How long will Pakistan’s civil society sleep?

Prof Kamran James

We will not be able to see a change in the Pakistani society if our so-called civil society decides to remain silent over brutalities against minorities.

Are we living in the age of modern liberal democracy or the dark ages? Each day in Pakistan brings a new kind of darkness, as people continue to die. The blame can be placed in several different directions, but the silence of the civil society is the most criminal aspect of this issue.

It is extremely sad to see the criminal silence of the Pakistani state machinery, and especially the civil society, over several brutal and barbaric incidents that have taken place recently. There has been no action against the atrocities we see every day, apart from the few voices that have been raised through print and electronic media — which is infact, playing the role of the fourth pillar of the state.

Recently, a prominent social activist was murdered in Peshawar. Sardar Charanjit Singh’s senseless death needs to be questioned, along with the brutal killings and police torture of people that belong to minorities.

The people of this country have no right to talk about the violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the atrocities being inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims, or the plight of the Palestinians. When it’s our own people, all we do is stay silent

Unfortunately, the Pakistani federation was unable to promote the concept of an equal citizenship. In reality, this country was supposed to promote national integration of all people, regardless of their colour, cast or creed. This was the true vision of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

We need constitutional amendments and need to revisit the Objectives Resolution of 1949 for political, economic and cultural harmony among different communities in Pakistan.

The people of this country have no right to talk about the violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the atrocities being inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims, or the plight of the Palestinians. We stay silent when we see our own people being discriminated against, killed, raped, and more. But we love to talk about people dying in other countries, and even organise rallies and protests to show our support.

I have hardly seen any voices being raised in support of Sindh, who lost his life despite the exceptional work he was doing.

Actually we do not know the meaning of a federation. The federal constitution or the law of the land binds together all the religious and ethnic groups and in fact, empowers them through constitutional law.

It’s important to know that people of all communities have given their lives for the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan. In 1960s, no one could even think that an African American will someday become the president of USA but the majority decided to vote for Barrack Obama

This sense of insecurity among different ethnic groups,especially among the Hazara community and in the people of Balochistan is a serious threat to the Pakistani Federation. This sense of division encourages anti-state elements to interfere.

It’s important to know that people of all communities have given their lives for the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan. In 1960s, no one could even think that an African American will someday become the president of USA but the majority decided to vote for Barrack Obama.

The people of Pakistan, regardless of colour, caste, creed, and religion gave their lives in the wars of 1948, 1965, 1971. Christian and other minority officers of the Pakistan Army fought for the sovereignty of Pakistan. We will not be able to see a change in our society if our so-called civil society decides to remain silent over brutalities against minorities.

The conclusion is this that we cannot afford extremism, radicalism fundamentalism in any form and for that we need to take practical steps in the right direction and need to find out the cause of this hatred.

The country needs drastic political, economic, social and constitutional reforms for national unification, which can leads us towards becoming one nation regardless of our differences. Criminal silence will lead us towards complete destruction. We should not live in a fool’s paradise.

Mumbai Attacks Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Outfit To Contest Pakistan Elections

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah is fielding more than 200 candidates in the July 25 general elections on national and provincial Assembly seats across the country even as the Mumbai terror attack mastermind  has decided not to run for parliament.

Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League (MML), but it has not been yet registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

With general elections approaching, the group decided to contest on the platform of a "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) registered with the ECP.

The JuD activists and sympathisers have taken the nomination papers from the ECP and are fielding their candidates on the platform of the AAT.

"MML president Saifullah Khalid and AAT chief Ehsan Bari have agreed to field joint candidates on the platform of ATT in the upcoming elections. Under the seat adjustment agreement, the MML will field more than 200 educated candidates. They will contest the elections on the AAT's election symbol chair," Ahmad Nadeem, an MML spokesperson, told PTI today.

He said there are many political figures who have joined the MML and it has awarded them AAT tickets.

Asked if Saeed plans to run as a parliamentary candidate in this election, the spokesman said: "No ... Hafiz sahib has no such plans at the moment. The MML is taking part for the first time in the general elections and hopefully, we will make to the parliament."

