Trump Pressured To Confront Pakistan On Support For Militants – Analysis

James M. Dorsey 

Pressure on the Trump administration is mounting to adopt a tougher position towards Pakistani support of militants in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan itself. The pressure comes from a chorus of voices that include the US military, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, and influential Washington-based think tanks.

The calls for a harder line were issued despite a Pakistani crackdown on militants in recent months that many see as half-hearted. It also comes days after China, at Pakistan’s behest, blocked the United Nations Security Council from listing a prominent Pakistani militant as a globally designated terrorist.

Pakistani officials hope that some of Mr. Trump’s key aides such as Defense Secretary James Mattis and national security advisor Michael Flynn, both of whom have had long standing dealings with Pakistan during their military careers, may act as buffers. They argue that the two men appreciate Pakistan’s problems and believe that trust between the United States and Pakistan needs to be rebuilt. Mr. Mattis argued in his Senate confirmation hearing that the United States needed to remain engaged with Pakistan

Pakistani media reported that Mr. Mattis had expressed support for the Pakistani military’s role in combatting terrorism during a 20-minute telephone conversation this week with newly appointed Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Military and Congressional support for a tougher approach was expressed this week in a US Armed Services Committee hearing on Afghanistan during which General John Nicholson, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, noted that 20 of the 98 groups designated by the United States as well as “three violent, extremist organizations” operate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “That is highest concentration of violent, extremist groups in the world,” Gen. Nicholson said.

In testimony to the committee, General Nicholson called for “a holistic review” of US relations with Pakistan, arguing that the Taliban and the Haqqani network had “no incentive to reconcile” as long as they enjoyed safe haven in Pakistan.

“External safe haven and support in Pakistan increases the cost to the United States in terms of lives, time, and money, and it advantages the enemy with the strategic initiative, allowing them to determine the pace and venue of conflict from sanctuary,” Gen. Nicholson said.

The general’s words were echoed by Committee chairpersons, Republican senator John McCain and his Democrat counterpart, Jack Reed.

“Success in Afghanistan will require a candid evaluation of our relationship with Pakistan… The fact remains that numerous terrorist groups remain active in Pakistan, attack its neighbours and kill US forces. Put simply: our mission in Afghanistan is immeasurably more difficult, if not impossible while our enemies retain a safe haven in Pakistan. These sanctuaries must be eliminated,” Mr. McCain said.

Mr. Reed added that “Pakistani support for extremist groups operating in Afghanistan must end if we and Afghanistan are to achieve necessary levels of security.”

The pronouncements in the committee hearing gave added significance to policy recommendations made by a group of prominent experts, including former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani and former CIA official and advisor to four US presidents Bruce Riedel, associated with among others The Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the Middle East Institute, the New America Foundation and Georgetown University.

“The U.S. must stop chasing the mirage of securing change in Pakistan’s strategic direction by giving it additional aid or military equipment. It must be acknowledged that Pakistan is unlikely to change its current policies through inducements alone. The U.S. must also recognize that its efforts over several decades to strengthen Pakistan militarily have only encouraged those elements in Pakistan that hope someday to wrest Kashmir from India through force. The Trump administration must be ready to adopt tougher measures toward Islamabad that involve taking risks in an effort to evoke different Pakistani responses,” the experts said in their report.

The experts suggested the Trump administration should wait a year with designating Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism while it takes steps to convince Pakistan to fundamentally alter its policies.

Such steps would include warning Pakistan that it could lose its status as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA); prioritizing engagement with Pakistan’s civilian leaders rather than with the military and intelligence services; imposing counterterrorism conditions on U.S. military aid and reimbursements to Pakistan; and establishing a sequence and timeline for specific actions Pakistan should take against militants responsible for attacks outside Pakistan.

There is little to suggest a reversal of policy in recent Pakistani measures to crackdown on militants including imposing house arrest on Muhammad Hafez Saeed and other leaders of Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD), widely viewed as a front for the proscribed group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and the freezing of accounts of some 2,000 militants.

Apparently pre-warned that action may be taken against him, Mr. Saeed suggested during a press conference in Islamabad in mid-January that JuD may operate under a new name, a practice frequently adopted by militant groups with government acquiescence. Mr. Saeed said the new name was Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Freedom Movement). The Indian Express reported that JuD/LeT continued after Mr. Saeed’s house arrest to operate training camps in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

Various militants and analysts said the accounts targeted were not where funds were kept. Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhyvani, a leader of the virulently anti-Shiite group, Ahle Sunnat Wal Juma’at, a successor of Sipah-e-Sabaha, said in an interview that there were a mere 500,000 rupees ($4,772) in his frozen account.

Persuading Pakistan to alter its ways is likely to prove no mean task. The government as well as the military and intelligence believe that the United States favours Indian dominance in the region and has allowed India to gain influence in Afghanistan. Gen. Nicholson went out of his way in his testimony to thank India for billions of dollars in aid it was granting Afghanistan. Many, particularly in the military and intelligence, see the militants as useful proxies against India.

More vexing is likely the fact that military and intelligence support for Saudi-like and at times Saudi-backed violent and non-violent groups with an ultra-conservative, religiously inspired world view has become part of the fabric of key branches of the state and the government as well as significant segments of society.

Cracking down on militants, particularly if it is seen to be on behest of the United States, could provoke as many problems as it offers solutions. Mounting pressure in Washington on the Trump administration amounts to the writing on the wall. Pakistani leaders are likely to be caught in a Catch-22.

The solution might lie in Beijing. Many in Pakistan have their hopes for economic development pinned on China’s planned $46 million investment in Pakistani infrastructure and energy. China, despite having so far shielded a Pakistani militant in the UN Security Council, is exerting pressure of its own on Pakistan to mend its ways. As a result, Pakistan is one area where China and the US could find common cause.

Pakistan - Quetta's war widows

By Hizbullah Khan

In Pakistan’s war against terror, thousands of men from Balochistan have laid their lives – willingly or not. While many die fighting the battles, so many more are the victims of terror that plague this country. According to the official data of Balochistan government, around 3,000 people were killed and 5,500 injured in terror attacks across the province from January 2007 to October 2016.

