Rights Groups in Pakistan Condemned Death Sentence for Sawan Masih

Rights groups have criticized the death sentence order to a Christian man after more than 100 Muslims who smashed his Christian locality were unchained on bail.

On Thursday march 27th 20014 by the Lahore District Judge at the Kot Lakhpath Jail, Sawan Masih was sentenced to death, for blasphemy. Firstly Islamic rage against Masih’s alleged blasphemy consequence in the devastation of 180 Christian-owned homes and properties in Lahore’s Joseph Colony in March 2013, but a court later liberated 133 Muslim suspects.

According to Naeem Shakir, Masih’s lead counsel; back in March 8, 2013 Sawan Masih, was accused of blasphemy in a drunken dialogue with his Muslim friend in the Colony. Pakistan’s Statute 295-C prohibits offending Muhammad, which is carrying a punishment of death and/or a fine, but the First Information Report at first didn’t include any blasphemous explanations made by Masih. The blasphemy allegation was added through an additional statement by the accuser eight days later.

Another lawyer on Masih’s defense team, Tahir Bashir said that he believed the court had convicted Sawan Masih underneath massive pressure from local Muslim political and religious groups.

“In most cases involving blasphemy, it has been observed that the trial court judges are pressured by religious zealots to hand the maximum sentence to an accused,” he said. Sawan Masih in his court statement said that he didn’t committed blasphemy and blamed the complainant, Shahid Imran, of linking him in a fake case as part of a plot by local businessmen to drive Christians away from Joseph Colony so that they could snatch the property for industrial use. “They hatched a conspiracy to push out the residents of the colony; they contrived a case and got it filed by a person who was close to me. I am innocent.” Sawan Masih said in the court

- See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/rights-groups-in-pakistan-condemned-death-sentence-for-sawan-masih/#sthash.Ri8v2gFK.dpuf

Revolt in PTI: dissidents want Khattak’s removal

The revolt by several Khyber Assembly (KP) lawmakers against the KP chief minister (CM) is going to cause irreparable loss to the party.

Pakistan Today learnt that this act is likely to create rift in the party’s central body and parliamentary group in the National Assembly. Target of the revolt is CM Pervez Khattak. The PTI leadership is making mind for taking disciplinary action against the dissidents and in this respect KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has been summoned to Lahore. But it seems that dissidents and their “invisible” supporters would go for “discussion”, ultimately making their task easy.

On the other hand, scattered but influential opposition in the KP Assembly is likely to multiply Khattak’s woes by filing a requisition for a session. In recent two sessions of the KP Assembly, attendance on the part of PTI lawmakers was very disappointing. On several occasions, the treasury benches survived defeat on resolutions and motions. According to PTI sources, the forward bloc, which the dissidents call “save PTI” was initially formed by 13 lawmakers but now it has 20 members. Whereas around a dozen KP MNAs are also supporting them. Similarly, a number of female MPAs have already assured the dissidents of their support.

KP Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid is already part of the revolt whereas Qaiser is playing a “dubious” role. He was present in his chamber when the 13 MPAs held their first meeting. They also enjoyed tea with him before going to announce their decision. Insiders said that Qaiser has already completed consultations with opposition leaders and is making his best to get maximum benefit in this regard.

Whatever might be PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s strategy to handle the situation, but the dissidents are very clear. They want the party to “replace the KP CM who is not parliamentary leader of the party but a party choice for the office of leader of the House. They also justify their act by saying, “Neither we have any intention nor in favour of joining or establishing another party. But we are trying to replace, the PTI nominee (Khattak by another PTI man,” a dissident remarked. Pointing out reasons which forced them to take this decision, the dissident PTI MPA said, “We are aware that all MPAs couldn’t be adjusted against ministerial and other official posts, but we deserve polite and friendly attitude from the CM and ministers.” So far they are silent but most of the dissidents are unhappy with giving extraordinary free hand to coalition partners – the Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (AJI). A number of dissidents became part of the group after the Health Ministry was given to AJI MPA from Swabi.

Latest reports reveal that Imran Khan is making mind for action against the dissidents and has summoned Qaiser for consultations. The PTI government since its inception in May 2013 is passing through internal rifts.

Meanwhile, sources said KP PTI President Azam Swati and KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser held a meeting with the dissidents in Peshawar. The dissidents showed their anger, saying, “Party manifesto is being ignored in the province.” They also said they were against giving important ministries to coalition partners.

Aid agency accused of coverup in Afghanistan

http://www.usatoday.com/

The U.S. Agency for International Development withheld information from Congress showing the Afghan government's apparent inability to prevent its ministries from doing business with people tied to terrorism, according to a letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and documents obtained by USA TODAY.

The letter, from SIGAR's general counsel asserts that USAID "covered up information" showing some Afghan ministries can't account for cash or what they own. The audits show the Afghan government has failed to monitor the "potential risk of contracting with suppliers/beneficiaries having links with terrorist organizations,"

"USAID kept this information from Congress and the American people," said John Sopko, the inspector general. "As a former federal prosecutor and congressional investigator, to me it begs the questions: What were they trying to hide, and why?" Matt Herrick, a spokesman for USAID, rejected that assertion Wednesday, saying the agency had provided members of Congress and their staffs full access to its documents upon request. SIGAR's claim relates to documents that have been made available to Congress, Herrick said. The agency hasn't hidden anything, he said. "Congress and U.S. government auditors have access to USAID documents in unredacted form, either in their offices or at USAID, and we reject the claim that we have improperly withheld information," Herrick said.

Congress may take up the issue Thursday when Sopko and an official from USAID are scheduled to appear before a panel of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. USAID has spent nearly $15 billion in taxpayer funds to help build infrastructure in Afghanistan.

"USAID must be accountable to the American people for how they are spending taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who chairs the committee's panel on national security, told USA TODAY in a statement. "They have the responsibility to cooperate with Congress and SIGAR in an open and transparent manner as we continue to pipe billions of taxpayer dollars into a country with an alarming track record of waste, fraud and abuse." The lack of controls to prevent Afghan ministries from contracting with people connected to terrorist organizations pops up throughout a series of audits on the agencies obtained by USA TODAY through a Freedom of Information Act request. A KPMG audit of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development says, "A mechanism has not been developed for screening of beneficiaries for their possible links with terrorist organizations before signing contracts or providing funds to the suppliers."

A copy of USAID's version of the same document shows that mentions of links to terrorism are blacked out.

"Withholding information that highlights concerns about U.S. taxpayer dollars being funneled to terrorists is reprehensible and circumvents our system of checks and balances," said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog group. "USAID should come clean to the military and SIGAR to ensure that lives are not at risk, mission priorities are attainable, and wasteful spending isn't rampant."

Information USAID has blacked out in documents released publicly includes names and other data that identify Afghans who could be at risk of retaliation, Herrick said. SIGAR, in its letter, acknowledges the need to limit dissemination of such information.

"It is a common practice to redact information from the general public about individuals who could come into harm's way if their names were released or vulnerabilities that could be exploited by unscrupulous actors if exposed," Herrick said. Preventing aid money from leaking into the hands of insurgents and terrorist organizations has been a problem for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan. In 2012, the U.S. government determined that a contractor working on a courthouse there had been involved with networks that provided parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Sopko has been a persistent critic of U.S. spending in Afghanistan, issuing regular reports about poor oversight of building projects. Wednesday, his office found fault with an $11 million prison built there after the inspector general's review showed design defects and the facility's placement in "in the second-highest earthquake zone in Afghanistan."

Afghanistan: Taliban blamed for fresh violence ahead of elections

A provincial council candidate and nine of his supporters were killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan two days after they were kidnapped, said Sakhidad Haidari, deputy police chief of northern Sar-e-Pul province. The 10 were kidnapped Sunday and shot dead Tuesday night, Haidari told CNN on Wednesday. The bodies of four of those killed, including the Sar-e-Pul election candidate, Hussain Nazari, have been returned to police, he said. The other six remain in the hands of the Taliban.

The Taliban have not commented on the incident, which comes ahead of presidential and provincial elections to be held Saturday.

In a separate incident Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate to the Interior Ministry in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killing six Afghan police officers, Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

The bomber, who was seeking to enter the ministry, triggered his explosive vest when he was identified by police, Sediqqi said. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for that attack.

