Turkey lets Frankensteins loose in ME: Analyst

The Turkish government has been unleashing Frankenstein monsters across the Middle East region by supporting the Takfiri ISIL militants operating in Syria and Iraq, an analyst tells Press TV.

“You (Turkey) are letting Frankensteins loose all over the region, which is the last thing the region needs, because no matter what happens in Syria, all of these people with all of these fighting experience, they are going to be looking for another fight to get into,” Jim Dean told Press TV in an interview.

He added that the Middle East region now has to live for decades with Turkey’s “horrible mistake,” emphasizing that Turkey is “siding with the West” in its “destabilization program” for the region.

Dean said Turkey is currently helping the ISIL militants operating in Iraq by buying the oil they have been stealing from Iraq.

“We are tracking now ISIL and other jihadists that are taking over the oil areas; most of that oil they are selling it, transporting it to Turkey,” he said, adding, “So, Turkey is actually helping them fund themselves, which is making them independent even from the [Persian] Gulf states.”

The crisis in Iraq escalated after the ISIL Takfiri militants took control of Mosul, in a lightning advance on June 10.

More than a million people have been displaced in Iraq so far this year, according to the United Nations.

The ISIL has vowed to continue its raid towards Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that the country’s security forces would confront the terrorists, calling the seizure of Mosul a “conspiracy."

Pukhto Musiqi: Naghma - Wa Zama Khaista Kabula

Pakistan: No political representation of Ahmadis

Elections in Pakistan were held under a joint electorate system since 1947. All religious communities contested and voted for general seats at both federal and provincial level.

During the PPP government, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reserved seats for religious minorities in provincial assemblies in the 1973 constitution. The fourth amendment to the constitution in 1975 introduced six additional seats for minority groups in the National Assembly.

After Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims through an amendment to the constitution in 1974, their name was also added to the list of minorities with reserved seats. But these reserved seats were in addition to the minorities’ right to vote and contest elections in the general elections.

In 1984, Zia ul Haq introduced separate electorate by raising the number of seats for minorities from 6 to 10 in the National Assembly, and 9 to 23 in provincial assemblies. Ahmadis were allotted one National Assembly seat.

The separate electorate barred minorities from contesting or voting on general seats. This meant that there was, for example, only one seat available in the National Assembly to the Ahmadi community. So, the community could only vote on that one seat regardless of location of the candidate’s geography. Minorities lost the right to have a say in who governed them in their own constituencies.

In 2002, General (retd) Pervez Musharaf reintroduced the joint electorate system through The Conduct of General Elections Order. Shortly after, he added two more clauses to the 7th Article of the Order that specified a joint electorate system.

Sub-article 7B of the Order dictates that the status of Ahmadis remains unchanged. Article 7C of the Order suggests that if anyone has an objection to any name on the common voters’ list, an objection could be filed before the Revising Authority within 10 days of the issuance of the order. The Revising Authority is then bound to issue a notice to the person against which the application was made to appear and sign a declaration affirming his belief in the finality of the prophethood. Refusal to do so would result in the removal of his name from the joint electoral list and added to a supplementary list of voters as non-Muslim. This order appears to be a compromise between Musharraf and the religious clerics and did not specifically call for a separate list for Ahmadis. Yet, the Election Commission obtained data from Nadra and published a supplementary list of all Ahmadis in the country. The list, which includes home addresses of the people has been published for all elections since. This effectively means that there is one electoral list for all Pakistanis, and one supplementary list for the Ahmadi community.

Kunwar Idris, on behalf of the community, filed a petition in the Supreme Court in September 2007, claiming Musharraf’s Order “committed an invidious and impermissible discrimination”. The petition was admitted for hearing in February 2010 but is still pending after over a dozen hearings.

Bilawal Bhutto reiterates commitment to protect minorities

pakobserver.net

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-In-Chief, Pakistan Peoples Party has reiterated the commitment of his Party towards complete protection of minorities and equal rights on the eve of National Minority Day being observed in Pakistan today.

It may be recalled that August 11 was official declared National Minority Day by former President Asif Ali Zardari during PPP government in 2009 in line with the historic speech of Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah at the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947.

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan.

You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State”. In the same speech, Quaid-e-Azam said “We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one’s caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle: that we are all citizens, and equal citizens, of one State.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it was imperative to follow the foot-steps and vision of Quaid-e-Azam, Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the PPP continues to struggle the for rights and protection of Minorities amid A rise in bigotry and extremism. “PPP gave representation to the Minorities in the Senate in 2012 for the first time in the history,” he added.

He said the PPP and its leadership has an unshakable commitment to the protection and safeguard of the minorities as equal citizens with the same rights as that of the majority. It is with this commitment and pledge that the Party is fighting against the forces and elements who are bent upon targeting the innocent people of minorities.

He said his Party is concerned at the wave of violence against minorities in Punjab, Sindh and KPK where families and homes minority communities were burnt in Gujranwala, Gojra and Hindu traders were killed in Umerkot while Sikh traders were attacked and gunned down in Peshawar. PPP condemned these incidents in unequivocal terms and stands by the bruised communities for justice.

PPP Patron-In-Chief further said PPP always stood in the frontlines to safeguard minority communities and the places of worships.

Asif Ali Zardari - Champion of the politics of reconciliation

It is evident from the human history that whenever a nation has surfaced from the depths of helplessness and chose the way of dignity and self-respect by getting rid of misery, the credit goes to some leader who unites the people under one ideology and mission to make them a nation. After the demise of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan got only one true leader, Zaulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed. Zulfikar Bhutto reconstructed a defeated and disintegrated Pakistan from the scratch - an exemplary and unique feat that no other person could achieve in the history of Pakistani politics.

Zulfikar Shaheed laid the foundation of a people-friendly politics which put the country and the nation as his top-most priority and sacrificed his life for this mission. His great daughter Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto Shaheed whole-heartedly followed in the footsteps of her great father in politics and proved herself to be a true leader of the nation. Benazir Shaheed literally became the binding force between all the four provinces, but the enemy of the people of Pakistan could not bear this and brutally murdered her in a cowardly terrorist attack to pave way for their nefarious agenda.

After the demise of Ouaid-e-Awam (People's Leader) and Shaheed-e- Jamhooriat (Martyr of Democracy), it was Asif Ali Zardari who took the responsibility at this critical time to shoulder the burden of the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the only party which represents all the four provinces with an ideology deeply rooted in the hearts of almost all Pakistanis. At a time when the martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir brought grief and rage among the masses and inter-provincial harmony was at stake, it was Asif Ali Zardari who not only kept the party united by raising the slogan of Pakistan Khappay' (Long Live Pakistan) but also brought harmony among a grieved nation. Being a man of vision, he has bravely faced all the challenges that came his way and fought his political rivals with such a sagacity, deep insight, broad vision and unwavering resolve that even his opponents are forced to admit that he is the true successor of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the best politician of Pakistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party registered huge victory in 2008 elections and it brought a new and fresh change in Pakistani politics, as Asif Zardari kept all the political differences aside for the greater good. The most effective weapon through which he has conquered his political opponents is his politics of reconciliation. It was first time in the history of Pakistan politics that a winning party shared the power with all major political stakeholders.

It was the result of this politics of reconciliation that democracy has got a chance to strengthen its roots after a long period of dictatorship. Pakistan Peoples Party's five years in the central government is a bright example of this reconciliation policy. The democracy is strengthening in Pakistan today and it is only due to Asif Zardari, who not only consolidated the base of democracy during his five years in power but also handed over the power to next government in a peaceful manner which has guaranteed the country a bright and democratic political future. In Sindh Province too, the people's government of the PPP is following this golden principle of political reconciliation under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari, as per his vision. Despite having a majority in the provincial assembly, Sindh government has shared power with the MOM, which has a large representation of the people of Urban Sindh, just to respect the people's mandate and paving way for development and prosperity of the province. One year of Pakistan Peoples Party in Sindh is a golden period for the development of the province and is also an example to follow for the other provinces. Sindh's people's government is leaving no stone unturned to bring prosperity and progress to the masses of the province and it is working day and night to achieve this goal under the able leadership of true political heir of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Asif Ali Zardari. And this journey towards a bright future will remain continue.

