Western Nations Split on Arming Kiev

By MICHAEL R. GORDON, ALISON SMALE and STEVEN ERLANGER

Differences within the Western alliance over whether to send defensive arms to Ukraine were thrust into the open on Saturday whenAngela Merkel, the German chancellor, bluntly opposed providing lethal military support to Kiev and called instead for continued efforts to persuade Russia and separatist forces to cease fire.

“The progress that Ukraine needs cannot be achieved by more weapons,” she told a security conference here. Instead, she spoke of how Western values and persistence won the Cold War.

Ms. Merkel’s position was challenged by Senator Bob Corker, a Republican of Tennessee who is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and by Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who noted that there was growing support in the American Congress for arming Ukraine.

Malcolm Rifkind, the former British foreign secretary and Conservative politician, said it was unlikely a peace agreement could be reached unless there was a combination of military assistance and diplomacy, so that the Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine faced tougher Ukrainian resistance.

The pointed exchanges laid bare the divisions within the West’s ranks and did not provide a sense of how the United States and its European allies hoped to fashion a common strategy that might persuade PresidentVladimir V. Putin of Russia to honor an agreement negotiated in Minsk, Belarus, in September. The agreement called for a cease-fire and the removal of Russian weapons and forces from eastern Ukraine.

Ms. Merkel did not say if she had made any headway in her talks in Moscow on Friday with Mr. Putin and the French president, François Hollande, who has also opposed arming the Ukrainians but is eager to fulfill an existing contract to sell warships to Russia if the crisis eases.

Ms. Merkel drew parallels to the containment policy that brought an end to the Cold War and suggested that a prolonged period of economic sanctions was the best strategy, though one, she acknowledged, that might not work in the end.

“We have no guarantees that President Putin will do what we expect him to do,” she said, conceding that Russian violations of the Minsk agreement had been “very disillusioning, very disappointing.” But given the imbalance in forces between Russia and Ukraine, she said, “I do think that military means will lead to more victims” and not produce the West’s desired outcome.

Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who has argued forcefully for weapons deliveries to Ukraine, summed up his reaction to Ms. Merkel’s speech with one word: “Foolishness.”

Mr. McCain said that unless the West beefed up its support to Ukraine, Mr. Putin could next seize the port of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine with a view to building a land bridge from Russia proper to Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed last March. “I can assure you that he will not stop until he has to pay a much higher price,” Mr. McCain said.

After her appearance, Ms. Merkel met with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine. Mr. McCain, after meeting Mr. Poroshenko, said, “It’s safe to say that he’s not overly optimistic about this negotiation. 

Mr. Biden said in his speech that while he had appeared before the conference six years before to urge that American-Russian relations be “reset,” that period was over; the West was now being tested by Russia’s actions and needed to change its focus.

“The Ukrainian people have a right to defend themselves,” said Mr. Biden, who stopped short of saying that the United States would provide lethal weapons.

Mr. Poroshenko appealed in his speech for military assistance, arguing that it would encourage Russia to accept a political solution. “The stronger our defense, the more convincing is our diplomatic voice.” And he strongly rejected the idea that additional territory concessions should be made in return for a new agreement.

He said Ukraine wanted defensive weapons to counter Russian artillery and radar, not offensive weapons, including communications equipment, and counter-battery radars.

Economic sanctions have so far failed to dissuade the Russians from intervening in Ukraine. Since the Minsk agreement, the separatists have gained 500 square miles and taken the airport at Donetsk.

Germany, France and Britain believe that economic sanctions need more time.

The incoming defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, has said he is inclined to provide arms to the Ukrainians. And Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, the NATO commander, told the conference on Friday that the delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine should not be ruled out if economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts failed to persuade the Russians to honor the Minsk agreement.

The White House has been much more cautious, and President Obama is waiting until Ms. Merkel visits Washington on Monday before deciding.

So far, the Obama administration has committed itself to providing $118 million for training and nonlethal equipment for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, State Border Guard Service and National Guard. The United States is also preparing plans for $120 million in additional nonlethal training and equipment.

But faced with continued gains by Russian-backed separatists, the Obama administration has begun to weigh whether to send antitank missiles, reconnaissance drones, counter-battery radar and other defensive arms and equipment to Ukraine.

