'Pakistan could be next to normalize ties with Israel'

By Dean Shmuel Elmas

British-Pakistani analyst Noor Dahri says that Oman, Sudan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia are likely to follow UAE and Bahrain and seek rapprochement with Israel sooner than believed.

The historic peace deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have send shockwave across the Arab world, meeting both commendations and condemnations.

Jerusalem has expressed hope that the momentum caused by the two accords will continue to sweep through the region, despite the Palestinians' disapproval and Iran's implied and explicit threats against its neighbors over any attempted rapprochement with the Jewish state.

British-Pakistani analyst Noor Dahri, founder and executive director of Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism, a UK-based think tank, told Israel Hayom Monday that many other Arab countries have taken notice of the regional winds of change, and may follow in Abu Dhabi and Manama's footsteps sooner that one may believe.

"The peace agreements of the UAE and Bahrain with Israel are just a door [for them] for opening further diplomatic, trade and strategic relations with the Israel. There are many countries that are awaiting their term to join the agreement, such as Oman, Sudan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia," he said.

"We must not forget that despite the tough political tension between Qatar and other members of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], Israel has already maintained good mutual relations with Qatar and there is no doubt that Qatar may join the peace agreement with Israel sooner or later.

"Pakistan has also not closed the door completely but its national interests do not permit it to announce open relations with the Jewish state. … Both states have had intelligence and military relations for decades. Pakistan has never considered the Jewish state as its enemy but may establish conditional relations with it in the future, after the Arab agreements."

Dahri, an independent researcher specializing in Islamism extremism and counterterrorism, is an adviser to many national and international organizations, including British Association of Islamic Studies and the Council for Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, to name a few. As for whether the Israeli-Bahraini peace agreement may prove more problematic than the accord struck with the UAE over the Shiite-Sunni conflict, Dahri explained, "We need to look at the sectarian and political angle. As the majority in Bahrain is Shiite, Iran already has influence on the population, as is the case in Yemen.

"There are a few terrorist organizations in Bahrain that are supported and militarized by Iran. In the current situation of the Israel-Bahrain peace agreement, Iran may use these organizations to conduct terrorist attacks not only against the Bahraini government but also to target the Israeli interests in a country.

"The UAE has also conducted a few intelligence and security operations in the past few years and arrested more than 100 Muslim Brotherhood activists that also had logistic support from Iran. Therefore, the political satiation of the sectarian conflict in the UAE and far different than [the one that may develop] in Bahrain."

According to Dahri, "One must know that GCC is funded not by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but the Kingdom of Bahrain, which has great influence over Gulf Cooperation Council decision-making.

"However, the peace agreement could benefit the state of Israel by establishing strong ties with the other members of the GCC and it is a prime chance that in the near future the state of Israel could be the member of the GCC."

https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/09/15/pakistan-could-be-next-to-normalize-ties-with-israel/

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#asimsaleembajwa - Belt and Road Pakistan Belt and Road chief under pressure to resign

By ADNAN AAMIR

Corruption allegations spark rare criticism of point man in China relations.

Asim Saleem Bajwa, the retired general who heads the powerful China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority -- the government agency that oversees China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Pakistan -- has come under pressure to resign after allegations of corruption in his family busineses surfaced.

According to an expose last month in Fact Focus, a Pakistani online news portal, growth of the Bajwa family's business interests tracked his military career. The story alleged that Bajwa, who is also special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan for information and broadcasting, used his influence to help his family amass huge wealth.

The story kicked off a firestorm on social media, with demands for Bajwa's resignation and further investigation. It fueled particular discontent among Pakistanis not benefiting from CPEC projects. Maryam Nawaz, a leading opposition figure, also called on Bajwa to respond to the allegations.

The CPEC Authority was set up in October to centralize the affairs of CPEC, China's $50 billion BRI component in Pakistan, and to knock down bureaucratic hurdles obstructing timely project completions.

Feeling the heat, Bajwa announced his resignation as special assistant to the prime minister, but hung on as chairman of the CPEC Authority.

Khan rejected the resignation, and suffered a barrage of criticism -- not least because a major plank in his election campaign was accountability. He is now being accused of reneging on election promises.

Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Justice Movement), won the 2018 general election with alleged backing from the army.

Strategic Gwadar port is at the southern end of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which overall is unlikely to be affected by corruption allegations against Bajwa, its Pakistani point man.   © Getty Images

"There are several aides to the prime minister but only one head of the CPEC Authority," Malik Siraj Akbar, a Washington-based analyst on South Asian issues, told the Nikkei Asian Review. "Offering to resign as the PM's aide is symbolic and does not add much value."

The scandal was exposed by Ahmed Noorani, an investigative journalist with a history of reporting on military affairs. He spent months preparing the report, which alleges that the Bajwa family's business empire has 99 companies spread over four countries, "including a pizza franchise with 133 restaurants worth an estimated $39.9 million."

In Pakistani media circles, many doubt that such a detailed story could have been pulled together without help from powerful enemies of Bajwa.

The alleged corruption row raises questions about the future of CPEC, even though any evidence of significant damage has yet to emerge.