After the demise of Quaid-e-Awam and Shaheed-e-Jamhooriat, the burden of the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the only Party which represents all the four Provinces, fell on the shoulders of Asif Ali Zardari.

Pakistan Peoples Party registered huge victory in 2008 elections, bringing a new turn to the Pakistani politics, when Asif Zardari introduced his policy of political reconciliation by keeping all the political differences aside.

'India under polio threat from Pakistan'

India may be gearing up against Ebola but a more serious threat is at hand.

One of 21st century's greatest public health achievements - India wiping out polio, is now under serious threat from across its borders.

The 10th meeting of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) held in London recently has concluded that the goal of stopping global polio transmission by the end of 2014 will be missed because of the worrying transmission in Pakistan and active export of the virus to other countries.

The World Health Organisation has confirmed that poliovirus from Pakistan has spread to Israel, West Bank and Gaza, and Iraq.

In 2012, there were 223 cases of polio in five countries. In 2013, there were 407 cases in eight countries.

IMB confirmed that it "cannot conclude that the grip on polio control is yet sufficiently strong. This is particularly because with just four months remaining until the 2014 deadline for stopping polio transmission, Pakistan has little hope of meeting this deadline, and Nigeria, with impending elections, is at real risk of losing the vital opportunity".

WHO says "Pakistan's situation is particularly problematic. Its polio control programme is years behind that in the other endemic countries. As currently constituted, the structure of the Prime Minister's Polio Monitoring Cell does not allow effective action against polio. A much stronger form of management and co-ordination is required".

WHO admitted that currently Pakistan appears likely to become the last polio endemic country in the world. This poses a serious threat to neighbours India which was in March 2014 declared polio free.

"It is an indictment of this country's programme that even in the easier eradication context of the low season, Pakistan has almost as many cases in the first 4 months of 2014 as in the whole of 2012 - and 9 times as many as in the same period in 2013. While some progress has been made in Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta, this is not sufficient to stop poliovirus transmission. It is vital that the prime minister and president urgently activate an emergency body with the resources, power and capability to transform this grave situation," WHO has said.

The deadline for global polio eradication has been repeatedly postponed and each time missed: the deadline years of 2000, 2004 and 2012 have all passed without the ultimate goal being reached.

IMB which is meeting against in London in October says that as the end-2014 deadline fast approaches, Nigeria and Pakistan are both at risk of failing to stop transmission in time (with greatest risk in Pakistan).

"There is a significant risk of one or more of the current outbreaks becoming prolonged. There is serious risk of failure to anticipate and prevent an outbreak elsewhere. Given these factors, the IMB's considered analysis is that the latest strategic plan goal of interrupting transmission by the end of 2014 is at extreme risk," WHO says.

The World Health Assembly recently declared polio eradication a programmatic emergency for global public health. WHO has called the spread of polio a public health emergency of international concern.

WHO says the last 1% cannot be allowed to persist any longer.

The IMB says that in late 2012, there was considerable optimism regarding the achievement of the polio free goal. Polio transmission in India had been interrupted and the three remaining endemic countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan) had made significant programmatic improvements. However, within a few months, events made the achievement of this goal appear less likely - targeted killing of polio vaccinators in Pakistan, polio virus entered Waziristan, a part of Pakistan in which polio vaccination had been - and remains - banned by Taliban commanders.

Poliovirus also spread from Pakistan to Syria, causing a major outbreak during the country's civil war. The IMB meanwhile has made several recommendations starting with the "establishment of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Pakistan, building upon Pakistan's recent experiences in responding to natural disasters. Top-level civil servants, senior representatives of national, regional and local government, religious leaders as well as military leaders should be a key part of this process".

It also recommends that "the heads of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative core partner agencies should meet urgently with the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan to support their essential leadership of the Pakistan polio eradication programme, and to offer every possible assistance".

The next meeting of the IMB will be held in London on September 30-October 2, 2014.

Pakistan: Not to let terrorists return, regroup: corps commanders

The corps commanders on Monday expressed their resolve not to let the terrorists return or regroup and they will not find shelter in any part of the country.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in its statement said, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shairf chairing a corps commanders meeting here said the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb will be successful with the help of Almighty Allah coupled with support of the brave nation.

During the meeting a detailed briefing was given on operation Zarb-e-Azb and the overall security situation of the country.

Expressing his complete satisfaction on targets achieved so far in the ongoing military offensive in North Waziristan Agency, the Army Chief paid glowing tributes to the soldiers and martyrs for demonstrating unmatched valor during the operation.

General Raheel Sharif also spoke high of the tribal people for their sacrifices and cooperation and directed the concerned officials for provision of facilities of highest standard to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) besides assistance for their return to their homes.

De-radicalisation programme for North Waziristan IDPs

Dr Fawad Kaiser

While efforts to tackle polarisation are likely to have a positive long-term impact on radicalisation, their success will be inhibited if they are conducted through the lens of security

A total of 570 terrorists and 34 security forces personnel have been killed since Operation Zarb-e-Azb began. Around one million internally displaced persons (IDPs), belonging to 90,750 families, have been registered since the beginning of the operation. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has said, “Now that their command and communication infrastructure has been disrupted, we will never allow them to return.” In my view, simply referring to the risk of violence and terrorism is not enough to justify the plight and the fear these IDPs will have when they are being rehabilitated. Intervening in this non-violent or pre-violent radicalisation phase with a robust de-radicalisation programme is necessary. The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA), in consultation with other institutions, can develop a national de-radicalisation screening programme to help counter terrorism and extremism in this cohort. A national de-radicalisation programme can then be implemented for people who are found to be vulnerable to extremism and need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated in society.

Such de-radicalisation programmes aim to discover whether rehabilitative forms of counter ideology can be used on Islamist extremists and terrorists in order to de-radicalise them and prevent them from committing acts of terrorism. In the 10 years following the 9/11 attacks of 2001, similar schemes were set up in almost every country where extremism became a problem, from the Far East to Europe. Some were lavishly funded, others poorly resourced. Based on classic criminal rehabilitation programmes, most involve a mix of vocational training and counselling, with a religious component designed to challenge the single narrative of Islamic extremism. They have been lauded by policymakers, counterterrorism experts and pundits as a critical part of the campaign to defend states and societies against militancy.

Notwithstanding the difficulties IDPs are going through, virtue ethics gives clear moral justification for programmes to prevent or stop radicalisation, provided that the programmes focus on developing participants’ capabilities to define and live their own good life. This justification for programmes that prevent radicalisation, or are aimed to stop a radicalisation process, poses constraints on the types of programmes that should be developed and the way participants are selected. Because the quest for a good life is a struggle for all human beings, it might not be stigmatising to point to a specific group that needs guidance or support. It needs to be carefully considered whether specific groups are targeted but, in principle, programmes should be open for every person in the camps.

De-radicalisation seeks to reverse the radicalisation process for those already or partly radicalised or help them to disengage with radical or extreme groups, whether or not they change their ideas. As a result, it tends to work. The unique approach of the de-radicalisation programme among IDPs can bring together social work with civic education in order to disentangle the individual’s sense of anger and hatred from their political view of the world, and help in tackling both the factors driving their anger and also re-educating them in the ways of democratic society and alternative ways of expressing and answering their concerns. The programme can talk them through a ‘hierarchy of needs’: first is self-responsibility and leaving violence, and second is leaving the ideology. Both are important but if you attack the ideology first, you leave the individual with nothing and no sense of meaning or worth. In a very few, the programme cases have been in danger of failing because they were too quick to focus on ideology. This is the key issue. De-radicalisation does not take place in a vacuum.

One of the reasons for the disappointment of the on-going intelligence and police led de-radicalisation programme in Pakistan is that, when released, its subjects return directly to villages in areas where support for the Taliban insurgents is strong. Even if individuals are convinced by what they have heard during the programme, they have to be very brave men to go back to their community and start saying that everyone else is wrong. Critically, research analysis shows that de-radicalisation screening and rehabilitation programmes work best when an insurgency or an extremist movement is losing. However, most agree that projects need a mixture of those with direct experience alongside professionals with other skills, such as psychologists, social workers and mental health practitioners. This blended approach brings a more holistic response. For ethical reasons, it is also important that the programme obtains consent from the participants and continues to provide financial and rehabilitative support for families even if they decide not to take part in this programme, as exposure may have harmful effects on them by opening up old wounds.

