if we keep supporting the system." There was no opposition in the audience that day. "We need peaceful revolution," Irshad Iqbal tells Inquirer after driving more than four hours from Lahore with her adult son to attend the rally. "In this country a few families have all the wealth and power but we want the resources to go to the people. The election commission has no power, the judiciary is not independent, there's no equality." Frahat Dilbat, who came with her three daughters, says: "We need the system to change, not just the faces." Pakistani political columnist Ayaz Amir also has been spruiking for change, using his Islamabad Diary in an English-language newspaper to rail eloquently against the political status quo. He has even suggested Spanish dictator General Franco would have been a better alternative to Pakistan's two likeliest political options - a government led by Bhutto's widower and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, or by Nawaz Sharif, a two-time former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N). "On military coat-tails the one entered politics almost 30 years ago (Sharif) and the other (Zardari) was Mr Ten Per Cent before most youngsters of today were born," Amir wrote of the two leaders recently. "Anything would be better than this farce. For the hundredth time let me press into service that Maoist call to arms: "There is great disorder under the heavens and the situation is excellent." Yet Amir is himself a PML (N) MP for Punjab's Chakwal district and plans to run again if the party will overlook his sniping and grant him a nomination ticket. He tells Inquirer, at his electorate office between Islamabad and Lahore, his constituents will vote for the candidate "who is most likely to win and so can help if they have trouble at a police station or at the local revenue office". "There's no ideological wave," he says, adding voters have been "spoiled" into expecting favours from their local politicians. "Both parties are depressing choices so it really amounts to which is the less depressing," he adds. On that, Amir and his constituents can agree. In the main bazaar of Chakwal - heartland for this election's fancied PML (N) - the consensus is "a pox on both houses" for power cuts, price hikes and job shortages. "We say we're hungry, we have no water or electricity. They say democracy is there. We need democracy, but God save us from this type of democracy," says shopkeeper Munawar Hussain. At a nearby tobacco stall, Mohammad Bashir declares Pakistan was most ably governed under its three military regimes. "Definitely democracy should be strengthened but we need leaders, not these dacoits (criminals) who are filling their pockets," he says. Like so many in Pakistan, Bashir believes another military coup could occur if security continues to deteriorate, making elections too dangerous a proposition. A night earlier at a private gathering of powerbrokers in upscale Islamabad, an influential bureaucrat even predicted a "colonels' coup" would cut through the country's corrupt political ranks. Yet the military has demonstrated a distinct reluctance to seize the reins since its last foray into government under Pervez Musharraf, who was unseated in 2008 by President Zardari amid a show of voter sympathy that many have since come to regret. Already overstretched by tensions on its eastern border with India and ongoing operations against Taliban militants in its tribal lands, the "establishment" - as Pakistan's military and security forces are known - has neither the appetite nor the resources for a takeover. That leaves many wondering why Musharraf, in self-imposed exile over charges relating to Bhutto's assassination, would want to return to contest elections - as he claims he will this weekend. Despite rumours to the contrary, the military has denied the retired general has asked for, or will receive, protection. Chief military spokesman General Asim Saleem Bajwa also dismisses speculation of military intervention in the democratic process, beyond the army's commitment to provide election security. "All these speculations (of a military coup) have been thrown up in the past five years but all of them have died with the passage of time because there was nothing in them," he tells Inquirer at military headquarters in Rawalpindi. "The military is already working out a plan to provide security for elections so it doesn't make any sense to say it will use escalating insecurity as an excuse to defer elections." Escalating violence will be a significant election challenge across Pakistan for voters as well as candidates. The PPP's deputy secretary of information and the Prime Minister's human rights adviser Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar says he has ordered four flak jackets for his campaign and now drives in an armoured vehicle. "In the last five years we have lost Benazir Bhutto, (Punjab governor) Salman Taseer and (minorities minister) Shahbaz Bhatti (to assassination). We hear from intelligence sources there are terror attacks being planned through the campaign," he says. "Of course that's going to create a climate of fear which will affect voter turnout. Candidates' security will also be a major issue." Everyone concedes it's an enormous task. "Security for upcoming elections will be a challenging task," Bajwa says. "We will just have to look at ways to muster strength."
Afghanistan sign up to Pakistan support
Afghanistan have received a boost after a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the development of Afghanistan cricket ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
The PCB will provide technical and professional support, including game-education programmes, coaching courses, skill and performance analysis, and basic umpiring and curator courses. High performance camps for emerging players will also be organised. The PCB-regulated National Cricket Academy (NCA) will help in improving technical, tactical, mental and physical skills, and will host lectures on doping, anti-corruption and various codes of conduct. The finance for the project will be decided later, with the NCA-related activities likely to be subsidised.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has served as Afghanistan's base since 2010, after they were forced to shift out of their country due to lack of infrastructure. But Pakistan's cricketing history, expertise and the opportunities for exposure to regular competitive cricket will polish their cricketers more than in the UAE, and this has brought ACB to accept Pakistan's helping hand.
"The PCB has always supported and helped the ACB with regards to cricket development there since the 1990s," PCB chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad, said. "With the PCB's continued support, Afghanistan has the potential to go places. This would be good not just in terms of spreading the game in Afghanistan but promoting peace and harmony there by bringing the people closer."
Afghanistan became a member of the ICC in 2001 and qualified for World Cricket League (WCL) Division One in 2009 to attain one-day international status. They recently made their third trip to Pakistan in the last two years, having lost a one-day series 3-0 to a second-string Pakistan side in May 2011. They followed this up by participating in a domestic Twenty20 competition in Karachi.
Noor Muhammad, ACB CEO, acknowledged PCB's support. "The MoU that we have just signed shall take Afghanistan's cricket development on a fast track," he said. "Our cricketers, coaches and umpires shall be able to make use of PCB's excellent facilities and various education programmes. Our boys will get the opportunity to hone their skills in high-calibre competitions.
"I am indeed obliged to the PCB for this kind and voluminous support," Noor said. "Actually it is Pakistan's support that has seen Afghanistan cricket make rapid strides among affiliate nations, taking it to the verge of an enhanced status to associate member."
