AFTER SYRIA, THE U.S. AND RUSSIA ARE NOW CLASHING OVER AFGHANISTAN

BY MIRREN GIDDA 

Tensions between Russia and the U.S. are again flaring up in the Middle East, but this time it’s not about Syria or chemical weapons. Instead, the conflict is over a potential peace deal in Afghanistan that could bring an end to 16 years of war that has ravaged the country. The Kremlin is slated to hold a meeting Friday in Moscow aimed at brokering a resolution between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Washington has refused to attend, instead accusing Russia of arming Taliban fighters and undermining NATO’s efforts to bring peace and security to the region.  

The meeting is the third peace summit held by Moscow since December. At the first, Moscow only invited China and Pakistan to the table, angering both Washington and Kabul. At the second, in February, it invited Afghanistan, but excluded the U.S. Now, finally invited to the talks, the Trump administration says it questions Russia’s motives.

Russia has denied giving weapons to Taliban fighters, while conceding that it did reach out to the militant group in its efforts to broker the peace deal. Russia has also called for an end to sanctions against Taliban leaders.

As a candidate ahead of the November elections, Trump said he would improve relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but his White House has already caught Moscow’s ire after vowing to uphold sanctions against Russia, introduced after the country’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, and, more recently, ordering an airstrike against the Syrian government on April 6 in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people. The bombing marked the U.S.’ first military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally to Russia. Moscow described the strike as an act of aggression.

It’s perhaps a sign of how bad things have become that the Kremlin, which once awarded Secretary of State Rex Tillerson its Order of Friendship, initially denied that Putin would meet with him during his official visit to Moscow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Officials were expected to discuss how to end Syria’s nearly six-year civil war. Putin has met with other U.S. secretaries of state in the past.

Russia’s relationship with the Taliban is of major concern to Washington. The Taliban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 until the U.S.-led invasion that divided the nation. The militants now rule over roughly half of Afghanistan’s population and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has repeatedly urged Taliban leaders in recent years to agree to a peace deal.

Russia could be looking to regain influence in Afghanistan after its 1979 invasion and 10-year occupation of the Central Asian nation. Afghanistan is considered strategically important, particularly in relation to economic and national security concerns in nearby India, Pakistan and Iran, while Afghanistan has also claimed its mineral resources are worth around $3 trillion.

Moscow says its reason for getting involved in peace talks is to prevent instability from spilling over to central Asia. Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, claimed last month that any accusations from the Afghan government and its allies over alleged weapons deals were being used to “justify their own failure on the battlefield.” Russia has also said it’s particularly worried about the presence of the Islamic State group, which the Taliban opposes. Despite the Kremlin’s concerns, security experts say the group is not a significant threat to Afghanistan or the wider region.

In assisting the militants, Russia would also undermine NATO forces in the region at a time of growing tensions between Russia and NATO in Europe. Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters at a press conference in London on March 31 that he was aware of Russian “activity” concerning the Taliban. “I'm not going to say at this point if that has manifested into weapons and that sort of thing, but certainly what they're up to there in light of their other activities gives us concern,” Mattis said.

Another senior defense official was less cautious. “I think it is fair to assume [Russia] may be providing some sort of support to [the Taliban], in terms of weapons or other things that may be there,” U.S. Central Command chief General Joseph Votel told members of Congress on March 29. “I believe what Russia is attempting to be [is] an influential party in this part of the world.”

The New Cold War Politics in Afghanistan

By Daud Khattak

Regional rivalries involving Pakistan, India, Russia, and China complicate an already dire security situation.

As Cold War politics come full circle, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the wider region are bracing for a new era of conflict in the making. Switching sides and changing goalposts, the key players are flexing their muscles for a new Cold War on Afghan turf.

Let’s review the new alliances and various actors that will make or break Afghanistan’s future.

Russia-Pakistan Warming up

The recent visit of a Russian military delegation, headed by Chief of General Staff Colonel General Israkov Sergi Yuryevich, to Pakistan’s North Waziristan was the latest sign of Russia and Pakistan’s warming relations.

Retired Brigadier General Saad Muhammad Khan, Pakistan’s former military attaché to Afghanistan, in a TV talk show, called the Russian delegation’s visit to Waziristan “interesting and unusual.” But that was not the first step in the blossoming relationship.

In September 2016, around 200 Pakistani and Russian military personnel conducted joint exercises codenamed Druzhbha-2016, which means friendship. Earlier, in 2014 and 2015, naval forces from the two countries conducted joint drills named Arabian Moonsoon.

Since the 1980s, the era dominated by the Afghan jihad, Pakistan used to arrange visits for U.S. civilians and military officials to its tribal areas. The reason was obvious: the ongoing anti-communist war in the bordering Afghanistan. But what brings a Russian military delegation to North Waziristan? Pakistan recently achieved success in removing the Taliban from a 13,000 square kilometer area in Waziristan, but Russia never been a partner in Pakistan’s anti-terror war.

Some may dismiss the visit as a tool to attract the new U.S. administration’s focus, but Pakistan’s invitation for a Russian military delegation to visit its once Wild West is not a standalone instance of warming ties. Pakistan always sees China as its closest ally and friend, but Islamabad has recently increased contacts with both Turkey and Russia as well. Ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif visited both countries and spoke to leadership on several occasions.

Analysts in Pakistan believe the freshly unfolding situation in the region points to a possible alliance bringing Russia and Pakistan together along with China and possibly Turkey.

