Southeast Asia adopts human rights declaration

Associated Press

Southeast Asian leaders on Sunday adopted a human rights declaration despite last-minute calls for a postponement by critics, including Washington, who said the pact contains loopholes that could allow atrocities to continue. The 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an unwieldy bloc of liberal democracies and authoritarian states, signed a document adopting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, where the heads of state were holding an annual summit. The nonbinding declaration calls for an end to torture, arbitrary arrests and other rights violations that have been longtime concerns in Southeast Asia, which rights activists once derisively described as being ruled by a "club of dictators." ASEAN diplomats have called the declaration a milestone in the region despite its imperfections, saying it will help cement democratic reforms in countries such as Myanmar, which until recently has been widely condemned for its human rights record. Philippine diplomat Rosario Manalo said it is significant that the region's less democratic governments have embraced the declaration. Founded in 1967 as an anti-communist bloc in the Cold War era, ASEAN has taken feeble steps to address human rights concerns in the vast region of 600 million people, adopting a charter in 2007 where it committed to uphold international law and human rights but retained a bedrock principle of not interfering in each other's internal affairs — a loophole that critics say helps member states commit abuses without consequence. In 2009, the group unveiled a commission that was tasked to promote human rights but deprived of power to investigate violations or go after abusers. ASEAN leaders committed to promote and protect human rights, along with "democracy, rule of law and good governance" in a joint statement they signed to launch the declaration. But provisions in the declaration say rights could be limited for reasons of security, public order and morality. It adds that the "realization of human rights must be considered in the regional and national context bearing in mind different political, economic, legal, social, cultural, historical and religious backgrounds." Rights groups say that such conditions could be used to justify violations. "ASEAN has finally stumbled across the finish line with a flawed declaration that falls short of international standards," said Phil Robertson of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Washington has also expressed concerns, along with ASEAN members Indonesia and the Philippines, which threatened to withhold support until the regional bloc agreed to add a paragraph where it pledged to enforce the declaration with a level of commitment accorded to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, diplomats said. The ASEAN decides by consensus, meaning that if just one country disapproved, the declaration's launching would have been scuttled. That could have been embarrassing for the regional grouping still struggling to repair the damage to its image after its last ministerial meeting in July collapsed due to infighting over the handling of South China Sea territorial disputes. Myanmar's top diplomat, Wunna Maung Lwin, told The Associated Press that his country welcomes the declaration and will abide by it. "It's a very significant step that has been taken by the ASEAN," he said. ___

Zardari to address KP assembly on Monday

President Asif Ali Zardari will address the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s session on Monday.

President Zardari would be the first President, who would be addressing a provincial assembly session on the invitation of the chief minister and speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. KP assembly session has been scheduled at 10.00am on Monday, while the president will address at 2.00pm.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik,'' Blaming parliament''

EDITORIAL

Interior Minister Rehman Malik had a bad hair day on Friday. First, his order banning motorcycle riding and suspension of cellular phone services in Karachi and Quetta ran into heavy criticism by the public. Then the Sindh High Court (SHC) overturned the ban on motorcycle riding on the grounds that this would have inconvenienced millions of commuters. The cellular phone suspension in the two cities lasted about 10 hours and was then gradually lifted. Appearing in both houses of parliament on the day, the interior minister showed his frustration by lashing out at parliament for having failed to bring in legislation to help the counter-terrorism effort. An amendment bill to the Anti-Terrorism Act, the minister argued, had been lying in parliament for three years but nothing had come out of it. Rehman Malik said his decision was taken after intelligence reports indicated the threat of terrorist actions on Friday, the first day of Muharram. He said he had consulted all the stakeholders, including the Sindh government and the prime minister before imposing the restrictions. He went on to point out that 96 blasts in Karachi and 438 throughout the country during this year had used motorcycles as bombs, apart from the use of mobile phones as detonators. According to the SHC’s order, the ban on motorcycle riding per se was unconstitutional, but the court upheld the ban on pillion riding. The minister faced dissent from his own party’s Senators Babar Awan and Raza Rabbani in the upper house. The gist of their objections was legal and constitutional, but Raza Rabbani’s criticism also included the argument that no viable counter-terrorism strategy had been framed to date. The minister on the other hand referred to the lacunae in the laws that allowed terrorists caught and presented before the courts to walk free or on bail to carry on their nefarious activities. He vowed to go in appeal to the Supreme Court against the SHC’s order. There were claims from the Sindh police that Karachi was peaceful because of the ban on motorcycle riding and suspension of cellular services, but this is not conclusive, and does not negate the inconvenience to citizens and the losses suffered (once again) by the cellular service providers. The minister’s obvious frustration and irritation aside, one can sympathise with the arduous task he has on his plate. Decades of encouragement of jihadi extremists, initially for projection of power in the neighbourhood, has backfired spectacularly in recent years by subjecting the mentor state to the unwanted (violent) attentions of the jihadi extremist groups of all shades and hues. Not only do some if not all these groups enjoy support from the insurgents waging guerrilla warfare in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, by now they have a network spread throughout the length and breath of the country, especially the big cities. Combating this malign presence is never going to be easy. The lacunae in the laws pointed out by Rehman Malik and the lack of witness protection programmes undermine the counter-terrorism effort, as does the lack of an overarching intelligence/counter-terrorism body that can pool all the information and data scattered over many agencies, military and civilian, and coordinate actions against a shadowy and elusive enemy. But there is also weight in the PPP and other legislators’ objections to blunt tools such as blanket bans on this or that means of transport and/or communications. Whatever temporary results this kind of action may bring, and that too is open to dispute, it should not be forgotten that the terrorists by now have many more means of delivering death and destruction than just motorcycles and cell phones. Blunt instruments have to be replaced by far more focused and targeted intelligence-based pre-emptive actions against the terrorists. A case in point is the arrest, with weapons and explosives, of two sectarian terrorists in Gujrat on Friday. This is the kind of intelligence-based action that may go much further in combating terrorism than blanket bans that are at best temporary palliatives and of course a source of great nuisance to the public.

Dr. Muhammad Azam Azam laid to rest

Radio Pakistan

Renowned Pushto poet and research scholar Dr. Muhammad Azam Azam was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Rajarr Renowned Pushto poet and research scholar Dr. Muhammad Azam Azam was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Rajarr in district Charsadda on Saturday.

Dr. Muhammad Azam Azam

http://www.afghanwiki.com

Soft-spoken Prof Dr Mohammad Azam Azam, the author of no less than 11 books, is a man with an unassuming personality. He has been rendering meritorious services to Pashto language and literature for the last 45 years. Dr Azam is a distinguished writer known for his individual and unique style, and for having introduced and contributed to modern literary trends both in substance and style in Pashto prose as well as poetry. He enjoys mass popularity and unprecedented fame among common folk, literary and cultural circles for his landmark achievements. Radio Pakistan Peshawar and PTV’s Peshawar Centre have aired more than 500 songs and ghazals by Dr Azam that have gained tremendous popularity due to their lucidity and mass appeal. He is also considered to be a trend setter in Pashto drama, on both radio and television.Birth December 21, 1940 Place of birth: District Charsadda, village Rajar, Khybar Pakhtunkhwa Education: PhD in Pashto literature Career Appointed as lecturer of Pashto at Islamia College, Peshawar in 1963 and also served as chairman Pashto Department University of Peshawar and Dean of Faculty of Oriental Languages. He retired on December 20, 2000 and took charge of the Academy of Letters Pakistan, Islamabad, as regional director Peshawar chapter in August, 2006. Important Books Pashto Afsana Tahqeeq Auo Tanqeed Pashto Adab Ke Kerdarnigaaree Lashey Rahman Baba Da Ulas Shair Pukhtanee Romanoonah Da Aqidat Guloona Andazoonah In several of his memorable plays Dr Azam has portrayed a true picture of Pashtun culture and society. “Unless a playwright delves deep into the people’s problems, s/he fails to depict the real picture of society. To me a writer and poet is the spirit of the age s/he lives in. Pashto drama seems to be on decline because of lack of observation and artificial presentation”. At the inception of PTV’s Peshawar Centre in 1974, he wrote the first ever Pashto TV serial ‘Rukey laarey’ (The lost paths) which provided a firm foundation for PTV drama in the Frontier. His most popular play ‘Namoos’ — in both its Pashto and Urdu versions — won accolades for PTV. According to a prominent poet, researcher, linguist, critic and fiction writer Qalandar Momand, Dr Azam is at the top list of modern Pashto poets and playwrights. As for his poetry, Dr Azam claims to be inspired by the progressive writer’s movement. “I am impressed by Ajmal Khattak’s poems and by the ghazals of Amir Hamza Khan Shinwarai because both of them are voices of masses, one delineates the social life of Pashtuns while the other appeals to their spiritual and national identity. I had started composing poetry during my school days. At Islamia College Peshawar, I was on the editorial board of the literary journal Khyber. “I have a penchant for music and can play the sitar therefore there is a musical quality in my poetry, but I stress on its social and thematic aspect. The poet should always say something new and touching. Digesting the same old stuff robs one’s art of its originality. I did not publish my poetry in book form because I thought there is an intense need for prose but now I am planning to bring it out under the Rungoonah on the request of my fans. Young Pashtun poets have introduced new subjects and there is still need for more experiment. Poetry is a vehicle available to be exploited for people’s welfare. It is both a means of instruction and a delight. Pashto poetry has an immense future”, Dr Azam concludes hopefully. Along with his creative literary pursuits Dr Azam has also presented invaluable services in the field of research. He has published numerous treatises, research articles and critical essays. Among all of his research works, his celebrated investigative prose work Pashto Afsana: Tahqeeq Auo Tanqeed is the first ever book on the subject. The book has been included in the MA course for Pashto literature. His PhD thesis titled “The art of characterization in Pashto literature” is considered to be of high literary worth. “Some Afghan scholars affiliated with Pashto Tolana in Kabul did valuable research on Pashto language and literature before the Russian invasion but nowadays research on scientific lines in Afghanistan is a farfetched notion. Also, writers there have become divided into various ‘groups’ which I believe is a bad omen for promoting healthy literary trends. Ulasi Adabi Jirga is a popular literary organisation founded by Hamza Baba, Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil, Qalandar Momand and other poets, writers and researchers in the early half of the 20th century. They helped to introduce new literary trends in Pashto literature. Men of letters like Haji Sanobar Hussain Kakajee, Fazal Mahmood Makhfi, Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar, Ghani Khan, Ashraf Maftoon, Master Abdul Karim Mazloom and Mir Mehdi Shah Bacha, under the influence of Bacha Khan’s Khudai Khidmatgaar Movement, gave a social awareness and political consciousness to the masses through their inspiring writings”. Awards Adamjee Award (1963) Pakistan Writer’s Guild (1965) Pakistan Writer’s Guild (1978) PTV gold medal for drama (1989) Tamgha-e- Imtiaz (1990)