To a question, if any "significant leader" of the JuD would contest the election, he said: "Our priority is that those joining us from other political parties or educated youths in respective constituencies be given AAT tickets."

He said the AAT will launch its political campaign once its candidates file nomination papers.

"We are hopeful that the people will elect our candidates," he said.

It is believed that since the MML has hardly any chance to get registered with the ECP as the latter had announced the election schedule and issued election symbols, it had no other option but to contest the election on any 'dormant' entity like the AAT.

Earlier, MML president Saifullah Khalid had said: "We have decided to support the candidates of AAT in July 25 elections. We will play a role in the victory of those contesting on the symbol of a chair. To save Pakistan, patriotic people should be supported in the elections."

Khalid said the MML had been denied registration in the ECP for the last 11 months but will take part in the polls by supporting AAT candidates.

The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party arguing it's an offshoot of Saeed's JuD banned under a UN resolution.

The JuD formed MML at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/mumbai-attacks-mastermind-hafiz-saeeds-outfit-to-contest-pakistan-elections-1864833

Viewpoint: Will Pakistan mend its ways on terror?

By Ahmed Rashid

A global terror financing watchdog is putting pressure on Pakistan to do more to rein in terrorist groups operating from its soil - or face the consequences.

When the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) next meets in late June Pakistan faces going onto a "grey list", the first stage on the road to sanctions.

Unless it eliminates terrorism, it could end up on a blacklist, which would lead to a much harsher regime of punitive measures.

Western nations have also warned Pakistan it would face sanctions and a reduction in aid if it insists on evicting some 22 international non-governmental organisations, which have operated in Pakistan for many years.

For decades Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies are suspected of having given sanctuary to extremist groups which subscribe to the state's anti-India agenda or support its Taliban allies in Afghanistan.

Since 9/11 there have been multiple attempts through persuasion and threats by the US and Nato countries to force Islamabad to rein in these groups, but Pakistan has emphatically denied the charges and managed to sidestep the pressure it has faced.

At the meeting, Pakistan will automatically go onto a grey list unless it is able to provide evidence of a genuine crackdown on two sets of militants - groups based in Punjab province led by Lashkar-e-Taiba who attack Indian targets across the border in Indian-administered Kashmir; and the multiple groups operating out of western Pakistan, which attack Afghan and US forces in Afghanistan and are led by the Taliban and the Haqqani group.

The government and the army firmly deny Pakistan is harbouring terrorists and say the security forces have suffered large-scale casualties from Pakistani extremist groups now operating out of Afghanistan who cross the border to attack Pakistani targets. These include Islamic State militants, the Pakistani Taliban and other groups.

In late April representatives of more than 70 countries who make up FATF met in Paris and pledged to "fully criminalise" terror financing and end fundraising by the Islamic State and other groups. Privately, Pakistan was put on the mat for its continued alleged tolerance for terrorist groups and given until June to clean up its act.

Pakistan faced another shock when China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia - all close allies who have defended Pakistan's stance in the past - voted against Islamabad.

All three countries have suffered from Islamist extremists and are frustrated with Pakistan's failure to curb extremist groups on its soil. China is now the country with the most clout in Pakistan as it is investing some $60bn in infrastructure projects in the country

In mid-May Pakistan submitted to FATF some new measures it would undertake to tighten the screws on extremists. These steps - now under consideration and details of which remain confidential - may not be sufficient to satisfy FATF, warn senior Western diplomats in Pakistan.

Pakistan has faced increasing diplomatic isolation because of its alleged harbouring of extremist groups. It has promised to help bring the Afghan Taliban to the table for peace talks but there has been little progress on that front.

US and Nato forces in Afghanistan have taken a highly critical line on Pakistan providing sanctuary for Afghan Taliban leaders and the extent to which Taliban supply lines stretch through Pakistan. Islamabad denies all these charges.

Pakistan has also proposed that Lashkar-e-Taiba be allowed to operate as a legitimate political party - something that would be unacceptable to the international community and many Pakistanis.