Russia and the Afghan Taliban

During a hearing at the House Armed Services Committee last month, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) General Joseph L. Votel said Russia was trying to revive its influence in Afghanistan.

After hosting meetings of three and and then six countries on Afghanistan, Moscow is set to host another meeting of 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, Iran, and the Central Asian republics — in mid-April. Most probably, representatives from the Taliban at some level will be present as back-benchers.

Contacts between the Afghan Taliban and Russian authorities are not new. However, the links started openly being mentioned by media in the aftermath of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour’s death in a drone strike in Pakistan’s Balochistan province in May 2016.

In one recent interaction, sources say, Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov told President Ashraf Ghani’s National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar to come to terms with the Taliban for a political settlement.

A number of Kabul-based analysts whom I spoke to are of the view that Russia’s newly proactive role in Afghanistan was galvanized by two factors: The emergence of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan, and Russia’s fear of being left out of the Afghan peace process launched under the China and U.S.-backed Quadrilateral Cooperation Group (QCG).

“By getting closer to Russia, [the] Taliban believe they are getting international recognition and a stronger backer,” journalist Sami Yousafzai said in an interview. The killing of Mansour has deepened suspicions among some Taliban leaders about Pakistan’s role and they are now more inclined toward Iran and Russia.

The Vicious Triangle

On March 20, thousands of stranded Afghans crossed into their country as Pakistan declared the opening of border crossings after a month-long closure. Pakistan unilaterally shut the crossing points with Afghanistan on February 16, following a string of attacks targeting civilians and security personnel. Security concerns were the stated reason for the border closure. Pakistan accused Afghanistan-based groups of carrying out the attacks with the support of Afghan and Indian intelligence.  For years, both Afghanistan and India have likewise been accusing Pakistani intelligence agencies of providing sanctuaries to the Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network, and Kashmir-focused armed groups.

The India-Pakistan rivalry has turned Afghanistan into a battleground, where the two nuclear-armed neighbors are testing both their hard and soft power. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s open-armed policy for Afghanistan irks Pakistan the most.

However, Pakistan’s key concern is the presence of Taliban groups in Afghanistan and their “anti-Pakistan activities.”  Since Afghanistan’s longstanding and repeated demands for Pakistani action against the Quetta Shura and Haqqani Network did not bear positive results, Afghan authorities opted to close their eyes and ears to Pakistani demands for Afghan action against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah and militant leaders Mangal Bagh and Omar Khalid Khurasani, who are believed to be hiding in eastern Afghanistan.

Where do Afghanistan and Pakistan Stand Now?

Notwithstanding the March 15 meeting between Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar and Adviser to Prime Minister Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in London, which followed the opening of land routes with Afghanistan, there has been no visible breakthrough in ties, nor is one expected in the near future.

“Pakistan wanted Afghanistan to take steps against Mullah Fazlullah. But the Afghan side wanted Pakistan’s commitment to expel the Quetta Shura and Haqqani Network,” a Kabul-based official at a semi-government office told me in an interview.

Afghanistan-Pakistan relations plummeted during the last year of Hamid Karzai’s presidency, but reached their highest level in November 2014 with the oath-taking of new President Ashraf Ghani, followed by his visit to Islamabad. In his historic visit, the Afghan president also visited the General Headquarters and met then-Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif.

Despite criticism from rivals in Kabul, Ghani sent Afghan cadets for training in Pakistan and suspended a request for the purchase of heavy weapons from India.

However, Pakistan’s failure to bring Taliban negotiators face-to-face with Afghan government representatives and several terrorist attacks in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan once again affected the improving relations. The final blow that ended the honeymoon came with the announcement of the 2013 death of Taliban chief Mullah Omar.

Since then, ties have taken a nosedive. Afghanistan, along with India, refused to attend the September 2016 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad, which was later cancelled. That further antagonized the already stressed relations. Pakistan’s closure of the borders in June last year and again in February this year, beside firing mortars into Afghan areas on February 18 and 19, further deepened the animosity.

In Kabul, Pakistan’s new partnership with Russia on the Taliban front is seen as another “trick.” Afghan officials believe Pakistan is befriending Russia to give a boost to the Taliban’s international standing.

China: The Stabilizing Actor

China’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) plan, announced by President Xi Jinping in 2013, could prove to be the key stabilizing factor in the region. To bear fruit, China’s $57 billion investment in neighboring Pakistan needs a peaceful security environment.

Unlike Russia, Iran, and Pakistan, China has refrained from overt involvement in Afghanistan and a majority of Afghans, including the Taliban, trust China more than any other country in their neighborhood. For China, the stakes are high. Besides its economic vision, there is potential for the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan to have spillover effects in the bordering and sensitive province of Xinjiang. Given Beijing’s interests in stability, China’s close ties with Pakistan may help persuade that Islamabad, particularly its military leadership, to come to terms with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s obsession with an Afghanistan free of Indian influence; India’s maneuvering to humble its western neighbor; and Afghanistan’s own internal weaknesses, including bad governance, corruption and widespread ethnic and group divisions are not only preventing Afghanistan’s lasting stability but also propping up the very groups spreading instability in the region.

As I mentioned in a 2011 article, the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse mainly because of active involvement from Russia and Iran, creating greater concerns for the United States and its European allies.