As a consequence of this on-going conflict, many women are left without husbands in a society that is already harsh on them. Having lost their partners in explosions and targeted attacks, these women are faced with abject poverty and backward traditions which make the rest of their lives a constant struggle.

Tragedy that never ends As per the local traditions in Balochistan, widows have four choices – they can stay with their in-laws, go back to their parent’s place, remarry or live alone in a separate house. All these choices have many difficult conditions attached to them because of the cultural practices and social attitudes prevalent in the province and as a result, life of a woman changes immediately as they lose even their basic rights.

One such woman is 26-year-old Rabia* who lost her husband four years ago in a blast in Quetta. “Widows are the symbol of sorrow; we lose all our liberties after the death of our husband and our life is not different from a prisoner locked in a jail. We are not even allowed to be happy or celebrate,” she says.

As part of the local culture, widows are not allowed to wear colourful clothes, bangles, jewellery or make up. Rabia says talking loudly or laughing in public is also forbidden.

After her husband died, Rabia wanted to move to her father’s place but she couldn’t because according to local traditions, her children belongs to her brother-in-law and if she wants to move, she will have to leave her children behind. “I had already lost my husband; I did not want to lose my children as well,” she explains.

Suffering in silence

Women in general have a difficult time in Quetta but widows are more vulnerable as they don’t have the protection of their father, brother or husband. In the absence of these safeguards, widows become easy targets of social prejudice and abuse.

Like in the case of 26-year-old Samia*, she was forcefully married to a 62-year-old man just three days after the death of her husband in a bomb explosion. “I did not want to get married the second time but my relatives forced me to take this decision. In the end, because of my situation, I had to accept anyone who could provide food for me and my son,” she shares.

Second marriage, however, didn’t mean Saima’s life changed for better who was only 20-year-old at that time. “It just turned from bad to worse; it is not practical for a young girl to live with a 62-year-old man because our temperaments are completely different,” she explains.

Since her second marriage, Samia has been suffering from depression, anxiety and fear. Her mind is always occupied with negative thoughts and she sometimes feels that the solution to her problems lie in ending her life. “There are moments when I feel my heart and head pounding very fast,” she shares. In today’s time and age, Samia mocks how hundreds of war widows in Quetta are deprived of their basic human rights.

New world

In Quetta, women often depend completely on men for shelter and food, while they themselves are responsible for childcare and housekeeping. So when a woman loses her husband, she finds it difficult to adapt to the new situation.

Zainab Bibi*, a 35-year-old widow and a mother of three children, moved out of her in-laws house soon after her husband’s death. Residing in a one-room rented house with her two teenage sons and an eight-year-old daughter, Zainab says living alone was a difficult decision as women are not allowed to do anything freely. “Supporting yourself and your children is a tough task and I am hardly managing it; without my husband, I prefer to die than to live like this,” she states.

When she first moved out, Zainab tried to get a decent job but failed as she is not educated and has no prior work experience. Now, she works as a cleaner in her neighbourhood to provide food to her children before they go to sleep.

Similarly Ayesha*, a 27-year-old widow whose husband was murdered in a targeted attack two years ago, was left alone to fend for herself and her three children after the incident. “The behaviour of my husband’s relatives towards me was very negative; now I am a street beggar asking help from strangers for my family’s survival,” she narrates.

“This conflict should end as it has left many women widows and many children orphans,” she pleas.

Ayesha says many widows want to remarry after the death of their husbands but it is very difficult for them to find someone – men don’t want to marry widows with children and widows don’t want to lose their children.

There is another custom in which when a woman loses her husband, one of her married brothers-in-law marry her as his second wife no matter what the age difference is between the two. “My intentions are to marry outside the family but in that case, my late husband’s family will keep my children. I will lose my right over them and will never be able to meet them. And because of this very reason, I am not ready to make this decision yet,” she says.

Hayat M Khan Sherpao, a proud son of the Pakhtun soil.

On December 25, 1971 Hayat Mohammed Khan Sherpao a 34-year-old, left-wing intellectual from Charsadda was appointed Governor of the North West Frontier Province, which is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). In 1967, he had co-founded the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto(ZAB) and was given the position of founder Vice Chairman.

Under Ayub Khan, Pakistan had been an executive state controlled by the thana and patwarkhana, where the common man had no say. The nation was divided into the haves and the have-nots.

The first free and fair elections in 1970 had mobilised the masses.

When power was not transferred, Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman led the movement for the separation of the Eastern Wing. What was left came under the leadership of ZAB who had promised the rule of the ‘Awam’ (People). For the first time in the history of the country, the Police decided to go on strike in KPK and Punjab during that period.

Hayat Sherpao was an honest and upright politician who operated at the grassroot level. When the ‘Payti Bhai’ (Brothers in uniform) gave him a tough time, he refused to be blackmailed, and instead asked his party volunteers to take charge of the streets.

The province remained peaceful and under control.

In Punjab, Ghulam Mustafa Khar used the same approach.

Finally, an ultimatum was served which said, “return within 24 hours or face termination”. The policemen had no option but to resume their duty before the deadline.

As students, we then taunted them for months by saying ‘Wapas Ah Gai Ho’ (You have returned unconditionally?). Since then, the relationship between the force and the party has been strained.

ZAB and his team promised ‘Awami Hakumat” (Government of the Masses) and they delivered it. Change was visible everywhere.

As students we could walk into the Governor’s house and be heard before we were tear gassed and lathi charged. Baboos were required to serve, not rule.

For identification, a National Identity Card scheme was introduced.

There were major reforms in the Passport Office. The citizen’s right to travel was recognised and facilitated.

People of all shades used this facility to earn higher wages by working abroad. Today the ex-patriats are the largest foreign exchange earners for the country (close to $15B annually).

The popularity of young and charismatic Hayat Sherpao was on the rise. ZAB decided offered him a position in the Federal Government on April 20, 1972.

By that time, he had earned the title of Sher-e-Sarhad (Lion of the Frontier).

He kept his links with his home province and participated actively in its development. Finally, on Feb 08, 1975 at the age of 38 years, he was assassinated during a function at the University of Peshawar. The Vice Chancellor at that time was Dr.

Ali Muhammad Khan (Ex-Principal, Aitchison College Lahore) who was the brother of Wali Khan, the leader of the opposition, so the blame fell on them.