The new German and French initiative emerged in response to reports that lethal assistance was now on the table in Washington. Ms. Merkel called Mr. Putin about the crisis, and the he sent a letter to the German and French leaders with his ideas.

Western officials said Mr. Putin’s plan was a nonstarter, because it reportedly set new, more expansionary boundary lines for separatist-held eastern Ukraine and proposed legal autonomy for those regions. One aspect of the current negotiations involves establishing a wide demilitarized zone, Mr. Hollande told French television on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France called Secretary of State John Kerry to let him know that Germany and France were preparing a counterproposal. The Americans insisted that the Europeans discuss their ideas with Kiev, and on Friday, after meeting with Mr. Poroshenko, Ms. Merkel and Mr. Hollande flew to Moscow to see Mr. Putin.

The Germans and French have said little about their initiative and how it relates to the Minsk agreement.

One German official, who asked not to be identified, said the Minsk agreement would be an “anchor point” but also stressed the need to be realistic about the military situation, hinting that the separatists might need to be allotted more territory than was envisioned under the agreement.

Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said he expected the discussions Mr. Putin had with Ms. Merkel and Mr. Hollande to continue and that there were “good grounds for optimism.”

But he said little to suggest how common ground might be found. He accused the United States of turning a “blind eye to Ukrainian abuses” and complained that the West had supported an “anti-constitutional coup d’état.”

Merkel defends Ukraine arms stance in face of U.S. criticism

BY STEPHEN BROWN AND NOAH BARKIN

Germany's Angela Merkel said on Saturday that sending arms to help Ukraine fight pro-Russian separatists would not solve the crisis there, drawing sharp rebukes from U.S. politicians who accused Berlin of turning its back on an ally in distress.

The heated exchanges at a security conference in Munich pointed to cracks in the transatlantic consensus on how to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over a deepening conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 5,000.

Ukraine's military said on Saturday that pro-Russian separatists had stepped up shelling of government forces and appeared to be amassing troops for new offensives on the key railway town of Debaltseve and the coastal city of Mariupol.

The rebel offensive has triggered a flurry of shuttle diplomacy, with Merkel and French President Francois Hollande jetting to Moscow on Friday to try to convince Putin to do a peace deal.

But European officials acknowledge that the Russian leader may have little incentive to negotiate now, preferring to sit back and watch as separatists seize more territory, undermining a ceasefire agreement clinched last September in the Belarus capital Minsk.

The German leader conceded in Munich, after returning home from Moscow in the dead of night, that it was uncertain whether a Franco-German peace plan presented to Kiev and Moscow this week would succeed.

But she flatly rejected the notion that sending weapons to Kiev, an idea being considered by U.S. President Barack Obama, would help resolve the conflict.

"I understand the debate but I believe that more weapons will not lead to the progress Ukraine needs. I really doubt that," said the conservative German leader, who has led western efforts to try to resolve the crisis through negotiations and will travel to Washington on Sunday for talks with Obama.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, speaking at the same conference, tried to play down differences with Europe, saying he and Obama agreed that no efforts should be spared to resolve the conflict peacefully.

But he made clear that Washington stood ready to provide Ukraine with the means to defend itself, saying: "Too many times President Putin has promised peace and delivered tanks, troops and weapons."

BLANKETS VS TANKS

U.S. senators Lyndsey Graham and John McCain, both Republican hawks, were withering in their criticism of the German stance, which is supported by other big European countries like France.

"At the end of the day, to our European friends, this is not working," Graham said of Merkel's diplomatic efforts. "You can go to Moscow until you turn blue in the face. Stand up to what is clearly a lie and a danger."

McCain added: "The Ukrainians are being slaughtered and we're sending them blankets and meals. Blankets don't do well against Russian tanks."

Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March last year and evidence that it is supporting separatist forces in the east of the country, which the Kremlin denies, have driven Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

The EU and United States have imposed a series of sanctions against Moscow that have contributed to a sharp downturn in the Russian economy.

Merkel and her allies in Europe want to continue to punish Russia by tightening the economic screws. Obama faces pressure from members of Congress to do more.

In an emotional plea for support in Munich, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko listed the number of troops and civilians that had been killed since the crisis started and held up red passports of Russian soldiers he said had been found fighting in Ukraine.