"It's no small matter for CPEC's Pakistan head to be implicated in a scandal involving overseas family assets -- especially when he's part of a government that has incessantly criticized Pakistani politicians about this very issue," Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told Nikkei. He said there is unlikely to be a direct impact on CPEC operations, but there will be "reputational implications" for the multi-billion dollar undertaking.

Krzysztof Iwanek, head of the Asia Research Center at Warsaw's War Studies University, agrees that the fallout is likely to be contained. "Pakistan's military and political elite want CPEC to develop further despite their disagreements about different issues," he told Nikkei.

Some government ministers and retired military personnel, meanwhile, regard the allegations against Bajwa as part of an anti-CPEC conspiracy.

With serious tensions along the China-India border, some wonder if India had a hand in corruption allegations against Pakistan's top official for China projects.   © Getty Images

Given present geopolitics, with China and India clashing along their border, Kugelman sees a "powerful pretext" for painting the scandal as an Indian conspiracy against CPEC.

"How come asking for accountability, transparency, and checks and balances on CPEC constitutes a conspiracy against CPEC?" asked Akbar. "Keeping the project clean and free from corruption is in the best interests of Pakistan and China."

Pundits in Pakistan are weighing up the odds of Bajwa losing his coveted CPEC position, but many doubt he will be dismissed.

"Apparently, the allegations of corruption will not prevent Bajwa -- someone well-regarded by [Islamabad and Beijing] -- from serving in the top CPEC slot," Kugelman told Nikkei. He said the reflexive dismissal of corruption allegations against the top official may be part of an effort to preempt criticism of CPEC, an entity Islamabad "badly wants to uphold as sacrosanct."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Pakistan-Belt-and-Road-chief-under-pressure-to-resign

#Pakistan - Pilots’ fake licenses

At last truth about the Pakistan Airline (PIA) dubious licenses is coming to light. Representatives of Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) told the Sub Committee of Senate Standing Committee on Civil Aviation that licenses of pilots of PK 661, which crashed near Hawelian on way from Chittral to Islamabad, were not genuine. It was further revealed to the Sub Committee that in 2018 scrutiny of PIA pilots’ examination record maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority had exposed discrepancies between the result sheets generated by the software and the attendance sheets of the candidates on the days of examinations. The Committee asked for the forensic report in the matter.

The opposition had resorted to cutting political angles when Civil Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan made a statement in the National assembly that licenses of 262 have been found fake. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, who had served Chairman PIA, insisted in an interview on a private TV Channel that pilots’ examinations are conducted by Civil Aviation Authority in absolute transparent manner. Showing resentment over the statement of Aviation Minister, former Prime Minister argued that it will bring a misnomer to the image of the country and National Airline.

The matter of pilots with ingenuine flying licenses posed a grave risk to human lives during air travel. The government had taken right decision to make the names of public of pilots holding fake licenses by uploading on the website of Civil Aviation Authority and informing flying clubs accordingly. The issue was not that simple and straight forward as Shahid Khaqan Abbassi had portrayed, because International Air Transport Association (IATA) had then taken a notice of it. It was on the recommendation of (IATA) that the United States and European Union countries had banned PIA flights in their skies during the tenure of last PML-N government. The main reason cited was the large number of faulty and outmoded aircrafts in the fleet of the National Air Line. The irregularity of inducting pilots of counterfeit licenses is unlawful and can be used as pretext for banning the flight of national airline and other Pakistani airlines on international routes.

PIA was kept in the dilapidated state by the previous government to pave the way for its privitisation at throw away price, for which air traffic was declared as core function, loans, worn out airplanes and other liabilities as non-core function of the airline. The air traffic was selected for privitisation. Abandoning the induction of new aircraft in the fleet of PIA, appointments on political basis and adoption of open skies policy resulted in huge losses of the national carrier in addition to overburdening it with loans of over Rs. 200 billion. Hopefully, the submission of forensic report, rightsizing measures being taken for purging the political appointees and induction of brand new airplanes will help clear the accumulated mess in PIA.

https://thefrontierpost.com/pilots-fake-licenses/

#Pakistan - Rape cases and the rule of law

By Maleeha Hashmey

“One culprit, just one culprit undergoing death penalty while the whole world watches him meet his well-earned destiny is all it is going to curb the ‘rape’ cancer”, “Zero tolerance for rapists”, “Stop victim blaming”—are the audible murmurs we heard getting louder across Pakistan, ever since we saw an innocent woman traveling on the Highway, late on Tuesday night, raped right in front of her kids mercilessly.

But the tragedy was not over. She had to survive to hear from a very responsible police officer that she, somehow, called for it, by (deliberately) not checking up on the fuel levels of her vehicle and by choosing an extremely inappropriate time to travel “alone” with her kids and that she should have chosen GT Road instead, because GT Road is surrounded by densely populated areas with rich traffic inflow. Another free “wisdom nugget” that the officer offered her was that she should not have been traveling alone, to begin with.