In his brief political innings, Hayat Sherpao left a legacy that remains un-matched. His younger brother Major (R) Aftab Sherpao took on his mantle. The 41st death anniversary of the ‘Sher-e-Sarhad’ was recently organised. Several buildings and bridges carry his name (Hayatabad, Hayat Shaheed Hospital, Sherpao bridge etc. )

In the seventies, ZAB promised “Awami Pakistan” while in the nineties Kaptaan introduced the concept of ‘Naya Pakistan’. Awam ruled in the ‘Awami Pakistan’, the leaders lived and then died with the ‘Awam’, leaving no empires or offshore companies. They are remembered for their deeds of giving, not taking. How is Naya KPK being ruled?

Since 2013, KPK is under the rule of ‘Naya Pakistan’. Like ‘Awami Pakistan’, the changes should be visible on the ground.

During the Ayub regime, there was a joke that rulers rule through ‘Sabaz Bagh’ (Promises of Greenery) while the dictator ruled through ‘Kalabagh’, a tyrant from Mianwali, who happened to be from the home constituency of Imran Khan Niazi. On his recent trip to KPK, the Prime Minister posed the question, “Where is Naya Pakistan?”

Kaptaan decided to build ‘Naya KPK’ through Pervaiz Khattak, a senior politician from Nowshera.

Albert Einstein, one of the most trusted and brilliant brains of the 20th century said, ‘We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”, he also remarked; “you can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created”. Another famous saying; “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

The important thing is not to stop questioning”. We have not lost hope for tomorrow, which is why we continue to question, but have we learnt from yesterday? An inexperienced 34-year-old Comrade from Charsadda emerged on the political horizon of KPK in the seventies and took it by storm. He was rightly called ‘Sher-i-Sarhad’, because he lived and died for his ideology and beliefs. Spent forces, fired cartridges ‘Chala Hua Kartoos’ cannot deliver change or build Kaptaan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’. It is a great tragedy for the nation that we forget our heroes and run after the zeros.

Will KPK see another ‘Sher’ (Lion) or be ruled by the ‘Zer’ (underdogs) forever? Kaptaan has to decide whether he wants more of the same and follow ‘Rah-e-farar’ (escapism) or bring real change by adopting ‘Rah-e-Hayat’ (real life) as practiced by comrade Hayat Mohammed Khan Sherpao, a proud son of the soil.

Pakistan - Hayat Sherpao’s death anniversary to be observed today

Qaumi Watan Party is set to show its political strength as the 42nd death anniversary of former governor Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao would be observed today (Saturday) at the Sherpao village of Charsadda.

According to a spokesman of QWP, all preparations had been finalised in this regard. He said that party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao would give a special message to the party workers on this occasion.

Hayat Sherpao, the elder brother of Aftab Sherpao, was a close aide of Pakistan Peoples Party founder and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was also the first chairperson of the party in the province.

Born to Khan Bahadur Ghulam Haider Khan in 1943, Hayat Sherpao was assassinated in a bomb blast at the University of Peshawar in February 1975. The people of different parties still remember him for the services he had rendered for the development of the province. The spokesman said that all the office-bearers and elected representatives would lead processions of local workers to participate in the anniversary. He said that it was expected to be the biggest gathering in the district during current year.

He said that the party organisations in other districts would also observe the death anniversary to recall the services their leader had rendered for uplift of the province. Provincial senior minister Sikandar Sherpao and Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli would also speak on the occasion.

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بلاول بھٹو کا جلسہ ملتان جنوبی پنجاب کی سیاست کا رخ موڑ دے گا

 سابق وزیر اعظم سید یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا ہے کہ بلاول بھٹو کا 10مارچ کو ہونے والا جلسہ

جنوبی پنجاب کی سیاست کا رخ موڑ دے گا‘ قلعہ کہنہ قاسم باغ بڑے لیڈرز کے جلسوں کے حوالے سے تاریخی سٹیڈیم ہے ‘شہید ذوالفقار علی بھٹو اور محترمہ شہید بھی اس سٹیڈیم میں کامیاب جلسے کرچکی ہیں ‘بلاول بھی اپنے نانا اور والدہ کی روایت کو برقرار رکھیں گے ‘پوری امید ہے کہ جنوبی پنجاب کے عوام اپنے مہمان کا شاندار استقبال کریں گے ان خیالات کا اظہار انہوں نے بلاول بھٹو کے ملتان کے جلسہ کی تیاریوں کے سلسلے میں مقامی میرج کلب میں پارٹی کے ارکان اسمبلی ، قومی و صوبائی ٹکٹ ہو لڈر ، عہدیداران و کارکنان کے اجتماع سے خطاب میں کیایوسف رضا گیلانی نے مزید کہا کہ شہباز شریف کی جانب سے جنوبی پنجاب سے محرومیوں کے خاتمہ کا لفظ سن کر خوشی ہوتی ہے کم از کم انہوں نے جنوبی پنجاب کو علیحدہ خطہ کے طور پر تسلیم تو کیا یہ جنوبی پنجاب کو علیحدہ صوبہ بنانے کے حوالے سے ہمارے موقف کی تائید ہے‘ انہوں نے کہا کہ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو ، محترمہ بے نظیربھٹو اور میں نے بھی ہمیشہ عدالتوں کا احترام کیا اور عدالتوں میں پیش ہو ئے اور آج بھی ہم عدالتوں میں پیش ہو رہے ہیں میں نے بطور وزیر اعظم کسانوں ، مزدوروں ، محنت کشوں کے حقوق کی بحالی کے لئے اقدامات کئے پیپلز پارٹی عدلیہ کے احترام کا دوسرا نام ہے قبل ازیں مخدوم احمد محمود نے اپنے خطاب میں کہا کہ تحریک انصاف کا گراف پہلے سے نیچے اور پیپلز پارٹی کا گراف اوپر جارہا ہے اور بلاول کے ملتان جلسہ کے بعد میں یہ بات یقین سے کہہ سکتا ہوں کہ 2018کا الیکشن سندھ کے بعد پنجاب میں پیپلز پارٹی جیتے گی‘انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پیپلز پارٹی کی قیادت نے عوام کی خاطر جانوں کے نذرانے پیش کئے محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو شہید کو ایجنسیوں نے کہا تھا کہ وہ ملک میں نہ آئیں کیو نکہ بی بی کو جان سے مارنے کی دھمکیاں مل رہی تھیں لیکن اس کے باوجود وہ عوام کے لئے ملک میں آئیں لیکن محترمہ کو پاکستان آمد پر ہم سے جدا کر دیا گیا اس وقت ملک میں ایمرجنسی اور میڈیا پر پابندی لگائی جا رہی تھی ہم نے حکومت میں آکر میڈیا اور عدلیہ کو آزادی دی بلاول بھٹو کا جلسہ آئندہ الیکشن کا فیصلہ کردے گا ثابت کرینگے کہ جنوبی پنجاب پیپلز پارٹی کا گڑھ ہے ‘ا انہوں نے کہا کہ ہم پارٹی کے امیدواروں ، ٹکٹ ہولڈر ز ،ارکان اسمبلی کو مانیٹر کریں گے کہ وہ کتنے لوگوں کو جلسے میں لیکر آتے ہیں اجتماع میں ڈپٹی پارلیمانی لیڈر سردار شہاب الدین سیہڑ ، مرکزی جوائنٹ سیکریٹری بیرسٹر حیدر زمان قریشی، جنوبی پنجاب کی جنرل سیکریٹری نتاشہ دولتانہ ، عبد القادر شاہین ، خواجہ رضوان عالم ، سید ناظم حسین شاہ، ملک مختار اعوان، معظم خان جتوئی ، سیداحمد مجتبیٰگیلانی، سید عبد القادر گیلانی ،ٹوچی خان، سید علی موسی گیلانی، سید علی حیدر گیلانی، مخدوم عطاء محمد تونسوی، نفیس احمد انصاری ،حبیب اللہ شاکر، ایم سلیم راجہ ، نشید عارف گوندل، بشری نقوی،سردار داؤد ،ممتاز چاند، ملک بشیر احمد، ملک الطاف گرا، ملک اورنگزیب گرا، حنیف سیال ، ناصر بلوچ، فرحان گیلانی، ملک مظہر حسین گرا ، ایم اللہ بخش بھٹہ ،شفقت رضا شفقت ، مرزا نزیر بیگ ،چوہدری ےٰسین ، ضیاء انصاری ، عبد الرؤف لودھی ودیگر نے شرکت کی ۔

