http://abna.ir/On 29 July 2013, Saudi Wahhabi security forces surrounded the house of human rights activist, Abbas Ali Mohammed Al-Mazra, 28 years, from Al-Awamiya town who figured on a list of 23 Shiites wanted in the Shiite village of Al-Awamiya in Eastern Province. The citizen Al-Mazra was with his mother and brothers when the forces stormed into the house firing live-bullets. The forces searched another apartments belonged to Al-Mazra's brothers. Abbas Al-Mazra and six of his brothers, Salim, Mahdi, Mohammad, Faris, Salih and Mohsen, were being beaten by security forces as they lay handcuffed on the floor. Saudi security also arrested the citizen, Mohammad al-Thoweimer, Al-Mazra's neighbor, as he going to his work. The forces moved the prisoners to the police station with Al-Mazra's mother, his brothers' wives and children who were released later. A number of cars and houses have burnt during the operation. The Interior Ministry issued a statement, the spokesman claimed that the eight men were involved in criminal acts, including drug trafficking and the men have taken part in opening fire at members of the security forces. The committee for the Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula is seriously concerned that Abbas Al-Mazra and his six brothers will be subjected to violations of their human rights and may be suffering torture and maltreatment. CDHRAP also calls international human rights organizations to pressure Saudi regime to release detainees and to halt harassment against Shi'a citizens in Saudi Arabia and let them to enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly which is guaranteed in the article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which stipulates that: "The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others". The Committee calls the international organizations and local human rights to put pressure on the Saudi regime to release Abbas Al-Mazra and his six brothers and addresses to the Saudi authorities responsible to maintain their safety.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Saudi Wahhabi authorities arrested the Shiite human rights activist 'Abbas Al-Mazra'
How the Ergenekon Verdicts May Deepen Turkey’s Political Divide
The $7 trillion problem that could sink Asia
By: William Pesek
It's our currency, but it's your problem." This musing from Nixon-era treasury secretary John Connally is about to find new relevance as the White House battles Republicans over raising the US debt limit.
Connally couldn't have foreseen how right he would be 42 years on as Asia sits on almost $7 trillion in currency reserves, much of it in dollars.
Asia's central banks engaged in a kind of financial arms race after a 1997 crisis, stockpiling dollars as a defence against turmoil. That altered the financial landscape in two ways. One, Asia now has more weapons against market unrest than it knows what to do with.
Two, Asia is essentially America's banker, with China and Japan having the most at stake.
Debt Knell
That might be less problematic if not for Capitol Hill's propensity to shoot itself in the foot. A pointless squabble over the debt ceiling prompted Standard & Poor's to yank the US's AAA credit rating in August 2011, sending panic through markets. Asia is now bracing for months of posturing when US Congress returns from its August recess.
In a perfect world, Washington's bankers would threaten to call in their loans. Asian nations would sit White House and congressional leaders down and tell them to get their act together. But Connally's 1971 observation is infinitely truer today than at any time in Asia's history.
We need to stop considering huge reserve holdings as a financial strength. They are a trap that is complicating economic policy making. It's time Asia devised an escape.
China isn't without leverage. It's no coincidence that new Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew's first overseas visit in March was to his banker-in-chief, Xi Jinping, in Beijing.
Nor did it go unnoticed that Lew was the new Chinese president's first foreign-official meeting. Lew may have been sending Xi a signal last week by calling on Congress to act "in a way that doesn't create a crisis" on fiscal matters.
But that leverage is limited. Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are engaged in a risky rebalancing act, trying to wean the Chinese economy off exports without fanning social unrest. Another debt-limit tussle would fuel market volatility, strengthen the yuan as the dollar plunges, and result in the loss of tens of billions of dollars in China's portfolio of US Treasuries.
"They don't like it," says Leland Miller, the New York-based president of China Beige Book International. "But while they're sure to make some loud noises about it, at the end of the day, they understand they have no option but to accept the hand they're given."
In Tokyo, Shinzo Abe faces a similar dilemma. An important pillar of the prime minister's plan to end deflation and restore healthy growth is a weak yen. The currency's 17% drop since mid-November has helped even down-and-out Sony eke out some profits.
Yet the yen would surge anew on another US downgrade: in 2011, a giant flight-to-quality trade drove huge amounts of capital Japan's way.
The more Asia adds to its holdings of US debt, the harder they become to unload. If traders got even the slightest whiff that China was selling large blocks of its $1.3 trillion in dollar holdings, markets would quake. The same goes for Japan's $1.1 trillion stockpile. So central banks just keep adding to them.
Pyramid scheme, anyone?