While efforts to tackle polarisation are likely to have a positive long-term impact on radicalisation, their success will be inhibited if they are conducted through the lens of security. This immediately reinforces the uneven power dynamic between government and army, which can hamper efforts at partnership and risk leaving communities more marginalised and fragile rather than empowered and included. Governments must also be mindful of who engages IDPs on counter-polarisation work. Heavy involvement of the army and intelligence agencies in integration work, for example, is not only inappropriate but reinforces suspicions on the part of communities that they are under surveillance and undermines government messages about “partnership”. Broadly speaking, the essential question is whether the objective of these programmes should be disengagement i.e. a change in behaviour or de-radicalisation, meaning a change in beliefs.

Counter-radicalisation efforts seek to tackle divisions, grievances, narratives and means, and de-radicalisation projects should aim at influencing both cognitive and behavioural aspects. Current de-radicalisation programmes focus largely on the ideological factor seeking to de-radicalise programme participants through disputation of the content of terrorist groups’ doctrines and religious interpretations. The process through which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist, especially where there is intent towards, or support for, violence requires being stopped. Programmes for IDPs can be directed against identified individuals who have become radical with the aim of re-integrating them into society or at least dissuading them from violence.

Governments play an important role in this regard in setting the policy framework, providing funding and addressing structural issues but communities also need to play their part for the overall approach to be successful. The government can sometimes struggle to conduct community-level intervention work at the local level, so there needs to be a partnership approach. Civil society responses in this regard will often occur in the normal pattern of every day life and interactions, rather than specific projects or interventions but it requires communities to be equipped to play this role and have established intergenerational relationships. There is also a role for frontline workers such as teachers, doctors, social workers and mental health professionals to offer support and further help.

Pakistan: Shahbaz Trying To Kill A Fly With A Cannon

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) the largest and main opposition party in the Parliament has strongly condemned Shahbaz Sharif’s Punjab government for overreacting to a simple situation and creating an atmosphere of siege throughout province causing miseries to the ordinary people, commuters and daily wage earners.

“PPP is shocked over the manner in which Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has overreacted to call by Dr Tahirul Qadri to pay homage today to those who had recently lost their lives during the Model Town incident due to unwise, thoughtless and arrogant police action”, PPP’s information secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said in a statement.

Kaira said Qadri may be a demagogue deserving no sympathy whatsoever but it makes no sense to punish the ordinary people for what the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief may be doing.

“Roads in major provincial cities have been blocked by placing containers, patients have been dying on roadsides due to lack of access to hospitals.

Gas stations and shops of daily food items are shut and public and private transport has come to a standstill. It is beyond comprehension as to why the provincial government has overreacted,” said Kaira adding that “It achieved nothing but exposed the provincial government’s sense of fear, paranoia and sheer desperation.”

The PPP leader said that the government of Shahbaz Sharif has miserably failed in tackling the situation in Lahore and was trying to kill a fly with a cannon.

He added that that “The chief minister has been unmindful of the huge social and human collateral damage which he inflicted on the hapless citizens and daily wage earners.”

The PPP demanded that provincial government should immediately lift the blockades faced by the province’s ordinary people and deal with Qadri in ways that are ingenious and non violent.

Pakistan: Police State

Wading through the clutter of the weekend just passed, key problematics might easily become lost to the analytical mind. The role, perception and political misuse of the police is one of them. Though a notoriously inept institution in Pakistan, the extent to which law enforcement officials have been played in a plot far-removed from them, is dangerous for the future, even in the short-term. Consider this: in the event of a great inqilaab that topples the current administration, the police force will remain the same. In the event of the PML-N government retaining power for the next four years, the police force will remain the same.

The policemen that Qadri’s supporters beat and torched at Bhera on Saturday, and clashed with in Model Town, the very same policemen who civilians saw manning petrol stations all over Lahore, hindering them, holding them back, and hurting them; the policemen who have been demonised as the face of the state, as the tools of state terror, and as reflections of the PML-N’s brute mentality, will not fall with the government. The government has, with all the force it could muster, thrust its weight and visibility onto the shoulders of this institution. This has been the greatest excess of the PML-N in all of its graceless political clambering. It has used the provincial police force as its own personal security agency. Without a moment’s thought, it has risked the safety of thousands of law enforcement officials, with TV screens around the country flashing with images of the culmination of a violent showdown between the state (police) and the anti-state on the streets. Of course the public is picking sides, and of course excitable mobs are invariably letting loose their frustrations at the police. After all, who else from the state, from the killing fields of politics, is visible at all?

A police state is generally defined as a country wherein there is no real distinction between the law (in this case law enforcement agencies) and the execution of political power. Over the last few days, any distance between the two in the Punjab has quickly eroded. Time and again, with complete abandon, the government has made the police its own stooge; from refusals to file First Information Reports (FIR) from victims of the Model Town incident, to the Model Town shootings themselves, to the PPO’s sweeping police powers, to cordoning off access and exit points to main roads and highways. Some kind of disconnect, at least perceptively, must be created to separate the idiocies of the government from the behaviour of the police, or more law enforcement officials will die at the hands of the mob and vice versa.

Pakistan: The elite war

by Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi

Pakistan is in the midst of a new elite war for the control of state power. Competing political leaders and parties are once again at each other’s throats in a bid to outmanoeuver one another. The newly emerging political star, Imran Khan, is leading the major political onslaught to dismantle the Sharif dynasty that controls the federal government and the most resourceful province of Punjab. Another religious-cum-political leader, Dr Tahirul Qadri, is mobilising his followers to generate enough political power to dislodge the Sharif brothers, i.e., Nawaz and Shahbaz. Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri have the support of some smaller political parties.

This is not for the first time that the civilian elite have fought with one another in a non-accommodating disposition. The standard operating procedure in Pakistan, where more governments have changed because of developments occurring outside the Parliament than inside it, is the launching of street agitation or calling upon supporters to storm Islamabad through a party-led, what is described as the Long March to Islamabad. In the past, Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and Benazir Bhutto/Asif Ali Zardari’s PPP actually launched long marches or threatened to do so against each other’s governments. In the past, both vowed to dislodge so-called dictatorial and corrupt governments that were said to have betrayed the ordinary people.

Now, Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif and their close associates are facing the threat of street agitation and the Long March because the two ‘saviours’ of the people of Pakistan want to remove the “personalised, corrupt and dictatorial” governments at the federal level and in Punjab. The earlier long marches or street agitations, going back to the anti-Ayub movement in 1968-69, did not improve governance or the quality of life for the ordinary people. The same is likely to be the outcome of the current political agitation. However, in the past, some such agitations did result in change of government, but such changes were not necessarily to the advantage of those who initiated the agitation.

Long marches and street agitations have become a recurring occurrence in Pakistan. The civilian elite use it to settle their political scores and the opposition parties often take to streets because neither the Parliament nor the ruling government care to develop negotiation skills for political conflict managements. The government relies either on tough talking or partisan use of the state apparatus to control the opposition effort to make life difficult for the government and paralyse it with the objective of coercing it into submission.

The civilian governments in Pakistan, including the two governments run by the Sharif brothers, have miserably failed to create a credible civilian political order that addresses the problems of the common people, who suffer from bad governance, growing economic pressures, a poor law and order situation and a selective or non-existent rule of law. The state system is unable to provide minimum civic and human services to the ordinary people. Instead, the two Sharif governments focus on personalised image-building, and media-oriented development projects, like roads, overhead bridges, bus services and distribution of free laptops to young people. They also distribute funds to victims of different crimes or incidents as personal acts of compassion rather than pursuing policies with a long-term perspective and focus on institution-building. The three issues haunting the people of Pakistan, i.e., electricity shortages, terrorism, and law and order, have received low priority.

Politics in Pakistan has, therefore, become a power struggle among the political and societal elite, who fight with one another, either to perpetuate themselves in power or dislodge their rivals from power. In this struggle, they change party affiliations and are prepared to spend a lot of money to pursue their agendas. Every political party is dominated by those who can dole out huge amounts of funds for party activities, especially to cover the cost of glamorous public meetings, massive propaganda campaigns and long marches.