https://ppppunjab.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/creation-of-seraiki-province-ppps-priority/

Pakistan - ‘CREATION OF SERAIKI PROVINCE PPP’S PRIORITY’

Establishment of Seraiki province is the topmost priority of Pakistan Peoples Party. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will formally announce the party’s manifesto in the upcoming procession which would be held in Multan on March 10. He was addressing the media men.

This was said by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani while addressing the journalists at Fort Qasim Stadium in Multan on Thursday. He added the procession would prove a ‘game changer’ for the people of South Punjab.

Yousaf Raza Gillani said previous governments completely neglected the people of South Punjab. “If the issues of South Punjab are highlighted in the corridors of power, its credit goes to Pakistan Peoples Party which became the voice of the people,” he added. He said, “The importance of this region can now be judged from the fact that prime minister and chief minister are also concerned about the development of this region.”

While speaking about USA’s immigration ban on seven Muslim countries, he said Trump administration should revisit its polices because American citizens and its apex court itself turned down Trump’s policies. “Every Muslim is not a terrorist,” he said.

He maintained Pakistan should highlight the role of Islam in its foreign policy. “We must tell the world that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. There is a dire need to remove the label of terrorism which has been imposed by West,” he said.

The PPP leader pointed out next in line to fall on this immigration ban would be Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Pakistan must play its role to defend Islam and Muslims.”

Gillani said Peoples Party has always held constitution, judiciary and state institutions in high regard. He said PPP will accept the decision of Supreme Court regarding Panama papers.

https://ppppunjab.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/creation-of-seraiki-province-ppps-priority/

Pakistan - An anti-women legal system

By Inamullah Marwat

The passage of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Bill, 2016, recently by the National Assembly might have let the judiciary take a sigh of relief.

A parallel legal system has been authorised by legislative corridors to help it rid of the backlog of cases, the resolution of which it had lackadaisical approach towards and for which it was getting a lot of flak. But there is a flip side to this bill. It is going to legalise primitive justice dispensation models like Jirga and Panchayat system in the country. Both these justice dispensing models are still followed in far flung areas of Pakistan, and they have a poor record of catering justice to women.

Because of this nonchalant approach on the part of government towards women concerns in the bill, women empowerment activists all over Pakistan have raised voice against the discriminatory nature of the bill. The passage of the bill, not only reflects the complacent approach of the government toward injustices meted out to women through these archaic models, but may also put in question Pakistan’s commitment to uphold the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty to which Pakistan acceded in 1996 and which obliges all states, which are party to the treaty, to make sure through legislation that women are not discriminated.

For readers’ convenience, CEDAW is an international convention aimed at developing an international norm of “non-discrimination on the basis of sex”. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 1979, and came into force on September 3, 1981. The convention has currently 165 ratifications and accessions. The main aim of the convention is to make it obligatory upon the states, which are party to the treaty, to not only ensure equality but also take a stand against women discrimination.

Article 2 of the CEDAW obliges all states party to the convention that they condemn discrimination against women in all forms and agree to introduce policies that curb discrimination against women. Moreover, clauses a, b, c, d, e and f of Article 2 not only ask states to provide legal protection and sanctions through national tribunals and public institutions but also abolish all those laws and practices that discriminate against women.

In the face of Article 2 of CEDAW, the passage of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Bill 2016, in which Jirga and Panchayat system have been legalised, is a blatant violation on the part of Pakistan to pledges that it had made to the international community while becoming a party to CEDAW.

It is because if there is one take away lesson from the overall past trajectory of Jirga and Panchayat system in Pakistan, that the arbitrary nature of both justice dispensation models has proved discriminatory towards women.

Sabrina Khan, a woman rights activist, in one of her articles published in ‘Criterion Quarterly’, writes, “The traditional Jirga system stands in the way of the democratisation of the family. It takes the law into its own hand and has been particularly discriminatory towards women. The latter are often used as compensation or for the settlement of family disputes. The clan’s decision is above all laws.