PAKISTAN:Return of the Left: Will the hammer & sickle be enough?

The Pakistani Left has been rejoicing. They are hailing the creation of Awami Workers Pakistan (AWP) as a step in the right direction for building a socialist democracy in Pakistan. But as the revolutionary greetings are being exchanged, whispers of internal conflict, the controversial past of Pakistan’s left and ideological differences have also emerged. What is the premise of this merger? Official party statements have declared that it is mobilisation of the masses against class oppression that has been the direct result of the feudal-capitalist structure of Pakistan’s economic and social systems. They concede that they have learned their lessons from the Soviet experiments with socialism and recognise the potential of a strong movement to fight the economic and social suppression. They confess to their most primary criticism; that there has been no organised force to demand such a social and economic upheaval. But is the merger between Labour Party Pakistan, Awami Party Pakistan and Workers Party Pakistan the solution to the problems of Pakistan’s left? What are these problems? What do skeptics and believers say about these problems? THE CYNICS: Dr Ayesha Siddiqua, analysts and author of Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy, had several misgivings about the future of AWP. “What they are trying to do is wonderful in principle,” she tells Pakistan Today. “But it boils down to the operationalization of these principles.” She then went on to explain why she is cynical about the future of AWP. “It is about execution, isn’t it? Running a mass campaign, mobilising the masses against the deep rooted patronage systems, it is not an easy task, and certainly not achievable just by bringing together three small parties,” she explained. Dr Ayesha held that the future of AWP depends on the amount of resources the party manages to accumulate and expressed her doubts on the party’s ability to gather them. “Pakistan inherited Pakistan Muslim League. Therefore the only successful example of a successful party in country is Pakistan People’s Party. They ran an incredible campaign in the seventies – one that was so strong, its legacy has lasted many years. I don’t see AWP putting together such a campaign. They haven’t developed a constituency, they don’t have the resources,” she said. She further added that it is not a question of whether the party is needed; what matters more is the organisational depth and capacity of such a merger. There are also questions about the ideology of the party – not just by the critics but also from the party members themselves. Critics have voiced their apprehensions about the three parties seeing eye-to-eye on the various issues that set them apart in the past. Labour Party Pakistan was known as a neo-Trotskyist organisation, continuing to stress the permanent revolution. Awami Party Pakistan was believed to be “ideologically hostile” to Marxism-Leninism, and known more for their liberal, democratic views on governance. The Workers Party Pakistan was known for its belief in the application of Marxism in Pakistan. Dr Ayesha Siddiqa also questioned the plurality of AWP. “I have my doubts about AWP being a pluralist organixation. How can you stress on one class alone and completely intend to uproot the other?” Professor Aziz ud Din Ahmad, former academic and a political analyst, too, remained on the bench. While lauding the change AWP hopes to bring, he also talked about the hurdles AWP has to overcome before it can manage to become a mainstream political force. “It remains to be seen if the new party is able to overcome some of the traditional flaws of the Left,” he wrote for Pakistan Today. “These include factionalism, addiction to terminology of a particular type, and failure to address the masses in a simple, everyday language they can best understand. Will the components of the new party which had so far worked separately and were at times involved in mutual skirmishes forget old rivalries and work as one party?” He, too, questioned the ability of AWP to manage the resources required for it to become a dominant political force of the Pakistani Left. “Will the new party be able to develop the minimum resources needed to contest the elections which have been made very costly,” he asked. “Will it be able to attract the burgeoning middle class and the civil society in general which happen to be politically the most active while maintaining its roots in its traditional constituencies of the working class and peasantry?” The believers: AWP, however, was quick to defend itself and shoot out replies to all the cynicism directed at it. Rana Aslam, former member of Labour Party Pakistan and currently an active member of AWP, said that in retrospect, the merger was a natural order of things. “It was time to do away with the old and bring in the new,” he said. When asked about the biggest hurdle faced while putting together the merger, he replied thoughtfully, “I would say it was convincing the senior leadership of the party to let go of the ideas of a bloody revolution. That isn’t going to happen and we were not sure anymore if we wanted that to be the way we came into mainstream politics.” He further explained that AWP is a sign of maturity of Pakistan’s Left. “When we were three different parties, we disagreed on so many different issues; nationalization, feudalism, and even what our priorities were. This merger has allowed us to see the one common point that brings us all together: oppression, poverty and the common man that has been neglected as while political parties squabble within themselves.” Ammar Ali Jan, a key figure in bringing together this merger, further explained the dynamics of Pakistan’s Leftist politics. “The Left in Pakistan has remained isolated and scattered since the 1980s, when our state and society underwent a massive turn towards the Right under the draconian regime of General Zia,” he told Pakistan Today. “A period of defeat, stagnation and depression is often followed by a period of isolation and sectarianism, since no group or party actually believes that it can challenge the status quo in any meaningful way and hence reverts back to obsolete debates around “ideological purity”. Since the Lawyers’ Movement (and before that, the Okara Tenants’ Movement and the Faisalabad Power Loom Workers Movement, to name a few) there has been an increase in political consciousness in the country, particularly amongst the youth. This also meant that after almost two decades, a number of young activists, particularly in the National Student’s Federation, gravitated towards the Left.” He then went on to explain why the need for the merger was felt by the existing Lefist parties. “The task then was to convince members and the leadership of the three parties to recognize the changing dynamics in Pakistan, and generally around the globe, and to seriously start engaging in building a Left alternative in the country,” he said. “The merger process was naturally a difficult process because all parties had a distinct ideological outlook and different opinions on questions of strategy. However, a vast majority of members realised that one of the key revolutionary tasks of today is to build an alternative to market fundamentalism and to re-introduce class-based politics in the country. There was complete consensus on resisting imperialism, religious fundamentalism and fighting for the rights of women, oppressed nationalities and religious minorities.” He said he was hopeful about AWP because today, there are more forces that unite the three parties than those who divide it. “The merger committee decided that the AWP must allow space for all tendencies of the Left, promoting a culture of open and frank debate, discussion and criticism,” he said, adding that parties often split in Pakistan because there is very little space for dissenting views, so this openness to new ideas is a positive development that will help maintain party cohesion. Respondeding to Dr Siddiqa’s concerns about plurality of AWP. “I think there is enough plurality in the new Party, but, it should be clear that this a Left party of different Marxist tendencies coming together,” he said. “I think it is important to take a clear ideological position when the only ideology available is either neo-liberalism/market fundamentalism (practiced by all mainstream parties) or reactionary religious fundamentalism. AWP is creating a third pole, which insists that this a false choice and that there is an alternative to the present crisis.” He then went on to explain the two biggest challenges of AWP. The first, he said, involves constructing a coherent organisational set-up throughout the country. This process will begin from next month with provincial committees being set up all across the country followed by district committees. The second, and more important, task is the party engaging with popular struggles erupting across the country. The main aim of any Left party is to become a consistent expression of popular movements, politicizing social movements by linking their struggles to structural and systemic injustices. Thus, the main challenge for AWP will be to develop a sustained engagement with such struggles without necessarily trying to subordinate them to the party, which was a common practice in the past. He conceded to the argument that AWP is currently ready to engage in any serious electoral effort, except in a few places in KPK and Punjab, and stressed that that should not be the immediate task of the party. “Electoral politics will become possible once the party has a powerful organisational network and when it commands the respect of various social movements across the country,” he said. He also touched on the question of the role of religion AWP’s politics. “AWP believes that religion is a private affair between a human being and God, while it can also be used to inculcate feelings of cooperation and mutual respect in communities,” he said. The party has absolutely nothing to do with people’s personal beliefs. The main point is that we should keep religion away from our decadent state, not only to promote tolerance and more freedom of thought, but also to save religion itself from being corrupted, he added. THE BYSTANDERS: The general elections are coming up. In the face of that, AWP is undoubtedly a rising force that cannot be ignored. Cynics and believers alike agree that now is not the time for AWP to flex its muscle. To the contrary, it faces the challenge of building a strong movement that becomes an alternative to the status quo. While that happens, what does the average man say? “It remains to be seen, doesn’t it,” said Allah Yar, a local fruit trader. “We hear of parties emerging and breaking up every day. If this new party i has solid footing to stand on, I will not hesitate to support it. But in the meantime, I am not going to waste my time chasing dreams that seem so far fetched.” Maryam, a student, was more hopeful. “Why not?” she asked. “If we can bring PPP to power so many times, if we are sick of the same old faces, why not give this one a chance?” Ibrahim, a farmer, further said, “this party looks like it focuses more on industry workers than the peasants. If it does not focus on the peasants, it is losing out on the support the feudal lords have in the country.”