"We are an independent nation and we have a right to defend our people," he said, calling for political, economic and military support. Calling himself a "president of peace", he made clear that Kiev only wanted defensive weaponry.

He received strong backing from Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, who said Ukraine should be supported "with all means necessary to defend, not to attack, to defend its people and its territory."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, also in Munich, said there were "good grounds for optimism" that the talks between Merkel, Putin and Hollande could yield a deal.

But Lavrov also delivered a diatribe against the West. He accused Europe and the United States of supporting a "coup d'etat" against deposed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich, a Moscow ally, a year ago and turning a blind eye to nationalists he said were intent on ethnic cleansing in eastern Ukraine.

Hollande, speaking to reporters in the city of Tulle in central France, cast the talks with Putin as a last-ditch effort to avert full-blown conflict.

The French leader, Merkel, Poroshenko and Putin are due to hold a call on Sunday, before the chancellor travels to Washington.

"If we don't manage to find not just a compromise but a lasting peace agreement, we know perfectly well what the scenario will be. It has a name, it's called war," Hollande said.

Video - Search for peace in Ukraine switches from Moscow to Munich

Video Report - US Vice President Joe Biden says Russian President Vladimir Putin has " simple stark choice".

Video Report - Lavrov: Russia set to promote peace process in Ukraine

Video Report - Send weapons or not? 'Big US, EU divide on Ukraine'

Video - 'No peace with NATO': Protesters rally outside Munich Security Conference

President Obama's Weekly Address: Everyone Who Works Hard Should Get Ahead

Pakistan's dual terrorism policies remain intact even after Peshawar massacre: Lisa Curtis

By Kamna Arora 

Surveillance cameras, snipers and barbed wire have become a common sight in the schools of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province after the horrific December 16 attack by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on the Army Public School in in Pakistan's Peshawar that left over 140 students and staff dead.

After the attack, TTP spokesperson Mohammed Khurrassani announced that the massacre was to avenge the killing of hundreds of tribesmen during repeated Army operations in provinces including North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and the Khyber Agency.

The heart-wrenching scenes of small coffins had sent shivers down the spine. The parents were not alone in mourning young souls of their families; people across the world bemoaned the deaths of the young ones.

Some saw the attack as the `Karma` of Pakistan, while another set of people opined that the horrific and mindless act of violence will change Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism.

In an exclusive interview with Kamna Arora of Zee Media Group, Lisa Curtis, a South Asia expert, discusses if the Peshawar massacre has changed Pakistan.

Lisa Curtis is a Senior Research Fellow at Asian Studies Center, Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, The Heritage Foundation.

Kamna: Do you think the Taliban attack on an Army-run school in Peshawar could prove to be a watershed moment for Pakistan, long accused of treating terrorists as strategic assets?

Lisa: It is too early to say whether some of the changes we are seeing in Pakistan as a result of the December 16 attack on the school in Peshawar will translate into a major shift in Pakistani attitudes and policies toward terrorism. While the Pakistan military is cracking down on the TTP, there are no indications that this crackdown extends to groups fighting in India and Afghanistan. The fact that Pakistan's Anti-terrorism Court granted bail to Mumbai terrorist mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi just two days after the Peshawar attack gives the impression that Pakistan's dual terrorism policies (fighting some terrorists while supporting others) remain intact.

Kamna: Do you think Pakistan's top political leadership was serious when it said that it was no longer willing to make any distinction between "good" and "bad" Taliban because “good” militants - such as Hafiz Muhammad Saeed - continue to live openly in Lahore and spew anti-India venom?

Lisa: The Pakistani media reported in January that Islamabad had taken steps against Lashkar-e-Toiba front organisation JuD. But Hafiz Saeed's high-profile launching of a new ambulance service in Karachi last week shows the organisation is not feeling much heat. If the Pakistani military wanted to show it was serious about cracking down on all forms of terrorism, it would try the seven LeT members in its custody in the newly-established military courts.

Kamna: Although the Pakistani military has taken the fight into the Taliban stronghold in recent months, there are reports that Pakistan’s generals continue to play favorites among militant groups.