An offshoot of Lashkar operating under a different name has already taken part in by-elections and could well be allowed to participate in general elections scheduled for 25 July. Even though the US has a $10m bounty on the head of Lashkar's leader Hafiz Saeed, he is still free to make speeches.

Meanwhile the government has still not implemented a disarmament and deradicalisation programme for militants, which was promised four years ago following the Peshawar school massacre. In official circles there is now talk of "mainstreaming militants", which means allowing them to take part in the political process.

The FATF review process also includes an assessment of whether Pakistan is regulating international NGOs appropriately - FATF is trying to stop governments using counter-terror justifications for restricting NGOs. Pakistan recently ordered some 22 international NGOs to shut down and leave the country, claiming they were a security risk.

After criticism from European ambassadors in Islamabad, Pakistan promised to review its ban on such global stalwarts of aid as Oxfam, ActionAid, Plan International and George Soros's Open Society. The results of the government's review are anxiously awaited especially by the thousands of Pakistanis who are employed by the NGOs.

NGOs are now required to obtain a "no-objection certificate" for their activities, which is difficult to obtain or just never granted. If not allowed to register, the international NGOs will have to leave the country. Western diplomats and NGO officials complain "very minimal transparency" is being exercised in the government's review process.

It is high time that Pakistan ended its long-running dependency on militants to sustain its foreign policy in the region. Islamist extremists have been threatening Pakistan for years. Western pressure has not worked and some diplomats hope China can play a more assertive role in getting Pakistan to comply.

If Pakistan fails to comply with FATF it will face a much more belligerent and friendless international community where it is possible that even allies like China no longer help to bail out Pakistan. China, too, has a great deal at stake in Pakistan's future and it certainly needs to exercise the influence it has in Islamabad.

Tayyaba abuse case shines light on Pakistan's child maids

She had been working as a "child maid" in the home of a judge and his wife.

Tayyaba is now living in a home run by the charity SOS Children's Village. She attends school and seems to be adjusting to her new life, but she still doesn't find it easy to talk about what happened.

Azmat, one of the carers at the charity, says initially Tayyaba couldn't bring herself to believe that she no longer had to work.

"She used to think of me in the same way, that I would make her work, that I would beat her. After a month or two she was finally convinced that she doesn't have to do any sweeping, doesn't have to wash any dishes, and isn't going to be beaten."

The couple employing her denied mistreating Tayyaba but, sitting alongside her carers, she told me she had been beaten by the wife simply for losing a broom. "They also burnt my hands," she added. The scars are still visible over a year on.

I asked if her parents ever told her why she had to work instead of being able to go to school. "My family had to pay off a debt... that's what my mum told me."

Tayyaba grew up in a small, poor village outside the city of Faisalabad, about four hours' drive south from Islamabad.

Her father, a labourer called Azam, said he sent Tayyaba away after his finger was cut off in an accident.

"I couldn't work and my wife needed an operation. We needed money, so I asked a friend and she suggested this family."

Azam claims he was told Tayyaba would be paid just "to play" with the couple's young children.

Children aren't legally allowed to work in most businesses in Pakistan, but in the vast majority of the country there's no law banning them from working inside homes.

Child maids are often required to cook, clean and look after babies - and there are thought to be tens of thousands of them across the country.

'Take my child'

For some, it's a business. Irshad Bibi runs an employment agency on the outskirts of Islamabad.

"I find work for children who are at least 12 years old, not younger than 10," she tells me defensively.

There's a long queue of families in her office trying to find jobs for their children. One father's young son and daughter ran away from the last home they were working in, but he's back because he says he needs the money.

"No parent wants their young child to go and work," Irshad tells me, "They're desperate... Here now is a parent crying, saying 'I am being thrown out of my house, I haven't even got 5,000 rupees [£32; $43], take my child and get her some work'."

Irshad says that no child she's found work for has ever been beaten, but tales of abuse are common and it's rare that anyone is ever held responsible.