The most interesting part of these elite wars is that the competing elite cannot succeed until they mobilise people to build street pressure on the sitting government. It is here that the role of the leadership, the mobilisation capacity of the party, a negative but hard-hitting defiant political discourse, attractive positive and negative slogans, and organisational capacity become important. Another key issue is the amount of funds a party can mobilise, whose detail is never made public.

Imran Khan’s and Dr Qadri’s parties seem to be dominated by the same old type of people with no concrete and clearly laid out plans to address the common people’s problems. Both have attracted young people, who are vigorous about changing the status quo in Pakistan, but they do not seem to be conscious of what it takes to knock out the well-entrenched interests and institutions in Pakistan, when there is no clear framework of the new order. The slogans of ‘revolution’ and ‘azadi’, and the verbal rhetoric for change, does not guarantee that the desired change can be achieved.

The attitude of the Sharif government towards Imran Khan’s demand was dismissive in the initial stages. He became more defiant and demanded Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. The Punjab government adopted tough administrative measures to upstage Dr Qadri, which resulted in violence. Imran Khan is also expected to face the wrath of the state when his party starts the long march.

If the ruling elite and the counter elite do not find some political solution by stepping back from their maximalist demands, the possibility of widespread violence cannot be ruled out. If the situation becomes very violent and unmanageable, the political initiative will shift to the military that has enough experience of deciding who will go home and who will be installed. We may know in a week or so if the Sharif brothers can salvage their faltering situation by using state coercion.

Pakistan: Iftikahr Ch, Sethi, Ramday, Ishtiaq Ahmed played key role in poll rigging

Giving details of planned rigging in May 2013 elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday revealed that former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, ECP member Ishtiaq Ahmed, the then acting chief minister of Punjab Najam Sethi, Anwar Mehboob, Riaz Kayani and Justice (r) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday played key role in the election rigging.

“After October 30, 2011, PML-N got scared as their turn was fixed. Afraid of Tsunami, they decided to bring their own umpires in ECP” he told a press conference.

Imran Khan revealed that Justice Riaz Kayani, who was lawyer of Ittefaq Foundry, was made provincial commissioner of the ECP.

He said Tariq Qadri came visited him and explained that Justice Kayani was playing the game for Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).

The PTI chief claimed that Punjab election commissioner Anwar Mehboob was transferred to Lahore and Tariq Qadri was transferred to Karachi in gross violation of election rules.

Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and Justice Ramday also played major role in the rigging, he added.

“Ramday invited ROs on dinners where Iftikhar Chauhdry was the chief guest,” Imran said.

Imran Khan said prominent journalist Najam Sethi, who was elected acting chief minister of Punjab ahead of general elections, was the third player of rigging after former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and Justice Ramday.

DROs and ROs started doing their work after our Mar 23 rally in Lahore and changed polling schemes, Imran said.

Imran revealed that Anwar Mehboob did the real job of rigging after he fell off the lifter on May 8, 2013. “Anwar Mehboob, on May 9, said we need tens of thousands new ballot paper. These extra ballots were needed for five Punjab divisions which had 98 NA seats. Anwar Mehboob was asked how can we print new ballot papers. He replied that we have orders from top” the PTI chief stated.

Imran said additional ballot papers were printed by out sourcing them, adding that Shaukat Noor, a local printer in Lahore, admitted that he printed extra ballot papers. The PTI chairman also claimed that he has an eye witness who has seen vote stamping at the house of PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq.

“I had tactically asked for only four constituencies because I knew what happened, that's why we didn't ask for more seats,” he said.

Now vote correction is being done in COMSATs basement, Imran claimed.

Khan said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did his infamous victory speech at the behest of Justice (r) Ramday as he was controlling the Returning Officers. Ramday made Nawaz Sharif do the victory speech so that ROs get under influence. Meanwhile, only 15% vote count was done by then.

NADRA chief was fired as to send a signal to others, this is common tactic employed by Sharif monarchy, he claimed.

Giving details of the rewards given to those who allegedly favoured the ruling government in general elections, Imran Khan said Najam Sethi was rewarded for ’35 punctures’ and his tax was waived. Mustafa Ramday was made Attorney General in violation of rules and Asad Ramday is member of the National Assembly from Toba Tek Singh while his niece is MNA on a reserved seat.

Imran claimed that ex-CJP son Arsalan Iftikhar was made Vice Chairman of Balochistan Board of Investment (BBOI). This was admitted by Hasil Bizenjo that ex-CJP had requested for Arsalan's appointment. On the other hand, Anwar Mehboob and current secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Ishtiaq Ahmed have been given extensions.

Tariq Bajwa and Shahid Khan are also rewarded for their duties.

PTI chairman Imran Khan said “We have no hope to get justice in the kingdom of Sharif.”

He said Azadi March on August 14 will be peaceful and requested the Punjab civil servants to save this country for the sake of their children.

Imran said that history gives us an example that a better democracy brings more progress. “Martial law is not the solution of country’s problems” he added.

Address the police authorities, Imran said Punjab police should not work as servants of Sharif family. “I appeal to Qadri shb, all political parties and even disgruntled PML-N members to join us, we will have a peaceful protest only” he said.

Imran Khan said he will try to bring Dr Tahirul Qadri on his agenda.

Pakistan: Two wrongs never make a right

In a TV talk show, to a question why politicians in Pakistan do not learn from history, one of the panelists gave an interesting answer: “Because history does not move in Pakistan.” Interestingly, the programme showed clips of speeches of Mian Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif where they were threatening the PPP government to mend its ways or get ready for a revolution and being hanged in public. At one place Shahbaz is quoted calling Zardari a master thief. From the way Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are addressing their workers, it is evident that our political leadership is short on civilised ways to negotiate national issues. But from the way the incumbent government has confronted the protests and responded to them show that the PML-N has not moved an inch either from its attitudes of the 1990s in dealing with opposition. Granted Tahirul Qadri is a late entrant to politics and is igniting violence by his fiery speeches that could create a law and order situation, but is using unthinking brute force the best way to nip the evil in the bud? Can the government close its eyes to the reality that Qadri possesses street power and brush him aside by merely saying that he is not worth talking to because his party has no presence in parliament? In other words can Qadri and his affiliates only be dealt with with the language of weapons, force and intimidation? It was this mentality that led to the Model Town incident on June 16 and what happened in Lahore and the Bahria interchange on the Motorway on August 9. The Qadri brigade was prepared this time round to face the Punjab police and following the instructions of their leader, they pounded the police with whatever weapons and force they could muster on Friday and Saturday. Several cars were set on fire, a police station was gutted and a police officer killed. Many injured are recovering in hospitals. On Youm-e-Shuhada (Martyr’s Day) yesterday, the workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were stopped from coming into Lahore. Chaos could be seen in different cities and districts of Punjab. If the PAT and its leader Dr Qadri are responsible for bringing the situation to this pass, the Punjab government is equally to be blamed for behaving more like an autocracy then a democratic government.

The Youm-e-Shuhada on Sunday has been mercifully relatively peaceful. Dr Qadri had planned a march on the day, which he suspended at the last moment, asking his workers to stay where they were and commemorate the day locally. There were speculations that he will lay out his plan of action regarding the revolution he plans to bring about, but he did not and has postponed it for another three days. He will make now embark on his revolution march on August 14, the day when Imran is taking out his independence march. Granted that Qadri and his party had been hurt by the Model Town incident, but what difference did resorting to violence this time round make? Peaceful protest is far more powerful than a violent one. One of the reasons why the lawyers’ movement was successful and achieved the desired results was that it never created a law and order situation; the state did, which fact eventually became a game changer.

One can perhaps see the present political circumstances in Pakistan as part of the evolutionary process that every society goes through before reaching democratic maturity and stability. But the evolutionary process cannot be left on its own to find the right direction and space. Political and social evolution has to be consciously managed and reared in the cultural, political and social context of a given country. That is why we have tons of theories and doctrines emanating from the principles applied to manage situations as the world progresses. So can our leaders afford to sit back and complacently allow the political process to play itself out in a manner reminiscent of our dictatorial past? In that case, no government can survive and will eventually be brought to its knees, since tyranny cannot endure beyond a point. The olive branch the government is extending now to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf could have been done earlier as well, if only the government’s advisors had had the sagacity to see the situation unfolding in the manner it has.

Pakistan’s survival depends on the peaceful resolution of differences and in the continuation of democracy. One hopes that the political leadership both in the government and opposition grasps this reality and will not allow August 14 to become another destabilising showdown in the history of Pakistan.