Lisa: One of the most interesting developments has been the protests at the Red Mosque, where the TTP was nurtured, and whose leader, Maulana Abdul Aziz, refused to condemn the Peshawar attack. Unfortunately, anti-Charlie Hebdo protests received more media attention than the protests at the Red Mosque. While parts of the Pakistani civil society clearly want a comprehensive crackdown on terrorism, there seems to be continuing support within parts of the military establishment to keep jihadist ideology alive since it comes in handy when motivating groups to attack India.

Pakistan - #PeshawarAttack - APS parents protest ‘sluggish investigation’ into Taliban massacre

Protesting parents urge authorities to be more transparent in dealings with victims’ families

Hundreds of parents, students and activists Saturday protested outside the school where Taliban terrorists murdered 153 people over the “sluggish” police investigation into the massacre.

The group gathered at the Army Public School to draw attention to the slow investigation. They said that since the December attack there have been no breakthroughs and they have received little information on the inquiry’s progress.

The school was the site of Pakistan’s deadliest ever terror attack on December 16 last year, in which 134 children were among those killed by heavily-armed militants.

“Sorry kids! No banner large enough to cover the shame of the state and government,” read one banner carried by the protesters, which also had pictures of some of the children killed in the attack.

“Our children were martyred and martyrs never die. They are telling the government not to waste their sacrifice and protect other children,” Raza Bangash, who lost his 14-year old son, said.

“We want a judicial inquiry as we are not satisfied with the ongoing investigations because there seems to be no progress,” Bangash said, as women around him wept clutching portraits of their children.

Saeed Shah, another affected parent, said they were “being kept in the dark about the investigations,” and called on the authorities to be more transparent in their dealings with victims’ families.

Peshawar’s administrator Riaz Mehsud visited the protesting parents and assured them that the government would do all it could to help.

“I stand by you and the provincial government will support you and redress all your grievances,” Mehsud told parents.

Rights activist Sana Ejaz said that civil society groups in Peshawar were firmly behind parents exercising their right to receive better information on police progress.

In the wake of the attack, the government lifted a six-year moratorium on executions for people convicted of terrorism and 22 militants have been hanged since then despite protests from the international community and human rights watchdogs.

The country has also amended its constitution to allow military courts to try terror suspects.

The military said on Saturday that it had received the first batch of 12 terrorism cases to be tried in military courts.

Pakistan’s troops have been engaged in a full-scale offensive against Taliban and other militants in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal districts since June last year.

At the time of the Peshawar attack, the Taliban said it was retaliation for the army’s continuing operation against militants in the tribal areas.

Pakistan - Salmaan Taseer murder: IHC dumps Qadri’s defence arguments

The hearing of appeal of Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, took an interesting turn on Friday, when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) remarked that even a judge cannot touch an accused after awarding him punishment, yet the defence counsel insisted that a person can kill another person under unusual circumstances.

When the two-member bench, comprising Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, resumed hearing in the case on Friday, Justice Siddiqui questioned whether the case should be decided on the basis of emotions or the letter of the law.

Counsel for Qadri Justice (retd) Mian Nazir Akhar insisted that “anyone can be killed under unusual circumstances.” Quoting examples from Islamic history, he mentioned incidents in which blasphemers were killed for making derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and their act was appreciated by the then rulers.

However, the judge observed that at that time the nature of things was different and the said team had judicial powers.

The defence argued that the track record of his client was good and Qadri was an honest man who had served many VIPs. However, the bench observed that if this stance is admitted then what about the oath of all police officers and policemen which they take on joining the service. “There is a blasphemy law in the country and in the presence of that law no one is allowed to take the law into his hands,” Justice Siddiqui observed.