In Pakistan, most criminal cases are filed by victims or their families, rather than by the state. That means, for many crimes, they have the right to drop the charges by stating they forgive the suspects "in the name of God". In fact, lawyers say the real reason is normally that they are paid off.

Tayyaba's case did go to court. Maheen Zafar was accused of assault, and her husband, Judge Raja Khurram Ali, was accused of cruelty to a child.

Tayyaba's father, with the help of his lawyer, tried to have the case dropped. But on this occasion, the Supreme Court overruled his decision, and ordered a trial to take place.

Tayyaba had told officials she had been beaten but her father, Azam, was insistent that the couple employing her couldn't be guilty.

"What she said to us was, 'I fell down the staircase,' not that she was beaten."

He suggested the police "frightened" Tayyaba into accusing the couple. I asked him how he could be so sure the judge and his wife didn't mistreat her?

"They have young children themselves, and when you have young children yourself you can't mistreat other young children."

He denied he was being paid to drop the case, "They have not put any pressure on us. They have never offered us any money nor made any threats."

When Tayyaba came to give evidence in court, she repeated the claim that she had been beaten.

Cold hands

However, under cross examination, she contradicted herself and withdrew the claims.

The court observed that Tayyaba seemed to be answering every question posed by the defence lawyers with a simple "yes sir." One of Tayyaba's carers, who accompanied her to court, told me her hands had gone cold with fear when she saw the defendants.

Tayyaba's case attracted a lot of media attention.

Child rights activist Qudsia Mehmood told the BBC the publicity helped efforts to close the legal "loophole" that meant children could be hired as domestic servants in Islamabad.

However, the new law only applied to the capital. Ms Mehmood wants other parts of the country to pass similar legislation. Even if that happens, she acknowledges implementing the law is often a challenge.

Many believe that as long as there are poor families willing to send their children to work, and richer families willing to hire them, the problem will continue.

Some child maids end up working in homes alongside their parents, or find work locally. But others are recruited by agents.

Irshad Bibi and one of her fast-talking recruitment agents, Sidra, agreed to let me accompany them on a trip to a village to find new potential child maids.

Their phones were constantly ringing - apparently clients looking for child maids.

Walking along the dirt roads I asked Sidra if she ever had to convince families their children would be safe?

"Yes, I have. We say, 'Send your children, and we'll look after them.'"

They take me to the home of a family who are hoping to send their 10-year-old daughter to work in Islamabad, about 240km (150 miles) away.

The mother says she's told her daughter about the plan and that she's agreed to it. Rabia, the young girl, looks up shyly at me. She's never worked before, though she tells me she washes the dishes and helps tend the goats at home.

I ask her if she'll be scared living away from her parents. She shakes her head, "No."

"We're poor. We have no choice," adds her mother. She worked as a maid herself as a child, in the home of the local village landlord.

"The first few days you think, 'Where am I?' Then you just put up with it."

A few weeks later, as the trial of the judge and his wife is due to end, I get a late-night call from Tayyaba's father Azam.

"I want to tell you the truth," he says, "Can you come back to my village?"

'I lied for a bribe'

The "truth", he says, is that Tayyaba did tell him she was beaten.

"She said that the judge's wife had burnt her with an iron, and didn't give her a bed at night."

He says his lawyer was arranged and paid for by the suspects - and that he convinced Azam to try to get the case dropped.

"He said: 'This isn't a bribe, it's a token of sympathy. Your kids don't have a home, we'll get you a house and a car. We'll help you.'

"If I didn't speak out against them then I'd get whatever I wanted."

I tried to pin Tayyaba's father down as to why he was only now saying this. He said he was fed up with telling lies, and wanted to take custody of his daughter again. But he also admitted it was because the alleged promises to help lift his family out of poverty never materialised.

"I thought OK, whatever has happened has happened, at least the rest of my kids will have a better life. But they haven't given me anything."

It's hard to know exactly what the truth is, but his account was corroborated by a second source who was initially involved in the negotiations.

Tayyaba's father's former lawyer says the claims are completely untrue. And that Tayyaba's father testified in court that he wasn't under any pressure.