Roadside bomb kills 9 people in southwest Pakistan
4 militants killed in US drone strike in northwest Pakistan
http://www.thehindu.com/Four militants were killed when a US drone targeted a vehicle in the lawless north Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan on Friday. State-run Radio Pakistan reported four persons were killed in the attack by the CIA-operated spy plane in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency. Officials were quoted by TV news channels as saying that the drone fired two missiles at a vehicle, a short distance from Miranshah, the main town in the region. North Waziristan is a safe haven for Taliban and al-Qaida elements. The attack was carried out at around midnight. Officials said four drones had been seen flying over the area. The vehicle was destroyed when two missiles hit it. A UN envoy last week said US drone attacks violated Pakistan's sovereignty. Islamabad has described the missile strikes as counter-productive and called on the US to stop them.
Working With Sharks: A Pakistani Activist’s Successful Battle Against Sexual Harassment
The Baloch Hal
By Malik Siraj Akbar
Working with Sharks, a compelling account of a leading Pakistani gender activist, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, against sexual harassment at the workplace, was released in the United States on March 8 on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. When a slightly different version of the book was published in Pakistan in 2012, it opened up a serious nationwide public debate about sexual harassment against women at workstations.
Prior to the publication of the book, Dr. Saeed drafted two bills against sexual harassment in 2008, which got into the legislative process and — through her intensive lobbying — the Parliament in Pakistan unanimously passed both the laws making sexual harassment a crime and mandating every formal sector to institute an anti-sexual harassment policy. The prime minister of Pakistan declared December 22, the day this case was filed, the national day of working women. The new laws invariably gave the Pakistani women a sense of legal protection.
While issues of female education, honor killing and acid attacks on women have recently found some space in the mainstream national debate in Pakistan and international attention, sexual harassment, on the other hand, still stigmatizes the victims. Very few courageous women, such as Dr. Saeed herself, have appeared in public to fight against this practice. Her book has inspired and encouraged young working women in Pakistan to break their silence against sexual assaults from their bosses and staffers. Very few books change an entire pattern of collective behavior and Working with Sharks is indeed one such book in Pakistan that has reshaped a society’s behavior and response toward issues that people seldom talk about in the public domain because of the fear of being scandalized or otherwise blamed for inviting trouble.
Dr. Saeed, who is currently a visiting fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy (N.E.D.) in Washington D.C., has worked for more than three decades for women’s rights in her native Pakistan. In 2001, Dr. Saeed stunned the Pakistani society with her revealing book Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area, the first research-based account of Pakistani female sex workers and their secretive troubled world. Taboo initially was received with discomfort by the social conservatives in Pakistan but it ultimately encouraged the society to have a frank discussion about the rights of those who have been pushed into the sex industry and face social and economic discrimination.
Working with Sharks is a firsthand story of the author and how she experienced sexual harassment at the prestigious place of the United Nations Development Program (U.N.D.P.) in Pakistan. The story brings to light not just the courage the author exhibited by standing up against a senior manager’s behavior, but also the torture she went through to counter harassment and cover ups by the international senior management in the organization’s Pakistan office for almost two years.
When Dr. Saeed, the author, bravely stood up against the intimidating behavior of her manager, 10 other women also showed courage and came forward to speak up against similar harassment they had also faced in the organization. These women’s struggle turned more difficult after the United Nations, according to the author, came down to protect the manager accused of sexual harassment against the female workers who had lodged complaints against his objectionable behavior. In the face of all odds, these women persisted and pushed their case to a higher level where ultimately a senior bench was designated with senior U.N. officials from organizations outside the U.N.D.P. to provide justice to the fighting women.
In Pakistan, before the launch of this book, the author organized a silent auction for the first 10 copies of the initial edition. People from different countries bid on her book. The highest bid for the first copy, Rs 125,000, was offered from a group of women working in the U.N. to show support with the author and other women who stood against sexual harassment. Those who won the Rs 125,000 bid asked the author to send their copy to the secretary general of the United Nations.
The author regrets that the U.N. secretary general never acknowledged receiving the book which focuses on such a negative practice inside the U.N. system and elsewhere.
Working with Sharks is a depressing reminder of the fact that sexual harassment does not only take place in developing societies or among less educated, trained staff members. This is a universal challenge that simultaneously requires Dr. Saeed’s courage to agitate against and strict laws that protect women in the workplace.
The U.S. edition of Working with Sharks is not a typical story of gender discrimination against one woman in a conservative third world country. It is indeed a different book that talks about courageous women’s continued struggle, unflinching determination and ultimate success in hard countries like Pakistan. The book illustrates how women take their battles in adverse circumstances and still succeed through organized efforts. Most recent books on Pakistan have focused on depressing topics like terrorism and extremism in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation but Working with Sharks portrays a different Pakistan where women have sustained their rights movement and also written some remarkable success stories.
Cheques given to Joseph Colony victims bounce
The cheques distributed among victims of the Joseph Colony attack by the Punjab government bounced, according to a news report published by Express News on Thursday.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had announced Rs 0.5 million in compensation for each of those affected in the mob attack. However, the 265 cheques distributed by the government have bounced.
According to reports, the finance ministry had issued the amount promised. When the cheques bounced, the victims started protesting.
On March 9, an over 3,000-strong mob had set ablaze more than 150 houses of Christians in the Joseph Colony over alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Sawan Masih, a 28-year-old Christian sanitation worker.