So, listening to this timely lecture on how the rape victim was more or less, responsible for “creating a situation” where her car ran out of fuel and the rapists were probably left with no other option but to break the driver’s seat window using stones and dragging her and her children out of the car and raping her ruthlessly, followed by them looting her cash, jewellery and ATM cards.

Sources revealed that the woman was a French national and she had brought her kids to Pakistan to show the culture and values around. Little did she know how the land of pure was going to be introduced to the little ones.

The CCPO Lahore, Umar Sheikh’s statement, was followed by a snide remark, “The woman might have thought that she was in France. She needed to know she wasn’t” which enraged every sensible and sensitive soul in Pakistan, as it not only lacked empathy for the victim but also offered this (weak, untimely and totally unnecessary) defence of the rapists, even if his intention was not so.

His insistence on forcing his opinion on all and complete reluctance to retract and replace it with a more empathetic message added fuel to fire, and eventually the real message got lost and a new politically motivated debate took over print, electronic and digital media, where some of the incumbent government’s supporters began to justify the police officer’s statement full of suggestions on what the victim should and should not have done, claiming that it was his genuine concern for women. The opposition parties, the hard-core feminists, civil society members and a majority of the supporters of the PTI government viewed it to be a highly irresponsible and untimely message, signalling the crime to make sense as the victim’s precautionary measures were not in place.

This genuinely dangerous issue which needed to be viewed using an enviably cohesive national lens, fell prey to political angling, where the opposition’s sole focus turned to the “removal of CCPO, Lahore for his ill-chosen statement” rather than emphasising on the arrest of the culprits. The government missed his statement outside the off-stump, as they say in cricket, lending him the margin to handle the situation better next, without the CM Punjab, Usman Buzdar, sternly telling him off and warning him to work on how and when to say what to whom. Delegation headed by Zalmay Khalilzad calls on COAS Bajwa: ISPR All said and done, one tends to ponder that it is not really about the victim being well-prepared or ill-prepared to defend themselves, but about the habitual predators getting away with this heinous crime time and again, while the country debates on them being publicly executed or not.

From the seven-year old Zainab getting sexually assaulted and murdered to the mother of three getting brutally raped right in front of her children, one can say with absolute certainty that it is all about the sick mentality of the habitual rapists and inability of the weak system of the country to take them to task, make an excellent example out of them. The encouraging part is that this woman’s suspected culprits got caught red-handed while using her stolen ATM Card yesterday. The thorough investigation leading to DNA profiling is underway. While we hope to see the DNA profiling results connect the dots, the real question remains:

Will the culprits be punished this time around? Or will they be set free only to pounce upon their next victim?

Also, why did the Highway Police have to wait for this nerve-wrecking incident to jolt them to place the security staff resource on Highway after six months of this Lahore-Sialkot Motorway being fully operational with no security arrangements in place?

EU humanitarian aid mobilises €5m for basic health service provision The State has to answer this stream of questions, as they echo in every nook and corner of Pakistan today. The sooner the State turns these “why’s” into “you’re in safe hands” and “valuable suggestions to the masses on when, where and how they should travel” into “we ensure your safety inside and outside your houses, irrespective of your class, creed, age gender and ‘precautionary arrangements’”, the better. Pakistan Zindabad!

https://nation.com.pk/13-Sep-2020/rape-cases-and-the-rule-of-law

In TV show 'Churails', Pakistani women take on society's demons

By Asad Hashim
@AsadHashim

Asim Abbasi (left), the show's creator, writer, and director says it took almost two years to film and finish the show [Courtesy: Zee Entertainment]aption

Churails has been lauded for breaking new ground, smashing stereotypes and putting women at the center of its story.

Ten women, dressed in colorful burqas and armed with hockey sticks, cricket bats and their wits, step out of a shop to confront an angry mob. Over two minutes, they deliver a sound beating to a mainly male group that had gathered at the door, having shown up thinking they could stop the women from doing what they do best, helping other women out of difficult or violent situations. Using cricket bats, hockey sticks, and even whiskey they found lying around, the women push the shocked mob back. Churails is certainly not your everyday Pakistani television show. 

 This cathartic scene in particular flies in the face of how such confrontations are generally expected to go in Pakistan, a country of 207 million people where violence against women is frequent and widespread. Written and produced in Pakistan, Churails - which was released in August on Indian streaming platform Zee5 - breaks new ground, smashing stereotypes and putting strong women at the centre of its story.It follows the stories of four women - a rich homemaker, a wedding planner, a recently released convict and a boxer - in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, as they fight the patriarchy and set up a detective service to help other women in need.Lauded for breaking the mould of formulaically written female characters in South Asian television, the show has raised concerns from Pakistani feminists about how it treats issues of class and homosexuality, and whether it is commodifying feminism.
The "churails", so named after an Urdu word for "witches", spend 10 episodes investigating cheating husbands, confronting abusive partners, browbeating a landlord and ultimately uncovering a massive conspiracy to traffick and murder women. It is a wild ride, and the characters often curse, bludgeon and drink their way through it. For the critics, the show is a complex one to break down, and much of their concern stems from one question: Is the show capitalising on feminism, delivering a feel-good ride without actively confronting the structures of violence in South Asian society?