Pakistan's Mad-Rassa - Foreign Funding

Reportedly, the “Saudi Embassy has informed Riyadh of Pakistan’s concerns over funding to religious seminaries from Saudi Arabia”. For decades now, religious seminaries have been receiving funds from foreign donors, mostly from the Middle East. It is done either through banks or other means such as cash transactions through unregulated mediums. It is comparatively easier to track funding done through banking channels and even foreign exchange companies as the record of each transfer is available with them but it becomes far trickier to trace funding through unregulated means. Sheikh Waqas Akram, member of the ruling PML-N, has said that he has witnessed sectarian “molvis” going on foreign tours to raise funds for their seminaries. Mr Akram added that while laymen are required to reveal and justify their assets, radical elements affiliated with seminaries are answerable to none. 
In Punjab alone, there are 6,550 unregistered seminaries, which means that they have also not apprised the government or related institutions of their source of funding. According to a police official, they are refusing to cooperate and provide information pertaining to their funding. Punjab Home Minister, Col (r) Shuja Khanzada, has conceded that some “brotherly countries” are indeed funding certain seminaries in the province. These brotherly countries are pumping money and fundamentalist, sectarian ideologies into local seminaries to the detriment of Pakistan. Mr Khanzada’s remarks contradict the report put before the Senate last Friday, which claimed that not a single seminary in Punjab was receiving money from other countries. On this issue, Additional General Police Muhammad Almish had said, “The requisite may be treated as nil. No madrassah receiving financial and training assistance from Muslim countries has come to our notice during surveillance.” Either the Punjab Police is inexcusably incompetent or it is deliberately misrepresenting facts. 
It is becoming increasingly clear that the government is not ready to implement the National Action Plan (NAP). 

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan always spends more time clarifying who is not guilty rather than pointing out who is. With him ‘serving’ as the Interior Minister, the chances of success appear slim. There are also reports that lawmakers themselves are creating obstacles because of their vested interests and sympathies with radical elements in their constituencies. On the other hand, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has warned the government from cutting foreign funding to seminaries. It would appear that the Maulana’s threats are entirely unnecessary since the government performance on this front is quite poor. But the JUI-F Chief’s ramblings show where his interest and loyalties lie; certainly not with the people of Pakistan.

Pakistan - Extremism in Punjab

• Syed Kamran Hashmi

Since the nation is waging a war against terrorism, it is about time that every part of the nation is dealt with with the same authority and force irrespective of its ethnicity or location.

A video in which a young boy  recites a poem praising the religious spirit of the Taliban has recently (re)emerged in the social media. Although it may have been shot before Operation Zarb-e-Azab was launched, it still stays relevant today and raises some important concerns. The clip shows a large hall located inside a mosque (probably) filled with a few hundred people sitting on the floor. They wave their flags with excitement as they listen to the 11-year-old disciple who claims: “The Taliban have come, the true representatives of the religion of Ahmed (Muhammad) have arrived, now the Christians and the Jews are screaming (with fear).”

Behind him, on the stage, we see a cleric perched on a high chair with a few armed guards standing on each side of him, their rifles stretched out, their bandoliers slung across their shoulders. Just a few steps down, on the other end of the stage, is a small group of enthusiasts huddled together like the choir in a church carrying their own microphones. They stay quiet during most of the recital except in the middle when they interrupt the vocalist for a short time and start chanting slogans in favour of the Taliban too, calling them the saviours of Pakistan, announcing their victory to rule the country in the near future.

Had this programme been held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or FATA, it would not have caught many eyes since we realise the infrastructure of these radical organisations runs deep in the Pashtun areas. The regulatory authorities and intelligence agencies, on the other hand, although they make tall claims about their presence throughout the country, lack penetration within the banned outfits that operate without fear. And because of that failure, the information we obtain from our sources stays vague and inaccurate, unable to cover the fundamental elements — the three basic Ts — of a good report: type of attack, its target and the timing of the assault. A congregation like this in FATA would not strike us as surprising and, to be honest, that situation will not change for a while. It would require years of focused and coordinated effort to break their infrastructure and replace it with a somewhat functional government framework. Keeping that in mind, the military operation — if we believe it has been started to take down every violent organisation — has just begun and is not yet in any position to yield conclusive results.

The problem with this short clip, however, is that the people in the video are not Pashtuns. They are Punjabis. Everyone, including the chief cleric wearing the black robe with golden lining, his bodyguards, the chanting choir, the young lad and the people sitting in the mosque can be recognised as someone from Lahore, Faisalabad or Sahiwal. I base my assessment on their non-Pashtun accents, their facial features and their clothes, including their unique shalwar kameez, their caps, shawls and turbans. No, not southern Punjab, where the presence of the Taliban has been reported for a while; they look like people from central Punjab, the heart of Pakistan, a place where the activity of these organisations is supposed to be minimal or absent.