Pakistan: Undemocratic actions

Determined to quell the protests of Tahirul Qadri and his supporters, the Punjab government — with, surely, the backing of the prime minister — has raised the stakes alarmingly.

A siege mentality combined with a reckless willingness to use the coercive power of the state against political opponents left the provincial capital, Lahore, in a state of virtual lockdown over the weekend and disrupted the transport infrastructure in many parts of the province. To be sure, neither are Mr Qadri’s demands legitimate nor have his supporters been entirely peaceful during various run-ins with the provincial law-enforcement authorities.

Yet, this is the same Mr Qadri and the same set of supporters who a year and a half ago set out for Islamabad from Lahore, camped on the streets of Islamabad for days to press their unlawful and unconstitutional demands, and then disbanded — with little to no violence.

So it is clearly more than a little disingenuous for the PML-N leadership to claim that Mr Qadri and his supporters are now some great threat to the public peace and so, implicitly, responsible for whatever actions the PML-N government has decided to take against them.

Perhaps the larger tragedy here is that a political party that has been in power in Punjab for over six years, has an overwhelming mandate in the province and faces absolutely no threat of being toppled by Mr Qadri’s antics is showing itself to be so undemocratic in its actions.

Using the police and the administrative apparatus of the province in such a partisan manner, denying the citizenry its right to free movement and creating an artificial shortage of basic necessities — this is truly the stuff of undemocratic regimes.

Elected — legitimately — and twice in a row by the voters of Punjab, the PML-N is proving yet again why genuine and meaningful reform of the police and bureaucracy is so difficult regardless of who is in power.

Were there a more independent and rules-bound police and public administration in Punjab — something surely six years of being in charge would have made possible if there had been the political will — the PML-N would be unable to try and crush its political opponents.

And so long as that is the basic approach to power (crush or be crushed), the necessary institutional reforms will be resisted by civilian, elected leaders too.

Yet, the problems for the PML-N, predictably, have only increased thanks to the events in Lahore over the weekend.

Mr Qadri has announced he and his supporters will join the PTI’s Aug 14 rally in Islamabad — signalling an expected convergence of anti-PML-N forces.

Meanwhile, the PML-N’s strong-arm tactics will have alienated a few more potential political allies and surely left sections of the public unhappy as well.

Political isolation is never a winning political strategy — but it appears to be where the PML-N is headed at the moment.

Pakistan: PTI, Qadri long march: Situation getting dangerous

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has expressed serious concern over the political situation in the country after the announcement of Dr Tahirul Qadri to join PTI’s Azadi March.

In a statement on Sunday, the PPP leader said the situation was getting “dangerous” and fears were emerging that the democratic set-up could be wrapped up.

The PPP leader said that Dr Qadri had made “very dangerous announcements”. “Who will be responsible if the country witnesses bloodbath after the annou­ncement of Dr Qadri?” he asked.

Mr Shah said the country was heading towards confrontation.

He said the situation required that the security forces should be on high alert in the coming days.

Pakistan: Kaira condemns Punjab Govt actions

Pakistan People Party (PPP) secretary information Qamar Zaman Kaira has condemned the actions of Punjab government and said reaction on situation have jammed the whole province, which has caused severe difficulty to the people of Punjab.

In his statement from Islamabad, Qamar Zaman said that it is beyond apprehension that why CM Punjab reacted too much over call of Dr Tahir Ul Qadri to pay homage to martyred activists of Model Town Incident.

The PPP secretary information said that Dr Tahir Ul Qadri might be emotional person and they do not have sympathy with him but he does not understand why people of Punjab are being punished. He added that all the roads of important cities of Punjab have been closed. People could not even reach to hospitals, shops, petrol pumps.

Qamar Zaman Karia said that it seems that Punjab government has gripped with fear and hopelessness. He reminded that PPP government in its tenure tackled the long march and sit-ins amicably and after that Dr. Qadri had cancelled its March and sit-in himself.

PPP leader demanded Punjab government to remove all the blockade and tackle Dr Qadri without any violence.

Exclusive: Iraq says Islamic State killed 500 Yazidis, buried some victims alive

Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of Iraq's Yazidi ethnic minority during their offensive in the north, Iraq's human rights minister told Reuters on Sunday.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the Sunni militants had also buried alive some of their victims, including women and children. Some 300 women were kidnapped as slaves, he added.

"We have striking evidence obtained from Yazidis fleeing Sinjar and some who escaped death, and also crime scene images that show indisputably that the gangs of the Islamic States have executed at least 500 Yazidis after seizing Sinjar," Sudani said in a telephone interview, in his first remarks to the media on the issue.

Sinjar is the ancient home of the Yazidis, one of the towns captured by the Sunni militants who view the community as "devil worshipers" and tell them to convert to Islam or face death.

A deadline passed at midday on Sunday for 300 Yazidi families to convert to Islam or face death at the hands of the militants. It was not immediately clear whether the Iraqi minister was talking about the fate of those families or others in the conflict.

"Some of the victims, including women and children were buried alive in scattered mass graves in and around Sinjar," Sudani said.

The minister's comments could pile pressure on the United States - which has carried out air strikes on Islamic State targets in response to the group's latest push through the north - to provide more extensive support.

"In some of the images we have obtained there are lines of dead Yazidis who have been shot in the head while the Islamic State fighters cheer and wave their weapons over the corpses," said Sudani. "This is a vicious atrocity."

ANCIENT RELIGION

The Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, has prompted tens of thousands of Yazidis and Christians to flee for their lives during their push to within a 30-minute drive of the Kurdish regional capital Arbil.

Earlier in their push through northern Iraq, Islamic State, which also considers all Shi'ites heretics who must repent or die, boasted of killing hundreds of captive Shi'ite soldiers after capturing the city of Tikrit on June 12. They put footage on the Internet of their fighters shooting prisoners.

The Yazidis, followers of an ancient religion derived from Zoroastrianism, are spread over northern Iraq and are part of the country's Kurdish minority. Many of their villages were destroyed when Saddam Hussein's troops tried to crush the Kurds during his iron-fisted rule. Some were taken away by the executed former leader's intelligence agents.

Now they are on the defensive again. Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled for their lives after Kurdish fighters abandoned them in the face of Islamic State militants, and are trapped on a mountain near Sinjar at risk of starvation.

"We spoke to some of the Yazidis who fled from Sinjar. We have dozens of accounts and witness testimonies describing painful scenes of how Islamic State fighters arrived and took girls from their families by force to use them as slaves," Sudani said.

"The terrorist Islamic State has also taken at least 300 Yazidi women as slaves and locked some of them inside a police station in Sinjar and transferred others to the town of Tal Afar. We are afraid they will take them outside the country."

"The international community should submit to the fact that the atrocities of the Islamic State will not stop in Iraq and could be repeated somewhere else if no urgent measures were taken to neutralize this terrorist group," Sudani said.

"It’s now the responsibility of the international community to take a firm stand against the Islamic State to reach a consensus on a legitimate decision to start the war on Islamic State to stop genocides and atrocities against civilians."

The militant group, which arrived in northern Iraq in June, has routed Kurds in its latest advance, seizing several towns, a fifth oilfield and Iraq's biggest dam - possibly gaining the ability to flood cities and cut off water and power supplies.

SHARAB CHEEZ HI AISI HAI - PANKAJ UDAS

Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf : Govt should resign if can’t resolve issues

Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf Sunday said the country continues to remain where it was when he quit the government six years ago and advised the incumbent government to step down if it is unable to resolve issues.

Addressing his party’s convention here via telephone, Pervez Musharraf observed that people are not getting employment while poverty is on steady rise and the country’s progress remains stuck.

“People continue to remain mired in the swamp of difficulties,” he noted and condemned the Model Town tragedy and what was presently going on in Lahore.

He said he had no compulsion to leave the country and even if he did travel abroad he would return to Pakistan and its people. “The purpose for going abroad is only to visit my ailing mother,” he added.

“Where can I go from Pakistan…my life and death are tied to this country,” Musharraf said.

He regretted several ‘fabricated and baseless’ cases are registered against him.

Earlier, the former president Pervez Musharraf was declared Chairman of his party, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) during the convention.