UNHCR "unilaterally postpones" facilitation to Tirah IDPs
http://tribune.com.pk/The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has “unilaterally postponed” facilitating the mass evacuation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) coming from the remote Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency due to the intense fighting of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Ansarul Islam, an official statement from the Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) said on Friday. Director FATA Disaster Management Authority Arshad Khan told media persons that the UNHCR had promised to provide assistance to the IDPs of Tirah on March 18. But three days later they changed their decision. “Registration is the most important part in the whole process because without it humanitarian aid for the displaced cannot be provided.” Khan added that the FDMA has been pleading their case with the UNHCR but there was no official communication so far which provided them with a reason for UNHCR’s “backing off from their commitment.” The FDMA official said that as many as 4,290 families had fled the area due to clashes between the two militant groups and that the organisation was helping them in its limited resources. The spokesperson for the UNHCR told The Express Tribune that they had suspended their operations in the Jalozai IDP camp only because of the situation. On Thursday, at least 17 people, including women and children, were killed when a car bomb tore through the Jalozai refugee camp in Nowshera district as scores of people queued for rations. More than 28 others were also wounded in the blast. However, the spokesperson said they would analyse and comment on the FDMA statement later. After two months of clashes between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ansarul Islam (AI), Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and the pro-government Kamar Khel militia, Tirah Valley finally fell into the hands of TTP and LI on March 19, forcing thousands of residents to flee. Geographically, the TTP now controls over 90% of the valley, including key routes leading towards the Orakzai and Kurram agencies – routes which were earlier cleared using surgical operations.
Punjab Elite Police: Counter-terrorism force or politician protector?
The Punjab government was dissolved on Wednesday, but the Sharif family continues to enjoy security provided by the province’s Elite Police, an institution meant to counter terrorism.
But it’s not just the Sharifs – members of the Punjab Elite Police Force are also working as security guards for politicians of both Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Pakistan Peoples party (PPP).
Official data available to Dawn.com claims that out of the 963 elite police commandoes in Lahore, around 70 per cent have been deployed with VIPs to provide them security cover.
Of the remaining 333 elite commandoes who are not assigned to protect VIPs, most are on permanent leave or enrolled in training courses. This leaves a grand total of around 100 to protect the citizens of Lahore from terrorism.
On top of the force’s priority list is Nawaz Sharif, chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The party head has around 100 commandoes and five special security vehicles at his disposal, around the clock.
According to a high-ranking police official, Nawaz is not entitled to this much security after the dissolution of the Punjab government. Technically, he should only have access to two security vehicles and a maximum of 12 police security personnel in the name of security.
Shahbaz, meanwhile, has 95 elite police commandoes and a number of elite police vehicles at his disposal, even after the completion of his provincial government’s five year tenure. The Punjab chief minister’s first wife, Nusrat Shahbaz, has 11 elite security personnel assigned to her along with one car for their transportation. His second wife, Tehmina Durrani, has access to 18 elite cops along with a vehicle – and another 18 cops for her house situated in Gulberg.
Punjab’s former chief minister, Dost Muhammad Khosa also continues to enjoy the security of six elite police personnel, while father, the former senior adviser to the Punjab chief ministers, has nine security personnel members assigned to him.
Interestingly, the former Punjab government has also provided elite force security cover to former Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif.
Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and family still have 21 elite security guards and two vehicles around the clock at their disposal, while former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s family has one elite vehicle and 13 security personnel – although this number was the result of an increase following the kidnapping of Salmaan’s son, Shahbaz Taseer.
Similarly, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, along with Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his son, former MPA Moonis Elahi, have security cover from the elite force.
Significantly, the data provided to Dawn.com outlined the details of the elite force’s personnel alone – however, the politicians have also been provided security by other law enforcement agencies. Many who are assigned elite commandoes without vehicles have access to other police vehicles for their transportation.
The head of the Lahore Operations wing, Rai Tahir, said a list is being made of deployed elite commandoes and other cops and that they will soon withdraw security from all those who are not entitled to it. However, those who have serious threats will remain entitled to security cover, the DIG concluded.
Former Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Shahbaz is still the chief minister since an interim set up has not come into place yet. He claimed that present and former chief ministers and prime ministers are entitled to this level of security.
Responding to a query on the security provided to the Sharif family, Sanaullah said that the Chaudhry brothers themselves (like the Sharifs) are entitled to this security as the former chief minister and prime minister. He added that after Taseer was kidnapped, authorities have taken more preventive measures to prevent such incidents, which is why its up to their discretion to whom they provide security.
“Elite police is also a part of the security (apparatus) and they have been deployed with those who have terrorism threats,” the former law minister concluded.
Chaudhry Nisar sabotage mandate of the parliamentary body
Former Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira Friday said that former opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's statements has sabotaged the constitutionally mandate of the Parliamentary Committee formed to appoint caretaker prime minister.
Talking to media outside Parliament House, Kaira expressed anger over PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's statements to the media in which he hinted that the issue of selecting the caretaker PM would go to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
He said that Ch. Nisar Ali Khan's statement created confusion for the appointment of interim premier and it is not good for the nascent democracy.
He said that if the parliamentary committee could not evolve consensus then the matter would constitutionally be referred to Election Commission of Pakistan according to Article 224A sub clause (3).
He said that the PPP would explain its stance if the matter referred to ECP.
Kaira said that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) deliberately nominated its own party stalwarts to maneuver the decisions of the parliamentary committee and it would be equal to undermining the supremacy of the parliament.
He said that coalition government authorize its members with full mandate to decide the interim chief executive, while half mandated PML-N members of the committee were legging behind to evolve any consensus.
He said that PML-N blamed Pakistan People's Party for not consultation over interim set up in the Sindh province but by nominated its own members, PML-N stalwarts have undermine the mandate of other opposition parties.
Kaira said that PPP also discussed names of I. A Rehman, Dr. Abdul Hayee Baloch and Syed Babar Ali for the caretaker prime minister but PML-N adopted policy of denial.
He said that it was a matter of satisfaction that the democratically elected assembly completed its five years tenure and made political, economic, financial and constitutional reforms to strengthen the democratic process in the country.
However, Khawaja Saad Rafique of PML-N said that parliamentary committee has discussed the matter with sincerity and political maturity.
He said that the constitutional procedures are being adopted first time in the history of country and the parliament has constituted these procedures which comprised of three stages.
He reiterated his resolve that the committee would evolve consensus on the appointment of caretaker prime minister.
Khawaja Saad Rafique denounced the notion of not showing PML- N's flexibility to appoint caretaker prime minister.