'Cathartic' Aimen Rizvi is one of those conflicted cultural critics. "It was just very cathartic to see women kicking a**, or being bada**," says Rizvi, a culture writer. "Even just the language, the vernacular, is not something that we really get to see [women using on screen]. It's very rare for Pakistani women to feel represented and to see characters they can so closely identify with on-screen."She quickly points out though that the show also appeared to be capitalising on a rising feminist movement in Pakistan without delving deeper into any of the issues it raises."You have these men writing these empowered female characters ... it's almost like we are following the same tropes and stereotypes, but we are not sitting to think what it means to be a 'brave' woman, what are the costs, how do you sit with these things?" she says.She offers the US television show Mrs America and the UK show I May Destroy You, both released this year, as examples of shows dealing with issues of systemic misogyny in more nuanced and complex ways.

"My concern is that the people creating the show are not really living through those realities," says Rizvi. "It is an appropriation and a misrepresentation in certain ways."

Yasra Rizvi plays Jugnu, a disgraced wedding planner battling her, and society's, demons [Courtesy: Zee Entertainment] 

Ushah Kazi, a culture writer and author of The Pop Culture Junkie's Guide to Pakistani Cinema, says that classifying the show as feminist simply based on its subject matter is problematic.

"I think classifying Churails as a feminist series is a little over-enthusiastic," she says. "I do believe that it is feminism-curious for sure. It is willing to create interesting narratives that focus on women. But with that said, it is a commercial venture, and the limitations of that will hinder how far it can push the envelope."

The language used in the show and its marketing is significant, says Kazi.

"The marketing for the series doesn't even use the words 'feminist' or 'patriarchy'. This could be a coincidence, or it could be a conscious decision on the part of the team to not alienate potential subscribers."

Anna MM Vetticad, an Indian journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic, does not shy away from calling the show "feminist", but says the series remains "brave yet problematic".

"Churails' significance lies in the range of sensitive issues it confronts while making no apologies for its feminism," she told Al Jazeera.

"The show is also, in some senses, superficial. While it purports to expose classism, it seems unaware of its own class bias. And it does not delve sufficiently into some of the trickier moral questions it raises.

"In terms of its courage in taking on issues usually avoided by mainstream Hindi/Hindustani language cinema though, that too in a hugely gutsy and entertaining fashion, it is a new frontier for south Asian TV."

'Great' reception

For Asim Abbasi, the show's creator, writer and director, the feedback has been immense, and varied.

"The reception overall has been great ... I knew it would impact people, but I didn't know the amount of engagement it would create, between the people who like it or don't like it," says Abbasi.

"Even if you don't like it, you're talking about. Those dialogues are important. Whether that is about gay and lesbian representation, whether it's about women's rights. It's interesting to see who is reacting well to it and who is not."

Abbasi defends the show against allegations of not dealing deeply enough with issues of class, racism or structural drivers of violence, saying he wrote storylines to revolve around a single central theme.

"For me, the show was about power dynamics and how it causes gender bias," he says. "The one thing is the power imbalance between a man and woman, and how that can cause female rage and give you both positive and negative consequences."

Sarwat Gillani, left, and Yasra Rizvi, right, play two of the four lead roles in Churails [Courtesy: Zee Entertainment]

Nimra Bucha plays Batool, the newly released convict, and delivers one of the show's most powerful performances as a woman who murdered her husband for attempting to rape their child. "The way the story is told ... will strike you as radically different," she says. "And the screen will seem unfamiliar because it will be populated with people you don't see on screen doing things they normally don't do on screen here."Bucha said it took a while to better understand her character, who is central to the plot but has perhaps the fewest lines of dialogue in the show. "There were clues all over the script that led to her," says Bucha. "Asim had written some really wacky scenes for her with minimum direction which were fun to interpret. She's not boring. She's not 'strong and silent' [either]." Cross-border appeal India and Pakistan, South Asian neighbours who have fought three full-scale wars since gaining independence from the British colonial rulers in 1947, have seen tensions rise in recent years, focused on the disputed territory of Kashmir.India's government, led by Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has seen space for Pakistani artists in that country's massive Bollywood market shrink to almost nothing.

Pakistan, too, has banned Indian films and television channels from its screens.Pakistani television shows, however, are a notable exception, finding dedicated audiences in India and escaping vocal opposition from the country's Hindu right wing."India and Pakistan have historically been dichotomous in their approach to each other's art and artists," says Vetticad. "While the general public have welcomed cross-border exchanges, right-wing elements and politicians have consistently sought to stem them." The show, however, managed to navigate both strict Pakistani censor board rules and the virtual cultural apartheid being played out across the two countries' industries. "It was certainly not going to get past the censors, there was no way to air this on a Pakistani channel," says Abbasi. "Something like this would never get approved without significant cuts." The show found a home on Zee5, a streaming platform owned by the Zee Entertainment group, a $1.08bn Indian company that operates more than 80 television channels and reaches 173 countries. Zee5, which offers a range of television shows - many produced in Pakistan - commissioned the show under its Zindagi brand, which highlights Pakistani content. The content is not geo-limited, meaning subscribers anywhere in the world can watch it for as little as $0.50 per week. 