Peshawar: Education plays vital role in changing society

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Barrister Masood Kausar has said that educational institutions are true source of gaining wisdom to ensure better future of the students. The developed nations had also faced many problems but they made progress because of education .only education can make prosprous the progress and propriety of society, he added. Only education brings a better change both in individuals and collective lives and we also expect more effective response from our educational institutions. He was addressing the Convocation 2012 of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, one of the most prestigious institutions of the country, at the Convocation Hall of University of Peshawar on Saturday. In all more than 170 graduates, Abid Ali with five different distinctions achieved the coveted award of the college for being declared the best student of the session while Adil Parvez bagged three distinctions. Similarly Hajra Zainab and Sara Azam Shah with two distinctions each and Misbah Manzoor, Sidra Afridi, Sidra Beg, Shahzad Khan, Bilal Ahmad, Ahmad Arsalan, Muhammad Asif and Abdul Haseeb Qazi each with single distinctions were also awarded gold medals. The Governor on his own behalf also announced cash awards of Rs 20,000 and Rs10,000 for girls and boys for their each distinctive positions. The ceremony was also addressed by the Vice Chancellor of the Khyber Medical University, Prof. Dr. Hafeezullah and the Principal of the college, Prof Dr. Sultan Mahmood. MPA Mr. Atif-ur- Rehman was also present on the occasion. The Governor who is also the Chancellor of the public sector Universities in the province reminded the students that they had chosen a field which demands missionary zeal and spirit to serve the humanity remaining above all kinds of considerations and having availed the opportunities of studying in prestigious institutions like this one, they are rightly expected to come up to the expectations. Appreciating the working of the college, the Governor said, this is an institution which we can present to the world as symbol of pride from amongst the medical institutions of the country and it indeed has been making outstanding contributions to promotion of medical education and healthcare at the national level and deserves to be fully supported. This mother institution of its nature in the province, he added, has been serving as nursery in providing healthcare professionals and intellectuals whose services and capabilities are second to none not only in the province and country but at the international level too. He also paid tributes to the Former Prime Minister, Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto for her services to the college and said being her companion it always gives him extra satisfaction to contribute for betterment of this college. Referring to certain points raised by the Principal of the College in the annual report, the Governor pointed out that during general debriefings on education sector reforms two years back, he came across the state of challenges, which the system of medical education has been facing and the state of this college was also exceptional. Today, he remarked, great deal of progress in bringing improvement in its working, is a source of great satisfaction. The timely initiatives of the government and college management in rehabilitation and improvement of this institution are indeed appreciable, he added. As far as provision of additional land for promotion of sports facilities and residential accommodation are concerned, the Governor said, every possible step will be taken to materialize their requests. He also announced a grant of rupees one million for welfare services of the college. Earlier, the Governor gave away degrees and awards to the graduates.

Malala under attack

Ghazi Salahuddin

In many ways, Peshawar has a kinship with Karachi, even though they are the two most distant major cities in the country. Both are afflicted with violence and targeted killings. What is remarkable in this relationship is that Karachi has a larger population of Pakhtuns than Peshawar, a city of history unlike Karachi. So, when I was in Peshawar for three days during this week, I was looking, in a sense, for reflections of my own city in a somewhat alien environment. But my interactions, except for an entire afternoon when I walked the Peshawar streets, were restricted to students, teachers, writers, artists and social activists. If you wonder how such an ingenious congregation was available in a place that is surrounded by jihadi elements, let me tell you that I was there for Children’s Literature Festival, held in the environs of the great Islamia College. However, my encounters and observations were laced with some scary thoughts about the nature of conflict that is raging in the minds of our youngsters. I felt that the seeds of militancy and intolerance are scattered widely and have already sprouted into seemingly invincible biases in the thinking of many young students. If the powers that be do not readily confront this challenge, the entire edifice of what we perceive as national security is bound to crumble before long. Malala Yousafzai, come to think of it, has emerged as a great symbol that should help the authorities to promote the high ideals of education, particularly of girls, and of social advancement in a society held back by primitive and obscurantist ideas. Because Malala comes from the same region and culture, it was natural for her face to represent the very spirit of the festival. And she did figure in some of the festival’s activities. However, the lunatic fringe in this respect was also exposed as a few students angrily – or threateningly – expressed their views against Malala. It is all right, even necessary, to hold one’s opinions and express them in a rational manner. That is what education is all about. The problem is that the Taliban worldview, starkly at odds with our times, is being poured into the receptive minds of some groups of children and what we have in the name of education is not being able to deal with this deadly distortion. It is in this depressing setting that we have the shining light that Malala has personified. The rulers were gifted with a rare opportunity to build popular support for a decisive operation against terrorism and religious extremism when the Taliban hit Malala and the entire nation was suddenly pushed into a state of shock and disbelief. Alas, this Malala moment was not seized in spite of the liberal and democratic ideals that the rulers profess. After that initial display of indecision and weakness on the part of the wielders of power, it became easier for the religious lobby to put a spin on the Malala incident and confuse the entire issue. She was portrayed, in defiance of common sense, as a spy of the west and, unbelievably, the Taliban have continued to assert that she deserved to die. All this should only enhance the meaning and the power of Malala as a symbol. Hence, if Malala is under attack, Pakistan is under attack. This is a message that has not yet been received by our security establishment. Is it because this establishment is distracted by power games that have domestic, as well as global implications? Be that as it may, I am recounting here some impressions that I gathered at the Children’s Literary Festival held in Peshawar on Wednesday and Thursday. Sponsored by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and the Oxford University Press (OUP), in collaboration with Foundation Open Society Institute, Bacha Khan Trust Education Foundation and Islamia College University, the festival was a grand affair and must have been an occasion for great joy for thousands of school students who attended its varied and colourful activities. That such an event could take place in the present security environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is in itself an achievement and it represents the silver lining that the civil society activists have provided in the realm of education and awareness. Writers, educators, artists and commentators were brought together from all parts of the country and the pace, on both days, was quite hectic. Incidentally, the first such festival was held in Lahore last year. It was followed by a similar show in Quetta two months ago. Understandably, security concerns did become an impediment in Quetta and Peshawar. My own participation was restricted to just four sessions, surely not as popular as stage shows and the fair on the lawns. My main interest was in talking to parents and teachers on ‘promoting the culture of reading’. I was impressed by the high-level of discourse in a session on ‘critical thinking’ that I moderated. Throughout, I was aware of a depressingly poor intellectual environment in educational institutions and the onslaught of militant and orthodox ideologies. At the same time, I was astonished and inspired by some examples of how these ideologies are being challenged. The inaugural session projected this conflict in an unexpected manner. One school presented a tableau on a martial theme. This obviously was not in sync with the spirit of the festival. But it was refreshing to see the two provincial ministers who were the chief guests to speak forcefully and eloquently against that tableau and what it sought to convey. In fact, what both the ministers – Qazi Asad of the Ministry of Higher Education and Wajid Ali Khan of the Ministry of Environment and Forests – were candid and courageous in their defence of liberal and progressive policies. I was also impressed by a number of other speakers and there was sufficient evidence to show that rational and progressive thinking may be gaining strength in small and isolated sections of our society. One problem, in this respect, is that our national policies are not supportive of the emancipation of the Pakistani mind. This will bring me back to the great tragedy of how the ruling coalition appears to be more interested in its own survival than in the survival of a truly democratic and egalitarian polity in which ordinary people are protected from ignorance and injustice. I have said that I spent an entire afternoon walking the streets of Peshawar. I was able to converse with a number of individuals and it was heartbreaking to find many of them ill-informed and totally biased about the national crisis. I have no idea how anyone, including the political leaders and the media, can communicate with these people.