This has resulted in the humiliation and the victimization of women. Their fate is determined by a few men who make all the decisions on their behalf. Females have no option other than to abide by these decisions as any resistance on their part can have severe consequences including death. ”

In order to make the current legal system responsive to present-day requirements of the society, to help judicial system get rid of the backlog of cases and to introduce time-efficient, cost-effective and strictly confidential way of resolving disputes amicably, introduction of alternate dispute resolution mechanism is the need of the hour. Many other countries have supplemented services of the court with alternate dispute resolution mechanisms.

The superior judiciary in Pakistan has, time and again, drawn our attention in this direction. In his farewell speech, last December, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said, “one of the solutions to this problem in civil litigation, used by other countries is to resort to alternative dispute resolution.

” But can Pakistan afford to have a parallel legal system in the form of an alternate dispute resolution mechanism with society steeped in patriarchal values? This is a big question of concern for all those in Pakistan who believe in gender inclusive society and want Pakistan to implement CEDAW in letter and spirit, which it signed as a sovereign and democractic country.

Haqqani Network enjoys sanctuary in Pakistan, US commander

The Haqqani Network continues to pose the greatest threat to US troops in Afghanistan, a top US commander based in the war torn country said in Washington underlining the terror outfit uses Pakistan as a safe haven and remains America’s principal concern.“The Haqqanis still pose greatest threat to Americans and to our coalition partners and to the Afghans,” General John Nicholson, Commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, told reporters during a news conference here on Saturday.

“The Haqqanis hold five American citizens hostages right now. I think this is worth remembering as we think about the Haqqani Network. They remain a principal concern of ours. And they do enjoy sanctuary inside Pakistan,” Nicholson said during a Pentagon news conference.

Nicholson said he is looking forward to meeting the new Pakistani Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “I’ll meet him upon my return to the region next week,” he said.

“There are many areas of mutual cooperation with the Pakistanis with respect to the border, our joint efforts against terrorism and so forth. So we’re looking forward to working closely with them going forward,” he said. Nicholson said the Afghan security forces have a hold on approximately 64 percent of the population. This is down slightly from his 68 percent that he talked about in September.

“The decrease has not meant more control to the Taliban. We see them still holding ess than 10 percent of the population. More of the country, slightly more is now contested. They still hold roughly two-thirds of the population. The enemy holds less than 10 percent and the balance is contested,” he said. Nicholson said since the start of the Taliban’s campaign in April, the Afghan security forces have prevented them from accomplishing their strategic objectives. 

“They’ve been unable to mass because of air power, both Afghan and coalition air power, and therefore they resorted to small scale attacks on checkpoints around cities in attempts to isolate the cities and create panic,” he said.

Expressing concern about the stability of the Afghan government going forward, he said his message to Afghan partners and members of the political opposition is that the US respects their political process.

“Second concern would be the malign influence of external actors and particularly Pakistan, Russia and Iran. We are concerned about the external enablement of the insurgent or terrorist groups inside Afghanistan in particular where they enjoy sanctuary or support from outside governments,” Nicholson said.

“We are concerned about the convergence of these terrorist groups. I mentioned the 20 groups, 13 in Afghanistan, seven in Pakistan. The morphing of these groups into more virulent strains or the fact that sometimes they cooperate and then the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts,” he said.

U.S. general calls for review of relationship with Pakistan

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday that there was a need for a "holistic review" of the relationship with Pakistan, potentially opening the door for a new approach to one of America's most vexing alliances.

Experts said the remarks by Army General John Nicholson, who leads U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, could signal a harsher policy toward Pakistan under President Donald Trump's administration.

However, they warned that such an approach could be a high-risk strategy that could threaten the long-term stability of the region.

"Our complex relationship with Pakistan is best assessed through a holistic review," Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He added that ties with Pakistan would be a priority in his discussions with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and the White House, which has given little details on its strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The United States has cut both military and economic aid to Pakistan sharply in recent years, reflecting mounting frustration among a growing number of officials with the country's support for the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

"The tools that will get Pakistan to hurt so badly, that it would want to do what the U.S. is asking, is a very high-risk proposition in terms of what happens within Pakistan," said Moeed Yusuf, the associate vice president of the Asia Center at the United States Institute of Peace.

Yusuf said the review would likely lead to a harsher U.S. policy toward Pakistan and could include looking at reducing the level of economic assistance and military support, increasing the number of drone strikes along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and sanctions against Pakistani individuals.

"U.S. policy makers, deep down inside, they realise Pakistan is more important than Afghanistan in the long term," Yusuf said.

A report released earlier this week from the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, called for a new U.S. approach to Pakistan with the Trump administration making it "more and more costly for Pakistani leaders to employ a strategy of supporting terrorist proxies to achieve regional strategic goals."

Nicholson's comments on Pakistan come as Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.

Trump travel ban hits major setback after judges uphold temporary restraining order

Ben Jacobs

Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban suffered a major setback on Thursday after a panel of three judges upheld an injunction against the president’s order banning arrivals from seven Muslim-majority countries.

In its unanimous ruling, the three judges on the ninth circuit court of appeals upheld the temporary restraining order, which was issued by Judge James Robart, a federal district court judge in Washington state, and has blocked the enforcement of many key parts of the executive order.

The court found that “the government has not shown a stay is necessary to avoid irreparable injury.” In particular, its ruling noted “the government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the order has perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States. Rather than present evidence to explain the need for the executive order, the government has taken the position that we must not review its decision at all.”

Almost immediately, Trump tweeted his response: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”

Speaking to reporters in the West Wing shortly after that the ruling, he characterized it as “a political decision” and said that “the safety of the nation is at stake”. Trump added that he “looks forward to seeing them in court”.

Thursday’s ruling does not end all litigation over the executive order, which sparked international outcry when it was first issued. Instead, it simply means that its provisions – which include a 90-day travel ban from seven Muslim-majority countries, a 120-day freeze on admission of any refugees into the United States, as well as indefinite halt to admitting any refugees from Syria – cannot be enforced again as the legal battle moves forward. There are roughly 20 lawsuits against the travel ban currently making their way through courts in various states.