If this video is professionally identified and confirmed to have originated from Punjab, it would confirm the fears of many experts who have either been ignored or defied by the Pakistan Muslim League-N’s Punjab-based administration. These analysts, worried about the worsening law and order situation, have pointed out on numerous occasions that the Taliban phenomenon is not limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or FATA, and that Punjab may need as strong an operation cleanup as Karachi or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And since the nation is waging a war against terrorism, it is about time that every part of the nation is dealt with with the same authority and force irrespective of its ethnicity or location. We cannot afford to play favourites any more: acting against one group and turning a blind eye to others. We did that exercise in the past and suffered from its backlash, a lesson that we must not forget and the price we must not be ready to pay again. Whether we like it or not, we need to work on every seminary, every school and every mosque in Punjab that has connections with the extremist groups. Along with that, we need to investigate every preacher, every cleric, every student and every donor. Without taking these measures, our efforts to eliminate religion-based violence would be rendered useless, the sacrifices of our soldiers would be wasted and the loss of civilian lives and capital thrown away. Is this the path we are choosing for ourselves and for our generations? Or will we stand firm and support firm action?

Remember, we have seen a trend of worsening extremism in central Punjab for years now. And, for years, we have done our best to deny it, defuse it, justify it or sometimes even twist it by giving it a non-religious colour. For instance, a Christian community was burnt down in the small city of Gojra, a tehsil of district Toba Tek Singh located in central Punjab just a few years ago in which eight people were killed, including four women and a child. Then, Aasia Bibi belonged to Sheikhupura, another district of central Punjab. Rimsha Masih’s incident, too, took place in Islamabad. Shahzad Masih and Shaima Bibi were burnt alive in Kasur, 20 miles south of Lahore, the capital of the province. And, in the end, Governor Taseer’s assassination resulted from the same phenomenon. I agree they are isolated incidents to some extent but we have to understand that all these events had religious undertones. What we are asking the administration, both civilian and military, is to consider all of them as a continuum of the same process, get to the bottom of it and do what has been long overdue: eliminate extremism, a problem that almost always eludes our attention.

Pakistan - PML-N’s absurdities

All the tall claims of the PML-N government about resolving the energy crisis have been dashed to the ground with the abandoning of the Gadani project and now four coal-based power projects in Punjab. It seems now that the government was working on these projects just to throw dust in the eyes of the people. It is very difficult to explain why the government first announced, inaugurated and then suddenly shut the coal-based projects when the country is doomed to face a severe energy crisis. How can Pakistan get rid of load shedding by 2017 when the government is just playing games by announcing the start and then abruptly closing important projects? In its campaign during the 2013 elections, the PML-N made hollow claims about ending the energy crisis within months but now all its absurdities are being revealed. It seems that the PML-N government has become a victim of nepotism. It has given a free hand to all non-professional and non-serious persons, who are busy making experiments at the cost of the national exchequer. The abandoned projects seem to have been started without proper feasibility and planning. No one seems to be questioning the government how much public money has been wasted in these so-called energy ventures. The difficulties in laying the required infrastructure and backing away of Chinese investors are said to be the causes for the closing of these projects. The government should have considered these possibilities before launching the projects. Relying solely on China even at the cost of transparency and public procurement rules is not logical. The government is now planning to focus on LNG-run power plants. It is still unclear how much money and time would be required for making LNG-based power plants operational.

It is in the larger interest of the country that the government should not completely abandon coal-based power plants. Both LNG and coal are comparatively cheaper sources of energy. The government should not repeat the mistakes in the coal-based projects while laying the foundations of LNG power plants. It should conduct proper planning in sequence for successful completion of jobs. The PML-N should not rely only on China for investment and technology; rather it should award projects to companies belonging to other developed countries on the basis of international competitive bidding. The energy crisis is already grave and the situation is turning bleak with every passing day. Instead of wasting public money on showpiece development works, the government should make investments in the necessary much-needed infrastructure. In this regard, upgrading of power-related infrastructure and better recovery of power utility dues would go a long way towards concretising plans. Last but not least, the government should purge all institutions of nepotism and hire merit-based professionals. 

Pakistan ban on YouTube to remain indefinitely

The suspension of video-sharing website YouTube is likely to continue in Pakistanfor an indefinite period, officials said on Saturday, as authorities have failed to come up with a solution for filtering objectionable or 'blasphemous' material without blocking the site.