Pakistan: A not so august march

Aoun Sahi

Political activities have reached their peak in the capital after Imran Khan’s announcement that his party would hold its planned ‘long march’ protest in Islamabad on August 14 at any cost and would not settle for anything less than the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and re-election in the country. Alongside, Tahirul Qadri has also announced to lead a ‘revolution march’ towards Islamabad.

So far, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Qadri’s party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have not joined hands for combined efforts to challenge the government. If at some stage this happens, it could be consequential in many ways for the government as well as for democracy in this country.

The brewing political crisis has created a panic-like situation among the ranks of the party in power; the prime minister has formally sought help from the political leadership of country to avert it. Former president and co-chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari is actively trying to find a political solution. He is said to have talked to Imran Khan, Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi and Qadri during the last few days. Syed Khurshid Shah, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, has also been playing an active role in bringing both Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif to a middle ground. PML-N secretary information and senator Mushahidullah Khan tells TNS that the prime minister’s resignation is out of question. “We have approached Imran Khan more than once for dialogue but he does not want to talk. How can a leader of a political party preclude the possibility of dialogue? Recounting is not the jurisdiction of government; the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and courts are the right forum to heed such demands.”

The government is going to deal with Tahirul Qadri in a tough manner. He says his party is serious to reform the electoral system of the country. “Tahirul Qadri is a non-political entity and would soon leave country again. He comes only to create chaos.” The PML-N has been trying his best to bring the PTI to the dialogue table. The 33-member electoral reforms committee of parliament has already met once and elected Ishaq Dar as its head.

The PPP leaders think the PML-N needs to approach the situation in a sober way. “Shahbaz Sharif as the chief minister of the largest province used to lead protest marches against load-shedding and the federal government during our last tenure. Nawaz Sharif went to the Supreme Court against our government [Memo Case]. But we stuck to the policy of dialogue. The PML-N did not use the forum of parliament in the past to resolve issues; ironically it is now asking the PTI to come to the parliament,” says Qamar Zaman Kaira, PPP’s secretary information.

Kaira says his party would not allow anybody to harm democracy. “There is only one way to reform the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and that is constitutional reforms. I do not know where would Imran Khan bring in a new ECP in his new Pakistan? I think the PTI has assumed that after the government falls, a new ECP would emerge automatically.”

He says the long-march would be a good experience for Imran Khan and PTI. “He would understand what state’s pressure or oppression means; it would be a good political training for the PTI workers.” Kaira concludes that both parties will have to come to a middle path.”

PM Nawaz Sharif has conducted meetings with more political leaders during the last few days than he did during the last six months. The political situation has also helped bring minor political parties like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to the centrestage. JI chief Sirajul Haq has been trying to mediate between Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. Khan who almost ignored his long-time friend and PML-N stalwart Chaudhry Nisar has discussed the long march in details with Haq who has met twice with the PM and Imran Khan during the last couple of days.

It really is a test of nerves. Background meetings with PTI leadership reveal that it has been trying to exert more pressure to achieve maximum benefit at the negotiating table. The PTI is aware that re-election under the present ECP and system would not help its cause. The party knows it is not in a position to pursue its agenda of radical electoral reforms, a new constitution for ECP and mechanism for a caretaker setup in the parliament; so, it has been exerting pressure outside the parliament. The party is looking for a strong commitment through ‘reliable guarantors’ to get its demands accepted and get them passed from parliament.

The PTI leadership may reach an agreement with the government but would go for its August 14 long march as planned. Imran Khan would not accept anything short of delivering his ‘victory speech’.

Political analysts think the situation has brought the military establishment on the driving seat again. It would make the final decision about the fate of this system and democracy in Pakistan. In his column for The News on August 5, Ayaz Amir wrote that no change has ever occurred in Pakistan except through the power of the sword — the open or hidden intervention of the army. “Why should it be different this time? Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are playing no one’s game. The script in front of them is their own. But the arena or theatre in which they are playing their parts is controlled not by them. Over it fall the long shadows cast by the army’s bayonets. Whether we like it or not, such is the nature of the Pakistani state, such are the contours of Pakistani politics.”

PML-N leadership which has been very critical of role of establishment in politics, especially in the Musharraf case, is not issuing any more provocative statements. The last visit of PM to the General Headquarters on July 17 is said to have resulted in “bringing both sides closer”.

How would the establishment react to Imran Khan’s long march? The million dollar question would remain unanswered till August 14. Khan has already conveyed a strong message to the military establishment that he felt betrayed by them in the May 2013 elections.

BALOCHISTAN: MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MASSES – ANALYSIS

By Anurag Tripathi

“There was no difference between a human being and animals in Balochistan where mutilated bodies were found on a daily basis.” – Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on April 6, 2012

On July 4, 2014, Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Department sources said that over 800 bodies were found in the southwestern Pakistani province during last three-and-a-half years, with most of them being found in Quetta, Khuzdar and Makran belt. The sources said that 466 victims were identified as ethnic Baloch, 123 as Pashtuns, and 107 from other ethnicities. Meanwhile, the Home Department sources explained that 107 bodies remained unidentified. Of the 466 Baloch killed in the province, most were political workers while the remaining were killed in incidents of targeted attacks, tribal disputes, domestic violence etc.

According to Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), up to 18,500 people of Balochistan have been missing since 2000, and of them data on 14,000 have been documented by the VBMP. VBMP claimed that during the Pervez Musharraf era (1999-2007), 4,000 Baloch went missing. The number increased to 18,500 during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government (2008-13), and the present Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) government. The VBMP has shared data on 14,000 missing people with courts and United Nation agencies.

On Feb 1, 2014, the Supreme Court had taken notice of the issue following a statement by the Chairman of the VBMP Nasrullah Baloch, who had claimed that around 100 bodies had been recovered from mass graves in Khuzdar district, and among them three had been identified as missing persons.

In December 2013, Nasrullah Baloch alleged that 161 Baloch political workers had been subjected to extra-judicial killings in different parts of Balochistan in 2013, and that “Secret services picked up 510 Baloch political workers.”

Highlighting the perpetual danger, Nasrullah Baloch had writing about it earlier on July 11, 2012 said: “Every day Frontier Corps and secret agencies kidnap political workers in broad daylight and keep them in their illegal torture cells, and then we receive their bullet-riddled, mutilated dead bodies.”

Significantly, the Supreme Court has been hearing the Balochistan missing people case since 2012 and has already reprimanded the government for its failure to comply with its order on several occasions. At times, the government has pleaded helplessness in the matter.

Crucially, on Jan 30, 2014, the Balochistan Provincial Government conceded before the Supreme Court that it was handicapped in recovering missing Baloch persons, because it had no effective control over the Frontier Corps (FC), which was accused of ‘detaining’ these persons. A year ago, in March 2013, the Commission on the Inquiry of Enforced Disappearances, a government-sponsored judicial commission, admitted that total number of missing person cases stood at 621 at that time. However, Nasrullah Baloch, dismissed the figure: “Absolutely wrong figures. 621? Not at all. 23,000 is the number of registered cases. From this, a whole 14,000 came during the current government’s tenure.”

Abduction and extrajudicial killings has become the order of the day in the province. The disappearances and killings are widely believed to be orchestrated by Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies, particularly including the Frontier Corps and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), or by their proxies, particularly the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Aman Balochistan (TNAB, Movement for the Restoration of Peace, Balochistan).

Interestingly, the Balochistan government on Dec 30, 2013, evolved a “smart and effective security policy”. Under the new policy, the operation would begin against the Baloch parties; such as Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Tigers (BLT) and United Baloch Army (UBA), Baloch United Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Front. Significantly, Islamist terrorist formations find no mention in this listing, though they are responsible for the greater proportion of attributable attacks and killings in Balochistan.

However, contradicting his Home Minister’s implied allegation, as well as Islamabad’s standard rhetoric about India’s role in the troubles in Balochistan, on Oct 20, 2013, the Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch stated that he had no evidence of alleged Indian involvement in the volatile region.

Baloch had expressed the same view earlier in London, that the Pakistani establishment was responsible for the deteriorating situation in Balochistan and for pursuing ‘flawed policies’.

Anger among Baloch nationals continues to mount, both as a result of the continuing neglect of the province and the relentless campaign of ‘disappearances’ inflicted on dissidents by the state’s forces and covert agencies. The rebels continued to carry out attacks overwhelmingly targeting the economic infrastructure in the province, mainly gas pipelines, power pylons and railway tracks.