Pakistan struggles to develop its own armed drones

The Denver Post

Visitors in Karachi, Pakistan, look at a model of the country's unmanned drones at an exhibition of its defense aircraft Thursday. Meanwhile, Pakistan is secretly racing to develop armed drones. (Shakil Adil, The Associated Press)

Pakistan, frustrated with U.S. refusals to provide it with armed drones, is secretly racing to develop its own aircraft — but struggling in its initial tests with a lack of precision munitions and advanced targeting technology. China, one of Islamabad's closest allies and Washington's biggest rivals, has offered to help by selling Pakistan armed drones it developed. But industry experts say there is still uncertainty about the capabilities of the Chinese aircraft. The development of unmanned combat aircraft is especially sensitive in Pakistan because of the widespread unpopularity of the hundreds of U.S. drone strikes against Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in the country's rugged tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The Pakistani government denounces the CIA strikes as a violation of the country's sovereignty, although senior civilian and military leaders are known to have supported at least some of the attacks in the past. Pakistani officials also call the strikes unproductive, saying they kill many civilians and fuel anger that helps militants recruit additional fighters — allegations denied by the U.S. Pakistan has demanded that the U.S. provide it with armed drones, claiming it could more effectively carry out attacks against militants. Washington has refused because of the sensitive nature of the technology and doubts that Pakistan would reliably target U.S. enemies. The U.S. has held talks with Pakistan about providing unarmed surveillance drones, but Islamabad already has these aircraft in operation, and the discussions have gone nowhere. Inaugurating a defense exhibition in Karachi last week, Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf indicated Islamabad would look for help from Beijing in response to U.S. intransigence. "Pakistan can also benefit from China in defense collaboration, offsetting the undeclared technological apartheid," Ashraf said. Pakistan has also been working to develop armed drones on its own, said Pakistani military officials and civilians involved in the domestic drone industry, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the work. Pakistan first began weapons tests seven to eight months ago with the Falco, an Italian drone used by the Pakistani air force for surveillance that has been modified to carry rockets, said a civilian with knowledge of the secret program. Pakistan lacks laser-guided missiles like the Hellfire used on U.S. Predator and Reaper drones and the advanced targeting system that goes with it, so the military has been using unguided rockets that are much less accurate.

U.S. drone missions may be secretive, but the results are worthwhile

By:Dave Sherman

America’s manned military presence in Afghanistan is winding down, at the direction of President Barack Obama, and troops are coming home. They still remain in danger, though, from both our nation’s enemies and some of the very troops we are trying to train, as defenders of their homeland. One way to protect our troops is by using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. At fewer than 30 feet in length, drones were primarily developed as reconnaissance vehicles. They can soar over unsafe territory for the best type of intelligence-gathering missions: those that would give our troops a better chance of success. Published information said that drones can travel up to 400 miles, scout a site for 14 hours and return to their base. In recent years, armed drones have been employed, by virtue of their stealth and speed, to take out leading al-Qaeda figures. Unfortunately, civilian deaths have occurred, as well. Unarmed drones have positive uses along the U.S. border with Mexico, as well. According to The Washington Post, the U.S. Office of Customs and Border Protection is planning on having as many as 24 Predator drones, that can be deployed within three hours, anywhere in the country. Detractors rose up, earlier this month, when an unarmed U.S. drone was fired upon, by Iranian fighters. American officials stated that the craft was flying over international waters at the time and was not damaged, in the engagement. The objection to the use of drones by the U.S. military apparently stems from a fear that these weapons can be used away from the spotlight more commonly afforded to troops on the ground. A secret mission to spy on and possibly kill anyone we suspect of terrorist activity – or who would plot attacks on our troops – may stay secret forever. This is a reality that may accompany wartime strategy, for decades to come. An opinion column recently written by Rosa Brooks, a former senior adviser at the U.S. State Department, blasted the secrecy surrounding the use of drone missions. “This amounts, in practice, to a claim that the executive branch has the unreviewable power to kill anyone, anywhere, at any time, based on secret criteria and secret information, discussed in a secret process, by largely anonymous individuals,” she wrote. “‘Trust us’ is a pretty shaky foundation for the rule of law.” Perhaps Brooks would like her own chair in the Situation Room. Only a handful of individuals knew about the mission that would result in the death of Osama bin Laden. Secrecy was paramount to its success. Does the average American really need to know if, and when, drones flew over his compound to set the stage for the mission? I think not. We would all like to think we can trust our military. As the commander in chief, the president is ultimately in control. There is one other advantage to having drones handle high-risk missions in hostile territory. If they are lost in combat, they don’t leave grieving families behind.

D8 summit: Bangladesh, Malaysia PMs bow out

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Haseena Wajid has informed the government of her non-participation in a key summit on developing countries to be held in Pakistan later this month, sources said. Earlier reports suggested that the Bangladesh would be represented at the conference by Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, however, sources said his attendance also seems unlikely now. According to foreign ministry officials, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, or one of the advisers to the Bangladeshi premier, will now represent Bangladesh in the summit. Sources told The Express Tribune that the Bangladesh premier and foreign minister handed over a list of demands to Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar during her visit. The demands included putting on trial former military and political personalities allegedly involved in the fall of Dhaka. Furthermore, Bangladesh sought an official apology from Pakistan for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1971 war. Pakistan has said it has regretted the war crimes in different forms in the past and that “it was time to move forward.” Meanwhile, the Malaysian prime minister also excused himself from attending the conference due to prior engagements. However, the reason for his absence could not be confirmed. According to reports, the Malaysian deputy prime minister would lead his delegation in Islamabad. The D-8 Summit is scheduled to be held on November 22 in Islamabad.

Photo: Obama Is Not Impressed

President Obama proves, once again, that he’s as cool as can be. In a photo op with the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team, Obama and McKayla Maroney did a joint impression of her famously “not impressed” face after she received a silver instead of gold medal in the vault during the London Games 2012. “Did I just do the Not Impressed face with the President … ?” Maroney tweeted along with the picture, which, just like her original picture from this summer, quickly went viral.