Notwithstanding the Taliban’s recent claim to control 45 districts, including the surrender of Sangin in the volatile Helmand province, the militants are far from taking over and retaining control of urban centers. Kunduz is an example; the Taliban twice took over the city but could not retain their control for more than a few days. In the meantime, the Taliban’s foreign backers, whether Iran, Russia, or Pakistan, would never like to see the militants take over Kabul for fear of a backlash in their own lands.

The viable way out is a negotiated settlement where Afghans need to be the decision makers in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. “The Cold War-era politics need an end. Otherwise, the region will see more conflicts with deeper repercussions,” former Pakistani senator and analyst Afrasiab Khattak (no relation to the author) said in an interview.

Pakistan - The Saudi led military alliance

Sleepwalking into a quagmire Of late, the PML-N government is pursuing a course of action that undermines Pakistan’s status as a neutral referee in the Muslim world. A perception is gathering strength that the country is being taken for granted by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Deputy Crown Prince announced a military alliance and Pakistan’s flag was shown along with those of other countries who joined the alliance. Soon after the alliance was announced in December 2015, Sartaj Aziz gave unsatisfactory answers to the Senate which showed he was as ignorant about the nature and scope of the alliance as the other Senators. To the Senate Chairman’s comment that: “So you have joined a military alliance about which you are still foggy,” Aziz claimed: “We will come to parliament once details are available.” During the next year-and-a-half , he had nothing to tell the Parliament on the issue. Suddenly, the government announced it had given an NOC to former COAS Sharif to take over as the chief of the Saudi-led alliance.

It seems the government is continuing to kowtow to the Kingdom. Iran has publicly expressed its displeasure over Pakistan’s move to allow its former COAS to lead the alliance cobbled together by Saudi government for purposes still kept secret.

Once the government has accepted to provide a military chief to an alliance with sectarian connotations, Saudi Arabia will dictate the next moves. The claim that the alliance will only go to the support of governments who ask for it is highly naive. To start with, the formulation allows the coalition troops to enter Yemen if requested by the Saudi supported regime or to take action to suppress the majority Shias in Bahrain at the instance of the Saudi supported Sunni ruler. Pakistan must not be a party to the sectarian wars being fought in the Middle East.

As things stand there is no need for a military alliance of the Muslim countries. Better spare energies for putting life in the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) to pressurise India to hold talks with Pakistan, and to tell Israel to end illegal construction and hold meaningful talks for an independent state of Palestine.

Pakistan - Waiting for the Panama verdict

ZAHID HUSSAIN

IT has been a long wait for the Panama case judgement which is likely to change the country’s political dynamics. More than six weeks have passed since the court concluded the hearing and went into a huddle. There was no short judgement and it does take some time to arrive at a decision especially when there are five highly independent-minded judges examining all the legal aspects of this extremely complicated case with serious political ramifications. The nation seemed to have been put on hold waiting anxiously for the outcome.

Not only does Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political fortune hang in the balance, the impending ruling will also define the future course of Pakistani politics. What has heightened the suspense is the observation made by Justice Asif Khosa, the head of the bench during the hearing, that the judgement would be remembered for the next two decades. Surely it would be historic, but one is not sure how.

It is also the judges who seem to be on trial. It is not just the legal aspect of the case, but the politics of it that makes things much more complicated. Although all sides across the political divide repose confidence in the apex court, there are obviously partisan expectations in such a high-profile case implicating the country’s most powerful political dynasty. The past baggage of the doctrine of necessity and allegations of politically biased judgements too cast their shadows on the judiciary. Surely the pressure is enormous.

It is more than a year since the Panama leaks, about offshore companies and expensive real estate owned by the prime minister’s children caused a political maelstrom to erupt in the country. The series of conflicting and self-contradicting statements given by the prime minister and his children in their defence added to the tumult and provoked a call by the opposition for an impartial inquiry into the leaks.

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There seems to be no good scenario for the prime minister.

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A dubious letter from a Qatari prince revealing a family business connection with the Sharifs turned the whole episode into a political comedy. The judiciary appeared compelled to take up various petitions filed by the opposition political parties against the prime minister and his family. A more simplistic explanation is that the failure of the investigative agencies left the country’s highest court with no other option but to intervene in the matter. But one tends to believe that it was more to do with opposition political pressure that finally worked in getting the court’s attention. Not surprisingly, the case became the centre of a political battle.

While the judges heard the arguments, the PML-N and PTI fought it out outside the courtroom and on TV talk shows every evening accusing each other of corruption and declaring victory even before the hearing was concluded. Matters seem to be getting more intense and extremely bizarre with the expectation of the judgement any day.

No doubt, the political stakes are high for both the government and the opposition, particularly the PTI, the prime mover of the Panama petition. But it is the prime minister and his family who stand to lose the most in case of an unfavourable judgement. The scandal has already caused him huge political damage and it is extremely hard to recover from it even if the court spares him the ultimate humiliation of being removed from office. There is certainly a precedent where the Supreme Court disqualified a sitting prime minister, but few believe it could happen to Sharif. That is perhaps also the reason for the confidence of the ruling side.

But some would argue that the present court is very different from courts in the past with far more independence allowing it to bear pressure even from the most powerful executive. The observations made by the judges during the hearing reinforce that perception.

Surely the judges are not supposed to decide the case along political lines but on its legal merits. Most legal experts agree that the Sharif family has failed to prove the money trail to the offshore companies and the London properties that it owns. But is this sufficient to declare the prime minister guilty of wrongdoing? This is for the judges to decide. Whatever the ruling may be, it is not hard to envision the political fallout.