Never before has the world seen a greater misallocation of vast resources. Loading up on dollars helps Asia's exporters by holding down local currencies, but it causes economic control problems. When central banks buy dollars, they need to sell local currency, increasing its availability and boosting the money supply and inflation. So they sell bonds to mop up excess money. It's an imprecise science made more complicated by the US Fed's quantitative-easing policies.
Dumping Dollars
At the very least, Asia should stop adding to its dollar holdings and consider ways to bring more of those funds home. They could be used for infrastructure, education, research and development on cleaner energy, or any other vital investments in the future. The question, of course, is how?
There is a clear first-mover advantage for smaller economies. South Korea (with $53 billion in Treasuries), the Philippines ($40 billion) or Malaysia ($18 billion) could try to dump dollars on the sly. Bigger ones couldn't pull that off in this hyper-connected, 24x7-news-cycle world; news of sizable central-banker sell orders would inspire copycats.
Washington can help, and not just by avoiding another suicidal debtlimit fight. The Treasury should engage with its Asian counterparts in a cooperative brainstorming process to draw down their reserves without devastating markets. It's in the US's best interest to keep more of its debt onshore, Japan-style, by attracting greater purchases from cash-rich US companies. That would make the US less vulnerable to capital flights in the future.
If ever there were a time for a currency summit, it's now. Perhaps the IMF or the Group of 20 can host the debate. Such high-level discussions would help Asia set goals and consider the mechanics and timing of reclaiming more of its savings. Only then will all those dollars start being the solution to Asia's challenges, not the problem.
Clashes erupt after Turkey trial verdicts
Turkey: Ergenekon trial rulings ‘illegitimate,’ says main opposition leader
Turkish main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed the severe sentences announced in the Ergenekon trial verdict Aug. 5, calling the court’s rulings “illegitimate.”
“The rulings of the specially authorized courts are not legitimate from a legal, political or moral point of view. The rulings handed down by these courts are illegitimate,” the Republican People’s Party (CHP) head said in his first remarks after the verdict denouncing the special authority of the Courts for Serious Crimes, which deal with terrorism-related cases.
The special courts were abolished last year, but the ongoing Ergenekon and Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot cases were not affected by Parliament’s decision.
“In democracies, individuals are not tried in special courts linked to the political authority but in normal, independent courts which believe in the rule of law,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
“These courts don’t distribute justice. Because they are courts under the instruction of the political authority and intend to fulfill their orders. The notion of rule of law is not valid for these courts,” he added.
Two CHP deputies, journalist Mustafa Balbay and former Ankara Chamber of Commerce chairman Sinan Aygün received 34 years and eight months and 13 years and six months of prison respectively. Another CHP deputy Mehmet Haberal, who was first sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison, was subsequently released for time served during the trial.
Earlier, Aygün said Kılıçdaroğlu “did not expect so many life sentences.”
Kılıçdaroğlu was surprised for high number of life imprisonments, Aygün told reporters after the meeting.
MHP express cautious criticism
Nationalist Movement party (MHP) deputy Oktay Vural told members of the press that one should take a look at the verdict before making statements, however, he added that the ongoing process had been used by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as “a marketing tool and a way of oppressing the opposition,” according to Anadolu Agency.
Christie, Clinton top 'hot politician' list
http://www.usatoday.com/Chris Christie and Hillary Rodham Clinton are the "hottest politicians" in the nation, according to one new poll. The coldest: Congressional leaders from both parties. Christie, the New Jersey governor and potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, rates 53.1 degrees on what Quinnipiac University calls its "thermometer of voters attitudes towards the nation's major political figures." Clinton, the former secretary of State, senator, first lady and potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, is second at 52.1 degrees. A surprising third place: First-year Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., at 49.2 degrees. President Obama is in fourth at 47.6 degrees, tied with Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y. "Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's score is not surprising given her lengthy political career and especially strong support among Democrats and women," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. He added: "But Gov. Christopher Christie's rating is impressive given that his experience -- less than four years as governor -- pales compared to Mrs. Clinton' s résumé. What is interesting is that only two of the 22 figures rate better than the absolute middle of the scale, not exactly a ringing endorsement of the nation's political establishment." The four lowest rated politicians in this survey are all congressional leaders: Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi (38.4); Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (37.5); Republican House Speaker John Boehner (36.7); and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (33.8).
Pakistan: Rabbani hits out at Abbasi’s remarks
The author of the landmark 18th Amendment, Senator Raza Rabbani on Sunday criticised the recent statement of federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in which he had hinted at the ‘rollback’ of the amendment and proposed to bring change in article 158 of the constitution.