Pakistan's Supreme Court orderedgovernment to filter all unwanted content before restoring the website after it was blocked in 2012 following uploading of the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" that caused an uproar in the conservative Islamic nation.

An official of Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) said that so far no method has been found to selectively stop obscene and anti-Islamic content on the site. The issue echoed in the senate today where the minister for information technology and telecommunication Anusha Rehman informed the house that the issue of lifting ban on YouTube had been reviewed several times but the "situation effectively remains the same".

The minister also said that the Supreme Court had ordered the PTA to block offending material but there was no solution which could guarantee 100% blockage ofobjectionable content on YouTube. Another official of IT ministry said that the Supreme Court order is the main stumbling block, leaving the government with the easy option to continue with the ban on the popular video sharing website.

"The other option is to file a review petition in the Supreme Court to overturn its verdict," said the official. The fact is that Internet users across Pakistan continue to bypass the official ban and access YouTube through proxy servers while the government conveniently looks the other way. 

Pakistan’s double standards on terrorism

By Jagriti Kumari 

Pakistan, the breeding ground of terrorists, faced one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s history on December 16, 2014. Over 140 people including students and teachers were massacred when Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stormed Army Public School in Peshawar.

Following the Peshawar attack, Pakistan initiated action against militant organisations without making a distinction between the good Taliban and the bad Taliban. However, its effort seems a futile one.

On the behest of America, Pakistan reportedly banned Hafiz Saeed led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani network ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to India.

JuD is a sister organisation of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant outfit blamed for masterminding the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai. Hafiz Saeed is known for his anti-India tirade.

There are dozens of jihadi organizations: Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, al-Qaida and Jalaluddin and Siraj Haqqani’s network have been operating from the soil of Pakistan.

Apart from Haqqani network and JuD, Pakistan also banned Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujahidin, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, Ummah Tameer-i-Nau, Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange, Rahat Limited, Roshan Money Exchange, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rashid Trust.

Ahead of Obama’s visit to India in January, the US has asked Pakistan to ensure that there is no cross-border terror incident during the trip and subtly warned of “consequences” if any such attack is traced back to the country.

The Mumbai attacks was not only left Indian suffered but many from other countries including America lost their lives in attacks.

On February 5 Jamaat Ud-Dawah (JuD) took out rallies across Pakistan to mark Kashmir Day with its chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Pakistan, who has reportedly banned JuD in January is yet to take action against its chief, instead it keeps blaming India for derailing the peace talk.

This has been reported in Hindustan Times.

Kashmir Day is observed in Pakistan to show country’s support and unity with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir, their ongoing freedom struggle, and to pay homage to Kashmiri martyrs who lost their lives fighting for Kashmir’s freedom.

Pakistan has always followed a dual policy on terrorism one for India and another to please western countries and organisations to get the aid.

US President Barack Obama has proposed over $1 billion in civilian and military aid to “strategically important” Pakistan for fighting terror, economic development, safety of nuclear installations and improving ties with India among other objectives, reported Times of India.

But, it seems instead of using aid to fight against terrorism, Pakistan uses it to ignite terrorism against India.

In August last year, India called off a scheduled secretary level peace talk scheduled to be held in Islamabad after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met separatist leader Shabir Shah. India’s decision sent out a “clear and unambiguous message” that its envoy’s engagement with Kashmiri separatist leaders was unacceptable.

Keeping aside all the difference, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of those whose wards and members were killed in the brutal attack in Peshawar School.

Even after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack on the army school, former president Pervez Musharraf blamed India for the deadly attack.

TTP claimed the attack was in retaliation to the military operations in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal agency.

Inviting Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in May, Prime Minister Modi sent out a clear signal of his intention to have good relations with Pakistan. But Pakistan is yet to initiate a cordial relationship with India to resolve the dispute with India instead it continued ceasefire violation on Line of Control (LoC).

For Pakistan, there are lessons from Chinese way of nation building

By Farhan Bokhari

Pakistan’s unending enthusiasm in raising expectations from an expected visit to the country by Chinese President Xi Jinping marks a strategically vital move in the face of mounting adversities surrounding the country. And yet, the likely pitfalls in translating hope into reality are numerous enough to be ignored.