The lawyer representing Raja Khurram Ali and Maheen Zafar told the BBC the claims were malicious and false.

The couple were convicted of neglecting an injured child and sentenced to one year in jail.

They were acquitted of all other charges, including assaulting Tayyaba. They remain free whilst they appeal the verdict.

For Tayyaba though, there is the chance at least of a happy ending. When she grows up, she wants to be a teacher because, she says, children should be in school - not working.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44397432

#Pakistan - #PPP’s Khuhro warns CJP against campaigning for Kalabagh dam

Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro on Saturday said that he will file a Contempt of People notice against the Chief Justice if he tried to revive the “dead” project of Kalabagh dam.

He was addressing a press conference at a local press club in Larkana on Saturday. Khuhro said Kalabagh dam is a harmful project and that Justice Nisar should not try to become Liaquat Jatoi or Pervaiz Musharaf.

Khuhro said that by taking up the issue of the Kalabagh dam, the CJP has disappointed the nation. He said the people of Sindh will fight against Kalabagh dam on every forum. Khuhro added that three million acres of fertile land of Sindh has been digested by waterlogging and salinity.

The PPP leader said that IRSA is responsible for water shortages which should be under irrigation department instead of WAPDA.

Khuhro said that the apex court should summon IRSA and order for equitable distribution of water. He said the tail-enders have the first right over water internationally but Sindh is being deprived of its due share, while he also termed Kalabagh dam equal to black snake for Sindh.

He said the PPP is not doing politics by talking against Kalabagh dam but if it is politics then they will continue to do it.

Khuhro also criticised the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) saying that not even a single leader from the party has so far talked about the statement of the chief justice about Kalabagh dam.

He said Musharraf should be called and asked as to why construction of the Basha Dam was not initiated. Khuhro said that dictator Zia raised the issue of Kalabagh dam and it was called black snake dam at that time and that the then three assembles rejected it. He said that water was flowing in Rice Canal previously on May 5 but till-date, it has not yet been released for which IRSA should be questioned, he added.

Speaking about general elections 2018, the PPP Sindh president said that homework for general elections has been completed and that the list of candidates will be made public at the right time.

Lauding veteran politican Rasool Bux Palijo, who passed away earlier this week, Khuhro said that he was a protector and guard of Sindh and raised his forceful voice against Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh dam. With his death, he added, a gap has been created which is difficult to be filled.

Nazir Bughio, Abdul Fatah Bhutto and others were also present on the occasion.

#Pakistan - #Journalist mysteriously goes missing

Colleagues of a senior journalist have reported of his disappearance here in Lahore after workhours late Friday night.

Owner and editor of daily Mubasreen’s Gulzar Chaudhry’s co-workers have alleged that he remains unreachable as of filing of this report. Some of his colleagues in the media industry believe that his disappearance can be a part of campaign against the journalists.

Qazi Tariq, Editor of his own Urdu daily, told Pakistan Today that there were no clues as to whereabouts of Gulzar Chaudhry. “We are trying to contact Gulzar Chaudhry on his cell phone but there at first there was no response from the numbers, and now they seem to be turned off,” he said.

On social media, journalists from different media houses condemned the disappearance of their colleague and called enforced disappearance of journalists by unidentified persons a dangerous trend. “The state-run institutions must remain in their limits and avoid such tactics against the media persons,” they said.

Gulzar Chaudhry was reportedly picked up by some ‘unidentified persons’ and whisked away in a government vehicle as he was on his way back to home from his office situated at the Davis Road. Qazi Tariq said that no one knew who was behind this kidnapping. The media community has long been protesting against a series of kidnappings and disappearances of journalists.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/06/09/journalist-disappeared-after-his-office-time/

#MeToo - #Shame #PTI - Putting a garland on a rapist is bad politics

By Aisha Sarwari


In 1976, film actress Shabnam Ghosh’s house was broken and entered into and a ‘dacoity’ took place. This is a euphemism for rape. In that pre #MeToo era this popular Bangladeshi film actress who made Lahore her home and Lollywood her profession lived on in Lahore, even after the 1971 secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The ‘dacoits’ — now we would call misogynists, incels and rapists, tied up her husband and young son and raped her in front of them as an extension of the war. In Shabnam’s own words on a national television channel: “I had to leave the country immediately, go back home to Bangladesh.”