Taliban vow to disrupt vote The violence is the latest to rock Afghanistan in the run-up to the April 5 vote. There are 11 candidates in the presidential race, with the three main contenders thought to be Abdullah Abdullah, who also ran in the 2009 election, Ashraf Ghani and Zalmai Rassoul.

Outgoing President Hamid Karzai cannot run again because of term limits.

The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the elections and punish anyone involved in them. But NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking Wednesday in Belgium, said that the latest briefings from NATO commanders show that despite the Taliban's threats, overall violence across Afghanistan "is lower now than at any time during the last two years."

Rasmussen praised the work of Afghan security forces, which have taken over many responsibilities from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, saying they had "demonstrated commitment, courage and professionalism" during preparations for the elections.

"As expected, we have seen a series of attacks including on Kabul today -- an attack which I strongly condemn -- but I welcome that the Afghan people have resisted these intimidation attempts," he said. He said the country was now looking forward to "historic elections" that would shape its future. "My message to the women and men of Afghanistan is clear: Go to polls, exercise your democratic rights. Only you have the right to decide your country's future," he said. Rasmussen said any alleged electoral violations must be investigated swiftly to ensure the elections are credible to all Afghans. He added that Afghan citizens are registering to vote in "quite high" numbers, despite the Taliban's efforts to disrupt proceedings.

Insurgent attacks

On Saturday, Taliban insurgents attacked Afghanistan's election commission headquarters in Kabul, staff and a government official said. The five assailants were killed, and two people were injured. A day earlier, five militants set off a car bomb at a guesthouse used by foreigners and then held people as hostages until police killed one of the militants and the other four blew themselves up. A girl was killed in the attack. On Tuesday, militants stormed an election commission office in Kabul, leading to a five-hour gun battle with Afghan security services. Five people were killed -- two police officers, two election commission workers and a provincial council candidate. The Taliban claimed responsibility for all three of those attacks.

Pakistan: Arrangements finalized for death anniversary of Z.A Bhutto on April 4

Business Recorder

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that all arrangements have been finalized to observe 35th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at Garhi Khuda Bux on Friday April 4, 2014. Speaking at a meeting with PPP leaders and office bearers at Sukkur circuit house here on Wednesday, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is also provincial president of PPP Sindh , said that Quran Khawani will be held at 10 a.m. and “Dua” will be offered at 1.pm. The local leadership will attend the ceremony and highlight the achievements of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who strived for democracy in the country and sacrificed his life for the people of Pakistan. The CM said the PPP workers, hailing to different districts of Sindh, are reaching at Garhi Khuda Bux by buses and trains to pay homage to founding chairman of the Party. He further said that an organizational set-up would be constituted in every constituency of the province to strengthen the party.

Pakistan: Analysis: Trouble brewing within PTI in KP

Eleven months in power, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is already in trouble.

The number of PTI dissident members in the provincial assembly has now risen to 20 — with more coming to join the flock — and there is a good number of party parliamentarians in the National Assembly who also have issues with KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

It is said that while the PTI’s dissident provincial lawmakers have issues with the party’s central leadership over recent inductions in the cabinet, those from the National Assembly lambaste Khattak for his attitude towards them.

The dissident provincial lawmakers wouldn’t speak to Khattak and wanted to directly speak to PTI supremo Imran Khan to find out, in the words of one key dissident member, who makes decisions in the party.

And the dissident federal legislators — now believed to be 14 in number — have already spoken to Khan. They don’t want to have anything to do with the chief minister. Their patience with the chief minister has run out, a party lawmaker in the National Assembly confided. They may also form a forward bloc and the party chairman knows it, the lawmaker said.

There were troubles within the party right from the word go, when the first batch of ministers took the oath in June last year. There were loud grumblings amongst the unhappy lot, a large number of ministerial hopefuls.

Khattak moved quickly to induct an unprecedented number of advisers, special assistants and parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of district development advisory committees to stamp out dissent.

Soon enough, the ridiculously large number of parliamentary committees posed another challenge. The government could not find enough members available with it to lead the many standing committees. So some of the parliamentary secretaries had to be shunted out to make room for chairmen of the standing committees. But this did not solve the problem.

Things began to heat up again as speculation of a reshuffle in the cabinet started doing the rounds, apparently citing performance as the key factor.

But while the replacement of the minister for health did generate some controversy, it was the induction of new ministers that caused a furore amongst those waiting on the sidelines, hoping to find a berth in the cabinet.

If the speculation was not enough, coming soon on the heels of a tug-of-war between the chief minister and Khan-backed chief secretary in KP were also rumours that Khattak is unhappy with direct interference from influential party figures in Islamabad.

There was speculation, never convincingly laid to rest, that the chief minister had formed his own group of loyalists within the party to forestall any attempt at dislodging him. Media reports to the effect were never contradicted. Understandably, the party is new to power politics and most of its members, save a few, with ambitions and expectations are new to assemblies. There have already been questions about discipline, its enforcement and the way the party is run. Party leaders do not remember when their central executive council last met. Key policy decisions are taken in the core committee, whose number has increased from 15 to 37. How did this happen, no one has a clue. While the core committee is supposed to be elected by secret ballot, it has expanded by leaps and bounds without the party’s constitutional sanction. But when it comes to nominations, they are done by the party chief Khan who, according to a senior party leader, was mandated by the last central executive council meeting to make nominations when and where necessary, pending next party elections. The leader did not remember the meeting’s date. As for those nominated to the KP cabinet, party leaders insist, the matter was decided between Khan and Khattak and the influential figures in Islamabad had nothing to do with it.

Khattak on his part has told those agitating against the latest induction that the decisions to the effect were taken at the top by Khan himself. And this is why, say the dissidents, they want to meet the chairman to clear the air.

Surprisingly, however, with so much happening with the PTI in KP, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz — which can cause an upset and bring down Khan’s government — is watching silently, refusing to be drawn into the conflict. Given the number of PTI-led coalition members and the emergence of the dissident group, Khan’s government in KP is precariously placed. Even without the dissident group, the PML-N, had it really wanted to, could have easily manoeuvred a coup by weaning away the Swabi group, whose leader Shahram Tarakai has, not surprisingly, been made a senior minister and given a key portfolio of health in the latest reshuffle. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, together with Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party and a bunch of other parties in the KP Assembly, is ever keen and ready to pull the rug from under the PTI feet.

But the PML-N, at least for now, is not willing to take the bait. KP is not an easy province to govern, given the state of security in the violence-hit region, but there is more to it.

The PML-N would like to see the PTI government die its own slow death in five years — like its two immediate predecessors — rather than become a pain in the neck in its citadel of Lahore.

Pakistan: PPP wants action against Lashkar-i-Jhangvi ’s ‘150 sleeper cells’

The PPP has called upon the Punjab government to take action against what it called ‘150 sleeper cells’ of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) in the province.

Fawad Chaudhry, the media adviser of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, told Dawn on Tuesday that the party had taken serious notice of a threatening letter sent by the LJ to Bilawal Bhutto.

Ali Sufian who claimed to be a LJ spokesperson said in the letter that his group would kill the PPP chairman for his hostile stance against militants.

Fawad Chaudhry said: “The LJ was involved in the attack on Bilawal Bhutto’s security guards in Karachi and we believe that members of this group were hiding in Punjab.” He accused the provincial government of being reluctant to take action against the LJ.

He said the presence of ‘150 sleeper cells’ of LJ had been disclosed by the interior ministry.

Because of the threats Bilawal Bhutto has deferred his visit to Lahore for an indefinite period. But his media adviser hopes the PPP chairman will soon plan a visit to Punjab. Fawad Chaudhry said the PPP could not rely on the Punjab government’s security plan for Bilawal Bhutto during his visit to Lahore.

On the other hand, the Punjab government’s special committee headed by the inspector general of police is investigating the issue of threats to Bilawal Bhutto.

IGP office’s spokesperson Nabila Ghazanfar told Dawn that the Punjab police were investigating the matter as directed by the government. According to a senior police officer, it was being treated as a serious matter.

But, PPP Punjab’s information secretary Raja Amer accused the Punjab government of having close links with the LJ and, therefore, not interested in acting against the banned group.

He accused Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah of working as the mouthpiece of the LJ. PPP Punjab’s president Manzoor Wattoo said his party would constitute its own committee to closely monitor the Punjab government’s investigation. He said Bilawal Bhutto might address party workers in Punjab through video link.