It could not have come at a worse time for Nawaz Sharif, as he finally looked politically more stable with civil-military relations seemingly better and no real threat from the opposition political parties. His supporters appeared extremely confident of the coming elections. But it may not be that easy any more irrespective of whatever the ruling may be.

There seems to be no good scenario for Sharif even if he is personally not held guilty. It appears that it will be hard for the courts to grant a clean chit to the entire family with so many anomalies in their statements. One thing is certain — Sharif cannot get out of the Panama scandal unscathed. What are his choices in case of an unfavourable ruling?

There is strong speculation he will dissolve the National Assembly and call early elections. But that would be quite risky. One is not sure that all the provinces will follow suit. Such a situation could create greater political chaos. It may be true that the party is still deeply entrenched in Sharif’s stronghold of Punjab.

But an adverse judicial verdict could change the electoral situation quite drastically. There is a big question mark about whether the party could retain its unassailable position in Punjab and hold on to the periphery in other provinces. He may well have to wait for the general elections that are only one year away.

It is now just a matter of time when the judges will come out with their ruling on the Panama scandal. The judgement will surely be remembered for many decades with Sharif’s political fate at stake.

#PAKISTAN - ''BUSY GUYS OF BALUCHISTAN'' - Population Control in Baluchistan - 54 CHILDREN-4 WIVES

• Editorial: Population Control in Balochistan

It was to the surprise of everyone that during the routine registration the census team came across a man having as many as 54 children. Abdul Majeed, a resident of Nushki, has married six times and fathers 42 living children while 12 have died. Two of his wives had passed away but he had married two more after their death and currently is living with 42 children, 22 sons, 20 daughters and four wives. This is not the first case in the province. A case of such type had also appeared in the provincial capital where a man, identified as Jan Muhammad, had three wives and 36 children in the very provincial capital with expressed desire to increase his family to as many children as he can.

In both the above-mentioned cases, these men were not educated enough and mostly probably driven by the religious motives of increasing their family to the maximum. But this speaks volumes about the population control apparatus, specially the Population Welfare Department (PWD) in Balochistan that has been functioning in the province for decades. The population control mandate was federal subject which was devolved to the province following 18^th amendment. It has its district offices in the entire province, barring a few. But neither any conspicuous media campaigns, community engagements, seminars are seen nor any manpower working proactively to address the issue of population increase in Balochistan. The increase of population can only be controlled if the masses are persuaded about the multiple hazards of growing one’s family beyond one’s resources. This can be acquired if the eligible couples are registered in each district and taught to plan each pregnancy by the use persuasive methods and religious text.    

While the ongoing census would is underway, one only expects population figures to be astounding following the data is available for analysis and research. As for now, Pakistan stands the 6^th most populated country in the world. Pakistan even leaves behind Bangladesh, Russia, Egypt and many more countries and expected to even leave behind Indonesia, Brazil and United States that stand at 5^th, 4^th and 3^rd most populated nations respectively. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics 2014-15 contraceptive performance report comes up with alarming projection, predicting that Pakistan’s population is going to jump to 227 million from current estimated 180 million people.

In his essay on The Principle of Population in 1788 Thomas Robert Malthus very rightly argued that populations grow exponentially i.e doubling with each cycle while food production grows at an arithmetic rate i.e by the repeated addition of a uniform increment in each uniform interval of time. However, the increase of population in Pakistan in general and in Balochistan in particular is viewed as not a much serious problem owing to factors that follow. Firstly, the religious conservatism is rampant in the society does not allow the people be convinced easily for planning their families. Many even come up with references from basic sources of Sharia to justify their claim for increasing the size of their family to their best. There is no doubt that God has made provision in abundance in this world but mismanagement of the things have rendered billions of children starve to the death. Malnutrition is a very common problem in Pakistan and out of 20 districts in Pakistan 10 fall in Balochistan where children undergo caloric poverty, let aside the deprivation from quality education and civic opportunities.

The average household in Balochistan is 6 to 8 children. The concept of child spacing is almost non-existent in the province. Among many other factors desire for male children, desire for increasing the earning hands, and desire for tribal prestige are also factors that increase the household size. This unplanned increase in the population leads many children malnourished, ill taught and prone to mortality. If by chance, the children survive, many get entangled in the criminal maize, poverty and a diseased population, multiplying problems not only for the parents but also for the society. Mother Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) are also alarming high in Balochistan when compared to the other province. Under such critical situation one only hopes that the quarters concerned and all the stake holders rise to the occasion to bring a change for good.

Balochistan: Pakistani forces abducted 480 people, killed 26 and torched over 500 properties in March 2017

Pakistan forces (military, FC, intelligence, and Para-military) have abducted 480, killed 26 including women and children and torched at least 500 properties in more than 100 offensives from 1st March to 31 March. Only 30 people have been released so far. None of the abducted persons have been presented to any court or given the right to defend themselves.

Balochistan’s Dasht, Tump, Mand, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Quetta, and Makran regions have been the most affected areas where Pakistani military carried out attacks and offensives against Baloch civilians. Reports on the ground suggested that Pakistan military has intensified its offensives in the start of population census because the Baloch nation has rejected the state census and started resisting against it.