On Robart’s injunction, the federal government can now ask the supreme court to review the ninth circuit’s ruling. But the unanimous ruling suggests that the Trump administration will face an uphill battle.

The supreme court could also sidestep controversy and defer an appeal, leaving the ruling in place as the case works its way through other courts.

The appeals court decision follows a hearing Tuesday night, where lawyers for the state of Washington, which was challenging the ban, argued with attorneys for the justice department.

August Flentje, the lawyer for the federal government, argued that the ban was “plainly constitutional,” noting that Congress has granted the president the authority to suspend certain classes of immigrants. However, he additionally argued that the decision should not be subject to judicial review, noting that “judicial second-guessing of the president’s national security determination in itself imposes substantial harm on the federal government and the nation at large”.

The court rejected much of this argument in its ruling. The panel wrote “although courts owe considerable deference to the president’s policy determinations with respect to immigration and national security, it is beyond question that the federal judiciary retains the authority to adjudicate constitutional challenges to executive action”.

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IS Pamphlets in Pakistan Border Areas Try to Create Panic

Militant group Islamic State has threatened to target Shi’ites living in certain northern areas of Pakistan.

Hundreds of pamphlets containing threats have allegedly been distributed by IS in the Kurram agency on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line with Afghanistan, threatening attacks in specific tribal areas.

"We have achieved our goals in Afghanistan and are now ready to confront Shia renouncers in Pakistani's tribal areas," the IS pamphlet said in the local language, Pashto.

Although distributed in Sunni majority areas too, the pamphlet threatens to target Shi’ites in the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), as well as in Dera Ismail Khan and Hangu cities in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The areas mentioned in the pamphlet are home to a considerable Shi’ite population.

VOA could not independently confirm the authenticity of the pamphlet.

A local government official acknowledged, on the condition of anonymity, that pamphlets were distributed, but said the government is investigating whether these came from IS or others. He said the areas mentioned in the pamphlets are under government control.

"We are on the front line of the war against militancy and, therefore, our security is tight," the official added.

Pakistan's military has been carrying out an operation to clear out militants in the region since 2014. The government is demanding local tribes in the region surrender their weapons to decrease militancy. The weapons surrender is part of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Faqir Hussain, an elder of a Shi’ite tribe called Tori, expressed concern that the government is demanding Shi’ites in the region surrender their weapons while facing such threats.

"We would not have bought these weapons if we had no threat," Hussain told VOA's Deewa service. "I have told my tribe living on the border that they have to defend themselves."

The Tori tribe recently faced a suicide attack claimed by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, which reportedly is supporting IS. Islamic State reportedly is attempting to establish a footprint in the Kurram agency and has been recruiting local men into its ranks.

Government action

The Pakistani government says it will take action against those involved in distributing the pamphlets.

"The government is going to take strict measures if IS has distributed pamphlets in Kurram agency and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," lawmaker Tahir Iqbal, who is a member of the ruling Muslim League party, told VOA. "The government will not spare anyone involved in printing or spreading hate material or pamphlets."

The terror group has also been active in parts of neighboring Afghanistan for the past two years. Kabul has said many of the IS fighters in Afghanistan belong to the Orokzai tribe in Pakistan.

Analysts say the military operation in the tribal areas of Pakistan has cleared out the top layer of militancy, but the sleeper cells and sympathizers still exist and have the capacity to plan and attack.

"It is almost impossible to fully prevent the spread of the group in the current circumstances," security analyst Said Nazir Mohmand, who is associated with the Islamabad-based Institute of Policy Studies, told VOA. "Such groups can easily be eliminated if there is peace in Afghanistan."

Top foreign ministry officials from Russia, China and Pakistan met in Moscow in December to discuss what they said was a "gradually growing" threat to their frontiers posed by Islamic State extremists in Afghanistan.

Pakistan - Delayed reforms

It was the government that formed the Fata reforms committee and touted its proposed merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and now it is the government which seems to be backing away from it. The last meeting of the federal cabinet had approval of the reforms package on its agenda but it was suddenly dropped without explanation. This led to a protest in the National Assembly from Fata MNAs from all parties, with Shahabuddin Khan of the PML-N tying a black gag around his mouth.

This is a powerful symbol of the way the people of Fata have been treated not just through this process but throughout Pakistan’s history. The only people who were not represented in the reforms committee were the residents of Fata itself and it is they who should be allowed to decide on their future. Even though the reforms package was not devised by the people of Fata, it did at least propose merging the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing them under the protection of the constitution and gradually repealing the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The original plan called for the process to be carried out over a period of 10 years but opposition parties wanted it implemented before the 2018 elections. Now, with the cabinet slow-walking approval, its future is left in doubt.

Part of the reason the government now seems hesitant to implement its own ideas is that it has met more opposition than expected, with the government’s own allies turning against it. Both the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the JUI-F have come out against the proposals, likely because they feel their power in KP might decline if Fata has its own influential political forces. But the representatives of Fata itself are determined that the merger go through. Fata parliamentarians held a convention in Islamabad earlier this week demanding both the merger of Fat and KP and the repeal of the FCR.

Equally importantly, the convention called for compensation to be paid to those who have been affected by military operations in the area and for Fata to be made part of the National Finance Commission Award. Certainly, any merger will come with a new set of problems since Fata is less developed and will need special attention to be brought to par with the rest of the country. But the reason this disparity exists is because Fata has been ignored and treated as separate from the rest of the country since Independence. The government has promised Fata’s people that it would rectify that and failing to follow through would be a grave betrayal.

The future of education in Pakistan

Hannan Rifaat Hussain

Equal access to quality education, has been a long-standing challenge for Pakistan. Out of an estimated population of 191 million, nearly 25 million children between years 5-16, are deprived of schooling. Moreover, increasing urban-rural population divides have given strength to massive income disparities, which have made education a privilege for the wealthy, and a distant dream for the nation’s rural populace. To meet these challenges, it is essential to integrate educational equity, scalable technology and progressive lesson planning, into one far-reaching strategy. UnitedWeREACH promises just that.