Blast in Islamabad after Musharraf shifted to Chak Shahzad

An explosion took place near Faizabad flyover shortly after General (retd) Pervez Musharraf passed through the same route to get shifted from AFIC to his farmhouse in Chak Shehzad. According to police, Musharraf's convoy was the apparently target of the explosion. However, the former military ruler has been shifted safely to Chak Shehzad farmhouse, they said. The police further said the bomb was planted in the drainage pipe at a distance of 300 meters away from Faizabad flyover in which half kilogram of explosive material was used. The blast left one foot deep crater at the site of incident, the police added. Musharraf has been shifted from AFIC to Chak Shahzad after three months. He was taken to hospital on January 02 as he suffered a “heart problem” when he was on his way to appear before the special court hearing treason case against him.

Obama says 'heartbroken' over Fort Hood shooting

U.S. President Obama said he was ''heartbroken'' that another shooting occurred at the Fort Hood Army base and described the situation as fluid.

Fort Hood Commanding officer: "shooter dead" from self-inflicted wounds

The Fort Hood Commanding officer said the shooter is dead from self-inflicted wounds and that three others were killed

Massive 8.0 quake off Chile sparks tsunami alert for Pacific coast

Rasmussen: it would be "historic mistake" for Russia to move further into Ukraine

NATO's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says further Russian intervention in Ukraine would be an ''historic mistake'' that would isolate Russia even more.

Pipe Dream: No quick energy-fix if EU plugs Russian gas pipelines

President Obama Congratulates 2013 World Series Winning Boston Red Sox

Turkey: Constitutional Court orders authorities to unblock Twitter

The Constitutional Court has ordered authorities to unblock Twitter, saying the decision violated the rights of users who had appealed the decision. Regarding individual complaints, the court has unanimously ruled the ban is a violation of free speech guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.

"Everyone has the right to express and disseminate his thoughts and opinion by speech, in writing or in pictures or through other media, individually or collectively," the article states.

The decision was immediately delivered to the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) and Turkey's Transport, Maritime and Communication Ministry with the demand that they follow the order. The court also ruled that legal fees be paid to the applicants.

With the ruling, authorities must immediately unblock Twitter in Turkey, according to Metin Feyzioğlu, the president of Turkey's Bar Associations (TBB), who spoke to daily Hürriyet. "If they don't abide by the ruling, we will file a criminal complaint against the TİB by attaching the ruling of the Constitutional Court" Feyzioğlu added.

The ruling will also be used as a precedent for similar cases in the future, experts have said. If the court ruling is respected, authorities will not be able to impose blanket bans of this kind.

The individual complaints were separately filed by Ass. Prof. Dr. Kerem Altıparmak, Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz and Sezgin Tanrıkulu, deputy chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Turkey blocked access to Twitter on March 20, hours after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to close down the social media platform in a campaign speech.

The Turkish government subsequently blocked YouTube, widened the ban and started to practice a controversial DNS policy despite a previous court decision ordering the unblocking of the site. After an initial spike, Twitter usage in Turkey decreased almost 50 percent.

A Turkish court ruled March 21 that it could not “repeal the ban on Twitter” as the government’s blocking of access to the social media platform was “an executive decision, not a judicial verdict.”

The Ankara 15th Administrative Court later issued a stay of execution order for the Twitter block after a number of complaints were filed to courts last week.

Afghan H-bomb: Record opium harvest, billions burn in 'war on drugs'

Finding a solution to the thriving heroin production in Afghanistan has been on the back burner ever since the Americans occupied the country. The new Afghan president who will be elected next weekend will have to battle record opium harvests. Since the US came down on the Taliban and occupied Afghanistan in 2001, heroin production in the country has surged almost 40-fold. One year ago the estimated number of heroin addicts dying due to Afghan heroin in the preceding decade surpassed well over one million deaths worldwide. Last year, Afghanistan harvested a record quantity of opium. The annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board maintains that Afghan poppy fields now occupy a record 209,000 hectares, a 36 percent increase from 2013. Today more than half of the provinces in Afghanistan are growing opium poppies. Reports say Afghanistan is responsible for production of around 80 percent of the world's opium and heroin.

Heroin takes toll on Afghan society

Yet the country’s probably most disastrous problem is that the Afghan people not only produce record amounts of opiates, they are actively consuming them, with a heroin vortex sucking in more Afghanis every year. According to the UN, 1 in 30 Afghani is a drug addict – that’s over a million people in a 30-million population. This makes Afghanistan not just the main producer, but at the same time one of the world’s leading drug consumers.

The new Afghan president will have to find ways to save his people from domestically produced drugs, which also form the backbone of the national economy.

Despite declaring war on drugs in Afghanistan, all efforts to disrupt the production of heroin have not helped to solve the problem in the slightest, with more drugs flowing out of the country every year. Earnings from the trade are clearly considered worth the risks. And Afghan heroin is spreading in all directions, and in particular – Russia.

Because the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headed by the US remains the dominant power in Afghanistan for the second decade now, Russia has been repeatedly asking Washington to curb heroin production in the Afghan mountains, albeit with poor results. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin blamed the ISF for doing almost nothing to eradicate drug production in the occupied country. At the same time the US maintains that since 2002 it has spent $7 billion on fighting drug production in Afghanistan, and allocated $3 billion on agricultural programs trying to encourage Afghan nationals to grow other crops in place of the opium poppy.

In 2014 things deteriorated with the escalation of the political crisis in Ukraine and the Russia-US row over Crimea separating from Ukraine to reunite with Russia. The US introduced sanctions against Russia and a number of its officials, thus breaking many contacts established over the years.

The new blacklist included the head of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service, Viktor Ivanov, who also co-chairs the Russia-US Presidential Commission workgroup on countering the illegal drug trade. Russia’s anti-drug tsar accused Washington of attempting to hide its responsibility for the drug crisis in Afghanistan.

NATO has also announced that it is suspending all military and civilian cooperation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis. On Wednesday news came that NATO is giving up its joint program with Russia, which is currently teaching Afghan helicopter pilots. Washington also intends not to buy original spare parts for Russian-made helicopters used by the Afghan army.

Although NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that the alliance will continue cooperating with Russia in countering drugs in Afghanistan, the real future for such cooperation looks grim, particularly after the US President’s deputy drug czar, Michael Botticelli, refused an invitation by his Russian colleague to come to Moscow, citing Russia’s actions in Crimea as the major reason.

The lack of international dialogue could allow this business to grow even further, Dr. Bidit Dey, an expert on Afghanistan from the University of Northumbria told RT.

“The West, and of course the US in particular, have to set aside all geopolitical interests when it comes to global security,” Bidit Dey said, stressing that “There is a lack of cooperation between Russia and the West and that would be a huge threat to Europe’s security and also to overall social stability.”

While Washington is trying to avoid shouldering the responsibility for allowing heroin production in Afghanistan to burgeon, there is growing agreement that this deadly business simply can't go on forever.

With the presidential election set in Afghanistan for April 5 and the American troops expected to leave the country by the end of 2014, does the world stand a chance for a real change?

Afghanistan: Abdullah Promises Equality Under Law

During the last day of election campaigning, presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah spoke at his last campaign before Saturday's election in Kohdaman, a district of Kabul, promising to implement equality under law if elected as president.

He says with the implementation of equality under the rule of law will rescue Afghanistan from its current situation.

"If elected as president, we hope to fulfill the aspirations of the citizens by implementing the law equally so Afghanistan can get out of its ongoing problems," Abdullah said.

He expressed concerns about the possibility of electoral fraud emphasizing to the crowd that his team will not accept fraudulent ballot boxes.

"We want to address the IEC: ballot papers must be available to all eligible voters. The election commission should remember that we do not accept imaginary ballot boxes," Abdullah said.

Abdullah also encouraged the people of Kohdaman to participate in Saturday's election.

According to the law, Wednesday marks the end of the candidates' campaigns leaving only three days until Election Day.