 Rizvi says Pakistan's television production industry could certainly benefit from the investment and the relative freedom that producing for a streaming platform offers. "It is exciting that there is funding coming in from other parts of the world ... the industry needs it, although it results in a different kind of gatekeeping," she says. "It would be interesting how that plays out in the future."Kazi points out that by being aired on a streaming platform, the show also manages to short-circuit a growing movement by certain Pakistani conservative parties to ban cultural products that are not deemed to fit their idea of being either Pakistani or pious."The most insidious thing about individuals or organisations that hope to stifle artistic expression in Pakistan is that they are methodical and effective," she says, offering the example of award-winning film Zindagi Tamasha, which was passed by the censor board but blocked from release by far-right anti-blasphemy groups. "They used sentiments, and trigger words, but at the end of the day, they took advantage of the very nature of a traditional film industry setup. That you need permission to exhibit, and ticket sales that rely on audiences, to regain investment." Digital streaming platforms like Zee5, she says, bypass all that.

Ultimately, even with questions around how it deals with its subject matter, is the space better for having Churails in it?

"One hundred percent, there is no question of it," says Rizvi. "I hope that it sets a precedent and shows artists that there is room to talk about these issues, that we should be creating art about women that centers women."

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/tv-show-churails-pakistani-women-society-demons-200914103028048.html

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: Strengthening the roots of democracy in the world was the responsibility of individual nations and the collective responsibility of the democratic world

Long Live Bhuttoism!!!

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that strengthening the roots of democracy in the world was the responsibility of individual nations and the collective responsibility of the democratic world. In his message on the eve of the International Day of Democracy being observed by the United Nations and its member states on Tuesday, the PPP Chairman emphatically endorsed the UN statement that, “the values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy.”

 Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the fight between democratic and dictatorial forces which began in Pakistan after the death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is still raging despite the sacrifices of democratic leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and others who laid down their lives for democracy and human rights. He said the democratic workers of Pakistan suffered capital punishments, solitary confinements, tortures, public lashing, long imprisonments and fabricated cases at the hands of tin-pot dictators and their puppets, but never compromised on democratic and human rights of the people. 

The Pakistanis struggle for democracy and the huge sacrifices made to achieve it, stands out in the contemporary struggles for democratic systems, he added. 

 Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that PPP gave to the people of Pakistan their first-even unanimous Constitution, the first-ever directly Prime Minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the first-ever woman elected Prime Minister of Islamic world Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, besides the first-ever democratic government in Pakistan to complete its tenure under President Asif Ali Zardari. PPP Chairman pledged that his Party, together with other democratic parties would continue the struggle for strengthening of democracy, because a strong democracy is the sole guarantee for a strong Pakistan. “Victimisation, intimidation and fake cases cannot deter our Party and the democratic forces from carrying out the mission of our democratic leaders who embraced martyrdom but didn’t surrender,” he added.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/23746/

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#Pakistan's stance on religious minorities exposes its hypocrisy

The condition of minorities is worsening in Pakistan and their numbers are declining by the day.

Minorities in Pakistan are severely charged on minor allegations, leading to punishments like the death penalty. Blasphemy laws, in most cases, are used to fulfill a personal vendetta.

Religious minorities are living a life under siege in Pakistan. The country's stance on them exposes its hypocrisy.

In February, Imran Khan issued a warning that anyone targeting the non-muslim population of Pakistan will be dealt with strictly. He declared that minorities are equal citizens of his country. However, his actions have fallen way short of his lofty words.

Since August 2018, after Imran Khan took power, at least 31 members of the minority community have been killed, 58 have been injured in targeted attacks and 25 blasphemy cases have been filed. At least seven places of worship for the minorities have also come under attack. The Shia Muslims, Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and Sikhs make up the minority community in Pakistan. All of them, without exception, have been targeted under Imran Khan.

The Shias, specifically, the shia hazara community, continue to suffer violent attacks.According to one claim, at least 509 Shia Hazaras have been killed in violence since the 2012.Under Imran Khan, at least 24 members of this community were killed last year.In April last year, an attacker detonated a bomb at a vegetable market in Quetta. The target were the Hazaras.The Christian community in the country has been perpetual sufferers of violence and discrimination.Asia Bibi, a woman belonging to this community had spent almost a decade in prison on blasphemy charges before she was acquitted in 2018.But, she couldn't leave the prison for weeks because in Pakistan religious leaders are above the law.

When hardlines laid seige to major cities in Pakistan, Imran khan was helpless before the radicals.He couldn't ensure the safety of Asia Bibi and her five children in their own country and they had to be whisked out of Pakistan and took asylum in France.

The Ahmadiyya community represents less than one percent of Pakistan's population continue to be attacked. They boycott elections in protest.Nearly 90 percent of Ahmadis in Pakistan's Rabwah boycotted the election in 2018.So far, no leader has addressed their concerns. Their places of worship have been vandalised.There are laws that make it illegal for Ahmadi Muslims to recite the Quran. They are also not allowed to have Islamic inscriptions on headstones or even call their place of worship a mosque.