“We strongly condemn the minister’s statement to rollback the 18th amendment and proposal to amend the constitution’s article 158, which pertains to distribution of gas among the provinces,” Mr Rabbani said at a press conference at the Qasr-i-Naz.
“It appears that after having elected a `one-unit’ president, the PML-N is now talking of rolling back the 18th amendment, which granted autonomy to the provinces,” he said.
He said the petroleum minister was unaware of the fact that article 158 had not been amended by the 18th amendment and in fact, it was in its original form since 1973.
“Therefore, when he talks about amending the 18th amendment and article 158, he is talking of undoing the natural consensus first built in 1973 and then in 2010 when the 18th amendment was passed,” he said.
Mr Rabbani said the minister ‘must realise’ that the national consensus ‘cannot be undone’ by a party, which had almost no representation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh.
“This demand of amending article 158 is not for the working class of Punjab but to promote crony capitalism, i.e. of those who supported the PML-N during the election as is evident from the pay-off given to their supporters in the circular debt.”He said the government’s order to the Sui Southern to give 110 million cubic feet (mcf) of gas to Sui Northern instead of 90mcf was unconstitutional according to article 158, and called for its withdrawal.
Similarly, he pointed out, the creation of the planning commission into a ministry was also unconstitutional as it had assumed the role of the National Economic Council under article 156 of the constitution. “This is a violation and the planning commission be restored to its original position.”
Senator Rabbani said the article 172 of the constitution continued to be violated as 50 per cent ownership of oil and gas companies had been shifted to the provinces but the same had not been implemented.
Mr Rabbani, who is additional secretary general of PPP and its parliamentary leader in the Senate, said the ministries of education and health in the federal government were in violation of the constitution after the abolition of the Concurrent List.
“The rules of business of the federal government be amended immediately,” he said.
The senator described as unconstitutional the task force established by the federal government on curriculum, so was the federal government’s letter written to the provinces on action planned on education.
He said all task forces established in the health department at the federal level should be disbanded.
“The PPP wanted to give this government a honeymoon period of 100 days and not make such demands (before that), but this attack on provincial autonomy has forced us to do so,” he said.
He said that immediately after Eid, his party would contact all the political parties on the question of provincial autonomy. Besides, the party would get in touch with those ‘elements’ in the PML-N who were architects of the 18th amendment ‘like Ishaq Dar and Mehtab Abbasi’.
He said the PPP would contact all the chief ministers to apprise them of the situation and consult the opposition parties in the Senate to requisition a session after Eid on the question of provincial autonomy.
“We hope that after Eid when the provincial assemblies of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will meet, they will register their protest on this issue,” Mr Rabbani said.
Afghan market blast 'kills four' in Kandahar
At least four people have been killed and more than 20 wounded in an explosion in the southern city of Kandahar, Afghan officials say.
At the time of the blast, the market was packed with shoppers ahead of the Eid holiday, an official told the BBC.
The bomb was hidden in a cart, said a spokesman for the governor of the province.
Violence in Afghanistan has increased ahead of the planned withdrawal of international forces next year.
Officials confirmed that all four killed in Kandahar City were civilians.
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It was not clear what the bomb was targeting. No group has said it carried out the attack.
Insurgents have been trying to take advantage of the transfer of security responsibility from foreign to Afghan forces as the international coalition withdraws from Afghanistan.
Last week, the UN reported that civilian casualties had risen dramatically in the first six months of the year.
Women’s rights in Afghanistan: Uneven and fragile gains
Events that feature male and female college students debating with and against each other are a common part of university life in many countries, but not in Afghanistan. There, mixed-gender contact among nonfamily members continues to be viewed with disapproval and, just last year, no less than the president endorsed a code of conduct by clerics prescribing gender segregation in schools and offices.
I have helped academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations organize debate and public-speaking events in more than 20 countries, but the English-language debating tournament run by the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded International Foundation for Electoral Systems in Kabul in June 2013 has proven to be my most challenging and fulfilling assignment.
I learned from Adam LeClair, IFES-Afghanistan’s civil society officer, that progress has been slow but steady for female participants in this annual debating competition. Only 12 percent of the participants in the first year were female. This year, in its fourth edition, females comprised a third of the tournament, which had more than 60 teams from 20 universities across eight different provinces.
Activities of this nature and scale are rare for young people in Afghanistan, especially for females, who were forbidden from attending nonreligious schools under the Taliban. Girls are now legally free to access education, but barriers such as early marriage, the lack of female teachers and support from families and long distances to school, lead to dismal gender gaps, especially at the university level.