While Islamabad continues to ignore the ground reality in the province, the security forces remain preoccupied with their “kill and dump” operations. The Baloch separatist sentiment is hardening in the wake of continued state neglect and intensifying atrocities and disappearances engineered by the state and its agencies.

Meanwhile, Islamabad’s policy of appeasing Islamist extremists while suppressing the genuine demands of the Baloch people by raising the bogey of the ‘foreign hand’ continues to wreak devastation in the province. Conspicuously, Islamabad’s strategy of supporting armed fundamentalist formations and other violent proxies, to compound military and covert intelligence campaigns, indicate that the crisis in Balochistan is set to linger on for an indefinite period.

Pakistan: MILITARY MEDDLE

BY ZULFIQAR MANNAN

A NEW BOOK AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE MIND OF THE PAKISTAN MILITARY.

Aqil Shah’s The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan (Harvard University Press, 2014) takes a hard look at the Pakistan Army and its regular interventions in politics. We recently spoke with Shah, who teaches at Princeton University, about his book, the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan, and more. Excerpts:

What inspired you to write this book?

The book is primarily concerned with understanding why militaries launch coups, and this is explored in the context of Pakistan. The 1999 coup by Pervez Musharraf rekindled one of my earliest political memories, the judicial murder of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whose government was overthrown, as my father explained at the time, by a “vicious mustached monster.” It drove me to try to systematically understand and explain military politics in Pakistan, but the existing social-science scholarship left me dissatisfied. Most of it explains coups through nonmilitary factors—weak civilian institutions, poor leadership, and the military’s corporate interests—without any regard for the military’s own beliefs system that shapes the views and behavior of its ranks. The authoritarian attitudes of senior officers provide the moral justification for both the Army’s permanent role as Pakistan’s guardian and its recurrent political interventions. My book emphasizes this neglected factor.

Some readers have described your book as cynical. Is that fair comment?

I take a critical view of the military’s political role. There is no such thing as pure objectivity; what I write is my interpretation of the “facts.” I have a pro-democracy bias and strongly believe that civilian control of state is a universally-applicable principle of democratic governance, not a culture-specific concept as some generals believe. The book is an informed critique of military praetorianism.

Has the acquisition of nuclear weapons impacted the Pakistan Army’s thinking?

Nuclear weapons have surely shaped the military’s institutional mindset in relation to India, mainly by emboldening it to wage a proxy war in Kashmir in the belief that having nuclear weapons rules out conventional war. The generals have overthrown civilian governments both before and after Pakistan developed nuclear weapons. The possession of the bomb has not had as pronounced an effect on the military’s perceptions of its proper role in the polity as some would like to think.

Operation Zarb-e-Azb began in mid-June in North Waziristan to cleanse the tribal agency of local and foreign militants. What’s your take on the military offensive?

There are least two important dimensions to Zarb-e-Azb. The first one is the avoidable and largely ignored humanitarian crisis created by the criminally negligent response of both the military and the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments. Almost a million people have been displaced and left to fend for themselves. The state’s abdication of its responsibilities has encouraged and allowed violent nonstate actors to fill the vacuum. The second dimension is terrorism. Does this operation represent more of the same old, same old whack-the-“bad”-Taliban approach or does it signal a real departure from the policy of using jihad in support of a revisionist foreign policy? The military’s claims to the contrary, its definition of terrorism still does not seem to include terrorist groups like the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network or Lashkar-e-Taiba. This is perhaps because it still considers these to be its strategic assets for ongoing and future use in Afghanistan and against India.

US Warns Its Citizens To Avoid Travel To Pakistan

United State of America warns its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Pakistan.

Attributable to political tension, and bad conditions in the country especially in Punjab USA has issued the travel advisory for Pakistan. According to the U.S. Foreign Department report, the American citizens should avoid non-essential travel during the bad condition in Pakistan. American citizens must be avoided to attend in any protest or meeting in Pakistan, report added.

- See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/us-warns-its-citizens-to-avoid-travel-to-pakistan/#sthash.2xpOQilL.dpuf

Pakistan: Doing It Wrong

Is this match fixing? Are they intentionally trying to be terrible at playing politics? There is a man, and he wants confrontation. He wants chaos, he wants violence and he wants it all on tape. But of course, he can’t be completely direct about it. He cannot afford to be viewed as the sole, unprovoked instigator. That’s nothing like Karbala. That won’t sell. He wants to be the victim, not the oppressor. That’s the role he wants you to perform to the very best of your abilities. So, he baits you. He announces a Martyr’s Day to be observed on August 10, and assures everyone that his followers will remain peaceful as long as law enforcement personnel don’t use unnecessary force. That sounds fair enough. You’re the government. What do you do?

Common sense suggests that you don’t give him what he really seeks. Because there’s a reason why he wants what he wants. So, you let them assemble and exercise their rights as guaranteed by the constitution. The same constitution you claim to be shielding against Mr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s onslaught. You complete your preparations for all foreseeable situations, ensure that the media remains present on the site(s) and watch patiently. If they break their promise and resort to violence, everyone will be a witness and you can respond accordingly. No one will hold it against you. This is Pakistan. It is unlikely that a series of peaceful protests will result in your early departure from the corridors of power. A lot more than just that is required for your nightmare to come true.

For example, a frantic provincial government overreacting to a relatively normal situation and intensifying it for the benefit of seasonal ‘revolutionaries’. Making illegal arrests, sealing entry and exit points to Lahore, besieging Model Town with containers and personnel, creating an artificial shortage of fuel across the province, illegally taking vehicles into custody, and transforming your provincial capital into a battlefield overnight. These are the things political nightmares are made of. Before, only TV screens suggested that something was cooking up. Now, owing to the PML-N’s unnecessarily proactive approach, the turmoil is easily visible and it has spread everywhere in the Punjab. There are queues for hours outside fuel stations. Mr Qadri wants to play, and the Punjab government is preparing the ground for him. He denounces them as tyrants, and they respond with force unguided by law or reason. There exists such perfect harmony between his words and their actions.

The PML-N needs to apply the breaks on its drive against Mr Qadri, which is only making him go faster. De-escalation of affairs must be the top priority. The government shouldn’t aim to obliterate, but to contain. And containers aren’t the only way of doing that. Revolutions need momentum, a tense political and social environment... and blood. The government should ask itself: has it in any way contributed to Mr Qadri’s movement? How and how much? As soon as it figures that out, it can stop.

Pakistan: If Khan won’t bend, govt is ready to brake!

Failure to accomplish dialogue, guarantees and safe passage for long march at the federal capital’s D-Chowk have become major irritants in the back-channel contacts between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaderships with the latter planning to somehow keep PTI engaged in talks till the last moment, failing which PTI marchers would be stalled at the capital city’s doorstep, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.

Well-placed sources engaged with the backchannel contacts between the two sides have informed Pakistan Today that the PTI chief has guaranteed a peaceful long march followed by a dialogue with the government if his party workers are given a safe passage to D-Chowk. However, the government emissaries want a dialogue before the long march and guarantors who could give the assurance that PTI workers would not cross limits by capturing sensitive government installations if allowed into the capital.

A source, seeking anonymity, said that the government and other political forces were working quietly to finalise the terms of reference (ToR) of a ‘secret deal’ to allow PTI Chairman Imran Khan to hold the march in the federal capital. However, Khan would be asked to guarantee a peaceful march to be held at a specific location fixed mutually by the PML-N government and PTI and ensure that no government installation is damaged or overtaken by protestors, paving the way for a formal dialogue to take place between the two sides.

“Khan has given his word to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq that if the government allows PTI to hold a peaceful rally in the federal capital and no PTI worker is harassed by the administration, the demonstration would remain peaceful and calm and no law and order situation would be created,” the source said.

The source added that PTI leader has told the negotiators that he could not call off his long march as it may jeopardise his political career at this juncture.

GOVT MANEUVERING TO KEEP PTI, PAT APART:

Another source said that the government was successful in implementing its plan to keep PTI at distance from the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and some ‘friends’ in the party had made this happen.

“Though Khan had announced on Friday night that he would attend Youm-e-Shuhda announced by Dr Tahirul Qadri, some government moles in PTI successfully build pressure on Khan and changed his mind. Now the government’s agents in PTI are making sure that PTI and PAT remain divided on long march plans so that no threat is posed to the government,” the source added.