UnitedWeREACH, founded in 2008, is a US-based, non-profit organisation which provides scholarships and financial aid to underprivileged children. One of its programs geared towards educational equity in Pakistan, is a need-based scholarship initiative, for undergraduate engineering students at NUST. Annual financial aid worth $2200 per student – to nearly 100 students – guarantees a place for meritorious candidates in the academic system, regardless of their financial backgrounds. Additionally, its vocational training initiative with the institute accommodates over 200 engineers from various mechanical and electrical disciplines, in an effort to enrich their technical skill sets for better market accommodation. In view of an academic system loaded with engineering majors, these programs couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

Moreover, scalable technology – in the form of e-tablets – attempts to revolutionise the teaching experience in Pakistani schools. Each teacher is handed an electronic tablet, and is able to access detailed “lesson plans” for every subject, at a single touch. These lesson scripts are the electronic equivalent of text books, tailored by a team of US experts, to meet the difficulty levels of each student in the domain of mathematics, science, English, and so on. Technology-based learning eliminates the need for teachers, especially under qualified instructors in remote villages, to undergo rigorous training. Instead, readily prepared lesson plans leverage a teacher’s basic ability to read and write, in order to effectively communicate tasks to students; an astonishing formula.

Furthermore, UnitedWeREACH’s partnerships with a series of schools under the Punjab Education Foundation help deconstruct an important misconception in the country. The belief that development of infrastructure is the key to resolving educational inequalities in Pakistan is not necessarily true. Partner schools such as the Amal School in Tulspura, and the Light of Hope School in Forman Christian College, employ progressive teaching methodologies in existing infrastructure, to obtain optimum impact. Teachers also enjoy full access to a digital library, equipped with books and resource material used by leading schools and universities, world-over.

Interestingly, each of these teacher tablets is connected to a central server, which uses the latest analytics systems to maintain full accountability of teacher/student attendance, measure the level of progress on lesson plans, etc. Acquired feedback is used to improve teaching practices, foster student learning outcomes, and discover new, dynamic ways of presenting information to pupils.

Considerable long-term returns constitute a remarkable aspect of scalable technology. For starters, schools enjoy striking relief from manual checks and balance mechanisms, sizeable administration and management personnel, high text book prices, and static academic curriculums. But more importantly, a fully equipped teacher tablet – which caters to the entire strength of a class – costs only $35. Likewise, lab tablets cost $80 each. Since the tuition expenses of each student is included within the fixed cost of the tablets, an “increase” in student enrolment, would result in “decreasing” per-head costs. With nearly 74.5 million people living below the national poverty line, more than one-third of the population can gain access to affordable, quality education. Imagine the possibilities for the people.

As Pakistanis, we must also realise that some of the most successful education systems in the world, have adopted similar measures. Finland and Hong Kong, for instance, reduced the “cost” aspects of education to render it a social welfare commodity, meant for all individuals. The local standards of education in these nations continue to take their cues from the national curriculum, which is composed of theoretical core subjects (such as English, numeracy, science, arts), as well as practical activities, such as critical thinking problems and interactive team-play. Much like UnitedWeREACH, both Hong Kong and Finland, revise their curriculums on an annual basis, to meet the changing demands of pupils’, and broaden their framework of understanding.

To conclude, the use of proven technology and progressive lesson planning would certainly brighten the future of education in Pakistan. As the nation spends $5.2 billion in real estate construction, and UNESCO identifying 25 million children out of school, it will take less than 0.4% to educate the whole of Pakistan. Hence, a shift in perspective could unveil a bright, new future for education in the country.

Deported Pakistanis

According to the latest report published in a Saudi Gazette, Saudi Arabia has deported 39,000 Pakistanis in the past four months. Referring to the security sources, the Saudi newspaper in its report said that the deportations were made for “violating the rules of residence and work”.The report also said that the involvement of several Pakistani nationals in “some terrorist actions” orchestrated by the militant Islamic State (IS) group as well as crimes of drug trafficking, thefts, forgery and physical assault prompted calls for thorough scrutiny of Pakistanis aspiring to work in Saudi Arabia.” Abdullah Al-Sadoun, chairman of the security committee of the Shoura Council, called for thoroughly scrutinising the Pakistanis before they are recruited for work in the Kingdom,” the report said. Furthermore, the Shoura Council chairman also asked for closer coordination with the concerned authorities in Pakistan to thoroughly check those coming to work in the Kingdom due to the involvement of a number of Pakistanis in security issues.

The official further stated apprehensions about Pakistani citizens’ links with terrorist organisations by stating, “Pakistan itself is plagued with terrorism due to its proximityto Afghanistan. The Taliban extremist movement was itself born in Pakistan.”

Citing the statistics provided by Saudi interior ministry, the report went on to say that 82 Pakistani suspects are currently held in intelligence prisons over charges of terror and other security related issues. “As many as 15 Pakistanis, including a woman, were nabbed following the recent terrorist operations in Al-Harazat and Al-Naseem districts in Jeddah.”

A few months ago, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had released a report, “Labour Migration from Pakistan: 2015 Status Report” showing that 131,643 Pakistani migrants were deported from Saudi Arabia between 2012-15.According to the report, most of the individuals deported from Saudi Arabia were job seekers and businessmen. The report had also claimed that a large number of migrant workers were stranded abroad due to “lack of proper documentation and thus deported”.

There is no arguing against the internal matters of a country, but the vague processes followed by the hasty judicial system of the Kingdom makes it difficult for transparency. As mentioned in reports, most of the people deported included those who held wrong visas, had over-stayed following the expiry of their visas or didn’t have proper documentation to work in Saudi Arabia. Most of Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia are doing blue-collared jobs that do not require muck skillset. Moreover, the Kingdom is also the largest source of foreign remittances for Pakistan. Due to the lack of economic opportunities back home, a lot of cases have been witnessed where people had over-stayed following their visit to the Kingdom for religious duties of visiting the Holy Cities.

Considering the fact that approximately twomillion Pakistanis are working in the Kingdom, it is the responsibility of Pakistan’s foreign mission in the Kingdom to make necessary arrangements to check if anyone needs any legal help or if the employers are mistreating anyone. Thousands of Pakistanis had complained embassy’s inaction following massive layoffs last years. The attitudes of the embassy staffers should change and all possible help should be provided to the people affected.