The Taliban had stepped up attacks in Kabul this year. In the two weeks leading up to the tournament, suicide bombers attacked the periphery of the Kabul International Airport and also killed 17 people near the Supreme Court. There was another attack on the presidential palace just two days after the tournament.
And yet, for two days, the gymnasium at the American University of Afghanistan was packed with around 300 participants, coaches and judges. As expected, security was tight and many female debaters had reservations about being photographed or filmed while speaking. In hushed voices, they described the concerns raised by their families about their participation, which included the long and potentially risky travels across provinces and close contact with male teammates, and an impression of debating as aggressive, confrontational and inappropriate for young women in a society where male elders dominate public discourse.
All this melted away during the actual debates, where they delivered passionate and compelling speeches on controversial issues such as whether Afghan university graduates should be required to work in their country for two years upon graduation, whether the willingness to participate in electoral debates should be a pre-requisite for politicians contesting national elections, and whether most international development aid contracts should be awarded to Afghan organizations.
Many of them openly stated that if their male counterparts could succeed in this activity, they should be able to as well; even if for some, it meant adhering to a strict dress code to deflect opposition to their participation. Others explained that building confidence and critical-thinking skills was an important part of their own long-term plans to “make Afghanistan a beautiful country again.”
Even the grand final rounds reflect this rising tide of female involvement: there were no women in the final during the first year, two in the second year, four in the third year but in all-women teams, and finally, three this year, but all on mixed-gender teams. This was the first year with a female in the winning team.
A month prior to my arrival, women’s rights were being dealt crushing blows: the Afghan parliament refused to ratify a presidential decree on the elimination of violence against women and the lower house struck down the legal provision for 25 percent reserved seats for women in provincial councils. The upper house has since reinstated the provision, but reduced it to only 20 percent reserved seats.
For one of the rounds, we facilitated a student debate over whether or not it was a good idea for female Afghan Member of Parliament Fawzia Koofi to seek parliamentary backing for the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women, which was passed by presidential decree in 2009. The law criminalizes various abuses including marital rape, child marriage, forced marriage, domestic violence, the sale of women and girls, and “baad,” the giving of girls to resolve family disputes. I learned that Koofi’s strategy drew mixed reactions: some students believed parliamentary approval was necessary to ensure that the law isn’t subject to the whims of the sitting president, who could be vulnerable to demands from the Taliban; others feared that subjecting the law to parliamentary debate allowed traditionalist MPs to weaken provisions in the law or repeal it all together. In reality, the parliamentary discussion ended in shambles when MPs challenged the provision on marital rape, calling it un-Islamic to prosecute men for rape within marriage.
Through this lens, it became clear to me that for all the dramatic progress that has been achieved in terms of gender-focused Millennium Development Goals in Afghanistan, such as reduced maternal mortality and increased female literacy, many of these gains are fragile, and will be threatened by the departure of NATO forces in 2014. Many to whom I spoke feared that in the absence of pressure from international donors, women’s rights will turn into a bargaining chip among local political groups.
While the upcoming April 2014 presidential elections is a major test for democracy in Afghanistan, it is also a test of how far Afghan society has come toward gender equality. Females have run for the presidency before, but none have ranked close to the top five. Koofi, a high-profile female MP, has publicly declared her intention to contest the 2014 elections, despite threats to her life. The level of prominence accorded to women’s rights in the campaign period and the female voter turnout during the elections will be telling.
USAID has recently announced plans to commit $200 million and to persuade other donors to contribute the same amount for a five-year program focusing on the education and training of women aged 18-30 in Afghanistan. Called “Promote,” the program seeks to bolster women’s roles in government, business and civil society. This U.S.-backed effort is a helpful start in safeguarding the gains made in women’s rights.