NATO Commander: Troops will stay in Afghanistan post-2014

By Mick Krever

International forces will remain in Afghanistan after the currently scheduled withdrawal at the end of the 2014, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday. “I think you will see a very large ISAF combat mission changed to a smaller but continued resolute support, train, advise and assist mission at the end of the year,” General Breedlove said, referring to the International Security Assistance Force. “NATO’s mission doesn’t end [after 2014]; NATO’s combat mission ends, but our train, advise, assist mission begins, and this is very important to remember.” Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who will soon end his term of office, has refused to sign an agreement to keep foreign security troops in the country after 2014. Amanpour has interviewed all three leading presidential candidates – Abdullah Abdullah, Zalmai Rassoul, Ashraf Ghani – and each one has told her that he is in favor of signing a deal. Political leaders in the U.S. have issued stark warnings about American troops in the country, warning that without an agreement the U.S. will have no choice but to prepare for withdrawal. “Were the political figures in the United States,” Amanpour asked, “sort of blowing smoke up everybody’s skirts?” Breedlove said he and his colleagues “have planned a drawdown that gives our decision-makers – both U.S. and NATO – that decision space to get through the election period, so that we can get to an elected president, sign the required documents, and then move sharply into preparations for and then transition to the resolute support mission.”

WHO Says Afghan Polio Cases Linked To Pakistan

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) says new polio cases in eastern Afghanistan are related to cross-border transmission from neighboring Pakistan. Oliver Rosenbauer, a representative of WHO's Global Polio Eradication Initiative, told RFE/RL on March 31 that although "tremendous progress has been achieved in Afghanistan," the country will remain at risk of infection as long as the polio virus circulates in neighboring Pakistan. Last week, the UN organization declared that polio had been eradicated from Southeastern Asia. But the crippling virus remains endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. There also have been outbreaks in conflict-hit countries like Syria. The Taliban has opposed vaccination efforts in many areas of Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan that are under the militant movement's control.

4 Reasons Elections Won't Fix Afghanistan

By Michael Kugelman

Saturday’s election may be critical, but Afghanistan isn’t about to become a stable state anytime soon.

Observers across the board—from think-tankers and diplomats (both current and retired) to journalists and election monitors—are describing Afghanistan’s April 5 election as critical for stability.

And for good reason. A successful election would be a democratic milestone, as it would mark the first time Afghanistan has experienced a peaceful transfer of power. A legitimately elected new leadership, particularly one seen as effective and above all clean, could conceivably help convince Afghans that their government is a better alternative to the Taliban—and thereby weaken recruitment to the insurgency.

It would also bring to power a leader not named Hamid Karzai—and therefore someone who would likely sign a bilateral security agreement with Washington, ensuring that a residual international military presence remains in Afghanistan after this year.

And yet a successful election is far from assured. On March 10, the Taliban promised “to use all force” at its disposal “to disrupt these upcoming sham elections.” Supporters of the top two candidates—Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah—have been targeted. Recent days have brought attacks on two different Afghan election commission facilities. Turnout could be compromised in a big way—though to their credit, many Afghans vow to defy the Taliban and vote anyway.

Equally troubling is the growing potential for fraud and other electoral illegalities—especially after a March 21 deadly assault on Kabul’s Serena Hotel prompted many international election monitors to leave Afghanistan. Last week, Afghan election officers accused government employees of using state resources to help the campaign of Zalmai Rassoul—the man thought to be Karzai’s preferred candidate. There’s even been speculation that Karzai could postpone the election in order to pursue a peace deal with the Taliban.

This is all quite unsettling. Yet here’s an even more sobering thought: Even if none of these things were happening, there would still be reason to worry. And that’s because no matter how free, fair, credible, and legitimate the election ultimately is (or is not), Afghanistan has a long way to go before it becomes a more stable state. Here are four reasons why.

1.Afghan military forces continue to be a work in progress.

Pointing to decreased levels of violence in numerous areas controlled by Afghans, optimistic observers insist that Afghan security personnel “are doing better than almost anyone expected.” Still, their capacities remain limited. In Congressional testimony in February, top Pentagon officials conceded that while Afghan troops are earning tactical victories on the battlefield, they struggle to hold cleared territory and still need much help in areas like transport and intelligence.

And then there’s the question of basic preparedness. In 2012, half of Afghanistan’s army was estimated to be addicted to drugs, and last year 65 employees with the main spy agency were fired due to opium addictions. Additionally, a staggering 95 percent of military and police recruits have been described as functionally illiterate. An investigation released in January by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction concluded that despite a $200 million U.S.-funded literacy program, half of Afghanistan’s military and police force will probably remain illiterate until decade’s end. Finally, perhaps most disturbingly, the Afghan army suffers from a 33 percent annual attrition rate. According to U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, 30,000 soldiers deserted in 2013—out of a total force of 185,000.

None of this inspires much hope that the Afghan military will be able to tame the Taliban insurgency—one that an international mission comprising some of the most powerful militaries in the world hasn’t defeated after nearly 13 years of trying.

2. Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are still open for business.

The insurgency in Afghanistan is sustained by the haven its fighters—led by the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network—enjoy in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal agency. For years, Washington has pushed Pakistan to smash these sanctuaries to no avail. Finally, earlier this year, Islamabad suggested that an operation was imminent—though the government made it clear that only “anti-state” militants (those that attack Pakistan), such as the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), would be targeted. However, with a peace process now underway between Islamabad and the TTP, any operation appears to have been delayed indefinitely.

Pakistan provides the sanctuaries because it regards the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network as strategic assets that help contain Indian influence in Afghanistan. Unless Islamabad’s relations are miraculously normalized with New Delhi, this Pakistani objective is unlikely to change—particularly with India having tightened its ties with Kabul in recent years, including a strategic partnership agreement that calls for training and other non-combat support for the Afghan military.

Additionally, by eliminating the sanctuaries, Pakistan would also eliminate a key source of leverage over the Afghan Taliban—and give the group an opportunity to turn against its sponsor. Given the hostility evinced by many Afghan Taliban members toward the Pakistani security establishment—they’ve voiced their mistrust of Pakistan’s spy agency and chafed at being dependent on it—this is by no means an unlikely scenario. The usefulness of Pakistan for the Afghan Taliban would also decline if the security vacuum in Afghanistan left by the international troop departure allows the Taliban to re-establish havens in Afghanistan, rendering those in Pakistan superfluous. In effect, Taliban sanctuaries will likely remain in Pakistan unless they are reestablished in Afghanistan. Neither scenario bodes well for Afghanistan’s stability.

3. Afghanistan remains a magnet for regional militants.

Much has been said about how the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan is prompting anti-India extremist organizations active in that country in recent years (such as Lashkar-e-Taiba) to redirect their attention to India. Yet for now, and in all likelihood for the foreseeable future, militants are continuing to pour into Afghanistan. Afghan officials and Taliban commanders claim that since announcing a ceasefire with Islamabad on March 1, the Pakistani Taliban—already very active in Afghanistan—has been deploying fighters into the country. Meanwhile, Pakistani researchers estimate that “hundreds” of militants from Pakistan’s Punjab province—ranging from sectarian extremists to anti-India jihadists—have relocated to the tribal areas in preparation for assaults on Afghanistan. And Indian security officials assert that their chief indigenous Islamist militant threat, the Indian Mujahideen, “has branched out” to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Afghan Taliban.

Meanwhile, Central Asian extremists have their eyes on northern Afghanistan. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is attempting to establish a base in the city of Kunduz. And according to journalist Ahmed Rashid (who has written extensively on Central Asian militancy), the IMU, in concert with Pakistani and Afghan militants, may be trying to secure Afghanistan’s entire northeastern corridor in order to establish a base for operations against Kabul. With Moscow ramping up its presence in Afghanistan through a series of development projects, Central Asian militants—most of whom dislike both Kabul and Moscow—have strong incentives to intensify their operations in Afghanistan.

4. The Taliban and its allies aren’t Afghanistan’s only destabilizing forces.

With so much emphasis on the violence perpetrated by the Afghan Taliban and its allies, it’s easy to forget that groups opposed to the Taliban insurgency fuel instability as well. In many areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the north and west where the Taliban’s presence is lighter, militia commanders (many of them U.S.-funded) have terrorized local populations. Not only do they assault and kill people, but they also make life miserable for locals in more subtle ways—forcing young men to help them fight the Taliban, seizing land, and stealing irrigation water. The kicker? Some of them are contesting the election. Six of the 11 presidential candidates—including two of the three favorites (Ghani and Rassoul)—have a warlord on their ticket (Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ismail Khan, respectively).