Pakistan : Power sector restructuring
As periods of power load-shedding lengthens, suspending supplies for up to 12 hours a day in major cities even before summer has set in, the government reached the conclusion that the power sector cannot be refurbished without changing the basic structure of the Water and Power Development Authority.
Although late by at least five years, the first step after the departure of the federal cabinet was to partially revert to the old system of a central command to take over WAPDA’s 16 corporate power companies strengthening the chairperson’s authority. There are 10 companies in distribution and three in generation and transmission of electricity. WAPDA was split by Nawaz Sharif government under a World Bank ‘corporate plan’ in 1998. The first step towards “unbundling” the utility was taken in 2005. The plan was opposed tooth and nail by the opposition wondering how an organization which was steeped in the evil of corruption and inefficiency could adopt a corporate culture. The fear that WAPDA’s division would lead to a huge energy crisis proved genuine because the amount of the circular debt alone rose to a whooping Rs136 billion besides a staggering mark-up of Rs15 billion early in January 2013. In a way, the pre-1990 has been restored and this step in the right direction will go a long way in mitigating the country’s energy crisis.
As things stand now, not only the ‘corporate plan’ seems scrapped but WAPDA’s privatization as well, the ultimate goal of the plan, has suffered apparently an irretrievable setback. This must make its employees happy as they have long been demanding the roll back of the corporate-ization process. WAPDA itself never made its peace with this move and having resisted the reforms all along, has maintained a steady drumbeat of opposition to the ominous unbundling programme.
What lies ahead is the remedy and that in the shortest possible period because power load-shedding has already has heavy impact on the national life. According to conservative estimate, a day without electricity eats up on an average about one billion rupees of the national economy. The shortest possible way out, without a penny being spent, is to bring down the system and line losses substantially.
This loss leads to the wastage of power up to a huge 35 per cent while the overall shortfall is one-third of power generated. What the authority will need to do is to give tasks to its transmission and supply companies to gear up their efforts to minimize losses.
The task may seem easy but given the fact that corruption has permeated in supply companies in addition to power thefts and a host of other irregularities, it may become an intricate assignment in the end. But it must be kept in mind, and matching steps taken, that this is the only short-term solution available.
Excessive tea consumption causes unusual bone disease
A 47-year-old Michigan woman developed a bone disease rarely seen in the US after she drank a pitcher of tea made from at least 100 tea bags daily, for 17 years, researchers report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The Detroit woman visited the doctor after experiencing pain in her lower back, arms, legs and hips for five years.
X-rays revealed areas of very dense bone on the spinal vertebrae and calcifications of ligaments in her arm, said study researcher Dr Sudhaker D. Rao, a physician at Henry Ford Hospital who specializes in endocrinology and bone and mineral metabolism.
The researchers suspected the woman had skeletal fluorosis, a bone disease caused by consuming too much fluoride (a mineral found in tea as well as drinking water).
According to research report the patient's blood levels of fluoride were four times higher than what would be considered normal, the researchers said.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Interpol rejects Pakistan call to arrest Musharraf
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.comTerming it as "politically motivated", the Interpol has rejected Pakistan's request to issue a Red Corner Notice against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in connection with Benazir Bhutto's assassination case, days ahead of his homcoming from self-exile. Musharraf has cleared the final hurdle to his plans to return to Pakistan as he no longer faces the possibility of arrest at the hands of Interpol, The Express Tribune quoted its sources as saying. The 69-year-old ex-president, who went into self-exile in early 2009, has said he intends to return to Pakistan on March 24 to lead his party All Pakistan Muslim League in upcoming polls. He has been shuttling between London and Dubai after he went out of Pakistan in exile. Islamabad's request to issue a Red Corner Notice for Musharraf was rejected by the Interpol headquarters in a reply sent to Pakistani authorities, who had sought an arrest warrant for him as a suspect in Bhutto's assassination. The agency said the case filed against Musharraf in Pakistan through Interpol channels constitutes a matter of a predominantly "political character". This is the second time a request from the Federal Investigation Agency has been rejected by Interpol. Last year, Interpol rejected the request due to insufficient proof by Pakistani authorities.
Jalozai Camp blast: Another social worker falls to terrorism
The Express TribuneNamesakes Perween Rahman and Humaira Parveen shared a similar purpose and unfortunately, the same fate. While Orangi Pilot Project Director Perween Rahman was shot dead in a targeted attack in Karachi last week, Humaira Parveen, a social worker from Peshawar, died in a car-bomb explosion in Jalozai Camp, which claimed at least 17 lives and injured another 28 on Thursday. Humaira, a health worker, would educate people on hygiene matters. Both women, determined to change society, eventually died while doing what they believed in. Colleagues said in her death the local aid organisation BEST NGO has lost a guide. “We considered her a sister to all staff members because she was older than all of us,” said an employee, requesting anonymity. “We consulted her when any of us had a problem in the office or in the field. She was our guide when we needed her most and would tell us we need to use our education and skills to bring betterment in society.” Humaira, 32, belonged to Tehkal village and had joined the NGO, around six months ago, as a hygiene promoter. Her job was to encourage internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jalozai Camp to adopt habits that would keep them safe from waterborne diseases. Five women of the organisation were injured in the blast. While Humaira died at the Lady Reading Hospital, the others are said to be in stable condition. “We will always miss her leadership skills and commitment to bring change,” said BEST NGO Managing Director Hamesh Khan. “It will be a long time before someone can take her place.” Speaking about whether the NGO will continue its work, Khan said it depends on the directives of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority whether social work will be suspended. He added Huamira was paid a monthly salary for the project and the organisation cannot provide financial aid for her children. The provincial government should announce monetary compensation for her family, stated Khan. In a statement issued by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, Coordinator Idrees Kamal said: “We strongly condemn the bomb blast in Jalozai Camp and demand security provisions for aid workers. We pay tribute to NGO workers who, despite threats, have continued their struggle to help the needy.”