Why the United States won’t need troops in Afghanistan after 2014
By Jeong LeeGeneral Joseph Dunford, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander, has recently told the New York Times that America’s “presence post-2014 is necessary for the gains we have made to date to be sustainable.” His reasoning was that although the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are bearing the brunt of fighting, “at the end of 2014, [they] won’t be completely independent” operationally and logistically. Since the Obama Administration is already considering either a “zero option”—whereby there will be no American troops after 2014—or an earlier withdrawal, General Dunford’s plea for America’s continued involvement in Afghanistan will not likely be taken seriously. For one, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 67 percent of Americans surveyed believe that the Afghan War is not worth fighting. Moreover, the recent video conference between President Obama and President Karzai proved that their relationship has deteriorated considerably due to lack of trust and miscommunication. Yet, the issue of what the United States should do in Afghanistan is still intensely debated among foreign policy mavens. Dov S. Zakheim, a former Department of Defense official, argues that the “nature of commitment in absence of a troop presence” may deal a blow to ISAF’s nation-building efforts in Afghanistan, and may even take away “incentives” from the Taliban “to pursue talks with the Afghan government.” Ryan Evans, Assistant Director of the Center for the National Interest, also sees the strained relationship between the Obama and Karzai administrations as “a consequence of larger problems in the U.S.-Afghan relationship…[which] stem[med] from President Obama’s misprioritization of U.S. aims in Afghanistan.” While Evans does not rule out a settlement with the Taliban, he believes that it must be done in such a way that does not “obfuscate” America’s continued presence in Afghanistan past 2014 to contain terrorist networks and to provide stability in Af-Pak. To these arguments must also be added another possible “game-changer.” In the wake of Hassan Rowhani’s landslide victory as Iran’s new president, some foreign policy mavens now envision a positive shift in favor of America’s primacy in the Greater Middle East, and to a lesser extent, its prosecution of war against terror. Whatever the case may be, two things are clear. First, in the face of grim fiscal realities, the United States must fight smarter to contain terrorist networks. Second, the United States should allow the Afghan people to figure out for themselves how they want to live. With respect to the first, the United States can successfully contain terrorist networks without massive troop presence in Af-Pak. In the face of drastic sequestration cuts in the upcoming fiscal years, it makes sense to work with whosoever will rule Afghanistan while adopting selective targeting of America’s adversaries. Thus, in addition to unilaterally employing SOF (Special Operations Forces) commandos and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to track and kill terrorists, the United States can, assuming that the Taliban returns to power, establish a good rapport with the Taliban regime by “limiting Pakistani influence in Afghanistan.” As regards the second, according to Afghan journalist Ahmad Shafi, Afghan people have, thanks in no small measure to the American occupation, become integrated into the global community and have, therefore, become more sophisticated and cognizant of global affairs. In fact, Shafi wrote in June that while the Western media likes to “embellish” the threat of an impending civil war, most Afghans “‘beg to differ en masse’ on the magnitude of threat posed…by a bunch of violent extremists, whose grim visions are so far away from the realities of today’s Afghanistan.” One reason for this “discrepancy” between Western media perceptions and those of Afghan citizens, according to Shafi, is due to “radically different” political dynamics at play whereby the warlords and the Taliban find it “increasingly difficult” to connect with the new generation of Afghan citizens most of whom are under the age of 25. Simply stated, it is too early to draw premature conclusions about the supposedly ominous fate awaiting our Ngo Dinh Diem in Kabul or ordinary Afghan citizens. Despite the gloomy assessment by General Dunford that the United States needs to extend its troop commitment past the 2014 deadline, there is little reason to worry. True, as Zachary Keck argues, “there are no ideal conclusions to the Afghan conflict available” at present. Nevertheless, the much-feared Taliban takeover may or may not take place. And even if the Taliban successfully returns to power, one way or the other, the United States can work with the fundamentalist regime to contain the international terrorist network. As to the now-common comparisons between a possible Taliban takeover and those of the North Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge victories in April 1975, only time can tell how the events will unfold. In the end, no matter the outcome, the Afghan citizens, as with Vietnamese and Cambodians before them, will sort out their own fate.
Pakistan: Two killed, 21 injured as blast hits Shalimar Express
At least two people have been killed and 21 others injured as a powerful explosion hit Shalimar Express near Chatiana railway station in Toba Tekh Singh, a main district in the country s eastern Punjab province, Dunya News reported on Monday.
The explosion took place at about 1:00 p.m. (local time) in the washroom of coach number 7-D of the Lahore-Karachi bound passenger train.
Following the blast, the train was brought to a halt and rescue teams shifted the injured to hospitals in Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh where emergency was imposed as soon as news of the explosion came.
Police and Pakistan Railways personnel arrived at the scene to inspect the area and investigate the incident.
The bomb weighing 8 to 10 kilograms was hidden inside a black plastic bag, sources told.
According to sources, owners of Shalimar Express received threats to pay extortion by unknown micreants via telephone call from an Afghanistan s phone number.
However, security measures were not increased by the higher authorities to prevent any mishap as only five police constables were deployed in the train.
Railway sources confirmed the commencement of investigation over extortion deman from suspected number and Intelligence Bureau (IB) has also traced the number belonging to the neighbouring country Afghanistan.