Bhagat Singh Chowk: LHC dashes hope of immediate name change

Two months after the announcement to rename Shadman Chowk after the revolutionary hero Bhagat Singh came from the City District Government Lahore (CDGL), supporters of this change in name commemorating his role in the struggle for independence against the British colonial rule faced yet another disappointment as the Lahore High Court on Friday stopped CDGL from issuing a notification of renaming Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh. This stay order adds to the disappointing saga of renaming Shadman Chowk because ever since CDGL announced the decision in late September to make the name change, opposition groups have been proactively seeking to block the decision. This opposition bore fruit when a single bench comprising Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh passed the order on a petition filed by Tehreek-e-Hurmat e Rasool (PBUH) challenging the decision to name Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh. The court also sought a reply from CDGL till November 28. The petitioner’s counsel Aftab Ahmad Bajwa argued before the court that it was previously believed that the chowk would be named after Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, the iconic figure who suggested the name of Pakistan during the independence movement. He accused human rights organisations of pressuring the CDGL into renaming it after Bhagat Singh instead. He further argued that CDGL had established Dil Kash committee to take suggestions of the citizens for this purpose, but had went on to rename the chowk after Bhagat Singh despite severe opposition to the idea. He maintained that the renaming of Shadman Chowk is not only illegal but goes against the principles of the Freedom Movement. The court after hearing the arguments barred the CDGL from issuing a notification till November 28 and sought a reply. The Tehreek e Hurmat e Rasool has been among the biggest voices of opposition to this renaming. Last week, they put up plaques across the chowk, demanding the name change to be stopped immediately. The announcement in September was welcomed not only by citizens but also by groups who had been demanding this name change for many years. This renaming is important to such groups because it was at this place that the iconic leader, as a young man, was hanged for his role in the resistance against the British rule. When the announcement came from CDGL, opposition groups moved to block the change, because of which CDGL established the Dilkash Lahore Committee to seek the recommendations of citizens. While initially the Dilkash Lahore Committee received more recommendations against the move than in favor, over the past few weeks, citizens actively wrote to the committee head Salima Hashmi demanding that the name change was justified as Bhagat Singh was an inspirational figure in the independence movement whose sacrifices and struggles should be honored. Opposition groups, including Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool, to the contrary, have argued that this renaming is an attempt to appease the pro-Indian elements of Pakistan and is an insult to the ideology of Pakistan. They further argued Pakistan was a Muslim country hence its major roads and squares should be named after Muslims, not Hindus or Sikhs. They had also threatened to protest against the decision. Reacting to the LHC stay order, one citizen told Pakistan Today, “The Lahore administration’s decision to accept this demand of progressive activists to re-name the chowk in the name of a revolutionary hero brought great joy to myself and members of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Committee. It is disappointing that this name change was then considered to be against the ideology of Pakistan when Jinnah, Pakistan’s founding father himself reiterated secularism and wanted to keep state and religion apart. He himself had appreciated the struggles of each and every individual who had sacrificed for freedom.” Another citizen, Sana, said, “LHC just sounds like a bearer of bad news sometimes. I do not see why this particular chowk should not be renamed after Bhagat Singh. He died here, hung by the colonial powers he was fighting against. How can we not honor that? It is shameful enough that he is not mentioned in our history books. They had to spit on his name like this too?” Rizwan, another concerned citizen, said that it was appalling how a chowk that had been neglected for decades became suddenly became the object of a struggle between two opposing forces just because Bhagat Singh’s name became involved. “This just goes to show how determined we are to teach our children we want to stay ignorant, and we don’t want to give them inspirational heroes, just more and more bitterness.”

Afghanistan says Pakistan will help in peace talks

Associated Press

A top Afghan peace mediator hailed Pakistan's recent decision to free nine members of the Taliban who favor negotiations, saying Saturday it was a sign Islamabad is willing to help bring the militant group to the table and end Afghanistan's 11-year-old war. The cooperation of Pakistan, which has longstanding ties to the Taliban, is seen as key to jumpstarting the stalled Afghan peace process. The Afghan and U.S. governments accuse Islamabad of backing insurgents — an allegation Pakistan denies — and say many militant leaders are hiding in the country. Afghanistan needs Pakistan's help in reaching out to top Taliban leaders, but still insists that peace talks be led by Afghans, saying it will fight those who try to interfere. Salahuddin Rabbani, the head of the High Peace Council who led a delegation to Islamabad this week, said Pakistan's prisoner release marked a shift in the neighboring country's policy. In the past, the Pakistanis have arrested Taliban figures interested in peace talks with the Afghan government, he said, but now the government is releasing them and pledging to give them safe passage to negotiations. "It seems that Pakistani officials have realized that a close cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be effective for the peace initiative," Rabbani said. "Of course, this is a vision we have been insisting on for a long time." Rabbani, whose delegation spent four days in Islamabad this week meeting with high-ranking government, political and religious leaders, said Pakistan has pledged to release additional Taliban prisoners who will be allowed to stay in Pakistan, return to Afghanistan or seek residence in a third country. While nothing can guarantee they won't rejoin Taliban fighters, Rabbani said he was confident that they would continue to cooperate with the peace council. "We will be in contact with those released," he said. Some members of the peace council suggested that Pakistan's religious and political leadership might be having a change of heart — in part because of violence committed by Pakistan's branch of the Taliban movement. "This is the first time that we really saw some changing of the minds while we were speaking," said Qayumuddin Kashaf, a member of peace council and head of the top religious council in Afghanistan. He said that in the past, Pakistani religious leaders insisted that insurgents were waging a holy war in Afghanistan. "Now we see some changing of the mindset because the security situation in Pakistan is very bad if not worse than Afghanistan." Others in Kabul believe, however, that Pakistan may simply be playing a waiting game, trying to appease Afghanistan with small gestures until international troops leave Afghanistan and the Taliban can try to mount a comeback. Despite the prisoner release, the peace process still has little traction and has experienced many setbacks, including the assassination of Rabbani's father in September 2011. Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president and the first leader of the peace council, was killed in his Kabul home by a suicide bomber posing as an emissary from the Taliban. It's unclear whether the Taliban are interested in negotiating peace, but the insurgent group welcomed the release of the prisoners. "Without a doubt, releasing prisoners fosters confidence between two neighboring countries and their nations," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement issued Friday. During the delegation's trip, both countries appealed to the Taliban to join the peace process and sever ties with al-Qaida and other international terror networks. They said Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States would provide safe passage to members of the Taliban who want to talk with negotiators. They agreed to work with the international community to remove prospective Taliban negotiators from the U.N. sanctions list so they can participate in any peace talks. The sanctions include a travel ban, arms embargo and assets freeze. Afghanistan and Pakistan also agreed to hold a conference of religious leaders and scholars from Islamic countries to address violence in the name of Islam, council members said. The peace council did not identify the prisoners who were freed, but an Afghan official familiar with the peace process gave The Associated Press a list of eight. They were: —Nooruddin Turabi, former Taliban justice minister. —Jahangirwal, a special assistant to Taliban leader, Mullah Omar. —Qutub, a Taliban leader. —Abdul Salaam, former Taliban governor of Baghlan province. —Maulvi Matiullah, the Taliban's director of the customs house in Kabul. —Mahamad, the Taliban's former governor of Kunduz province. —Sayed Saduddin Agha, a former Taliban commander. —Allah Dad, the Taliban's former deputy minister of communication. The ninth prisoner released was Anwarul Haq Mujahid, the son of the late Mohammad Yunus Khalis, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. He has joined his family in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, according to a cousin and family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Afghan officials are still hoping for the release of the Taliban's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in Pakistan in 2010. Baradar was reportedly conducting talks with the Afghan government that were kept secret from the Pakistanis.

Pakistani lawyer beaten after taking on army chief

http://www.sunherald.com

A Pakistani lawyer accused the military of sending thugs to beat him up after he challenged the army chief in court. Inam Ur Raheem, a retired military lawyer, said three vehicles surrounded his taxi Wednesday night in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Several unidentified men jumped out and attacked him with sticks, leaving him with cuts and bruises. He claimed they said they were there to teach him a lesson. The attack came a day after Raheem filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court challenging the validity of a three-year extension given to army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in 2010. The army denied any role in the attack Friday, calling Raheem's allegations baseless. Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/11/16/4307906/pakistani-lawyer-beaten-after.html#storylink=cpy

Pashto writer Prof Azam passes away

Noted Pashto writer and poet Professor Mohammad Azam Azam breathed his last at the age of 72. He will be laid to rest at his ancestral town of Rajar in Charsadda district today (Saturday). Professor Azam’s friends and colleagues in literary circles have offered condolences on loss of a learned educationist, playwright and poet who have been rewarded Tamghaa-i-Imtiaz, a civil award, for his performance. “Professor Azam led a full life. Sittings with him always increased my knowledge,” said Pashto Academy Director Dr Salma Shaheen. Ms Shaheen, who is also famous Pashto poet, said Professor Azam had command of Pashto literary techniques and proverbs and was famous for ghazals, which had symbols and rhythm. “He was a man of knowledge and like any creative person always remained restless,” she said. Professor Azam left behind a widow, three daughters and a son. Born on December 21, 1940 in Rajar village, he did his PhD in Pashto Literature and began career as a lecturer in historic Islamia College, Peshawar in 1963. He also served as the chairman of Pashto Department at University of Peshawar and Dean of Faculty of Oriental Languages. After retirement from University of Peshawar in 2000, he joined Academy of Letters as the regional director of Peshawar in August 2006. Professor Azam, author of 11 books, had rendered meritorious services to Pashto language and literature for 45 years. He was a writer known for unique style and for having introduced and contributed to modern literary trends both in subjects and style in Pashto prose and poetry. Among his books are Pashto Afsana, Tahqeeq Auo Tanqeed, Pashto Adab Ke Kerdarnigaaree, Lashey, Rehman Baba Da Ulas Shair, Pukhtanee Romanoonah, Da Aqidat Guloona, and Andazoonah. Radio Pakistan, Peshawar and PTV, Peshawar Centre aired more than 500 songs and ghazals of Professor Azam. They are still popular with the people. Professor Azam is considered a trendsetter in Pashto drama on both radio and television. He is known for his Pashto plays that portrayed a true picture of Pashtun culture and society. At the start of PTV, Peshawar Centre in 1974, he wrote the first-ever Pashto TV serial ‘Rukey Laarey’ (The lost paths). Another popular play ‘Namoos’ (Honour) in both its Pashto and Urdu versions are also very popular. As for his poetry, Professor Azam claimed to be inspired by the Progressive Writers’ Movement.