Some may argue that participating in the political process suggests peaceful intentions. However, early signs aren’t encouraging. In recent weeks, supporters of Khan clashed with Abdullah’s supporters, leading to several deaths. And electoral officials in Dostum’s home province have accused the strongman of being behind the recent disruption of a training seminar for local election workers.

None of this is meant to suggest that Afghanistan’s election is irrelevant for stability. A successful poll alone won’t make Afghanistan more secure, but it can potentially produce what is arguably the sine qua non for future stability: Strong leadership.

This means incorruptibility and an ability to deliver basic services and dispense fair justice. It also means an unwavering commitment to building Afghanistan’s military (and police) into a more sustainable force—one that can both perform basic functions and tame insurgencies (admittedly, it’s a task that will require much international support). Finally, strong leadership means the pursuit of delicate diplomacy: Maintaining partnerships with foreign donors and allies, hashing out differences with difficult neighborhood interlocutors (most notably Islamabad), and—most critically—reconciling its many feuding factions (including, ultimately, the Taliban) at home.

The problem, however, is that strong leadership could prove to be as elusive as stability itself.

Pakistan:CM Sindh orders operation against Fata IDPs, illegal seminaries

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In its clear decision to stop the influx of IDPs, the Sindh government has directed the police to start wipe-out operation against these IDPs coming from tribal areas and also stop construction of illegal seminaries in the province. Chairing a meeting to review the law and order in the City especially in context of recent attacks on the worship places of Hindus in various cities of the province, the CM took serious notice of the IDPs influx from tribal areas of KPK to Sindh. He said Sindh was the only province where maximum numbers of IDPs had been infiltrated. He said two million aliens were residing only in Karachi which was giving birth to the crime.

Qaim also directed for setting up effective checking mechanism to stop the influx of IDPs at each entry and exit points of the province especially of Karachi and Hyderabad cities. The chief minister has expressed satisfaction on the performance of Sindh Police and Rangers. He said it was because of sustained targeted operation against the terrorism, targeted killing, extortion and kidnapping for ransom that law and order situation in Karachi was quite under control.

He stressed upon the identification of the force behind the religious and sectarian fanaticism in Sindh. He directed the Rangers and Sindh Police to conduct wipe out operation against these anti-state elements. Qaim said despite obstacles in stopping the sale of illegal SIMs, the LEAs had achieved remarkable performance in controlling the law and order in Karachi. He said the most heinous crimes had been substantially decreased and now the conviction rate had also been increased. Only in recent months, 60 convictions were awarded in heinous crimes which also include death sentence and life imprisonment while 70 convictions were awarded under the Arms Act to the accused challaned under targeted operation. He said without banning the illegal SIMs, the LEAs cannot perform properly. He directed the Sindh chief secretary to take this matter with federal government during the next meeting of national security at Islamabad.

Qaim while condemning the recent trend of attacks on the worship places of Hindu communities and creating religious fanaticism by provoking and irritating Muslims, termed it a conspiracy of anti-state elements who do not want peace, tranquility and brotherhood in Sindh. He said these activities of the criminals were linked with nefarious political designs. He vowed that the PPP government would foil the same with success. He directed for maintaining peace and harmony among all the segments of the society at any cost. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon sought for taking strict action against the illegal water hydrants/water connections in Karachi. “This theft of water may cause big problem of law and order.” He condemned the sabotaging activities specially the blasts on railway tracks and sought action against these culprits.

He also pointed out the traffic problem in the City which has created a lot of problem for the commuters. He said the PPP government had established the Lyari Development Authority and had also provided the Lyari Development Package. He said he was optimistic that after restoration of peaceful atmosphere, the development activities would be accelerated in Lyari. The Inspector General of Sindh Police said a 3rd force was behind to create religious confrontation in Sindh. “We are after them and shortly they would be taken to task. Due to sustained operation against the criminals, big achievements have been made and even it left no option to gangsters other than to compromise with themselves in Lyari. We are after them and many criminals have either been killed or arrested in the encounters at Lyari,” he elaborated.

Karachi Additional IG Police Karachi Shahid Hayat while briefing the meeting said during the period of targeted operation, 9,421 cases with 11,806 accused had been challaned in different courts. He said 535 cases had been challaned only in the ATC Courts out of which conviction in 60 cases has been awarded. Giving the details of the arrested criminals, he said 270 accused had been arrested in murder cases, 165 had been arrested for targeted killings, 171 in Explosive Act, 80 for kidnapping for ransom, 212 for extortion charges, 1,233 for dacoities and robberies and remaining for other crimes. He said the law and order in Karachi including Lyari was improving.

“At present, 25 police pickets have been established in Lyari while 150 corps is being inducted in to the force deputed at Lyari. Now, the Sindh Police have started social and academic activities with the participation of communities by which the confidence of the people has been restored,” he added.

Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet reshuffle depicts PTI’s confusion

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which formed coalition government in militancy-battered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 31, 2013, still seems in confusion as described by its detractors. The latest ‘confusion’ is the reshuffle in the provincial cabinet.

The already large cabinet swelled further as five new ministers were given a green signal to join it. The new ministers include Ziaullah Afridi, Mushtaq Ghani, Qalandar Lodhi, Jamshed Kakakhel and Ikramullah Gandapur. Their portfolios are yet to be announced. Moreover, three lawmakers — Amjad Afridi, Shakil Khan and Akbar Ayub — were made advisors to the chief minister. After the most recent reshuffling, the PTI has managed to get the lion’s share, by having four ministers, three advisers and four special assistants. Awami Jamhoori Ittehad, another coalition partner, obtained a post of senior minister and special assistant while Jamaat-e-Islami got nothing.

The man at the receiving end in the wake of the reshuffle is no other than Shaukat Yousafzai. He was earlier holding the portfolio of health and now has been given the portfolio of ministry of industries. The portfolio of Yousafzai has been reshuffled for the second time. In the beginning, he was made provincial information minister and two months later he was made health minister, but now he will run the affairs of the ministry of industries. The KP government Spokesman Shah Farman during a press briefing, wherein he announced the cabinet reshuffle, claimed that reshuffle was based on the principle of performance.

Here rises a very important question: If Yousafzai was not capable enough to run the health ministry then why was he given a chance to wreak havoc with the ministry of industries? The industrial sector of the province is already on the verge of collapse owing to the deteriorated law and order situation.

According to Zahidullah Shinwari, president Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, dozens of businessmen have shifted from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to other provinces due to the burgeoning trend of kidnappings and extortion. The PTI government kicked out ministers of Quami Watan Party in November 2013, alleging them to have been involved in corrupt practices. However, not a single proof of their corruption has so far been made public, which also raises many questions. But in the case of Yousafzai, the critics say the party has shown leniency and instead of removing him from the cabinet for his alleged corruption, only his portfolio has been changed.

Reports are also circulating in the provincial metropolis that Yousafzai paid the price for not complying with the orders of a Punjab-based powerful lobby of the party, which wanted him to dance to its tune. Whether it is because of intra-party wrangling or poor performance, it has exposed the party to criticism. If one accepts that it was due to poor performance then how can he be given portfolio of another ministry? This is the point that gives credence to the assertion of its detractors who say it is the party of the confused people. The detractors are also of the opinion that testing new faces to run the ministries is not a step in the right direction. Shah Farman has already said that another ‘performance-based’ reshuffle may happen in the coming six months if the ministers failed to deliver, meaning that the party will continue giving the charge of the ministries to naive lawmakers.

Imran Khan seems to making endeavours to make his ministers ‘all-rounders’ but at the end of the day we may have jack of all trades but master of none. The rapid reshuffling will certainly affect performance of the departments on one side, while on the other it will also damage the party, as the PTI workers and even office-bearers have expressed unwillingness over giving portfolio of health ministry to a coalition partner. Apart from that, some of the PTI lawmakers seeking berths in the provincial cabinet are certainly unhappy for not picking them up for the job.

Pakistan: The enduring polio challenge

The World Health Organisation has formally certified India and ten other South Asian nations polio-free, excluding Pakistan and Afghanistan - two of the world's three countries where polio is endemic. A separate damning verdict for the country on this account came the same day from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) of the Global Polio Initiative, describing the situation as a "powder keg" which could ignite widespread polio transmission. "If the current trend continues", said the IMB Chairperson in a letter to WHO Director-General, "Pakistan will be the last place on earth in which polio exists." Unfortunately, so far efforts to reverse the trend have not met with much success. The National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed on Thursday reports of three new polio cases in North Waziristan, the area most affected by the Taliban's ban on immunisation of children against the crippling disease.