Her trauma however is washed over like the trauma of millions of women of that generation. Their consent and their agency never counted and even years after — their pain and humiliation are a non-issue. That was the era when marital rape was kinky and child marriage was just marriage.

One of Shabnam’s rapists was an entitled man armed with privilege called Farooq Bandial. On the last days of May 2018, as politicking and election fever takes over political parties in Pakistan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), touting justice, gives him a party ticket to run. PTI Chairman Imran Khan, known to have courted all the fair maidens globally and locally their jinns, well into his mature years stands next to Bandial with a congratulatory handshake and a grin on his face. Well, because, if Bandial had thug-life then, imagine his clout among the bros now? Which party wouldn’t want that — in this era where things are pretty much the same as they were then — the winners are men who know how to escape the state’s wrath and are above it. It’s invaluable for any party.

The same day Bandial joins the party, thanks to #MeToo, all the ruckus about women’s rights and the fact that feminism has rebranded itself as thug-life too, the PTI comes under fire on social media. The word on the internet street is: why give a party ticket to a rapist? Great thing about this movement is that 1976 can come up in 2018. Statutes of limitation don’t apply in the online courts of #MeToo. The law that is manufactured to protect men from the law, now is also getting pressured enough to protect the women from the men.

The credibility is shifting: the perpetrators are not the victims anymore. Feminism is actually quite gangster. The men are scratching their heads. Especially the bald rotund ones who’ve seen better days when women had no voice growing out of their throats like a strong creeping vine. They are wondering where the plot was lost — how the heroes became the antiheroes and the people who played the parts of servant girls are overthrowing the king by telling stories. Sheherzade’s back it seems. A thousand and one stories that are compelling, so compelling, people are listening. Retweeting. Liking. Sharing. Reposting. Damn.

Political parties like the PTI are recognising that it is best to listen to social media and the backlash against Bandial’s nomination. So they kick him out saying, we now know he’s a rapist. While the fact of the matter is, truth be told, they always knew he was a rapist — just that now it’s bothering voters.

In the light of #MeToo a few more names need to be taken in the culture of complacency that compelled Farooq Bandial to be so draconian with a gentle beautiful film actress, loved and revered. One, SM Zafar, Shabnam’s legal counsel — a man revered as just, honest, uncompromising and one who speaks truth to power.

We throw around these accolades without referring to any thesaurus it seems because this so-called social justice warrior pleaded Shabnam’s case, got the ‘dacoits’ apprehended, sans Bandial, and then wrote a letter to then head of state General Ziaul Haq. Counsel SM Zafar asked Zia to pardon the culprits from the death sentence in a letter dated October 1979. On the grounds that the earlier political head, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, created a culture of sanction to harm Bangladeshis and get away with it. He said they were merely “influenced by the prevalent atmosphere of licence and free for all attitude sustained by the previous government.”

In layman terms, SM Zafar said: Let it go because the ‘delinquents’ didn’t get the new memo that hate crime and rape is a not a national service.

Two, the PTI is not alone in its passing of the baton to ultra bigots and rapists, other parties, the PPP, the PML-N and the rest of the lot are just as complacent. However, the Naya Pakistan agenda promised everything other than the old memo. Yet, we see it is just old wine in an old bottle. No thanks.

This is a plea to not vote for parties that claim justice and reward lawbreakers. To not vote for them even when they succumb to social media pressure and withdraw a rapist’s running candidacy, because votes should be given to those with independence of thought — a thought philosophy that is preferably not guided by a windsock.

#Pakistan - #PPP - Lal Khan Invites Bilawal Bhutto To Contest On NA-8

Former federal minister and leader of PPP, Lal Muhammad Khan has invited Chairman PPP for contesting general elections form constituency NA-8, Malakand.