Adjournment motion planned against Imran’s participation in govt meetings
The Express TribuneDeeming it “unethical”, the Awami National Party (ANP) will submit an adjournment motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for participating in provincial government meetings. “On Monday (today) I will submit the adjournment motion at the Assembly Secretariat. We want to know in what capacity Imran Khan presides and participates in the provincial cabinet’s official meetings and meets with the department secretaries,” said ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak. Opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will also support the adjournment motion. They too believe it is unethical for a party’s president to preside in government meetings, added Babak. “We do respect him (Imran Khan) as a political party leader but there were political parties in the past who governed the province – their central leaders did not interfere in administrative affairs. They (PTI) have made a mockery of the system.” Babak claimed the PTI leadership refrains from openly condemning terrorists and talking against terrorism, the main issue which Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa faces. The party has diverted the people’s attention to less important issues, maintained the ANP parliamentary leader. “They (PTI) are confused. They don’t even know how to govern a province. Now they are inducting PTI members who lost the elections into working groups across government departments.” The ANP will soon issue a white paper which will highlight the PTI’s performance and bad governance, added Babak. Commenting on the ANP’s campaign for the by-polls – NA-1 Peshawar and NA-5 Nowshera in particular – Babak claimed the party has the people’s mandate and will defeat PTI candidates in these constituencies. He accused the PTI of using the government machinery to influence the electoral results in their favor in Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan. “Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is influencing by-polls in Nowshera where his son-in-law Imran Khattak is contesting, while K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is announcing developmental projects in Swabi where his younger brother Aqibullah is contesting.”
Pakistan: Some lessons: Different approaches to militancy
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India
Rouhani, Zardari reaffirm rapid construction of IP gas pipeline
Daily TimesIran’s new President Hassan Rouhani and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari reiterated their countries’ determination to continue implementation of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.
Pakistan on alert for possible attack
CNN.COM
Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad is on red alert after officials received information in the form of an intelligence intercept of a likely attack on a high-value target, two senior Pakistani officials told CNN on Sunday.
Helicopters could be heard in the skies above Islamabad as Air Force and Navy commandos searched for suspected militants in the Margalla Hills that surround the city, the officials said.
Key military installations were under tight security.Among the buildings being guarded are the headquarters for Pakistan's air force and navy, the officials said.
The officials, from the security and intelligence establishments, did not want to be named given the sensitivity of the information.
Syria crisis can only be solved by 'striking terror with iron fist': Assad
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Syria's crisis will only be solved by stamping out "terror", President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday, in reference to rebels fighting his regime. In a rare speech on Syrian state television, Assad also dismissed the political opposition to his regime as a "failure" that could play no role in solving the country's brutal war. "No solution can be reached with terror except by striking it with an iron fist," said Assad. "I don't think that any sane human being would think that terrorism can be dealt with via politics," he added. "There may be a role for politics in dealing with terrorism pre-emptively," said Assad, adding that as soon as "terrorism" has arisen, it can only be struck out. In March 2011, a widespread protest movement calling for political change in Syria broke out. In response, the regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against dissent, while systematically labelling dissidents and rebels as "terrorists" and refusing to recognise the existence of a popular revolt. The movement later morphed into an increasingly radical insurgency and more than 100,000 people have since been killed, the UN says. The war has also forced millions to flee their homes, while plunging Syria into an unprecedented economic crisis. In his latest speech, Assad also said Syria's economic woes "are linked to the security situation, and they can only be solved by striking terror". Assad's speech comes a week after the army, backed by pro-regime paramilitary troops and Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement, reclaimed a strategic district of the central city of Homs, after a suffocating siege on rebels that lasted more than a year. "In this kind of fight, we as Syrians either win together or lose together," he said. Assad also said that the army, untrained for guerrilla warfare, "has achieved the impossible". "There is only one kind of war that is bigger than guerrilla warfare, and that is a people's war, one that is fought by the army alongside the citizens," he said, adding that "the hand of God is with those who stand together". He meanwhile stressed the need to fight on against the rebellion. "It is true that there is a battle being fought in the media and on (the Internet), but the crisis will only be solved on the battlefield," said Assad in his 45-minute address. He also said that any efforts towards a political solution should be combined with continued military operations. "There cannot be any political efforts or political progress if terror is striking everywhere. Therefore terror must be struck in order to get the political process moving on the right track," Assad said. "That does not mean that there cannot be parallel tracks. There is no reason why we shouldn't strike terror while at the same time working politically," he added. Assad's comments come amid faltering efforts to push forward a US-Russian proposal for peace talks dubbed Geneva 2, which would see regime representatives and the opposition gathering for negotiations. In his speech, Assad lashed out against the main opposition National Coalition, describing it as a "failure". "This opposition is not reliable ... and it has no role in solving the crisis," Assad said. He accused the Coalition of "being on the payroll of more than one Gulf country", and of "blaming the (Syrian) state for terrorism rather than blaming the armed men", or rebels. In an Army Day message carried by state media on August 1, Assad said he was "sure of victory" in the bloody conflict. "If we in Syria were not sure of victory, we would not have had the will to resist nor been able to persevere in the face of more than two years of aggression," Assad said at the time.