The military, however, restored to brutal violence and human rights violations to implement the census. There are several confirmed reports of mass migrations as the result of intensive military offensives and air strikes. The mass migration of local Baloch populations in Dasht, Hoshab and many areas in Turbat and Gwadar is directly linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Project (CPEC) because the military is expelling people to appease China and pave way for CPEC.

The majority of the people have migrated from Peertog, Dasht, Balgetar, Kolwah, Mandbullo, Shapuk, Hoshap, Tejaban, Awaran and other places of Balochistan where more than 5000 people have reportedly migrated so far. The families of the IDPS are suffering from malnutrition’s and are worried about their safety.

Pakistan forces also threw dead bodies of several previously abducted Baloch and claimed to have killed them in encounters in different areas of Balochistan. The dead bodies of Hasil (A School teacher), Nazeer s/o Ghulam Rasool, and Wahid s/o Abdul Karim and others. Many of the dead bodies found could not be identified due disfigurement as they extremely tortured beyond recognition. On the Other hand, Pakistani Army has been involved in attacking Citizen and torturing them in military attacks and offensives. According to our sources, more than 1000 people have been tortured and injured which includes women, children, and elderly.

IVBMP sources on the ground confirmed that only 30 people have been released in March. At least 14 people were abducted from Shapuk in which one teacher was killed and the rest were released and the other released people are distinct parts of Balochistan including as Dasht, Mand, and Awaran regions. There has been no report of the release of other abducted people until the compiling of this report. We could confirm the killing of 26 however, this number could be higher as there is a total military siege and media blackout in most of the parts of Balochistan.

We have also been informed that Pakistani forces have stolen more than 1500 Cattle and killed thousands in indiscriminate military attacks in Dasht, Turbat, Awaran regions only. There are also similar reports of pillage of Baloch villages in Kohlu, Kahan and Dera Bugti regions of Balochistan.

http://balochwarna.com/2017/04/12/balochistan-pakistani-forces-abducted-480-people-killed-26-and-torched-over-500-properties-in-march-2017/

Bilawal Bhutto stresses to bring nation’s 1.5 million street children into the mainstream

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stressed that Federal and Provincial governments should carry out special initiatives to bring nation’s 1.5 million street children into the mainstream enabling them to contribute their full potential for the country’s progress.

On the International Day for Street Children being observed in many countries in the world, the PPP Chairman said that it was the responsibility of the state and the government to provide equal and adequate facilities to street children.

“It is terrible that over 100 million children are growing up in the urban streets of the world and 1.5 million of them are in Pakistan alone,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out and stressed for legislation to facilitate them to become responsible and potential citizens of the country.

He endorsed the campaign #OurTime17 by an international organization Consortium of Street Children and emphasized for more coordinated global efforts to improve the lives of street children and protecting them from falling into wrong hands to pose threat to the future societies.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP manifesto for 2018 elections will contain special initiatives for the betterment of children and protection of their rights including those of wandering in the urban streets without any solace.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/bilawal-bhutto-stresses-to-bring-nations-1-5-million-street-children-into-the-mainstream/

Pashto Music - Bya Seena ke sta Yadoona - Laila Khan

Pakistan - STATE-SPONSORED SHIA-BASHING CONTINUES AS SHAHDADKOT POLICE TOE ASWJ LINE

Biased police of Shahdadkot tortured Shia Muslims for celebrating the birth anniversary of Hazrat Ali (AS), the first infallible Imam of Shia Islam and fourth guided-Caliph of Sunni Muslim history. Simultaneously, the police accorded official protocol to banned Deobandi terrorist outfit ASWJ’s ringleader Aurangzeb Farooqi who made provocative hate-speech at a takfiri programme there.

The drunkard SHO of Shahdadkot police attacked the Shia Muslims when they brought out traditional procession that was 50th consecutive annual procession, chronologically. Many Shia Muslims were injured and the biased pro-terrorist SHO booked them in false case in a bid to hide his crime.
Biased police took unjustifiable and illegal action against law-abiding peaceful Shia Muslims in a bid to harass them so that they could not celebrate the birth anniversary of Hazrat Ali (AS).
Same police accorded mobile escort to provide protocol to Aurangzeb Farooqi of the banned terror outfit ASWJ, mother of all terrorism in Pakistan.
It is believed that facilitators of the banned takfiri outfits have infiltrated the Sindh Police because in Khairpur too, similar state-sponsored Shia-bashing was witnessed against the celebrations on birth anniversary of Hazrat Fatima Zahra, the daughter of Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH), the last apostle of God and prophet of Islam who was wife of Hazrat Ali (AS).
It is relevant to add here that renowned anti-terrorist police officer Chaudhry Aslam was killed because the facilitator of the terrorist was nobody else but a police cop himself.
Shia Muslims are suffering the state-sponsored Shia-bashing and those who claim responsibility for genocide against Shia Muslims such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, sister wing of ASWJ, are enjoying state protocol and protection.

http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/28047-state-sponsored-shia-bashing-continues-as-shahdadkot-police-toe-aswj-line

Well done, Malala!

For the misinformed critic, Malala Yousafzai is an embarrassment to Pakistan. Indeed, she has been ever since she found herself at the wrong end of the barrel of a Taliban gun.
For in Pakistan, an image is everything and everything counts in large amount.

And each time her star soars a little more — from being the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize to being named a UN messenger for Peace — that of the political state apparatus dims that much more.