Former federal minister and leader of PPP, Lal Muhammad Khan has invited Chairman PPP for contesting general elections form constituency NA-8, Malakand.

Accompanied by PPP central leader, Farhatullah Babar at his residence here, Lal Muhammad Khan said "I have personally invited Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to contest NA election from the lone seat of Malakand and in case it happened, I shall bear all the expenses of this election".

He said his party has favored him a lot in past and it was his wish that his leader contest election from his constituency.

Lal Muhammad said "Farhatullah Babar already had talked withhim on upcoming elections and he has conveyed his message to Bilawal in detailwith regard to election in Malakand.


https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/lal-khan-invites-bilawal-bhutto-to-contest-on-365101.html

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#Pakistan - Zahra Baloch – an unsung hero of #Balochistan

By Faiz M Baluch

On 14 May 2018, a daughter of Balochistan along with her brother took a taxi home not knowing that it would be their last ride. She had just finished her final year exams and was going to visit her brother in Iranian occupied Balochistan when a Land Cruiser overtook their taxi and brake sharply leaving no time for the taxi to stop. Hence, the taxi collided with the back bumpers of the Land Cruiser killing all three persons on board – Zahra Baloch, her brother Attaullah Baloch and the taxi driver.

It is not clear yet what caused the Land Cruiser’s driver to brake sharply or whether it was a deliberate attempt to cause this accident with intent to kill Zahra and her brother. Iran and Pakistan are two dangerous states for Baloch people and they avail every opportunity to harm the most learned and educated youth of Balochistan. Since Zahra Baloch was politically active and had previously received warnings from Pakistani security forces, it is highly likely that her death was not just an accident.

According to close relatives of Zahra, she had a keen interest in Baloch politics since her childhood. She always wanted to do something for her nation and to be able to help them in their struggle for freedom.

She was a silent but active political worker who believes in practical work than show off like many of today’s activists or even leaders. She would go house-to-house to educate people about the freedom struggle and advise youth of her age to spend their energy on education instead of wasting it on unnecessary things.

According to Basheer Shohaaz, the elder brother of Zahra, she was different from rest of the family. She was the youngest among siblings. ‘She had grown up in middle of war [Balochistan freedom struggle] that is why her way of looking at things was different. She was a strong representative of the new Baloch generation. She was the kindest person with her innocent face and she never argued with anyone or get angry.’

In Basheer Shohaaz’s words, ‘Zahra had a pain in her heart for the Baloch nation and Balochistan. That pain had made her politically mature before her age. The pain of occupation of Baloch and Balochistan, the pain of brothers and sisters, the pain of disappearances had made her the leader of her sisters – political colleagues. After doing her school work and housework, she would sit and publish the news messages about disappearances of her brothers and abduction of Baloch women.’

The enemy [Pakistani forces] could not tolerate her peaceful political activities and they threatened her father to ‘tell your youngest daughter’ to stop publishing news messages.

When her brother told her to be careful distributing social media news messages, she replied, ‘There is nothing left for the Baloch nation. They [Pakistani forces] have done whatever they could. Now they can only kill us. If they want to kill me let them do so, I’m not better than my brothers.’

In 2017 Pakistani forces raided her house, harassed her family and abducted her father. During this raid one Pakistani army colonel ordered Zahra to hand over her mobile phone to them, she not only refused to give her phone but took a stone and broke the phone making it completely disable for the Pakistani military officials to check its contents.

Such silent soldiers of Balochistan freedom struggle should not be forgotten in fact, their struggle and hard work should be praised and used as examples for the next generations of Balochistan so they can learn real activism instead of nowadays petty politics of leg pulling and throwing dirt on each other.

#Pakistan - OP-ED #FATA’s conflict traps and peace prospects

Dr Saira Bano Orakzai

On August 26, 2016, the FATA reforms committee completed its deliberations on reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which were presented to Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif in November 2016. Between December 2016 and May 2018, the people of FATA waited for implementation of these reforms. Yet, these reforms were unnecessarily delayed, making the entire process dubious and frustrating the tribal people. However, on May 25, 2018, the FATA merger bill was placed before the Parliament and was hastily passed with a two-third majority.