The biggest setback to the immunisation campaigns, of course, has been caused by the Taliban who have been offering violent resistance not only in the tribal areas but also in parts of Karachi and Quetta. Since July 2012 they have killed over 32 anti-polio workers and their police escorts. Yet valiant efforts continue to be made to provide immunisation cover to children. It is hoped the issue is on the agenda of the government team holding talks with the Taliban. As worrisome as the situation is in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of the Taliban, progress in other parts of the country too is a lot less than satisfactory, in fact alarming. A couple of months ago, a press report quoting a letter from WHO and UNICEF, partners in this country's polio eradication programme, talked of glaring operational irregularities. The letter said "missed and NA (not applicable) children pose the biggest challenge to Punjab as it tops the list of missed and NA children with the number reaching 134,877 in the campaign of September 2013, thus posing a formidable challenge to the polio eradication partners." The conclusion was based on a survey that showed out of a sample of 340 'missed' children in the province 205 were listed as unavailable during the national immunisation campaign days. If that was not bad enough, as many as 112 children could not receive anti-polio drops because vaccination teams never reached them.

Notably, polio drops have to be administered to children at multiple times to ensure immunity. If so many children have been completely missed the result can only be as bad as it is. Clearly, the field staff is responsible for criminal negligence of duty. Considering that Punjab is one of better run provinces there is reason to believe that things are not better in other parts of the country. It is about time provincial governments put their act together to redress the situation from both the givers and receivers' ends. Awareness drives ought to be intensified. And needless to say, an effective monitoring system should be put in place.

Pakistan to return Saudi favor with arms, combat aircrafts

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Pakistan is trying to sell small arms and combat aircrafts to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said on Wednesday. According to media reports, Sartaj Aziz said that every country sells arms and as Pakistan has a booming arms industry, there are no grounds for criticism. Replying a question in an interview Aziz said there was no Syria-specific agreement at present. He said Pakistan is impartial over Syrian issue. “It is very sad that some people are spreading rumours about a couple of countries who want to help Pakistan. Whatever the previous military regimes did with the money they received is history and has nothing to do with us.” He said Pakistan wants to strike a balance in its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran as ties with both countries have been at low ebb for the last five years, Sartaj explained. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may visit Iran in May or June. About the generous $1.5 billion aid, he said, “The previous government left a big difference in the government’s budget and the balance of payments. Pakistan really needed it.”

Pakistan Army chief in favour of Pervez Musharraf's foreign visit: Report

Pakistani Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif is said to have advised the government to allow former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, indicted for treason, to go abroad for treatment and to look after his ailing mother.

The possible exit of 70-year-old Musharraf was discussed during a meeting between Gen Raheel and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday. ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam also attended the 'informal consultations' to decide the fate of the former President, Express Tribune reported today.

However, there was no official word on the high-level meeting.

"A well-informed security" official told the daily that Musharraf's name should be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) after a clear verdict by the special court, which is trying the former army chief for treason charges.

Anybody whose name is on the ECL cannot leave the country without permission.

Musharraf was indicted on Monday by a special court hearing the high treason case against him, becoming the first-ever military ruler to face criminal prosecution.

The three-judge special court in its ruling stated it had no objections if the federal government removes travel ban on Musharraf for medical treatment.

"There is no legal issue left now and it is purely a political decision," said the official.

The official said that Gen Raheel told the Prime Minister that Musharraf's case now "should come to a close".

"The sooner the better," the official said, adding that Musharraf's 95-year-old mother was 'seriously ill' and he wanted to be with her at the earliest.

Another official pointed out that since Musharraf had already been indicted, the time had come to "move on", the report said.

"That is the message the army chief has delivered to the government," he added.

Musharraf was admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, on January 2 after he complained of "heart problem" on his way to the court.

Speculation is rife here that Musharraf is likely to leave the country, as the army headquarters is reportedly pressing the government to pave way for the ex-general's safe exit from Pakistan.

Pervez Musharraf : A large can of worms

The trial of former president and COAS General Pervez Musharraf is reaching a climax one way or the other. On Monday the Special Court indicted him on five charges of violating the constitution, specifically that in his capacity as army chief he declared a constitutionally unjustified state of emergency and put the constitution in abeyance while suspending fundamental rights, and that he issued a provisional order empowering the president to amend the constitution. There follow three charges against him as president: forcing judges to swear an oath under the new Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) and trying to make two amendments to the constitution using the illegal powers obtained through his order as army chief. General Musharraf must by now be wondering why he ever came back to Pakistan, since the punishment for conviction on any of these charges is death or life imprisonment. Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif reportedly cancelled a high level security meeting to be briefed on the case and on negotiations with the Taliban, currently the two most important issues for his administration. However, it appears that both the government and the courts are looking for a way to end this matter quickly. Saudi pressure on Mr Sharif to do so is growing, with the Saudis reportedly saying that they would be willing to take General Musharraf in exile much as they did Mr Sharif 15 years ago. Currently the Special Court trying Musharraf says the authority to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and let him leave the country on humanitarian grounds to attend to his ailing mother lies with the executive, which in turn says that a Supreme Court (SC) order tied the executive’s hands by seeking guarantees of Musharraf’s presence in the country. The matter now appears to be in the hands of Mr Sharif, who may be loath to take this case to its logical conclusion for fear of turning the judiciary against him if he lets Musharraf go and the military against him if he doesn’t.

The fact that General Musharraf is being tried on different charges for actions under two separate offices highlights the constitutional delicacy of this case. Legal experts have noted that trying General Musharraf for declaring an emergency in 2007 while ignoring his coup in 1999 is like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, even if one accepts the argument that the coup was legitimised by a parliament that later nominated him as president. However, the problem lies in the precedents that have been set for coup makers in the past. In 1954 the SC upheld Governor General Ghulam Mirza’s dismissal of the Constituent Assembly based on the “doctrine of necessity” by which extra-constitutional actions are judged legal if the integrity of the state is severely threatened. In 1958, President Iskander Mirza’s coup was justified by the little known theory of “revolutionary legality”, which held that the unchallenged overthrow of the constitutional order meant a revolution in constitutional norms had occurred and the existing order was no longer applicable. This had significant bearing on court cases where defendants being tried under the 1956 constitution suddenly faced trial under different legal statutes. In 1972, 14 years later, General Yahya Khan failed to meet the standards for revolutionary legality since according to the court he never should have had the power to declare martial law at all. Yahya Khan was found to be a ‘usurper’ and all his actions were declared illegal, however Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was allowed to continue as president and prime minister despite being elected through a now illegal election before the breakup of Pakistan. More problematically, both General Ziaul Haq’s 1977 coup and General Musharraf’s 1999 coup were declared legal based on the doctrine of necessity, though the SC never ruled that either had revolutionary legality and therefore the constitution was still in effect. Given this history of constitutional revisionism, it seems that if the case goes to trial, the 1999 coup endorsement will raise some old and some fresh questions that will also compromise the standing of the judiciary. Meanwhile the questions remain of who decides when the constitution is in force and what constitutes a severe threat to the integrity of the state. This is what the SC must ultimately adjudicate on to clear the jurisprudential confusion worse confounded.

Pakistan: ''Taliban trap''

Naeem Tahir

The terrorist consortium of Fazlullah had several things to take stock of. They needed a respite from drones and air attacks, and time to collect their fragments. The time thus obtained was meant to strategise their actions when the withdrawal of US troops takes place from Afghanistan

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.”

Under the leadership of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the negotiating team and the Pakistan government have met the fate of Humpty Dumpty. This is not the first time that ‘politicians’ have tried ‘negotiations’ for peace. This is also not the first time that these Humpty Dumpty types have had a fall. However, this time, “All the kings horses and all the king’s men” may not be able to put Humpty back together again because kings and horses are reluctant and content to only ‘observe’.