Under Imran Khan, nothing has changed. The Ahmadis remain doomed. They face constant attacks. In this year alone, a group stormed into a mosque. Local authorities could not do anything. So, the Ahmadis had to hand over their mosque to hardliners.

And there's no end to stories of the plight of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.

According to the human rights commission of Pakistan, close to one thousand young Hindus and Christians are forced to convert to Islam every year.

Last year, a 19-year-old sikh girl was forced to convert to islam. She came back home after a 30-member committee of the Sikh community put pressure on the government.

Attacks on hindu temples are frequent. Last year, a large mob in Sindh vandalised a temple. This was after a Hindu principal was accused of blasphemy.

In the month of may, the Imran Khan government announced the formation of the national commission on minorities.

The cabinet decided to include the Ahmadis, only to drop them later. The Pakistani government faced a backlash, it had to keep the Ahmadis out.

So, Pakistan's minority commission has no representation from the Ahmadis. The minority group, that faces the most severe persecution in Pakistan. This case alone exposes Imran Khan's farce on minorities.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/pakistans-stance-on-religious-minorities-exposes-its-hypocrisy/ar-BB17PW2Q?fullscreen=true#image=1

Christian Activists Stage Hunger Strike Against Abuse of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws

According to the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), Christian activists in Pakistan observed a day-long hunger strike to condemn the abuse of the country’s blasphemy laws. The demonstration came only a day after another Christian, Asif Pervaiz, was sentenced to death for allegedly sending blasphemous texts in 2013.

Shabbir Shafqat, Chairman of the National Christian Party, led a group of supporters in a hunger strike in front of the Karachi Press Club on September 9. The demonstration condemned both the abuse of the Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the death sentence awarded to Asif Pervaiz.

“We strongly condemn the capital punishment awarded to Asif Pervaiz, who is being punished for refusing to convert to Islam,” Shafqat told UCAN. “There was no evidence to convict Asif. No proper investigation was carried out to establish the facts. Police simply acted on false accusations from the complainant.”

In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

Currently, 25 Christian are imprisoned on blasphemy charges in Pakistan, including Asif Pervaiz. These 25 Christians are defendants in 22 blasphemy cases represented at various levels of the judicial process in Pakistan.

https://www.persecution.org/2020/09/13/christian-activists-stage-hunger-strike-abuse-pakistans-blasphemy-laws/

Video Report - #Punjab Police | Anti-Shia Rallies|Bigotry in Pakistan|How to Fix

#Pakistan - The Roma of #Lahore

 By Usman Ghafoor

They are a politically and socially isolated community, with no status as citizens and, hence, no claims to basic utilities such as electricity.

 It might be long before the government can successfully develop an entire, modern city upon the Ravi. Till then, Lahore is most likely to continue to be home to over half a million gypsies, many of whom have based themselves in makeshift tents along the banks of the river. They are a politically and socially isolated community, with no status as citizens and, hence, no claims to basic benefits as well as utilities like electricity. They have no access to jobs and security, and their children can’t enroll in schools. This, despite a UN Commission on Human Rights report which calls on the countries of the world to “adopt all appropriate measures in order to eliminate any form of discrimination against the Roma (gypsies).” 

They live way below poverty line. Their main ‘vocation’ is begging, though some also work as labourers on daily wages or sell cheap household items on city streets to earn a living. Rag-picking is another common activity.

The gypsies are known to have special, indigenous knowledge of medicinal herbs. Some of them famously keep snakes.

The gypsies of Lahore come from varied castes — Qalandar, Oudh, Musali, Jogi, Bazigar, Marasi, Koray and so on. The Qalandars and Marasis popularly indulge singing and dancing, while the Kenghars make mud toys.

These people usually occupy a place for a short period of time — a couple of months or years — before they move on. Some stay as briefly as for a few days. It is not yet clear as to what role will they be assigned, once the urban development project is set in motion.

Photo by Rahat Dar

Photo by Rahat Dar

Photo by Rahat Dar

Photo by Rahat Dar

Photo by Rahat Dar

Photo by Rahat Dar

Pizza corruption scandal risks dragging China into Pakistan’s domestic affairs

Tom Hussain

Imran Khan has been trying to seal allegations that his top belt-and-road official failed to disclose interests in a US pizza chain.

The ruling PTI party has suggested India is behind the claims, which are attracting a backlash and may again pull China into its ally’s domestic affairs.

A former army general who was last year put in charge of China’s belt and road projects in Pakistan has become embroiled in a corruption scandal, once again dragging Beijing into its close ally’s dirty domestic politics.Pakistan’s government and powerful military have worked hard to suppress the mainstream media’s coverage of allegations that retired lieutenant general Asim Saleem Bajwa’s family built a multimillion-dollar US-based business which grew in parallel to his ascent through the ranks. The allegations were made in a report published last month by the independent news website FactFocus, co-founded by renowned Pakistani investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani.