The source added that though the government was dealing with PTI “softly” for the time being, yet it was planning to disrupt PTI’s long march once PAT long march plan was neutralised successfully.

WHO WILL VOUCH FOR KHAN?:

Though the political leaders have advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to allow PTI to hold a rally in the federal capital, the biggest question the government is asking from the political leaders advocating for a deal with PTI is that who will guarantee peace if Khan gathers more than 200,000 protestors.

“This is a million dollar question and no politician is in a position to give this assurance on behalf of Khan. But since no one is able to give guarantee for Khan, the government is likely to use force to disrupt Khan’s long march once it gets rid of Qadri’s marchers,” the source said.

RECOUNTING IS HAQ’S IDEA:

Moreover, a source involved with the background talks said that neither the PTI leader has demanded recounting of votes in 10 or 40 constituencies nor the government had made any such offer.

“This is actually a formula presented by Sirajul Haq who has advised the government to allow PTI to hold the long march and later the government may offer recounting in 10 National Assembly constituencies. Under the negotiations, the bargaining may go up to 35 or 40 NA constituencies,” the source added.

BETTER NOT USE FORCE:

Furthermore, the source said that the politicians have advised not to use state force against the PTI’s protesters like Qadri as Khan could gather bigger crowds than the preacher and the agitation could spread to other parts of the country which may go out of control anytime.

Another politician involved with the dialogue said that the PPP leadership has conveyed to the prime minister that there was no role of the armed forces behind this unrest. However, he added that the government still looked confused whether or not to accept PTI chief’s demands.

The source added that almost all the political forces were of the view that Dr Qadri was violating the law of land and his ambitions were anti-democracy which could not be accepted. He added that Qadri had refused to accept the supremacy of the constitution and he wanted to amend it through the so-called revolution rather than the parliament.

When contacted, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi confirmed that his party would have direct dialogue with the PML-N government only once its workers were allowed to enter the federal capital to hold a peaceful demonstration.

PML-N LAWMAKERS BANNED FROM MEDIA TALK:

Neither Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid nor Special Assistant to Prime Minister Irfan Siddiqui responded to the questions raised by Pakistan Today.

A PML-N leader however said that Political Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani had directed all government lawmakers and ministers not to attend any TV programme or to talk to media until permitted by the premier.

Pakistan: Children being used to sell fireworks in Islamabad

Because of a ban on the sale of fireworks, some people in the city have started using children to sell fireworks ahead of Independence Day.

The reason for using children is that it becomes difficult for the police to lodge a case against a child under the juvenile law. Even if a child is arrested, they get bail without any difficulty.

The first information reports (FIRs) against children are also quashed.

It may be noted that Independence Day celebrations have already started all over the city. People are buying not only national flags but also badges, stickers and other items to celebrate the day.

Maqbool Ahmed, a citizen, told Dawn that despite the ban traders were selling fireworks and firecrackers.

“Children take more interest in fireworks than badges and other things. Every time I go to the market, my children ask me to purchase fireworks for them.”

He said at the start of the month, he purchased a flag and hoisted it on the roof of his house.

“The flag will remain there for another two weeks and after that I will save it for next year.”

He said buying fireworks was wastage of money because children use it for entertainment of just a few seconds.

Moreover, fireworks can be dangerous for children. Not only can they injure themselves but also fireworks can trigger a fire inside the house.

“I cannot understand why the law enforcement agencies have ignored the sale of fireworks in the city,” he said.

Ijaz Ahmed, a trader, said sometimes police took action against firework sellers. Some persons were also arrested in the past for selling fireworks without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC).

“At the moment, traders are using children to sell fireworks. The reason behind it is that police do not take action against children. Moreover, children sell fireworks while roaming in the markets and streets so they can easily avoid police action,” he said.

Kamran Ahmed, a nine-year-old child, who was selling fireworks in a market at I-10, told Dawn that he was a student of Class IV and had been selling fireworks to supplement his parents’ meager income.

“Nowadays there are summer vacations and I have completed my homework so I can give time to this business. Children from my area come to my stall and buy fireworks,” he said.

While replying to a question, Kamran said his father was a painter and the family lived in a rented room of an apartment in Sector I-10/2.

“My father buys fireworks from Purana Qila in Rawalpindi. I keep most of them at my home because whenever police come they confiscate fireworks instead of arresting me. In case of a big order, I go home and bring the fireworks for the customers,” he said.

Riasat Ali Azad, a Supreme Court lawyer, told Dawn that it was a crime to sell fireworks without getting an NOC.

“Police should take strict action against the illegal business because incidents can take place because of the use of fireworks, especially by children,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Area police arrested two persons for selling fireworks in I-8 Markaz.

Mohammad Imran, an official in the police station, said it was a bailable offence so both the suspects were released by the court.

In reply to a question, he acknowledged that a number of children were selling fireworks in the markets.

“But there is always an adult behind these children who provide them investment, material and protection. The police try to arrest the persons who use children for selling fireworks,” he said.

Pakistan: Government its own worst enemy

US President John F Kennedy once noted: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.”

Not to say that Pakistan is in the midst of any form of revolution, Tahirul Qadri’s polemics notwithstanding, but in this case the government does face protests, and by trying to violently pre-empt peaceful protest, which is the democratic right of citizens, it ensures that violent protest will follow. Qadri is preparing supporters to observe what he has declared Yaum-e-Shuhada (Martyr’s Day) today to commemorate the victims of the tragedy in Model Town on June 16 when 12 of his supporters were gunned down by the police while demonstrating. The incident spread the perception among people that the government was willing to use force against its political opponents, but instead of dispelling that idea, the government has only reinforced it with oppressive tactics that have resulted in chaotic fighting between police and political workers. Lahore, the PML-N’s stronghold, has been brought to a virtual standstill over the last two days by the government’s attempts to block Qadri’s supporters from entering the city or gathering. The thin pretext given is the government says it received intelligence they were planning to use violence, though so far it has not provided evidence for this claim. Citizens in Lahore have naturally been angered by the government blocking roads and preventing fuel supplies, disrupting daily life. Protests are now a part of life in Pakistan and neutral citizens have learnt to avoid them, but by blocking numerous access roads into Model Town and putting containers around the area where Tahirul Qadri’s residence is located, the government has turned citizens’ anger onto itself instead of Qadri. The constitutionality of restricting citizens’ movements in this manner was also questionable, though the Lahore High Court when hearing a petition on the issue decided that the government was only obliged to ensure citizens had right of way and were not completely restricted.

It appears as though Nawaz Sharif and his PML-N colleagues still think this is the 1990s when democratic governments could often get away with undemocratic behaviour because of the lack of a free press and an independent judiciary. Then many people were used to seeing parties in power using the state’s resources for political purposes, but this is no longer the case in a Pakistan where every small action is immediately seized upon by the press. Then too in the 1990s it was the virtual blood-feud between the PML-N and the PPP that brought down both parties in the end as they connived with the establishment and presidents to destabilise each other on multiple occasions. The belief in Pakistan now was that after eight years in exile the Sharif brothers had learnt political maturity and the ‘reconciliation’ philosophy espoused by Benazir Bhutto and ratified by Nawaz Sharif and Bhutto in the 2006 Charter of Democracy (COD) was part of their political philosophy. The tyrannical crackdown on Tahirul Qadri’s supporters around Punjab in the last three days and the use of police to impound containers and block roads has hence shocked many people and most importantly has provided ammunition for Imran Khan’s claims that the Sharif’s are ‘monarchs’. Yaum-e-Shuhada is a trial run of what could happen on August 14 when Imran Khan descends on Islamabad with his supporters. The government says it will try to prevent him from entering Islamabad and has designated an area outside the city for the protest to take place.

It is also reaching out to Imran for talks, but given that it is at the same time arresting his supporters, it has made it even more unlikely that he will listen. His recent statement that the PML-N will be responsible if the military intervenes shows how far the government has played into his hands since he was the one who began this confrontation. There is still time for the government to change tack and allow Imran Khan his protest, just as it should allow Tahiru Qadri’s, but its stance seems to have hardened instead. August 10 is a dress rehearsal for Independence Day and could destabilise the country further.