It is baffling that the so-called ‘wise’ politicians fail to understand the strategies of terrorist outfits. They have fallen into the trap not once but several times. Wise men like our interior minister stay convinced that they know better! Before the month of ceasefire was over, media man Raza Rumi was attacked, Bilawal was threatened, airports came under threat and, above all, the Mazars of the Quaid and Iqbal, the symbols of Pakistan, have also been threatened. This is as far as the fate of the ceasefire goes. The recent meeting between the two sides is a gross failure. The terrorists have yet to commit unequivocally to release Shahbaz Taseer or Ali Haider Gilani and gave a fake list of their prisoners to the government as homework. Maulana Samiul Haq and Chaudhry Nisar may put up cosmetic touches of hope but the failure is obvious.

Since the wisdom of the politicians is not working, maybe a common sense perception will help. The Taliban/terrorist consortium is headed by Mullah Fazlullah who lives in the safe haven of Kunar. Kunar is that province of Afghanistan where the whole operation against Pakistan was planned under the expert advice of the top echelons of al Qaeda in 2004. Kunar provides a safe, unnoticeable entry into Pakistan’s Swat state area. Readers may recall how deeply the terrorists entrenched themselves in the Peochar mountains of Swat. They had several kilometres long caves in which they stored ammunition, set up a hospital and a guerilla-plus-suicide training camp before these were noticed. Mullah Fazlullah is a strategist; he organised a donkey-mounted mobile transmitter system for communication among his terror groups, controlled the mosques, and ordered ruthless attacks on schools. The Lal Masjid strategy worked and all those released were recruited by him. He trapped the politicians into negotiations in Swat and the politicians ran begging for peace. However, as soon as he had reorganised, Mullah Fazlullah threw out the political negotiators and started a bloody onslaught in Swat valley. It was the Pakistan army that had to be called into action. The army did a proper job and restored the area to the country and its people. Mullah Fazlullah escaped to Kunar.

At the time, the combined action of the Pakistan armed forces, including the air force and the US drones, broke the back of the Taliban terror consortium but Fazlullah became the Taliban’s new leader and came up with a new plan. The bait of negotiations was thrown again. Fazlullah must have been in total consultation with Mullah Omar and other al Qaeda strategists. One can see that in the situation of a fractured, damaged command structure in Waziristan due to the Pakistan army action, the terror consortium needed to take stock. For this, a breather was necessary and the negotiation bait was thrown. It was likely to be successful with the new set up of political governments having a soft corner for the Taliban. The bait succeeded, thanks to the political parties, Taliban supporter Chaudhry Nisar, and a nod from Nawaz Sharif. The undercurrent moving our politicians in this direction is primarily their fear of the armed forces. No doubt, the armed forces can clear this menace but then the image of the forces will rise and people will hold them in higher respect. Politicians do not want this to happen. So, with great fanfare, they pinned their hopes on negotiations and ignored many clear hints from the army and, hence, the army gracefully remained as observers.

The terrorist consortium of Fazlullah had several things to take stock of. They needed a respite from drones and air attacks, and time to collect their fragments. The time thus obtained was meant to strategise their actions when the withdrawal of US troops takes place from Afghanistan. The major need was to regroup and plan organised attacks on Afghanistan to take control and establish the government they had lost and, after attacks, retreat to the safe havens of Waziristan. They also needed to decide upon their future action in Syria, the Middle East and Europe. The changed situation in Egypt also needed a review. The terror consortium was also facing internal indiscipline. There are indeed several groups, said to be about 43 in number. They operate in loose association under the Pakistani Taliban cover. The Ahrarul Hind clearly announced their differences and spoiled the Fazlullah game by attacking and killing in the Islamabad courts. Later, they settled some terms and agreed to be quiet for a bit. The terrorists did their homework and put up impossible demands like wanting the Pakistan army to withdraw from Waziristan! Probably to create a state without Pakistan’s control? These are impossible demands, plus an expression of inability to accept Pakistan’s conditions. The negotiations failed and the terrorists could not care less because their purpose of an interim respite was served, and they must have developed future strategies. Now they can continue the bloodshed of Pakistanis. Therefore, expect renewed attacks and threats.

This is only common sense. The wise politicians can sugarcoat, compromise, cover up and deceive the public but their cosmetics must be seen through and washed off. The fact is that there are no solutions accept a final, organised fight by the armed forces. If some groups are willing to accept Pakistan’s constitution they should be given consideration — others must be eliminated. Yes, these are our enemies and must be eliminated completely. The blood of 60,000 innocent Pakistanis must be respected. The armed forces must do their duty to protect the integrity and safety of the nation without delay.

Pakistan:Dissolving Council of Islamic Ideology

The Sindh Assembly has passed a resolution to do away with the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). The recent recommendations given by the CII, all related to women, have caused hackles to rise in many people concerned with the protection of women in a society that still holds primitive views about them. A country where women are treated like dumb driven cattle, and their presence deliberately kept subdued, any law that reinforces their status as second-class citizens is adding more agony to their existence. The problem with the CII is that they are living in a state of mind that has become obsolete because of its anachronistic bent. Their restricted vision that denies science as the modern interpretive force to solve ambiguities that could not be done otherwise is hindering progress. To them, any man-made law that facilitates modern interpretation of Islamic laws is considered blasphemous and a blow to the integrity of Islam itself. First it was the DNA test that was denied as conclusive evidence in rape cases. Then the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 that restricts a man to one wife by putting a condition of the first wife’s consent in the case of a second marriage came under fire. And lastly, defining the minimum age for marrying a girl under the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 was declared against Islam. Modelling themselves on the primitive tribal culture of yesteryears where marrying four women was considered justified with no age bar, the cleric finds it the best course to maintain what he defines as the spirit of Islam. Since there had been no DNA testing when rape happened in the ‘golden era’ of Islam, therefore this option could not be entertained either. Adopting a typical dogmatic approach with no thought process involved, clerics of the likes of Maulana Shirani have painted Islam as a religion that denies logic, reason and judgment. This interpretation has wrought havoc, with Muslims having become a source of nuisance because of decaying ethics. As far as contracting a second marriage is concerned, the condition of doing justice between wives is obligatory. And unless one is sure of giving equal rights, the desire to have two wives should best be shelved as is clearly enunciated in the Quran. In the case of adultery, the evidence to the act presented by four male witnesses is intended to protect women against false accusation. Marrying off a girl child when she is not able to protect the family or to take up the attached responsibilities is as well not recommended. The irony is that a religion based on knowledge is facing a dearth of clerics and scholars who have the intent and courage to contemplate things without fear of losing their influence and power that lies in a blinkered view of Islam.

Zardari denies asking for 'BB's jewellery'

Replying to a media query about a letter purportedly written by PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari to unnamed Swiss authorities through a Swiss lawyer, seeking return of a jewellery allegedly belonging to Benazir Bhutto, spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar has recalled that the jeweller, when summoned by the Swiss Magistrate, had already deposed at the time denying that the jewellery belonged to her. "Since the ownership of the jewellery has already been denied by the jeweller himself before the magistrate it is strange and illogical to assert that Mr Asif Ali Zardari has asked for the return of the jewellery that neither belongs to him nor to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto," Babar said in a statement. Furthermore, he said that for the past several years since the case ended there has been no Swiss lawyer of Zardari in Switzerland through whom he is alleged to have approached unnamed Swiss authorities.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: 14 PTI MPAs form separate bloc

http://www.dawn.com/

Fourteen members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the KP assembly have raised a banner of revolt against policies of their own government in the province and formed a separate faction. Qurban Ali Khan, the self-declared ‘focal person’ of the group, has claimed that a few other lawmakers are likely to join the ranks of dissidents. He declined to disclose the lawmakers’ names. “At present 14 lawmakers have formed a bloc and some others will join them in two or three days,” he said while talking to Dawn at the MPAs Hostel here on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Javed Nasim from Peshawar, who a few months ago had submitted an application to the speaker seeking a separate seat in the assembly. Without naming Chief Minister Pervez Khattak or any other senior leader of the party, Qurban Ali Khan said that incapable people had been inducted into the cabinet and accused them of being involved in irregularities. “Some people are trying to hijack the vision of Chairman Imran Khan,” he said and accused the party’s provincial leadership of having deviated from the PTI’s manifesto. He severely criticised the policies of the KP government and said the party chief had been kept in the dark and he might not be aware of wrongdoings of provincial leaders. He claimed that he had never tried to become a minister and his associates also were not agitating for power and position. “We did not join the PTI to become ministers or advisers. Our objective is to protect the party’s interest.” Qurban Ali Khan, who had left the PPP before last year’s general elections, was elected to the assembly on a PTI ticket from PK-16 Nowshera. Sources said the estranged MPAs held meetings on Monday and Tuesday to work out their line of action.The PTI has 54 members in the assembly. Sources said the recent induction into the cabinet of new members, particularly legislators from Hazara division who had joined the party after the elections, and the award of important portfolios to coalition partners had created a rift within the party. Shahram Khan Tarki of the Awami Jamhuri Itehad Pakistan (AJIP) was given the portfolio of health and Qalandar Khan Lodhi and Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, who had joined the PTI after elections, were initially appointed adviser and special assistant to the chief minister and now made ministers.