The targeted assassination attempt against Malala took place under the watch of the first post-Musharraf democratic government. Thus we saw a changed tack in its official response. Gone were the petulant demonstrations that sought to berate female victims of male violence for speaking out and tarnishing Pakistan’s image overseas. In their place, a calculated strategy of damage control. Thus almost overnight, Malala was hailed the Bravest Girl in the World and then Pride of Pakistan, following her status as a Nobel Laureate.

In focusing solely on her bravery — the government effectively deflected the spotlight from its own failure in establishing its writ. Indeed, the Army was made to wait two years before going into North Waziristan.

But the greatest humiliation that Malala has dealt the Pakistani state is in refusing to be silenced. She has used her ‘celebrity’ to advocate relentlessly for girls’ right to education. Yet one young woman can only do so much. Three years after the attempt on her life — that is, three years after the then President termed this an attack it on all Pakistani girls, on education and on all civilised people — the country failed to meet most of its commitments under the Millennium Development Goals on Education.

We support Malala. We commend her in continuing her crusade against those whose very inaction has surrendered the narrative to extremists. How easy would it have been for the then schoolgirl to slip into temporary obscurity as she completed her education in Britain? How tempting it might have been for her to keep quiet in a bid to ‘fit in’. So, yes we support Malala wholeheartedly. What we do not support is successive governments and their inertia on the question of fundamental human rights of the girl child. The 21st century has arrived. The Pakistani state should feel well and truly humiliated that it has left all the heavy lifting on this front to a young woman — a young woman who stands alone on the global stage as she begs the international community to place education at the center of all mandates.

In short, the government must understand that the more it insists on appropriating Malala’s image — the more it simply succeeds in highlighting its own impotence when it comes to education of the girl child.

Why the Saudis need Raheel Sharif

BY OBED PASHA

Islamic Military Alliance is unlikely to help the Saudis with their objectives

Trouble is slowly brewing around the Saudi dynasty as the Kingdom is increasingly confronted with multiple crises that threaten its continuity. Control over the minority Shia population of the Kingdom is getting harder to maintain, whereas ISIS and Al-Qaeda are gaining foothold within the younger generation. Moreover, the unrest in Syria has allowed Iran to play a key role in the region with the help of Russia, and let’s not forget the nightmare of the Houthi rebels of Yemen that is likely to continue. If this was not enough, low oil prices are restricting the Kingdom’s resources and prosperity.

The Saudis are finding it difficult to deal with such matters, and are throwing their hopes behind Raheel Sharif and the proposed Islamic Military Alliance to cope with the security threats they face. Their failure is, in part, a product of the informal and personal means of governance that the Saudi state has adopted at the expense of institution building. Even in matters of foreign policy, the Kingdom prefers to invest in individual leaders of other states rather than forging an institutional state-to-state relationship. Their attitude toward defence is no different. Instead of a unified national defence institution, the Saudi military is divided into two separate factions through the Ministry of the National Guard and the Ministry of Defence that are loyal to the Sudairi and Abdullah factions of the Saudi royal family, respectively. Furthermore, the defence leadership at the command and policy levels is deeply influenced by members of the royal family and chieftains of their loyal tribes.

The Kingdom’s defence structure, thus, betrays the core institutional principle of mission-driven professionalism that is essential for governance in this day and age. The modern institution has evolved over a millennium since its inception with the Roman Catholic Church, emphasising a sense of purpose in the service of the Christian God and merit-based appointments and promotions for clergymen occupying the Church offices. This system was later adopted by the emerging European nation-states from the 15th century onward to govern their territories and colonies. Over centuries, institutions evolved to uphold inclusiveness and professionalism, where the functionaries were encouraged to serve the interests of the nation instead of religion or the ruling dynasty. These features created robust and effective institutions that continue to provide good governance everywhere.

Pakistani military, a descendant of the British colonial army, espouses such attributes that help establish its reputation as an effective combat force. It has proven its worth in dealing with religious zealots occupying tribal territories in the mountainous regions along the Pak-Afghan border, which has an uncanny resemblance with the Houthi situation faced by the Saudis. The Saudi military, on the other hand, remains much less competent to deal with such crises even after spending more than eight times what Pakistan spends on its defence. The Saudis, therefore, are seeking to take advantage of the experience and professionalism of the recently retired officers of Pakistan Army to help protect the Kingdom and preserve its influence in the Middle East.

While this move seems plausible on paper, it is deeply flawed and lacks an appreciation of institutional ethos. The achievements of Pakistan Army have more to do with the institutional structure of our military than the individuals occupying the leadership positions. Pakistan Army enjoys definitive professional discretion and decision-making authority over its matters, and its leaders move up the ranks through a competitive process based on their professional credentials. The prime minister of the country is often restricted by a handful of choices when appointing a Chief of Army Staff, and once appointed, the three-year term is almost always respected. Moreover, any advances by the political government to intrude into what the military considers its policy domains are fiercely repelled with media and political support.

The Saudi royals, on the other hand, maintain strict control over their military with the Minister of Defense serving as the primary decision-maker. Such an elevated level of royal control is necessary given the history of professional armies overthrowing governments in the region. It is no secret that the Saudis are funding this alliance to protect their interests, and would want to steer it as per their desires. Whoever leads this alliance will have to heed to their orders due to a lack of tenure protection and political support. This will evidently decline the leader’s effectiveness.