Though China is yet to confirm the trip, Pakistani officials say an invitation has been extended to and accepted by the Chinese authorities for Xi to travel to Islamabad and preside over the Pakistan resolution day parade on March 23 as the chief guest.

Symbolically, such an event will powerfully symbolise Pakistan-China friendship and may even emulate US President Barack Obama’s recent appearance as chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

Pakistan’s relationship with China is unparalleled in comparison to the country’s ties with its other allies. Notwithstanding the pageantry surrounding the occasion of Obama’s visit to New Delhi and the impressive pageantry surrounding that event, along with subsequent statements from India and the US seeking a new beginning in ties, the road ahead is still potentially uncertain.

Its clear that the US, reacting to China’s rise as a major global power overshadowing the Pacific Rim, is keen to befriend India and build up that relationship to counter Beijing.

Getting its house in order

Pakistan appears to be reacting to the emerging Washington-Delhi axis. But beyond just cementing one of Islamabad’s most precious foreign strategic relationships, Pakistan needs to redouble its efforts to first get its own house in order. President Xi’s visit will not only take place at a time when Pakistan is in the midst of one of its toughest battles against militants. More importantly, the visit takes place as the country copes with the consequences of major economic and political challenges, including many of its own making.

In sharp contrast to Pakistan’s largely dismal outlook, China’s transition from its Maoist-era low growth status to a formidable global power is a journey that presents many valuable lessons. In the past, going back to its era of being an opium-stricken nation, China has indeed battled many of the challenges that are similar to the challenges that Pakistan now faces. Yet, China’s successful emergence from its crisis-ridden past could not have been possible without three inter-related factors:

* First, a successful clampdown against corruption and its related ailments dating back to pre-Maoist China, indeed set the pace for starting the matter of nation-building from scratch. Though there are many who criticise the extent of graft in today’s China, the history of rebuilding China after returning to the basics can simply not be ignored. In stark contrast, Pakistan which is now seeking to host the Chinese president, is left dealing with widespread evidence of corruption having permeated its rank and file. Consequently, attaining the ‘status’ of becoming a basket-case country is now eating into Pakistan’s future outlook.

* Second, China’s emergence to great power status was made possible in part by a single-minded determination to embrace and hold on to values of nationalism. In sharp contrast across today’s Pakistan, one obvious question over the country’s future must indeed be over the commitment of its elite to the country itself. Stories of one prominent politician after another maintaining offshore residences smack of an obvious point — a virtual absence of faith in the country itself. Its clear that the business of reforming Pakistan will never proceed successfully unless backed by a resolute commitment by its leaders to make the best of the country they have. However, in making that change, Pakistan’s ruling elite must first decide to give a new direction to the country itself. At a time when Pakistan faces unprecedented economic decline surrounding its mainstream population, its nothing short of criminal neglect that almost 99 per cent of the country’s population does not pay an income tax. And while a large segment of those Pakistanis may indeed be utterly impoverished, its also true that many in that category are the financially affluent and yet they remain immune from paying their dues.

* Finally, China’s rise was made possible by a sensible and a resolute commitment to defining the country’s best interests. Keeping the country focused on the road to economic prosperity irrespective of the many repeated provocations to enter one conflict after another, has proven to be the best possible choice in defining China’s interests. Going forward, it is this commitment that has led to China’s historical rise as the fastest-growing country that the world has ever seen.

Compromised interests

For Pakistan, there are many lessons from the Chinese way of nation building. With a history of becoming embroiled indirectly in one conflict after another on its neighbouring soils, Pakistan has compromised its interests where it mattered the most — on its home ground. Ultimately, many of the challenges faced by Pakistan eventually go to the failure to reform the country internally and power up the engine of economic growth and prosperity. In seeking to have Xi as chief guest at the March 23 ceremony, it would be a mistake by Pakistan’s policy makers to review this event squarely from a foreign policy prism. More importantly, the visit marks an opportunity to not only celebrate China’s great power status but to also learn lessons from that historic event.

Though China has stood by Pakistan during difficult moments in the country’s history, its eventually up to Pakistan’s leaders to take charge of their country and give it a qualitatively different and better direction.

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