“Health and education formed the backbone of the PTI manifesto. If the health sector has been given to the AJIP nothing worthwhile is left with the PTI,” said a member of the bloc. He alleged that important portfolios and positions had been given to ‘inefficient and dishonest’ people.

Qurban Ali said the disgruntled lawmakers did not want to form a forward bloc or join the opposition, although they had been approached by opposition parties.

“Our aim is to restore the image of the party and expose opportunist and corrupt elements.”

He said the issues would be brought to the knowledge of Imran Khan and “if action is not taken against opportunists we will have no option but to resign”. Earlier, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak told newsmen at the Governor House that he was unaware of any move to form a forward bloc in the party. He said it was an internal problem of the party which would be solved.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Documentary

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NATO suspends civilian and military cooperation with Russia

NATO has announced that it is suspending all military and civilian cooperation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis, the bloc said in a joint statement.

"We have decided to suspend all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia. Our political dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council can continue, as necessary, at the Ambassadorial level and above, to allow us to exchange views, first and foremost on this crisis," the statement reads. The alliance plans to review its relations with Russia at a meeting in June.

The decision could affect cooperation on Afghanistan in areas such as training counter-narcotics personnel, maintenance of Afghan air force helicopters and a transit route out of the war-torn country.

NATO foreign ministers also urged Moscow in "to take immediate steps ... to return to compliance with international law." The bloc said that it was stepping up its cooperation with Ukraine, promoting defense reforms and increasing the activity of a liaison office in Kiev.

NATO and Ukraine issued a joint statement after a meeting of their ministers in Brussels. They said that they would “implement immediate and longer term measures to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to provide for its own security.”

A series of meetings in Brussels was called on Tuesday in response to what the bloc sees as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. The bloc called on Moscow to reduce its troop number in Crimea to pre-crisis levels, withdraw them to their bases and taper military activities along its border with Ukraine.

Ministers ordered military planners to "develop as a matter of urgency a series of additional measures to reinforce NATO's collective defenses", a NATO official told Reuters. This might include sending troops and equipment to NATO allies in Eastern Europe, holding more exercises, taking steps to ensure NATO's rapid reaction force could deploy more quickly, and a review of NATO's military plans.

Military planners will come back with detailed proposals within weeks, the alliance official said. The Republic of Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine following the March-16 referendum, in which 96.77 percent of the voters chose to rejoin Russia. Despite calls to boycott the vote and provocation attempts, 83.1 percent of Crimeans took part in the poll.

Crimea became part of Russia in 1783, but was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev – a move that ex-Soviet leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mikhail Gorbachev, has called a “mistake.” Following the fall of the USSR in 1991, Crimeans were forbidden to hold a referendum on independence from Ukraine, and a procedure for making such a referendum possible has never been clearly defined in Ukrainian law.

Many people in the predominantly Russian-speaking region also rejected the coup-appointed Kiev authorities, and some feared that nationalist radicals aligned with the opposition might launch a persecution of Russians living in Crimea. However, a closer look shows that the neo-Nazi scare was not the only thing that concerned Crimeans about the coup-appointed authorities. One of the first moves of the post-coup Ukrainian parliament was an attempt to strip the status of regional minority languages, including Russian. The political program of the nationalist Svoboda party, which currently occupies four seats in the cabinet of ministers in Kiev, also clearly stated that it seeks to deprive the region of its autonomy and to make it an oblast (administrative division) instead of an Autonomous Republic. According to a common belief among the Russians living in Crimea, some of the Tatars, members of the Mejlis organization, also counted on the ex-opposition Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party to support them in declaring the region a Tatar national autonomy, despite Russians and Ukrainians making up over 70 percent of the population and Tatars accounting for only about 12 percent of it.

Crimeans have also been consistently against Ukraine becoming a NATO state, and have staged protests against Ukrainian-NATO drills in the past. Polls showed that more than half the people living in Crimea considered NATO a “threat.” Despite Ukraine’s non-aligned status enshrined in its Constitution, the coup-appointed authorities said they are considering changing the relevant part of the supreme law, just as NATO’s chief stated they were “intensifying” their cooperation with Ukraine. Responding to such remarks, the Russian government reminded that pushing for NATO integration in Ukraine during Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency had in the past led only to a “widening of the split in Ukrainian society, the majority of which anything but supports the idea of Ukraine entering the NATO military block.”

Boston Red Sox honored at the White House

World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox, visit the White House, where MVP David Oritz takes a ''selfie'' with Obama.

Saudi Arabia and new foreign policy challenges

http://tehrantimes.com/

The removal of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, known as the organizer of a new Army of Islam in Syria to topple the Assad regime, from the position of the director general of Saudi Intelligence Agency is emblematic of a new power struggle in Saudi Arabia. The battle of succession continues in Saudi Arabia, as major socioeconomic and political challenges loom large in a country whose leaders have yet to recover from the shocks of the 2011 Arab uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa. This new development shows that the Bandar-era of supporting the Takfiri terrorists and jihadists—some of whom are affiliates of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan—is practically over. The mastermind and principal financier of terror networks, Prince Bandar has fallen out of favor with both Washington and Riyadh, especially in recent months in light of the fact that the Syrian crisis has assumed a terminal direction highly unfavorable to the Saudi ruling family.

What explains this change of leadership? Bandar’s influence on shaping Saudi foreign policy has proven counterproductive, to say the least. In recent months, Bandar has spoken of forging an alliance with the nuclear-equipped Pakistan to counterbalance Iran’s potential to grow as a nuclear power in the region. Most significantly, however, Bandar has been a driving force behind the formation of the Islamic Front Coalition in Syria, a move that has yielded no benefits, insofar as their efforts have undermined the Assad regime and have left hundreds of thousands dead, wounded, displaced, or refugees.

At the regional level, the Turkey-Saudi rift over the July 3, 2013 coup in Egypt, which led to the removal of President Morsi from the Egyptian political scene has drastically widened. While Turkey supported the democratically elected Morsi administration, Saudi Arabia chose to support the coup against Morsi. Equally consequential has been the U.S.-Iran rapprochement, which has increasingly been seen as undercutting the traditionally stable Riyadh-Washington axis. Saudi security concerns in the region remain closely related to the role that Iran plays in the region. Most Saudi leaders as such fear that Washington may pull the plug on Riyadh by normalizing its ties with Tehran.

Bandar’s replacement, Prince Mohammad bin Nayef, who is currently Saudi interior minister, represents a new strategy in Saudi foreign policy, one that is aimed at containing militancy in Saudi Arabia, mending some fences with Washington over Syria, and adjusting the country’s foreign policy to rapidly changing geopolitical considerations in the region. Most notably, Nayef may be concerned about curbing the increasing and expanding sectarianization of the Syrian conflict that has scarred and exacerbated the region. To the extent that Washington is seeking a more diplomatic and quieter approach than an openly militaristic solution vis-à-vis Syria, Saudi leaders might contemplate a change of approach prior to President Obama’s visit to Riyadh in late March.

The dominant thinking in Saudi Arabia is that the settlement of the decade-old dispute between Iran, the United States, and the European Union (EU) is bound to further weaken Saudi’s policies in the region, undermine its rivalry with Iran, and boost Iran-Turkey ties. While attempts to patch over Saudi-U.S. relations are likely to take center-stage, the Saudis need to adjust their regional policies, largely because the nuclear deal reached in the next 6-12 months by the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United States, plus Iran) could fundamentally alter the region’s balance of power. Never has the pace of change in the region’s geopolitical equilibrium been faster and never has the imperative of adjusting to new realities been so widely felt. Will the Saudis embark on a new path and where will it lead?