Pakistan Takes Step, Not Leap, Toward Afghan Peace

In a move intended to encourage the Taliban to join stalled peace negotiations with the Afghan government, Pakistan this week released at least eight jailed members of that militant group.

The releases, granted by Islamabad after repeated requests, is seen by some as a sign that Pakistan is finally prepared to play a constructive role in jump-starting reconciliation efforts that have yielded little since they began several years ago. Skeptics -- including the Afghan government -- say that while it is a positive step, Islamabad must do much more to prove its commitment to the Kabul-led peace process. The Afghan government and its Western allies have stepped up efforts to find a political solution to the ongoing battle against Taliban militants. There are fears that the country could descend into civil war or face another Taliban takeover if militants are not brought into a serious peace process before 2014, when the majority of U.S. and NATO-led ISAF troops will leave. Releases Welcomed Islamabad is seen as a crucial player in the process. Pakistan's ties to the Taliban date back to the 1990s, when it provided arms, training, and intelligence to the militants. Islamabad was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban government after it took power in Afghanistan in 1996. After the regime's fall in 2001, following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, many Taliban leaders took shelter inside Pakistan. Pakistan's release of the prisoners, who were reportedly freed late on November 15, has been met with widespread praise -- from the Afghan government to the Taliban to U.S. officials in Kabul. According to media reports, among the released prisoners are three prominent Taliban: Mullah Nuruddin Turbai, a former justice minister; Allahdad Tabib, former deputy minister of communications; and Mullah Jahangirwal, a special adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Also reportedly released were former Baghlan Province Governor Abdul Salam; former Konduz Province Governor Mowlawi Muhammad; two former government officials, Haji Qutub and Mowlawi Matiullah; and a former senior commander and deputy minister, Sayed Saduddin Agha. Michael Kugelman, South Asia associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, says that although Pakistan's action is a positive step, the release is only "a single goodwill measure and nothing else." Kugelman says Pakistan needs to develop a clear policy before it can be said that it has changed course and is willing to play a positive, constructive role in ending the war in neighboring Afghanistan. "If there's one thing we can say about the Pakistani government, it is that it really doesn't have a clearly defined or strategic policy in terms of how it wants to proceed toward an Afghanistan endgame," Kugelman says. "On the one hand, there's been a lot of talk about having a key role at the negotiating table, but on the other hand there have been mixed messages coming from Islamabad for a number of months and years. It's still unclear what Pakistan wants from all of this." Taliban Cracks? Kugelman adds that the Taliban itself is sharply divided on the issue of peace talks. The Taliban, which he describes as a "very diffuse and complex" group, disagrees on how it should proceed with the peace process, with some hard-line Taliban protesting vehemently against participating in negotiations of any kind. David H. Young, a Washington-based conflict-resolution expert and adjunct fellow at the American Security Project, says Pakistan is unlikely to abandon its policy of maintaining strategic influence in Afghanistan via the Taliban. Young, who was a civilian adviser to the U.S. Army in eastern Afghanistan, says the prisoner deal is in keeping with Pakistani interests but is unlikely to help the peace process. Referring to Pakistani intelligence's long-rumored support for the Taliban, Young says that if the country really wants to encourage reconciliation in Afghanistan it should stop the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from financing and arming the Afghan Taliban. Another step, Young says, would be for Islamabad to release Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's former deputy leader who was arrested in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi in February 2010. Baradar was reportedly at the top of the 40-man wish list of prisoners Kabul wanted Pakistani authorities to release. Young says the fact that Islamabad has neither released nor transferred Baradar for the past two years indicates how reluctant it is to hand over the one figure who is likely to facilitate reconciliation efforts. Baradar was reportedly arrested for facilitating secret talks between Kabul and the Taliban leadership. Young predicts that Pakistan will drag out the peace process until the Taliban is in a stronger bargaining position, namely after 2014 when international troops leave. For now, he says, small gestures like the release of Taliban prisoners strike a good balance for Pakistan between securing its own interests in Afghanistan, where it seeks a more Islamist government in Kabul, and appearing agreeable to facilitating the peace process. Mixed Signals Assuming that Pakistan wants to play an active role in the peace talks, Young says the country will only accept a political settlement in Afghanistan that gives it strategic influence in Kabul and minimizes the role of archrival India. "[A policy] that involves high-level Taliban involvement in the government, guaranteed number of officials in the various ministries, and something that enables them to save face and say that we have overthrown the [Afghan President] Karzai government or instilled a more fair and stable government," Young says. "A government that is more reflective, in part, of Taliban values in order to keep Pakistan's buffer in southwest and southeast Afghanistan." The release of the Taliban prisoners in Pakistan came after Salahuddin Rabbani, leader of the Afghan High Peace Council, the presidentially appointed body tasked with negotiating with the Taliban, held talks with senior Pakistani government officials. Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Daudzai, has welcomed the release of Taliban prisoners and announced on November 16 that Islamabad has agreed in principle to release even more. The Taliban has likewise hailed the freeing of its members. "We consider this as a good step and welcome it," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted as saying. "We wish to have more prisoners released. This will undoubtedly increase trust between two countries and people." The release of Taliban prisoners comes after a string of setbacks. In March, the Taliban said they were suspending talks with the United States only weeks after they opened a political office in the Gulf state of Qatar. Kabul objected to the Qatar talks on the basis that they were not Afghan-led. The Taliban said in a statement that the U.S. approach was "erratic and shaky" and accused Washington of going against their word.

Quetta: Doctors strike enters 32nd day

According to reports, the doctors in Balochistan including Quetta boycotted work at OPDs of government hospitals for the 32nd consecutive day for the recovery of their abducted colleague Dr Saeed Ahmed Khan. The general operation theaters were also shut.The strike is being observed on the call of the Pakistan Medical Association (Balochistan) and other organizations of doctors. According to the PMA, the strike will continue until Dr. Saeed is recovered.The provincial government has failed in making any headway in recovering Dr Saeed Ahmed Khan, an eye specialist and head of LRBT Hospital, who was kidnapped on October 16 from Saryab Road in the provincial capital

Pakistan: ‘Banned organisations involved in target killings more than Taliban’

http://tribune.com.pk

Members of banned organisations are involved in incidents of bank robberies and other crimes in Karachi, more than the Taliban, said CID Functional Crime Unit head Raja Umar Khitab. Speaking to Roznama Express, SSP Khitab said there was no proof of Taliban’s presence in the Old City area or Lyari, however, reports have been received regarding the presence of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). On the issue of rising extortion cases, the SSP explained that summoning information regarding extortionists’ hideouts takes up to one week and till that time, the suspects have already shifted to another place. Members of banned organisations team up with Lyari gangwar suspects and distribute chits among businessmen and traders. The chits have their numbers on them, which are used by police and other agencies to locate them, he detailed. Locating the extortionists takes up to 5-7 days and within that time, people have already paid extortion after coming under immense pressure and the same happens in kidnapping cases, the SSP said. The kidnappers take ransom within a week and release the kidnapped person, while most of the families do not even register kidnapping cases. The SSP lamented that the technology available to the law enforcement agencies is not up to the mark and a great deal of crimes can be curbed in the city if the technology if upgraded.