The FATA bill was passed with a national consensus. However, there was np consensus of the people of the concerned area. Meaning FATA was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) without going through the appropriate process. Perhaps, FATA is one of the few cases in the world where a merger or annexation of territory happened on the whims and will of people living in other provinces of the state.

What is the end result of this faulty and delayed process of reforms and merger? Anger, frustration, and lack of hope became a driving force behind a movement for civil rights. Within days of the merger and passing of the interim order for FATA by the President of Pakistan, the Pakistani regime started repressing Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).This has been the Pakistani state’s standard approach to both violent and non-violent challengers from within. This kind of repression has already backfired in the case of Balochistan. Such an approach against tribal Pashtuns would further aggravate the situation and damage Pakistan’s already tarnished image.

At this point, the state must rethink its old strategy against such movements in Pakistan. There are massive political, constitutional, social and developmental crises in the tribal areas, meaning this conflict must be resolved before it creates rift within the country that cannot be bridged and diplomatic embarrassment internationally. The way out is to rethink this ill-conceived merger and reforms.

It is important to address the grievances of PTM by establishing a peace commission. In fact, this may be the only way to ensure peace and stability in the tribal areas

Conflicts need resolution, and this can only be achieved by addressing all the contentious issues. Here the issues are consent, human rights abuses, political, social, legal and developmental issues, and environment of moving towards civil peace, which refers to the absence of violent internal conflicts. PTM’s struggle for human rights, a merger without consent and reforms with no positive movement have created a ‘conflict trap’ in FATA. In this case, a high quality of life, basic fundamental institutions to establish and enforce rule of law, provision of basic goods and services, and a greater participation reduces the likelihood of any renewed conflict.

A long history of violent conflict produces negative long term social, economic and political consequences. Hence, there is a need to rebuild infrastructure, trust and relationships. It also has a long-term health impact crisis in societies because it creates deep social and political divides. In such situations, powerful elements takeover all political culture, leaving little space for negotiations and compromise.

Constructing a reliable, legitimate and accountable institutions is what is needed, and this can be done through an interim administrative set up during the transition period. PTM, FATA youth Jirga and Aman committees all are moving in different directions. In this regard, an interim set up of a non-partisan nature can help to find a way out of this ‘conflict trap’ in the tribal areas. PTM has extended the battlefield of problems of FATA to the rest of the Pashtun areas, thus making it more difficult to negotiate. While the presence of the Taliban after so many military operations is also a source of deep concern for the future of peace in FATA.

It is thus important to address the grievances of PTM by establishing a peace commission. In fact this may be the only way to ensure peace and stability in the tribal areas. The failure of truth and reconciliation commissions in South Africa is evident and makes it impossible to establish such a commission in Pakistan. However, a Peace commission could record cases of the aggrieved families, human rights abuses and grievances during years of conflict and develop a mechanism to address such grievances.

Building an infrastructure of peace at both social, political, legal and developmental areas is critical. It should also involve a trust building commission where the residents of the tribal areas are able to register the issues which are creating trust deficit between the state and people of the area. It is also important to re-define the terms of agreement between the tribal areas and Pakistan as previously they were defined between MA Jinnah and Bannu Tribal Jirga in 1948. Sweeping consent and agreements under the carpet and creating a new social-political set up overnight with no ground work will have a long-term impact on the structure of the system and the strategic mechanism through which such a structure is supposed to work.

The controversial new interim order by the President of Pakistan also calls for the administration of justice, maintenance of peace and good governance. Instead of using the interim setup to crush dissent, the order should be considered a last opportunity for peace. A Peace which rests on a three-tier approach: peace commission, infrastructure for peace and trust building commission. In place of bureaucracy with its 71 years of tainted history in FATA, it is important to include academia, civil society, and other non-partisan individuals and groups to carry out these commissions’ functions for a period of two years. A peace through the people approach is the only feasible way out from the conflict trap in FATA.