More importantly, the Pakistani officers of the proposed Islamic Alliance are likely to suffer from a lack of purpose, which will dampen their motivation to innovate and persist. War-making is a grim business with real consequences, and can only be administered successfully when the individuals fighting on your side have a sense of purpose high enough to risk their lives fighting on your behalf. A few centuries ago, bands and tribes of indigenous mercenaries roamed across the subcontinent offering their services to the highest bidding princeling. These mercenaries were governed by a strict code of valor and tribal honor, which made them trustworthy on the battlefield. Raheel Sharif and his fellow retired officers, however, are not governed by such codes and have their loyalties with the state of Pakistan. Decades of institutional conditioning, which engrained deep patriotism for Pakistan cannot be easily over-written for loyalty to the Saudis.

What the Saudi dynasty is going through today has many parallels with the various ruling dynasties of the subcontinent during the 16th and 17th centuries. Back then, an era of relying on tribal confederations and fluid mercenaries was coming to an end, and the Mughals, Marathas, Sikhs, Nizams, and Sultans of the time were increasingly relying on European mercenary officers to modernize their armies. With the help of such officers for hire, they used modern weaponry and strategies against each other with varying levels of success, but stood no chance against a semi-institutionalised military of an emerging British nation-state. If history tells us anything, this alliance is unlikely to help the Saudis with their objectives. In the meanwhile, there is no harm in letting our saviours make a few quick bucks out of the situation.

Pakistan - All citizens must have equality in the eyes of the state, Sherry

Vice President PPPP , Senator Sherry Rehman made a case for Pakistanis to take back their constitution in her opening keynote for the second day of the London School of Economics’ Pakistan Summit held at IBA Karachi.

Asserting on the importance of understanding the Constitution, Rehman said, “For democracy to be meaningful, citizens must put it to use as a constitutional entitlement. We have very little sense of our entitlements. The Constitution is not a remote document but something which gives rights”.

“The government for the people, by the people is no more. It’s now government with the people. Democracy will not work if it’s a top-down construct,” continued the Senator.

Rehman added, “It is timely to be asking questions about the laws that govern our country and laws outside, even as borders harden. Mapping the fundamentals is important to the architecture of laws that govern us today”.

“One core value that we must work on is inclusion. Pakistan is not a monolith and we have been managing our diversity pretty badly. Minority voices matter. All citizens must have equality in the eyes of the state,” said the Senator to applause from the audience.

In her address, Rehman highlighted the importance of detecting global trends, saying, “We are living in an era of profound change and social upheaval but we cannot disconnect. Our constitution needs to account for the three major global trends climate change, terrorism and accelerating digital usage”.

“There is nothing reversible about climate change, terrorism knows no borders and we do not know how to control the internet which is opening doors we do not know how to close. We need predictability, transparency, and accountability in this digital age,” the Senator elaborated.

Rehman further said, “The 18th amendment refashioned the entire relationship with the center and the way resources are distributed. It envisioned to strengthen federal units, national institutions and ensure that issues of public importance are resolved democratically at a local level. The RTI, for instance, played a critical role in making the government less remote”.

The Vice-President PPPP went on to say, “The nature of reform is extremely unwieldy and a fair amount of compromise and political consensus made the 18th amendment possible. Then President, Asif Ali Zardari, did not have to reduce the powers of the President but he did. The PPP government restored the 1973 constitution and devolved all powers to the provinces to end the sense of deprivation in smaller provinces. It has become the party’s pledge and commitment to its manifesto and the people,” concluded Rehman.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com

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LASHKAR-E-JHANGVI HAFEEZ BROHI GROUP OPERATING FROM BALOCHISTAN

He expressed these views speaking at a press conference in Sukkur after SP Sukkur team conducted a timely and successful operation against LeJ terrorist.
Hamid said the terrorist Kamran Bhatti who lost his life in encounter was the chief of Naeem Bukhari Sindh group – the most effective group of the banned LeJ. Bhatti had been leading the group after the arrest of Naeem Bukhari, he said.
Due to the unpaved routes from Dadu and Qamber and the close proximity to Balochistan, these terrorist groups such as Brohi group continue to pose a threat to Sindh, Hamid elaborated.
The SSP CTD said the police had received intelligence reports from federal institutions that terrorists could enter Sindh. He added that the police have asked the federal authorities for information on Bhatti’s accomplices who managed to flee.

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Pakistan - Stricter Child Abuse Punishments

The National Assembly Sub-committee on Interior rejected the The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2016 on Friday. The changes, recommended after the incidents of child sexual abuse and pornography in Swat and Kasur were exposed, suggested increasing the punishment for statutory rape and child pornography. The committee however, rejected the proposed changes, and the convener – Naeema Kishwar Khan of JUI-F – even went as far as stating that there was no need because a punishment (five to seven years’ imprisonment) already existed and that it was “not rape.”

It is shocking that a sitting Member of the National Assembly does not see statutory rape – sexual assault on a minor – as equivalent to rape; in the eyes of international law, it is generally the same thing. But then maybe, this should not be much of a surprise, considering that the Hudood Ordinances essentially abolished Pakistan’s statutory rape law. Girls as young as twelve have been prosecuted for extra-marital intercourse, where previously, this would have mandated statutory rape charges against the assailant. This is why the problem of child sexual abuse is so rampant in the country.

Consent as a concept is also something that many lawmakers do not understand and the law does not acknowledge since sex outside of marriage is illegal. A minor cannot give their consent for any decision considered in the adult domain – if children cannot consent to participating in sexual intercourse or pornography, the cases in Swat and Kasur are to be considered rape, and Ms Khan of JUI-F should revise her definition. There are very few crimes that should warrant the ultimate punishments – the death penalty or life imprisonment – and apart from murder, rape is one such crime. Statutory rape is no different from rape and hence all those guilty of those should suffer the same punishment.