Malala : Back to school
EDITORIAL : Daily TimesFor child activist Malala Yousafzai, Wednesday was a big day. After fighting a long, hard battle of recovery, the 15-year-old has attended school for the first time since the tragic shooting that left her critically wounded last year. Joining a school in Birmingham, UK, little Malala is back on her feet and a sure symbol for other girl children the world over that if a cause is worth being threatened and hurt for, then it is a cause worth pursuing. What bigger cause than to promote education in Pakistan, a country rife with war — a war that is being waged on the nation’s daughters who want nothing more than to go to school so that they make better lives for themselves? It is here that Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by militants in Swat for the crime of going to school and speaking out for girls’ education in the country. Her shooting jolted the nation out of its stupor and brought to light the real barbarity of the Taliban; anyone who can hurt a child is no less than a monster. Malala was flown to the UK for her recovery and, after months spent on a hospital bed, she has recuperated and has once again stepped foot in a school — her dream is coming true. However, Pakistan is full of Malalas: brave young girls defying the Taliban to receive an education. They have been issued threats and their schools have been blown to smithereens in the northern areas. How will they go to school? Where is their shot at a better life? The Taliban have left them with hardly any option other than to stay at home or study underground. Now that we will be seeing the arrival of an interim government until May, one wonders how the temporary set-up will look at this unaddressed issue. Chances are it will not, and the issue of female education will remain in the air for a while even with the post-elections government. However, there will be continuity in the security establishment and it is hoped that the security forces will be able to deal with this issue by preventing more schools from being blown up and more school girls from being shot. Any hiatus given to the Taliban to regroup and strengthen themselves will only allow them to expand their havoc and cause further mayhem. Malala did not take a bullet for that.
Interview:Abduction Of Two Czech Women In Pakistan
Pakistan:Energy crisis: solutions
The five years of the PPP-led coalition government are marked by severe criticism due to its failure to resolve the energy crisis during its tenure.
There is a general agreement that the crisis was inherited by the elected government with the Musharraf-appointed caretakers engaged in three disastrous policies: (i) extending crippling subsidies to ensure that the rise in the international oil price was not passed on to the consumers with its consequent negative impact on the budget deficit and the country's financial resources; (ii) supporting inefficiently-run distribution companies by paying hundreds of billions of rupees to eliminate the inter-tariff differential though analysts are agreed that a political government cannot afford to provide electricity at different rates at different locations; and (iii) not implementing identified reforms inclusive of eliminating the inter-circular debt, reducing transmission losses as well as bringing the tariff to the level of full cost recovery.
The five years of PPP rule indicate a focus on increasing tariffs as the main means to deal with the crisis while the other reforms remained unimplemented in spite of the government's commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement them within a two-year period. In effect, the Water and Power Ministry increased tariffs by 100 percent in five years and the duration of loadshedding doubled - from four hours in urban and 8 hours in rural in 2008 to 8 hours in urban areas and 16 hours in rural areas. Thus data suggests that the government efforts towards demand as well as supply management remained ineffective. In this context, it is also relevant to note that the federal government actively promoted a policy of expanding the energy network with a major energy shortfall resulting in compounding the demand-supply gap.
In addition, due to failure to implement tax reforms that would have rendered the tax structure equitable and less anomalous; the government also relied on taxing the fuel and energy sector to generate funding for its ever increasing expenditure given that this was a relatively easier way to collect revenue. Thus the fuel and power sector were not only inefficiently run with large-scale leakages from the system but also were a key source of revenue for the government that simply raised tariffs without any focus on increasing the performance of the sector. This disastrous policy led to the government's failure to meet the energy demand of the economy's largest export earner - the textile sector. In short, the government, by relying on the energy sector as a major source of revenue, was unable to generate revenue from higher economic activity which is the major revenue source in other countries.
President Asif Ali Zardari has stated that the onus for the electricity crisis rests with the provinces given that Article 157 (2) (c and d) of 18th Constitutional Amendment empowers a province to "construct power houses and grid stations and lay transmission lines for use within the provinces and determine the tariff for distribution of electricity within the province". The provincial response has been that it lacks resources to engage in constructing large dams but this explanation does not absolve them from their own failing to use indigenous resources like Thar coal to generate electricity. Punjab has consistently maintained that any attempt to establish power houses have been stonewalled by the federal law ministry and refers to Nandipur and Chichon ki Malian with a combined capacity of 900 MW as examples. The question, however, is if the provinces can determine their own distribution tariffs then why does the federal government feel the need to release over 400 billion rupees per annum for inter-disco tariff differential? In short, there are many issues that need to be worked out in terms of federal and provincial roles in the energy sector notwithstanding the 18th Amendment.
The power sector as it stands today is inefficiently run with no effort being made to ensure that the obsolete plants are being run at operational capacity. Rehabilitation projects are under way and the USAID has brought a few plants to their full operational capacity but a lot more needs to be done. A short-term policy focus therefore must be on eliminating inter-circular debt which would necessitate disconnection of electricity to all those who fail to clear their bills, and cutting the unpaid dues of government entities at source to ensure bill payment, and finally to repair transmission lines and obsolete plants to ensure that the system is at operational capacity.
However, there is also a need to begin implementing new energy projects. Pakistan today has a gas deficit of around 3 mmcf and neither the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline which is expected to generate around 0.75 mmcf nor Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline with 1.5 mmcf can hope to meet our energy requirements. Pakistan needs to develop Thar coal fields as well as explore for new gas fields and begin construction of run of the water dams and large dams. Finances to undertake these mega projects remain a challenge; however, we must reprioritise expenditure, implement reforms and last but not least, support inter-provincial as well as federal harmony to resolve the crisis once and for all.