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Egypt: Brotherhood and allies bought arms from abroad
http://www.egyptindependent.com/The Giza Prosecution has received a copy of the investigations conducted by Egyptian Homeland Security into the clashes that took place between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsy in the districts of Bein al-Sarayat and al-Bahr al-Aazam, as well as on Giza Bridge, which left 36 people dead and 500 others injured. The investigations revealed that the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies, who are being detained for 15 days pending investigation, are implicated in murder and attempted murder of citizens, that they have funded their supporters to take the country into a "dark tunnel," and that they provided them with weapons to kill innocent people, all within a plan to reinstate the deposed regime. Judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that prosecutors will go to al-Aqrab prison to face the defendants with evidence on 30 June, the date their incarceration could be renewed. Investigations also revealed that the defendants paid masked and armed terrorists to take positions on roofs of buildings near Cairo University and Giza Bridge and shoot at citizens, pointing out that this was part of a plan called “Plight to Overthrow of the Regime.” Egyptian Homeland Security is investigating further the role that former Minister of Supply Bassem Ouda played in the events of the al-Bahr al-Aazam and al-Mahatta streets, as a preliminary investigation showed that he took part in a march from al-Nahda Square to al-Bahr al-Aazam Street, then the armed elements stood on Giza Bridge and started shooting citizens in the eyes and the chest. Investigations also showed that those “extremist” elements killed the two citizens whose bodies were found in the al-Orman public park, which confirms that jihadists were behind those killings. Egyptian Homeland Security said that members of the Guidance Bureau and the Freedom and Justice Party, with their allies who are jailed in the al-Aqrab prison, sent the groups that filled al-Nahda Square and Giza Bridge to control these vital areas, which prompted the residents of al-Bahr al-Aazam, Bein al-Sarayat, and al-Mahatta to resist them. It added that millions of pounds were paid by the defendants to purchase weapons from abroad, and that they paid their supporters to carry out their plan to reinstate the former regime, which was confirmed when Hazem Abu Ismail was arrested at his home in Dokki with LE1.25 million in cash in his possession. Investigations also found out that the defendants told their supporters this was a jihad in the name of God, and for the victory of Islam, and that the Brotherhood's plan was aimed to distort the military and paralyze the country with the bloodshed that it had planned. The detainees are Hazem Abu Ismail, leader of the Salafi al-Raya Party, Helmy al-Gazzar, a leading figure of the Freedom and Justice Party, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, the lawyer for the Muslim Brotherhood, and former MP Mohamed al-Omda. Prosecutors ordered the seizure of their bank accounts, and banned them from accessing their funds. Also banned from accessing their funds are Saad al-Katatny, head of the Freedom and Justice Party, and Rashad Baioumy, deputy supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were released pending investigation into the Bein al-Sarayat case.
Soviet fiasco a lesson for China
A Xinhua commentary penned by Wang Xiaoshi warning that unrest in China would leave it worse off than the Soviet Union has been hotly discussed online recently. The idea of this article is in line with mainstream views, but failed to give a professional description of the current situation of Russia. Liberals have hit out at the article, but they do not have a professional knowledge of Russia's fate either. The belief that the collapse of the Soviet Union has benefited the Russian people is a naïve one.
The unrest that finally led to the Soviet collapse is an alarming warning for China. China's own history proves that the country cannot afford to fall into chaos. Unrest will only be accompanied by war and blood.
Russia has stepped out of the immense suffering at the beginning of the Soviet collapse and is now walking toward prosperity. But what have division and economic stagnation brought to this country? Russia has been categorized as a second-class power and no longer enjoys a position of leadership in global affairs.
That a couple of years' chaos is an appropriate price Russia should pay for the current affluence is a short-sighted view. Trying to avoid chaos is the sacred responsibility of the leadership of any country. Will mainstream society dare to bear such a huge cost?
The collapse of the Soviet Union came as the regime lost control over the reform process. This is a lesson for all countries. Western scholars view the leadership led by Mikhail Gorbachev as a weak one. It is only ideological leanings that prompt some to lavish praise on him.
We should observe Russia's development mode by shaking off the influence of the Soviet collapse. Russia has taken neither a Western nor an Eastern path. What happened there only relates to its own geographical characteristics and culture.
Russia's overall level of social development is still higher than that of China, yet the gap has diminished drastically in the past two decades. Meanwhile, Russia's status on the world stage has become comparatively lower. These are irrefutable facts.