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#LetLizSpeak - Elizabeth Warren won't be silenced – and neither will American women

By Jessica Valenti

Senate Republicans seem to be under the mistaken impression that having elected a notorious misogynist as president means that they can stifle women’s voices without anyone noticing or caring.

That’s the only explanation I can muster for why they thought that it was acceptable – or strategically sound – to silence Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night during a debate over Jeff Sessions’ nomination as attorney general. Republicans really must have thought it was in their best interest. They really must not be paying attention.

After claiming that Warren broke Senate rules by reading from a 30-year-old letter from Coretta Scott King opposing Sessions for a federal judgeship, majority leader Mitch McConnell said: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

It’s a familiar refrain for most women – we’ve all had men try to shut us down and get frustrated when we dared to “persist”. So it should come as no surprise that Wednesday morning, #LetLizSpeak, #ShePersists and Silencing Elizabeth Warren were all trending on Twitter.

In the wake of Hillary Clinton’s loss and the massive Women’s Marches across the country, American women simply won’t stand for Republicans trying to shut us up.

What was especially loathsome about the Republican’s move was that they didn’t just silence Warren – they silenced Coretta Scott King, activist and widow of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. During Black History Month, no less.

As writer Broderick Greer tweeted out: “Tonight we saw that folk will go to great lengths to silence black women, even after they’ve died.” Donna Brazile, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said: “It’s a sad day in America when the words of Martin Luther King Jr’s widow are not allowed on the floor of the United States Senate.”

Especially when those words are so pertinent to the issue at hand: Sessions’ suitability for the position of US attorney general. This is a man who was denied a federal judgeship amid accusations of racism; a man who, according to a former colleague, called organizations like the ACLU and NAACP “un-American”; a man who also reportedly referred to a black man as “boy”, an allegation he denies.

In a recent letter signed by more than 400 human rights organizations opposing Sessions’ nomination, the Leadership Conference on Human Rights wrote: “Senator Sessions has a 30-year record of racial insensitivity, bias against immigrants, disregard for the rule of law and hostility to the protection of civil rights.”

While these may be uncomfortable truths for Republicans to hear, they don’t get to stick their fingers in their ears or drown out the words of women who have real and substantive criticisms of Sessions. (And if you think this isn’t about women, consider that Senator Jeff Merkley read from the same letter later Tuesday night and was allowed to finish without interruption.)

After being silenced, Warren took to Facebook Live to read the letter instead; at last check it’s been watched more than 6m times. The censure by Republicans only served to shine a spotlight on Warren, and Scott King’s, message. It was a reminder that no matter what Trump does, no matter what measures Republicans make take – women will persist.

#LetLizSpeak - Coretta Scott King's daughter hits back over Elizabeth Warren silencing

By Ed Pilkington

Dr Bernice King issued a blistering critique of Republicans after Elizabeth Warren was silenced while reading a letter by Coretta Scott opposing Jeff Sessions.

Civil rights leaders reacted with fury to the move by Republicans to silence Elizabeth Warren as she was in mid-flow on the floor of the US Senate, reading out a 1986 letter from one of the titans of the struggle for race equality, the late Coretta Scott King.

King’s friends and fellow members of the movement for equal rights, in which she had played a prominent role alongside her husband Martin Luther King, responded with anger to the action of the Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell. He cut Warren off mid-sentence, claiming that by quoting King’s words the Democratic senator had broken a Senate prohibition on members impugning the conduct of their peers.

The instant backlash from civil rights figures was spearheaded by the daughter of Coretta and Martin Luther King, Dr Bernice King, who within hours of the Senate drama unleashed blistering criticism of the direction taken by the Republican party. Setting out on Facebook a 10-point program for how to resist the new Republican stranglehold on White House, Senate and House of Representatives, she reserved her most pointed words for Donald Trump, though without naming him, since point one of her manifesto was: “Don’t use his name; EVER.”

She added, “45 will do” – a reference to Trump’s status as 45th president of the United States.

Rev Jesse Jackson, who was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on 4 April 1968 when Martin Luther King was assassinated, called the abrupt termination of the reading of Coretta Scott King’s letter a “moral disgrace”. Jackson told the Guardian that the move was “beneath the dignity of the American dream”.

The silencing of Warren happened at a confirmation hearing for Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick for US attorney general and one of the most contentious of his cabinet nominees. She was reading from a letter that Coretta Scott King had written in 1986 in which the late civil rights leader opposed in very strong terms the earlier nomination of Sessions for a federal judgeship for the southern district of his home state, Alabama.

King wrote in the letter that Sessions was unsuitable for elevation to the courts because he had “used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters”.

Jackson said that by halting Warren’s reading, McConnell had exposed the kinship between Trump and the Republican party. “Just as Sessions sought to silence Dr King’s movement for the protected right to vote, McConnell last night sought to silence Coretta Scott King’s letter – it’s a consistent pattern.”

Rev Dr Barbara Reynolds, a close friend of Coretta Scott King who co-authored her memoir, My Life, My Love, My Legacy, said she was “appalled and upset” by what had happened. It was all the more disturbing, Reynolds said, given King’s specific and personal criticism of Sessions in the letter.

“At the time she wrote the letter, Sessions was working as a prosecutor and the people he was fighting were people she had grown up with outside Marion, in Alabama. He was prosecuting black people trying to help other blacks register to vote – and that’s what the civil rights movement was all about.”

Reynolds said that King had been so opposed to the idea of Sessions sitting in judgment in a federal court because “she didn’t want to go back to the life they led before they won the right to vote. Her family’s lumber mill was burnt down by white terrorists and there was nothing they could do about it precisely because they didn’t have the right to vote.”

She added: “Even now, in 2017, they are silencing Coretta Scott King. They won’t let her speak now, but her words still matter.” In the book they wrote together, King says: “I am counting on the next generation to pick up the still broken pieces of society and continue the struggle against poverty, greed and power that Martin and I gave our lives to. Freedom is never really won; you have to earn it and fight for it in every generation.”

Sessions was rejected for the judge’s position in 1986. The judiciary committee of the US Senate voted his nomination down after the hearing was told that he had been accused of using the N-word to describe a black official in Alabama.

He is expected to be confirmed as attorney general by the Senate on Wednesday evening.