Pakistani Refugee Camp Hit by Deadly Car Bomb
Pakistan: ''Political hiccups notwithstanding''
The Frontier PostFinally, President Asif Ali Zardari has on Wednesday announced that the general elections to the National Assembly will be held on May 11. The President signed the summary sent by the Prime Minister to this effect immediately it was received in the Presidency, putting an end to political uncertainty prevailing upon the federal capital. Amidst the eye-souring violence and lingering threats of heart-breaking terrorist strikes especially in Karachi, Quetta and KPK, the announcement of the election date and subsequent announcement of the election schedule will induce new impetus to the electioneering in the country. According to the ECP spokesman, the submission of nomination papers will begin on March 25 which will be completed on 30th. Scrutiny of papers shall start from 31st and will continue for 7 days. Candidates may withdraw their nomination papers by April 18 while the final list of the contesting candidates will be published the following day. Earlier on Tuesday, the Election Commission allotted 'lion' as the election symbol to the PML-N, however, allotment of election symbol to the PPP of the President Asif Ali Zardari was deferred owing to a controversy that surfaced when an estranged party leader Naheed Khan, who served as political secretary to slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto until her assassination in 2007, claimed that she should be allotted the symbol as she is real leader of the PPP. The decision is pending with the ECP. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing; the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam was allotted the symbol of 'book' while Awami National Party was given 'lantern', MQM got the symbol of 'kite' and the fast emerging popular party of cricketer-turned politician, Imran Khan had been allotted 'bat'. On the other hand, on the first day the meeting of the eight-member parliamentary committee formed to break political impasse on the appointment of caretaker prime minister was too adjourned without any success-giving rise to the Opposition's accusation that the rulers are bent on give-and-take rather than paving way for impartial caretaker setup. Blame for the delay does not lie squarely on the rulers; the Opposition as well cannot be absolved of the responsibility. The Opposition too seems to take the issue to the Election Commission of Pakistan for its own 'reasons.' Whatever! The Constitutional mechanism on this matter is going to take its course-- it is just a matter of time; the deadlock over the appointment of the caretaker PM is notwithstanding. Another good omen is; the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly has completed the first phase of the political process, withering another hiccup in holding fresh elections on the same date. Indeed, the stage is all set for the elections which will be monitored by a large number of international and local observers who had already approached the Election Commission of Pakistan which issued a Code of Conduct for the observers, prohibiting any interference in the election process. The history, witnessed never before, is in the making; notwithstanding the political hiccups or differences erupting amongst the political forces out there in the election field. The nation too must grab the opportunity with both hands to elect their true representatives.
President Zardari stresses need for strengthening regional security
Radio PakistanPresident Asif Ali Zardari has stressed the need for strengthening security and counter-terrorism cooperation in the region. Addressing 4th Nowruz conference in Ashgabat on Thursday‚ he said all regional countries will have to unite and make collective efforts to bring peace to the region. The president said Pakistan firmly believes that peace and stability are vital for economic progress and development of the region. Pakistan is working to further improve its relations and expand cooperation with the regional countries. He said the region has vast natural resources and Pakistan can provide a corridor as transit for their export to the other countries. The main objective of the ECO to which Pakistan and Central Asian Republics are members‚ is to build infrastructure and connectivity projects in the region. He said Pakistan is willing to facilitate transportation of LNG from Central Asia to South East Asia and other world markets. The latest and modern seaport of Pakistan at Gwadar is the shortest route for Central Asian States to the Arabian Sea. It also offers excellent port facilities for export of LNG and other products. President Zardari said Pakistan is also ready to provide safe transit of piped gas to other neighboring countries. We are keen to implement the projects of energy connectivity like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India and Iran-Pakistan gas pipelines. President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Dr Mahmood Ahmadinejad had a meeting at Ashgabat. They exchanged views on strengthening of bilateral relations especially in economic field.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Afghanistan, NATO agree on troops leaving key province
Afghanistan and NATO-led forces have reached a deal on foreign troops leaving a key strategic district near Kabul, coalition forces said, but a controversial expulsion order against U.S. special forces from the entire province remained unclear.
An Afghan defense ministry spokesman told reporters in Kabul that the elite American force would quit the whole province of Wardak within a few days, despite U.S. concerns that their departure would leave a security vacuum.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), however, said that Afghan forces would only take over from foreign troops in the small restive district of Nerkh, and that "the remainder of the province will transition in time".
Afghan officials have expressed fears that insurgents might use Wardak, just a 40-minute drive from Kabul, as a launch pad for attacks on the capital.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai expelled the elite American force from Wardak and Logar provinces last month, after villagers accused them of torturing and killing civilians, an allegation the U.S. special forces denied.
Despite the deadline for their departure expiring over a week ago, U.S. special forces tasked with fighting the Taliban are still operating there, U.S. and Afghan officials say.
Their continued deployment has angered Karzai, who has become increasingly critical of his Western allies operating in the country ahead of the departure of most foreign combat troops by the end of next year.
Karzai and NATO commander Joseph Dunford reached an agreement on Wardak on Wednesday, the two sides said, although the extent of the foreign troop withdrawal and the timeframe was vague.
ISAF said in a statement that under the agreement, Afghan forces would soon take over security from foreign forces in Nerkh, a known hiding place for Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami militants. The district comprises about 10 percent of Wardak, and borders Kabul and Logar provinces.
The statement made no mention of U.S. special forces.
"I am pleased to announce that following a very constructive series of talks with the president ... we have come to agreement on a plan for Wardak that continues the transition of this critical province and meets the security needs of the people and the requirements of our mission," Dunford said.
"This solution is what success looks like as we continue the transition to overall Afghan security lead."
ISAF said the Afghan government would determine the timeline for the takeover.
The Wardak issue, along a series of inflammatory remarks by Karzai deriding the United States and other foreign forces, has strained already fraught ties between the president and Western allies.
Opposition politicians say Karzai's order to expel the U.S. special forces was a political move intended to bolster his party's support base ahead of a presidential election next year. Karzai is not allowed to stand again.
Some in Wardak however are furious U.S. special forces are still operating in the province, and about 1,000 residents converged on the capital on Saturday demanding they leave.
U.S. special forces are expected to play a major role in Afghanistan after most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of next year, and Karzai's decision to expel them was seen as complicating talks between the United States and Afghanistan over the scope of U.S. operations after the pull-out.