Pakistan: Release of Taliban prisoners

EDITORIAL : Daily Times

Afghanistan’s High Peace Council (HPC) delegation led by chairman Salahuddin Rabbani has returned to Kabul with a partial success in getting some middle level Taliban prisoners released from Pakistan’s custody. Differences on the list of prisoners were reported during the HPC’s sojourn in Islamabad. The HPC was desirous of more senior Taliban prisoners being handed over, considering this a necessary condition for pushing the potential peace process with the Taliban forward. Of particular interest to the Afghans was the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mulla Omar’s one time second-in-command, and Mullah Toorabi and two other insurgent commanders. However, despite Islamabad not acceding to this request, the door has been left open for their later release should the initial process yield positive results. The responses to the development have been fairly predictable. The Afghan government has welcomed it, while the Taliban have dismissed it out of hand, saying the released prisoners are no longer part of the Taliban and therefore their release will make no difference. Besides, the Taliban spokesman reiterated, they still stand by their position that the Karzai government is a puppet and they will only negotiate with the US. Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Pakistan Richard Hoagland too has welcomed the release while carefully distancing Washington from any hint of a role in the outcome. Hoagland was at pains to stress that this was a bilateral mater between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but expressed the hope that it may open the door to meaningful negotiations. It may be recalled that the US efforts in the past to open a channel of communication to the Taliban foundered because, in the case of Mullah Baradar, our ISI did not deem it fit to allow unfettered access to the Americans and reportedly sat in on the meeting, while the Qatar initiative for talks proved abortive when the US dragged its feet on the release of five Taliban prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay. The 12-point joint statement at the end of the HPC’s visit, while it failed to reveal the names of the released prisoners, emphasised the long standing demand of the Afghan government that the Taliban sever links with al Qaeda and other international terror networks. The proposal has been mooted that in order to facilitate the process of contacts, the Taliban negotiators’ names could be removed from the UN sanctions list, which inhibits their ability to travel. As the Qatar initiative’s failure demonstrated, it is not clear what the Obama administration’s policy on this issue is. Mulla Omar’s still being on the wanted list of the US is considered one obstacle, while the recent designation of the Haqqani network, a group closely allied to the Taliban, as a terrorist organisation by both the US and the UN could prove another stumbling block. There is little doubt that all parties to the conflict have their eye on the looming withdrawal of ISAF forces from Afghanistan by 2014, with any residual US military presence in the country still far from a settled matter. Clearly, the apprehension that Afghanistan might well spiral downwards into more chaos and conflict after 2014 has all regional and international players worried. If the partial acceptance of the HPC’s request for prisoner releases by Islamabad is any guide, it may be that these apprehensions are finding expression in the willingness of the Pakistani military establishment to explore the possibility of a different, negotiated course rather than continued reliance on proxy actors to ensure an outcome favourable to Pakistan’s interests. The proxies strategy is by now clearly yielding diminishing returns in the shape of the home grown Taliban movement in Pakistan, with a nexus and support from at least the Haqqani network. When the openly declared enemies of the Pakistani state are being helped and supported by the one time protégés of the military establishment (the Haqqanis), there could not be a more cogent argument for a rethink in the interests of peace and stability in Afghanistan, which cannot but help something similar emerging in Pakistan too.

Pakistan: Tax amnesty scheme

Editorial:The Frontier Post

If state institutions that are supposed to ensure rule of law and socio-economic justice are themselves involved in legalizing corruption, this will lead to institutionalizing fraud and irregularities to inculcate the worst dishonesty that would strengthen corrupt practices as a culture to further destabilize Pakistan. The question arises out of a the Federal Board of Revenue scheme to allow tax evaders to whiten their black money and assets at home and abroad within three months against a nominal one-time charge. The federal cabinet astonishingly approved the damaging scheme the other day and also granted blanket exemptions to tax dodgers from investigation by the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency. The schemes will now be presented to parliament through a bill probably hopefully next week. FBR believes that the schemes will bring 3.1 million more people into the tax net, including frequent travelers, owners of multiple bank accounts and those living in posh areas but not figuring on the tax roll. These corrupt people will be able to benefit from the Tax Registration Enforcement Initiative and the Investment Tax Scheme, 2012, within three months. Black money will be whitened if a tax evader pays Rs40,000 to legitimize assets worth up to Rs5million in the first month. Those availing the offer in the second month will have to pay Rs50,000 and in the third month Rs70,000. The scheme is the brainchild of the new FBR chief Ali Arshad Hakeem who probably thinks that one corrupt practice can be fought with another. But as two wrongs cannot make one right, his novel plan cannot work, at least in a society which is now embracing the norms of democracy and institutional supremacy to move to a civilized culture. The FBR should have been worried about affluent Pakistanis paying one of the lowest tax in the world. Pakistan is a home of around 180 million people and only 260,000 of them have paid tax consecutively for the last three years. Their overall contribution has been a paltry 9.1 per cent of GDP last year, among the lowest in the world because the country has one of the least effective fiscal regimes across the globe. The government should, instead, have cracked down on tax-evaders, not letting them off the hook particularly when the FBR chairperson says that he is in possession of the entire data of tax evaders including politicians, businessmen, cricketers and showbiz people. But he has preferred to wait for the parliamentary approval of the new scheme that, according to him, would create an environment where it would not be difficult to hit them. If the data of all tax evaders is already available, the government should publish a tax directory and shame the evaders instead of bringing out this scheme that is bound to destroy an already fragile tax system that is afraid of the big and the powerful. And who can be sure of the parliamentary approval of the plan when influential people are there to frustrate the passage of any law hitting their vested interests. This seems difficult also because the next parliamentary elections are not far away and the country’s elite club would have a great leverage in its hands. Nevertheless, the whole legal edifice of the scheme is tilted in the favour of a particular class and, therefore, unfair to those who pay tax. It is also discriminatory in favour of cheaters and evaders and certainly falls within the mischief of the violation of the constitution. The International Monetary Fund bailed Pakistan out with an $11.3 billion loan package in 2008, but the deal was ended last November after Islamabad rejected strict reform demands, largely over tax. The IMF has repeatedly warned Pakistan that it needs to make urgent structural reforms to boost growth, currently scraping along at around three per cent, enough to absorb its rapidly growing population into the workforce. It also told Pakistan to introduce general sales tax, which it says could generate another three per cent of GDP in revenue and introduce property taxes. A shortsighted government is currently focusing only on meeting its target of collecting 2.37 trillion rupees in tax this year, 10.1 per cent of GDP, up from 1.33 trillion in 2008-9 for which the highly controversial amnesty scheme no matter how dangerous it would be in future.

Bilawal Bhutto greets new CPC head Xi Jinping

Radio Pakistan

Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has felicitated the newly-appointed Secretary General of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed the hope that the Sino-Pak bilateral ties will continue to grow under the new Chinese leadership. In his message of felicitation‚ he said PPP will continue to strive to strengthen the ties with Communist Party of China. He said the PPP believes in peaceful transition of power and political leadership and derives immense satisfaction from the smooth transition of leadership in Communist Party of China during the recently held 18th National Congress. Bilawal Bhutto expressed the hope that the new leadership headed by Xi Jinping would lead his great nation to greater glories and successes.

Jordanians call for king's ouster during rally

Associated Press

Calls for the ouster of Jordan's King Abdullah II grew Friday, as thousands of protesters packed the streets of the capital. Larger groups have demonstrated in Amman since the unrest sparked by fuel price hikes started three days ago, but Friday's march constituted the biggest single bloc yet to call for the end of the U.S.-backed monarch's regime. The crowd of some 2,500 also chanted slogans reminiscent of last year's uprisings in the region. Similar rallies turned unusually violent earlier this week, with one person killed and 75 others, including 58 policemen, injured. Overall turnout on Friday was smaller than in past days, however, in Amman and elsewhere, with crowds varying from about 150 people in the southern town of Tafila to 3,000 in the northern city of Irbid. The protesters, frustrated over a sharp increase in fuel and gas prices, were led by a hodgepodge of activists that included the largely secular Hirak youth movement, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, and various nationalist and left-wing groups. Jordan is plagued by poverty, unemployment and high inflation. "I already can barely feed my 4 children with my monthly wage of $500, how can I afford this price increase?" asked Thaer Mashaqbeh, 47, a civil servant protesting in central Amman, as the crowd chanted: "The people want to topple the regime," and "Abdullah, you either reform or you go." The government has defended the price rise, saying it was necessary to reduce a massive budget deficit and foreign debt, part of Jordan's efforts to secure a badly needed $2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to shore up the kingdom's shaky finances. Despite the appearance of counter protesters, authorities reported no clashes in the 10 protests that took place across the country. Thousands of pro-government loyalists took to the streets nationwide on Friday to support the king, waving batons and threatening his critics. "Abdullah is our king and God is our witness," they chanted. The unrest began late on Tuesday after the government raised prices for cooking and heating gas by 54 percent and some oil derivatives by up to 28 percent. In response, thousands of Jordanians poured into the streets, pelting riot police with stones and torching police cars, government offices and private banks in the largest and most sustained protests to hit the country since the start of the region's uprisings nearly two years ago. Police say "outlaws" with criminal records took advantage of the disorder to rob banks and homes, attack police stations, courts and other government buildings and carry out carjackings. At least 157 people have been arrested since Tuesday. Jordan has been hit by frequent, but small, anti-government protests over the past 23 months, but this week's demonstrations have shifted the focus from the government squarely to the king. So far, Abdullah has largely maintained control, partly by relinquishing some of his powers to parliament and amending several laws guaranteeing wider public freedoms. But his opponents say the reforms are insufficient, and the violent protests Tuesday and Wednesday indicated many in Jordan are growing frustrated with the government's inability to address a host of trouble, mainly unemployment and poverty. Jordanian government officials have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of inciting the unrest to score political points ahead of parliamentary elections in January. The fundamentalist group is boycotting the polls over disagreement with the government on an election law that it says favors pro-king loyalists. Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu-Bakr, however, said his group "isn't against the king." "Our followers in the protests did not call on his downfall," he said. "But we want him to seriously introduce real reforms to ease the popular agitation that may lead to an explosion in the street."