Abhorrent as the cases in Kasur, Swat and all other cases of child sexual abuse are, the harrowing reports emerging on this topic at least initiated the discussion on what was to be done. But none of that has resulted into action against this horrendous crime; there are reports that the victims are having trouble resuming life normally, while their attackers roam free and lawmakers in our parliament consider these crimes against innocent children as something less serious than rape.

The government must take action; the bill tabled by Mussarrat Ahmed Zeb, was suggested because the number of crimes of child sexual abuse tell us that the punishment is not acting as enough of a deterrent. One can only hope that others in parliament get their act together to protect Pakistan’s children.

PPP against death penalty but Jadhav’s case different: Bilawal

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said that his party in principle was against the death penalty, however, added that it was a different case when it comes to the matter of Indian spies operating in Pakistan.

Talking to the media in Lahore, he said the Indian spy Kalbhushan Jadhav should have never been in the country in the first place.

Bilawal said that the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had failed, adding that the message of PPP would be spread and they will fight the rulers.

He said that the government was attacking PPP just to hide its weaknesses, saying that his party was being targeted and such undemocratic acts will not be tolerated.

Pakistan sentenced an Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for carrying out espionage and sabotage activities in Balochistan and Karachi, the ISPR said Monday.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed death sentence awarded by the FGCM under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA).

According to an ISPR press release, Kulbhusan Sundir Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a Counter-Intelligence Operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage actives in Pakistan.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari felicitates the nation on Constitution Day

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has felicitated the nation on Constitution Day, especially the Senate of Pakistan for celebrating the day with due honor to a unanimous national document, which binds entire population of Pakistan into a single and united federation.

“Founder of our unanimous Constitution Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was judicially murdered and the Constitution was trampled by the dictatorships. Again, President Asif Ali Zardari who restored the 1973 Constitution in its original shape is under attack again and again for the crime that he strengthened the Constitution and extended autonomy to provinces,” PPP Chairman stated in his statement on the Constitution Day being observed today in the country.

He said that those who treated Constitution as a piece of papers have gone into the history as villains who fomented extremism and ethnicity, tormented democratic forces and created political dummies to achieve their nefarious designs of dragging this country into chaos and disharmony.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP has always stood for the implementation of Constitution and a democratic order. Democracy is a license to national integrity and any attempt on the Constitutionalism and democracy will be vehemently resisted, he added.

PPP Chairman pledged that being the author of the Constitution his Party will go to any extent to protect the Constitution and the federation despite the victimization of its leaders and workers.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com

Bilawal vows to free south Punjab from shackles of Raiwind throne

People of south Punjab will get freedom from Takht-e-Raiwind after the upcoming general election, said Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday.

“South Punjab’s days of misery are over now,” he said, adding,”south Punjab is moving towards dawn of progress, happiness and equality.”

The PPP chairperson remarked this while speaking to the expected candidates of the districts of Multan, Bahawalpur divisions among others at Bilawal House, Lahore.

The current development budget for south Punjab is less than satisfactory, he remarked, adding that PPP has devised projects to provide relief to the poor people in the country.

Moreover, he also alleged that the rulers have spent billions on media campaigns for fake and false development projects.  

He also remarked that murderers of PPP workers are roaming freely in Haroonabad. “PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] government is not willing to arrest the murderers of PPP workers.”

After the meeting, the PPP chairperson also met the children of the worker Imtiaz Haider, who was killed in an attack on PPP leader Shaukat Basra in Haroonabad.

Pakistan - This time PPP is being targeted

Sindh Information advisor Mola Bakhsh Chandio on Sunday said that the policy of ‘picking people up’ is not appropriate, adding that at first ‘one party’ was targeted and now it seems to be the Pakistan Peoples Party’s turn.

The provincial minister was addressing media in a press conference, where he made the statements in reference to the recent arrest of three close aides of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

He said that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar was making threats since some time now he has acted upon it.

“We will not accept this kind of revenge,” said Chandio, adding that such kind of acts promote anarchy.

He also said that currently in Sindh, the duration of loadshedding is 18 hours and the situation of water supply is also dire.

“Mian Sahab (PM Nawaz Sharif) do not give life for Pakistan, instead spare its life,” he said.

Earlier, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah demanded that the three close aides of former president Zardari, who were reportedly picked up earlier, be presented in the courts within the next 24 hours.

"If you want to arrest people for being Zardari’s friends, then you should arrest me too, I can also tell you a lot," he said while talking to media at his residence in the Ministers’ Enclave.

He said the ‘arrested’ people included Zardari’s manager Ghulam Qadir Marri and Nawab Leghari. 

'Group of thieves’ ruling PPP, says Talal Chaudhry

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Talal Chaudhry lambasted PPP leaders for their reactionary statements, saying that a group of thieves is ruling the PPP.

Speaking to Geo News, he alleged that the PPP of today came to power after selling the name of Bhutto. “They have not only snatched away the things which Bhutto promised to the people of Sindh but also turned the city of light into a garbage den,” he said. “Nowadays fake Bhuttos are ruling the party.”

Raising the political temperature further, he said that water is a provincial matter but it is Nawaz Sharif who is providing it to Karachi.