Imran accuses Sharif brothers of hurdles in Pindi
Accusing Sharif brothers of misusing Punjab Police to shut Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf’s (PTI) polling stations in Rawalpindi, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) was threatened by his party as it was promoting true democracy.
He made these remarks while addressing the media in Islamabad on Tuesday.
He added that the Punjab Police could not be blamed alone for the closure as they were just following orders.
Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws Continue to be Toxic
Last week, a Pakistani Christian, Sawan Masih, was accused of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad. The following days,a Muslim crowd of several thousand, gathered in mobs and attacked a Christian neighborhood in Lahore, setting fire to over 150 houses, 18 shops, and two churches. This case of blasphemy is, tragically, representativeand follows a clear and well-established pattern.
As is often the case, allegations of blasphemy cause outbreaks of violence; it has become commonplace for mobs to take the law into their own hands. Following blasphemy allegations, angry crowds descend on towns and burn places of worship and homes, injuring residents.
Secondly, blasphemy laws in Pakistan are known to be used as a weapon to settle private disputes. Accusations of blasphemy are often the by-product of disputes between neighbors, colleagues, political opponents, religious and academic leaders, and business associates whose dealings have become adversarial. In this case, the police believe the blasphemy allegations stemmed from a private dispute between Masih and another man, Shahid Imran. Given the severity of the punishment provided under Pakistan’s penal code, the ease with which one may initiate a proceeding raises serious concerns of due process and the right to a fair trial.
Finally, this case underscores how the Christian minority in Pakistan is frequently targeted. As soon as a member of the Christian community is accused of blasphemy, it has become the norm for the whole community to flee the neighborhood out of fear of a backlash. That’s because the laws perpetuate prejudice and promote religious intolerance.
And yet, despite the pattern, something this time was different.
During this round of violence, the Pakistanis have been more vocal than usual. Authorities sent signals to Pakistanis that they cannot resort to violence and riot against a religious minority, in the name of the blasphemy law. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered an immediate inquiry into the attack and an investigation into the violence. The police arrested about 150 people accused of burning dozens of homes of Christians. The provincial law minister Rana Sanullah said that the government would not spare those involved in the attack.
Most importantly, it is promising that Christian groups are starting to speak out, in refusal to be intimidated by the mobs. Members of the Christian community publicly protested and called on the government to help rebuild destroyed houses. It’s courageous to rally this way when their lives are threatened.
Their demands must be addressed if the government wants to act beyond its condemnations.
Pakistan: Religious Intolerance Mounts with Christian Home Burnings
http://blog.heritage.orgMore than 3,000 Muslims stormed a Christian enclave in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, and proceeded to burn down an estimated 100 to 160 homes, marking a peak in violence toward religious groups. The Muslim group was looking for a 28-year-old Christian man who is accused of blaspheming the Islamic prophet Mohammed, a criminal offense under Pakistani blasphemy laws. This latest bout of violence may not lead Pakistan to reconsider its blasphemy laws, but it will certainly draw the international community’s attention to religious persecution in the region. In Pakistan, blasphemy can result in the death penalty or several years in prison. Blasphemous acts include desecrating a place of worship, burning pages of the Quran, and defaming the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Pakistan’s blasphemy law is leveled only at those blaspheming Islam, and does not provide protection for any other religious group. An estimated 1,274 people have been accused of violating the blasphemy laws. At present, there are an estimated 16 Pakistanis on death row and another 20 individuals serving life imprisonment for blasphemy against Islam. Thirteen percent of the accused were Christian, 50 percent were Muslim, and the remaining comprise other minority religious groups. The alleged precise statements of the Christian man in this latest incident are largely unknown. Some observers say that a Muslim man made the accusations of blasphemy against the Christian man in order to seek revenge the morning after the two men had been involved in a drunken brawl. After the police arrested the accused, many Christians fled the region fearing persecution for his alleged statements. The minority Christian community had reason to fear backlash. Vigilantism is not uncommon in Pakistan, where rioters often take matters into their own hands to settle personal disputes. And just last year, a 14-year-old mentally challenged Christian Pakistani girl was put on trial for burning pages of the Quran. While the charges were ultimately dropped, the trial was representative of Pakistan’s repressive political culture on matters of religion. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and other senior officials have ordered an investigation into this latest string of events. The Pakistani government has pledged the equivalent of $2,000 in assistance for each family affected. While a few of the Muslim rioters are now in custody, charges are unlikely to be levied. The fate of the Christian man in custody is still unknown. Two years ago, Pakistan’s Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated by religious extremists because of their efforts to roll back the controversial blasphemy laws. The current Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., Sherry Rehman, has also been under threat from extremists due to her support for re-examining the legislation and removing the death penalty as punishment. In January the Supreme Court of Pakistan approved admission of a blasphemy case against Ambassador Rehman for remarks she made on a television program in November 2010. The latest rampage against the Christian community in Pakistan is significant, says Heritage’s Lisa Curtis:
This is yet another example of the growing influence of extremist ideologies that are endangering minority communities and jeopardizing democracy, and will ultimately, if left unchallenged, turn Pakistan into a failed state. Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, supported the idea of Islam serving as a unifying force in Pakistan and envisioned the country functioning as a multiethnic, multi-religious democracy. Unless and until Pakistan’s leaders recommit to these ideals that helped form Pakistan as a nation state, the country will become engulfed in escalating lawlessness and sectarianism. It is time for Pakistan to draw the line on extremism and protect its minority populations by amending the blasphemy legislation.
Will Balochistan Vote in Pakistan's Next Elections?
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, Pakistan's outgoing Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf congratulated his fellow citizens for the "historic" completion of five years of uninterrupted democracy. While the Pakistanis know that they will be voting in mid-May to elect a new government, they were still undecided who would head the caretaker administration for the next 90 days at the time of the prime minister's speech.
According to Pakistan's constitution, which was written in 1973 and amended 20 times since then, leaders from the government and the opposition should reach a consensus to form an acceptable neutral interim government ahead of the next elections. The failure of the government and the opposition to agree upon one caretaker prime minister reflects the broader problems of Pakistan's fledgling democracy.