CHINA: Smooth transition paves way for change

Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee at the first plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, realizing a peaceful, orderly and institutionalized transition of power. It marks an achievement in the political reform that began with China's reform and opening-up. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, who were elected at the first plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, met both Chinese and foreign journalists in the Great Hall of the People Thursday. In the first three decades since the founding of the PRC, the CPC witnessed several significant political struggles within the top leadership, especially during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), which led to social turbulence.

The reasons were complicated, but the fundamental one was the existence of lifelong tenure, which was closely entangled with intra-Party unification, basic political order and the authority of CPC's top leadership. It was in 1980 that then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping raised discussions about the reform of the CPC leadership succession system, proposing that no leader should hold lifelong tenure. In 1989, Deng resigned as chairman of the Central Military Commission, ending the lifelong tenure system of China's top leadership that had lasted for 40 years. Deng could be compared to George Washington, one of the founding fathers of the US, who refused to run for a third term, establishing the customary policy of a maximum of two terms for a US president. Deng's move provided possibility for establishing a system with fixed terms of office and a smooth transition of top leadership within the framework of democracy and rule of law. The third generation of Chinese leadership, led by Jiang Zemin, further carried out Deng's path, and systemized and standardized the tenure of China's top leadership. As intra-Party democracy proceeded, the third generation of leadership passed on power to the fourth generation led by Hu Jintao, including the highest positions in the Party, government and military, namely general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, China's president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, in three consecutive years of 2002, 2003 and 2004. This is the first peaceful and institutionalized political succession since the history of the CPC and the foundation of the PRC. In 2008, Xi Jinping was elected vice president of China by the National People's Congress. In the fifth plenary session of the 17th CPC Central Committee in 2010, Xi was appointed vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. During the first plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee Thursday, he was just elected as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. This marks a systemized political succession from Hu's fourth generation of leadership to Xi's fifth generation. Such systemization, together with the promotion of intra-Party democracy and reform of officials' selection system, paves the way for the stability and development of China's political system. The factions that used to emerge in the Party and political infighting are rarely seen. The systemization has a number of significant points. The authority of an individual leader does not play a dominant role in the interests of the Party and the country. He has no necessity to take extreme measures to maintain his absolute power. This will make other top leaders hold a tolerant view toward differing opinions, thus eventually realizing democracy. Moreover, the power transitions within the Party, government and military within the next few years will constrain and supervise the supreme power to some extent, and avoid interest entanglement and low efficiency. A systemized leadership transition can help the Party to adjust public policies. It creates possibilities that multiple parties can take turns to carry out public policies to meet public demands. Meanwhile, it avoids potential social disturbances caused by party elections and the rotation of ruling parties in developing countries which lack a democratic tradition.

Pakistan: Around 79% water supply schemes supplying unsafe water

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) revealed on Thursday that water from 79 percent of sources of the functional Water Supply Schemes (WSS) in Punjab was unsafe for drinking purposes. Around 40 percent of these schemes were unsafe due to microbiological contamination, while about 23 percent contained major pollutants like total dissolved solids, chloride, sodium, iron, arsenic and fluoride, which caused diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery etc. According to a report titled ‘Technical Assessment of WSS’ by PCRWR, 31 percent of the schemes in Punjab were over 25 years old, 23 percent were between 20-25 years old, 16 percent were 15-20 years old while 30 percent schemes were 10-15 years old. Spokesperson PCRWR Lubna Naheed told APP that most of the schemes had used G1 and AC pipes for their distribution system, the useful life of which were less than 20 years. She said that WSS should be properly planned, constructed and maintained so that pollution in the system could not occur. “The performance of water treatment should also be checked periodically by the management team and concerned authorities,” said Lubna. The survey showed that awareness regarding safe water was very limited in the general public as well as among managers of supply schemes. Lubna said that measures were required to improve management of schemes and revenue collection procedures to increase income and make the scheme financially sustainable. “Water theft and wastage through leakages should be properly monitored and remedial actions are required to minimize leakages and wastage of water in timely manner,” she said.

Malala status updates 16 November 2012

Malala Yousufzai remains stable and comfortable at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. A total of £9,982.13 has now been donated to a dedicated fund within the QEHB Charity. The fund was set up soon after Malala arrived in Birmingham on 15 October, in response to the outpouring of concern from around the world and people wanting to make a donation to show their support. The QEHB Charity is independent to the hospital. It provides funding for facilities and equipment not normally available on the NHS, such as patient and family welfare, educational projects and research. Once Malala is well enough, the charity will ask her how she would like the money to be spent.

Banned at home, Pakistan brewery seizes Hollywood moment

What have Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, underage drinking and Pakistan's only beer maker got in common? It was the arrest of the Hollywood stars' daughter in New York with a can of Murree Brewery's beer last June that propelled the company out of obscurity and into the spotlight. Inundated with emails asking about its beer, Murree Brewery seized on the free publicity to launch expansion plans outside the Muslim nation, where alcohol is banned and those that do drink can become targets of Taliban militants and other Islamist fundamentalists. Five months since the arrest, the 150-year-old company says it has lined up distributors that could see its flagship beer arrive on liquor store shelves in the United States and Dubai as early as the first quarter of next year. "Demi Moore and Bruce Willis' daughter gave us multi-million dollars worth of publicity by default. We plan to go to the United States and make a queue to hug both the daughter and the mother," Sabih ur Rehman, special assistant to the chief executive, joked with Reuters. Murree Brewery, established in 1860 by British colonial rulers to supply beer to their troops, is desperately looking for business overseas to hedge against its uncertain domestic market. Prohibition was imposed in Pakistan in 1977, and non-Muslims and foreigners must obtain a government permit to purchase alcohol at designated retailers, mainly upscale hotels.

It also produces a line of juices and non-alcoholic drinks, but is prohibited from advertising its beer, whisky, gin and other liquor products. Relying on word of mouth and an influx of thirsty diplomats and foreign investors, annual alcohol sales have grown an average of 20 percent over the past five years, reaching $26.8 million in the 2012 financial year. The company's stock is up 175 percent so far this year, trading at 160 rupees on November 13, far outpacing the 42 percent rise in the Karachi Stock Exchange benchmark 100-share index. Despite its strong sales, the company's net profit after taxes rose a mere 1 percent year-on-year to 525 million Pakistan rupees ($5.48 million) for the year ended June 30, due to an increase in alcohol taxes and rising labour costs. LIVING IN FEAR Murree Brewery's chief executive, Isphanyar Bhandara, lives in constant fear that authorities will shut down alcohol production at any moment as Pakistan drifts towards a more conservative interpretation of Islam. "Pakistan is moving more and more to the right. That is not good for Pakistan and not good for us," said the 39-year-old executive at his office in Rawalpindi, a military city just outside the capital, Islamabad "Each day we are allowed to survive, that is a blessing." The brewery, which employs 1,100 people, is located within the headquarters of the Pakistani Army and across the street from the residences of the country's top military commanders, making it arguably the most protected brewery in the world. To ensure survival, it has turned to a European brewery to produce its beer for overseas consumption due to a government ban on alcohol exports, which was eased just recently. The Pakistani brewery said it has reached an agreement with the Czech Republic's Zatec Brewery initially to produce at least 5,000 cases, each containing 24 bottles of Murree Beer, annually from next year. That amount will double in 2015, Rehman said. However, the managing director of Zatec Brewery, Martin Kec, said he knew nothing of this arrangement and his firm had only produced a very small amount of Murree Beer in the past. Murree Brewery also said it has lined up distributors in Texas, Dubai and Denmark to market and sell its lager under franchise agreements, and is looking for partners in Britain and other European countries. "We are virgins and we are looking for husbands," said Bhandara, whose family is from the country's non-Muslim Parsi minority. But Murree Beer faces a difficult road as a new player in the crowded U.S. and European markets, dominated by the industry's "big four" -- Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Heineken and Carlsberg. The company's last attempt to break into Western markets failed after it was forced to end its partnership with an Austrian brewery due to high costs and logistical problems. Analysts say a few tabloid headlines will not be enough to be successful and Murree will also need a multi-million-dollar promotional campaign. It is also unclear the type of consumer they are trying to sell their beer to, since most Pakistanis living abroad are Muslim and unlikely to drink alcohol. "They are never going to be anything but a very niche player. It's unlikely they will be able to push as hard as major brewers with their own niche lagers," said a London-based stock analyst, who asked not to be identified because he did not cover Murree Brewery. But company officials are hopeful, particularly for the U.S. market. "Americans will drink anything. They are like fish," Rehman said.