The report claims that Bajwa failed to declare his wife’s stake in the business – the single largest franchise holder for US pizza chain Papa John’s – when he submitted details of his wealth to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Bajwa was obliged to make public details of his wealth and assets after being appointed the prime minister’s special assistant on information in April – a role he performs alongside his job as the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority.

The former military spokesman said he “strongly rebutted … a malicious propaganda story published on an unknown site, against me and my family”.

Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, responding to the allegations on Twitter, characterised the allegations as an attack on the CPEC Authority by “a dissident social media group sitting abroad … to further the Indian agenda”.

They paint it as a nefarious effort to undermine China and PakistanMichael Kugelman, Wilson Centre

The PTI has also launched a social media campaign to discredit the allegations, entitled #IndianProxiesAttackCPEC – an ultranationalist narrative which was subsequently echoed by some popular cable news channels. Parallel to this social media campaign, the government suppressed mainstream media coverage of the allegations against Bajwa. “For Beijing and Islamabad, the goal will be to focus on how to keep these allegations out of the public eye,” said Michael Kugelman, senior South Asia associate at the Wilson Centre, a Washington-based think tank. “So long as there’s not much public buzz, the allegations can be shrugged off by both governments as a mere distraction. But if they start getting more airplay in Pakistan, then the allegations can become more damaging, and there could be big problems,” he said. 
However, the Pakistani media blackout was broken on Tuesday after Maryam Nawaz, daughter and heir apparent of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, accused the government of double standards for characterising FactFocus’ expose of Bajwa’s undeclared wealth as an attack on the CPEC. She pointed out that Sharif, “the founder of CPEC who brought US$60 billion of Chinese investment to Pakistan”, was forced to step down as prime minister by the Supreme Court in July 2017 for failing to declare that he drew a salary from a family business in the United Arab Emirates, in order to secure a residence visa. In a TV interview aired late on Thursday, Bajwa said he would resign from his cabinet role as special assistant to Khan, but continue as chairman of the CPEC Authority. 
After consulting his family, Bajwa said he would “put all my energy into CPEC because we thought that a lot of focus is currently needed on the CPEC Authority”. Critics, however, claimed Bajwa’s decision was motivated by a desire to avoid the public scrutiny he and his family’s business would be subject to as long as he held a cabinet position. 
Prime Minister Khan refused to accept Bajwa’s resignation on Friday, saying he was satisfied with the explanation given for the ex-general’s family’s US$70 million business. While Pakistan’s opposition parties fully endorse Islamabad’s alliance with Beijing, they have opposed the creation of the CPEC Authority and the appointment of Bajwa as its head.

 In July, the opposition thwarted a proposal to make Bajwa the key decision maker in Pakistan’s belt and road negotiations with China, in place of the elected planning minister. FactFocus’ founder Noorani claims he has received more than 100 death threats following the government’s social media campaign, sparking calls from journalists’ organisations in Pakistan and abroad for an official investigation. “Pakistan authorities must investigate who is behind these malicious online attacks … and ensure that such threats are not tolerated,” said Steven Butler, Asia programme coordinator for the Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Kugelman said many Pakistanis were joining their government in blaming the allegations against Bajwa on India.

 “They paint it as a nefarious effort to undermine China and Pakistan at a moment when New Delhi’s relations with both are experiencing a major low,” Kugelman said. “In this sense, India and India-China tensions give Islamabad a useful pretext to shirk responsibility and outsource blame on the usual external suspects.”

Previously, Khan was a self-described CPEC sceptic and while in opposition attacked the programme launched by his predecessor and political nemesis Nawaz Sharif as a debt trap, echoing US criticism of the Belt and Road Initiative.In its ruthless pursuit of corruption charges against Sharif and other opposition politicians, PTI politicians have not hesitated to attack CPEC projects.

In February last year, communications minister Murad Saeed accused Sharif and his ministers of siphoning US$420 million in funds for a motorway built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

Saeed alleged the CSCEC had been awarded an inflated US$2.94 billion contract for the motorway linking the cities of Multan and Sukkur.

Responding at the time, CSCEC said it felt “extremely shocked by the groundless allegations”.

The PTI’s anti-corruption rhetoric was later that month drastically curtailed, however, after Indian warplanes crossed into Pakistani airspace to attack a training camp for Kashmiri militants.

Pakistan became increasingly reliant on China’s diplomatic support during the subsequent escalation of tensions, which peaked in August last year after India revoked the semi-autonomous status of the part of Kashmir it administers.

During a visit by Khan to Beijing last October, Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to raise the Kashmir dispute at the United Nations Security Council. The decision was announced immediately before Xi flew to the Indian city of Chennai for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

. Bajwa was appointed CPEC Authority chairman soon afterwards, in response to China’s complaints about the slowed implementation of belt and road projects.