While the outgoing members of the parliament posed for a historic group photograph in Islamabad, authorities in the country's largest province of Balochistan continued to debate among themselves whether or not they would even be able to hold peaceful elections. On March 12, 2013, armed activists of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a sub-nationalist separatist group, gunned down Muhammad Ziaullah Qasimi, the District Commissioner of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Quetta, Balochistan's capital. The BLA was not apologetic and unambiguous about the assault.
"We will not let Pakistan hold elections in Balochistan," warned the BLA's spokesperson.
The Express Tribune reported on February 9, 2013 that two more armed Baloch groups, the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) had also threatened to disrupt the elections.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), told BBC Urdu that discontent among the Baloch was caused by unabated illegal arrest, torture and murder of the political leaders for which Pakistan's security forces are blamed. If these extra-judicial killings do not stop, he warned, elections would be too difficult to hold.
Pakistan currently faces extraordinary challenges of law and order. The chilling wave of violence employed by the Taliban, sectarian groups, ethnic nationalists, armed wings of political parties and death squads believed to be linked with the Pakistani secret services are coercing various political parties to limit their election campaigns to avoid deadly assaults.
The March 12 assassination of the prominent election officer, for instance, has compelled politicians to reconsider their campaign strategies. Political parties fear deadly attacks on their election rallies, candidates and voters. This year's security threats are alarming across Pakistan, particularly in volatile Balochistan, which remains the focus of political observers' interest.
Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest of four provinces, has remained the center of an ethnic nationalist insurgency against the central government for nearly one decade. Balochistan's ethnic majority, the Balochs, who constitute only 5 percent of the country's total population, complain against discrimination by the federal government dominated by the ethnic Punjabis.
According to Asma Jhangir, a former president of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association, the Baloch people believe the 2008 elections meant nothing for them because the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies, not the civilian government, control their province. The Balochs do not benefit from their own mineral wealth, such as gas, gold and copper, nor are they provided any representation in the country's civil, armed and foreign services. Groups like the BLA, insist that Pakistan engineers what they describe as "shame elections" in order to divert attention from the actual Baloch demand for statehood.
In 2008, major political parties in Balochistan boycotted the general elections because they opposed General Pervez Musharraf, a military dictator, as Pakistan's president. Hence, the boycotted elections brought into power one such underrepresented, unpopular and corrupt government in Balochistan that even the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the center was forced to dismiss it on January 14, 2013 although the PPP also headed the Balochistan government.
Sections of the Pakistani ruling establishment are believed to be covertly communicating with enraged but moderate Baloch nationalist parties in order to persuade them to end their isolation and participate in the next general elections. Moderate nationalists are those who seek maximum internal autonomy for Balochistan while remaining a part of Pakistan.
If the Baloch nationalist parties participate in the elections, they can at least assist Islamabad with a process of reconciliation with some sections of the Baloch nationalists. However, the likelihood of peaceful elections is in jeopardy considering the prevalence of widespread violence across Balochistan.
The central government in Islamabad has done too little to build the Baloch confidence. Secret services, which have been blamed for colluding with extremist Sunni groups to kill Shias Muslims and sponsoring underground death squads to eliminate Baloch political activists, have not abandoned their counterproductive tactics which have significantly undermined democracy in Pakistan.
Pakistan should recover all the disappeared political activists and punish civil and military officers responsible for widespread human rights abuses in Balochistan in order to encourage the nationalists to participate in the elections. In addition, the government has to establish peace to the extent that all political parties and their voters feel safe enough to participate in the elections. If the elections fail again to improve the relations between Pakistan and its largest province, Islamabad should prepare for more internal instability and chaos in the future.
Pakistan to hold nationwide elections May 11
Associated PressPakistan will hold nationwide parliamentary elections on May 11, said a presidential spokesman on Wednesday. The vote is expected to produce the country's first transition from one civilian government to another. The president approved a proposal finalizing the May date for the upcoming election, said Farhatullah Babar. The Pakistani parliament completed its term Saturday, making it the first democratically chosen body to finish a full five-year term in a country that has seen three military coups and persistent political turmoil since its 1947 independence from Britain. The ruling Pakistan People's Party has been dogged by rumors that it would be deposed or forced to call early elections ever since it assumed office in March 2008. Its five-year term in office has been marked by near-constant political crises and a rocky relationship with the country's powerful military. But President Asif Ali Zardari has shown a remarkable ability to hold together a warring coalition government whose members threaten to quit every few months or so. Zardari is the widow of Benazir Bhutto, the iconic PPP leader who returned from exile in 2007 only to be killed later that year during a campaign rally. Zardari has managed a balance between the need for U.S. assistance amid a deteriorating relationship between the two countries and rising anti-American sentiment. Washington needs Pakistan's help fighting al-Qaida and stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan, but a series of recent scandals have severely damaged ties. CIA contractor Raymond Davis shot and killed two Pakistani men in Lahore in early 2011, the U.S. unilaterally killed Osama bin Laden in the city of Abbottabad later that year and American forces accidentally killed 24 Pakistani troops along the Afghan border in 2012. The Zardari-led coalition government has had some success fighting Islamist militants along several fronts in Pakistan's northwest but it has been under tremendous pressure domestically due to rising inflation, a faltering economy and an acute energy crises. Now that the parliament and government are dissolved, a caretaker government will run the country and oversee elections. But so far the ruling PPP and the main opposition party headed by Nawaz Sharif, who served as prime minister twice, have failed to come up with a consensus candidate for prime minister. An eight-member committee consisting of equal members from both parties is meeting Wednesday to come up with a candidate they each agree on. If the committee fails, the responsibility will then fall to the Pakistan Election Commission. The caretaker government is designed to ensure impartiality in the upcoming vote.
Obama heads to Jerusalem after warm speech at airport ceremony
Obama has been welcomed to Israel on his first visit as president. Netanyahu thanked him in the name of all Israelis for his steadfast support of the Jewish homeland. The president tried some Hebrew, and had some advice from Michelle for Yair Lapid. Now he’s heading to the capital.
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