The tensions sparked by China’s unprecedented diplomatic intervention on behalf of all-weather ally Pakistan boiled over in June, when Chinese troops occupied previously Indian-held territory in Ladakh , a northern region of Kashmir adjoining Tibet.China’s diplomatic support to Pakistan has been made all the more crucial by the refusal of its other close ally, Saudi Arabia, to confront its major trading partner India.Riyadh’s refusal has stymied Islamabad’s attempts to persuade the 57-member Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Conference to censure New Delhi.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in an August 7 television appearance, threatened to form a breakaway Pan-Islamic platform with Muslim countries which have criticised India over Kashmir – a list comprising Saudi Arabia’s rivals Turkey and Iran, as well as Malaysia.

Khan had agreed to attend a Malaysia-hosted summit of these countries last year, but quickly changed his mind after Saudi Arabia conveyed its displeasure.

Qureshi’s recent outburst came after Saudi Arabia – apparently annoyed by Pakistan’s complaints – demanded the early repayment of most of a US$3.2 billion loan extended in October 2018 to help Khan’s newly-elected government weather a balance of payments crisis. Pakistan paid off US$1 billion of the Saudi loan recently with money urgently borrowed from China – which is widely expected to soon lend Islamabad another US$1 billion to settle matters with Riyadh.

In a TV interview on August 20, Khan denied there had been a breakdown in relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

But he also said: “China is our only friend which has remained politically steadfast with Pakistan during good and bad times. It should be clear that our future is connected with China,” Khan said. “China also needs Pakistan very much.” This quid pro quo was reflected in a statement issued by Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs after a round of “strategic talks” between Qureshi and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on August 21.

Appreciating China “for standing together with Pakistan in safeguarding its national security and sovereignty”, Islamabad reaffirmed its firm support to Beijing “on affairs concerning China’s core interests and issues of major concern, such as those related to Taiwan ,Xinjiang , Tibet and Hong Kong.

This apparent Pakistani endorsement of China’s mass detention of ethnic Uygur Muslims in so-called re-education camps is Islamabad’s first official stance on the controversy.

Previously, Khan feigned ignorance about the events in Xinjiang, although more recently he admitted it was a sensitive issue discussed with Pakistan’s Chinese friends behind closed doors.However, the momentous decision has barely received a mention in the Pakistani media, because of clear instructions from the government.The emergence of corruption allegations against Bajwa at this crucial diplomatic juncture in China-Pakistan relations threatens to create geopolitical complications for both.Although primarily a domestic issue, “when the head of CPEC’s operations in Pakistan is accused of such serious wrongdoing, then that’s a big problem for a giant connectivity project with sky-high strategic significance and very high stakes”, Kugelman said. ■

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100328/pakistans-pizza-corruption-scandal-risks-cheesing-top-ally-china

Pakistan: 14-year-old #Hindu girl forcefully converted and married to her abductor

A 14-year-old Hindu girl has been allegedly kidnapped and forcefully married in Pakistan by faking her actual age on the documents.

Parsha Kumari, a 14-year-old, was abducted from the Mori district of Khairpur in Sindh in Pakistan. The family had immediately filed a mission person report with the local police. However, the local police did not take any action.

Later, it was revealed that the minor was forced to convert and was later married off to Abdul Saboor, without consent.

Abdul Saboor faked Kumari's age on the affidavit, claiming that she is 18-years-old, making her an adult. However, the documents submitted by her parents, her date of birth mentioned is 15th September 2005, which makes Kumar 14 years old. She was a student of class IX.

The local media reported that an affidavit was presented from the girl’s side in which she claimed that her old name was Parsha Kumari and she has accepted Islam. However, Kumar's family believes she has been forced into converting and marrying Saboor, who is an adult.

Pakistan has also been in news for a sexual violence case where a woman was raped at gunpoint on Wednesday by two men before the eyes of her children after her vehicle ran out of fuel. The two men are also said to have stolen money and jewelry before fleeing the scene.

https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-14-year-old-forcefully-converted-and-married-to-her-abductor-327201

#Pakistan #PPP - Govt should issue Watan cards to flood victims: Bilawal Bhutto

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has demanded from the government to provide Watan card to the flood victims.

In Mirpur Khas, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto while talking to media said that the attention of the rulers of Islamabad was drawn to the damage caused by rains and floods. Distribution of rations will not solve the problems of the flood victims. The present government should provide Watan Card to the flood victims.

He said that he spent more time in Mirpur Khas, it is just the beginning, PPP MNAs, MPAs work hard on their own, there were losses in Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Badin, Tharparkar, we have come to assess the losses in the affected areas, he added.

Bilawal Bhutto said that Asif Ali Zardari had given Watan cards to the victims in 2011. PPP cadres know how to protest for the right. He said that we will not allow the people of Sindh to be left destitute by the government.

Chairman PPP said that federal government did not give NFC shares to Sindh government, farmers of the country are worried due to rains, floods and locusts. This year, the Sindh government was given Rs200 billion less.

He said that small farmers should also be helped by declaring emergency. He said that poor farmers of the country could not bear huge loss and all should work together to solve the problems of the people.

Bilawal Bhutto said that PTI should compensate every farmer, Sindh government is trying to come up with a scheme for farmers, next time we will have political activities here, he added.

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/563610-Govt-should-issue-Watan-cards-to-flood-victims-Bilawal-Bhutto