It is also worth pointing out that the world has completely different opinions on reforms undertaken by China and those by the Soviet Union. Although the West apparently dislikes China, mainstream opinion has spoken highly of China's reforms, while reforms led by Gorbachev never received such praise.
Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, is gradually moving far from the political path taken by Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. Russia's prosperity today is the result of many factors such as Putin's leadership and the country's advantages in terms of resources. It is not accurate to attribute Russia's achievements to the Soviet fall and democratization.
Comparatively, China, being the world's second largest economy, is still a poor country. It is grappling with this problem. Neither China nor Russia has fulfilled their tasks of transformation. The two neighbors should watch each other so as to avoid following in the steps of the Soviet Union.
Turkey: Designer and Gezi protester Barbaros Şansal claims to have been kidnapped
Barbaros Şansal, a renowned Turkish designer who became one of the prominent symbols of the Gezi Park protests, claims to have been kidnapped on the night of Aug. 3.
Şansal claimed that three people, who had introduced themselves as policemen in plain clothes, took him to a car outside of his house late on the night of Aug.3, and that he was then held until the early hours of Aug. 4, online Turkish news portal OdaTV reported on its website.
“They did not treat me badly. They only spoke but I do not want to speak about what they told me. When I came back, I testified at the Sarıyer Police station and told them I did not file a complaint against them [the people Şansal claims to have kidnapped him],” Şansal is reported as saying.
Şansal went missing late in the night of Aug.3, after a live telephone interview on Halk TV, a broadcaster known for its opposition to the government, where he talked about the police’s excessive use of force in Taksim on the same evening. News spread across Twitter with the hashtag #Barbarosşansalnerede (#whereisbarbarossansal) that Şansal had been detained. Şansal tweeted on the morning of Aug.4, that he was back home safe and sound.
His lawyer Efkan Bolaç said later on his Twitter account that they had decided to file a complaint against the people who held him. The complaint would be based on the restriction of liberty and abduction, he added.
Egypt nixes Turkish PM’s visit to Gaza Strip
http://www.timesofisrael.com/Cairo officials say Erdogan will be denied access to Hamas-controlled territory due to his support of Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian authorities announced Sunday that they would not allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to enter the Gaza Strip for a planned visit that was to take place later this month.The Egyptian news site Youm7, citing a diplomatic source in Cairo, reported that Erdogan’s trip to the Strip was canceled due to his support of the Muslim Brotherhood and the ousted Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi. According to Turkish sources, Erdogan planned to visit Gaza in order to put pressure on Israeli authorities to end the naval blockade on the Hamas-controlled territory. The blockade was imposed by Israel in response to the violent Hamas takeover in 2007, in order to prevent weaponry reaching the strip. It has not been lifted since, although its terms have been eased. Israel and Egypt control all of the border crossings to the Strip. Hamas spokesmen Sami Abu Zuhri criticized the decision to deny the Turkish prime minister passage into Gaza, claiming it was based on “the premise that the Hamas movement is hostile,” the Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported. “This is a dangerous development, which confirms that the current powers in Egypt are giving up on national causes and even using these issues to deal with other parties, first among them the Palestinian cause,” Abu Zuhri added. In May, Turkish writer and researcher Zahid Gul said a Turkish government official had hinted to him that Erdogan planned to make a joint trip to the Gaza Strip with Morsi, who was still ruling Egypt at the time. Last month, Egyptian officials announced that prosecutors would investigate allegations that Egypt’s ousted president had escaped from prison during the 2011 revolution with help from Hamas. The US, Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had been asking Erdogan to delay or cancel his visit to Gaza, saying it may cause serious harm to diplomatic relations between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
President Zardari‚ Ahmadinejad discuss bilateral issues
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Meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held in Tehran.
President Asif Ali Zardari met former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Sunday.
They discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest during the meeting.
President Zardari grieved over losses in rain-related incidents
President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation caused by torrential rains, flash floods and other rain-related incidents in various parts of the country. Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that expressing sympathies with the bereaved families and rain affectees, the President advised the federal and provincial government departments to undertake every possible effort in a concerted manner for providing relief to the rain-hit people and evacuating those stranded in accumulated water in different parts of the country. Expressing concern over the incidents of electrocution causing loss of many lives, the President stressed for immediate measures to ensure that no such incident occur in future.
Pakistan: 18th amendment still not implemented: Raza Rabbani
Senator Raza Rabbani, senior leader Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Sunday regretted that despite passage of three years the 18th 
amendment of the constitution has still not been implemented and called for restoration of provincial autonomy.
Addressing a press conference here, Raza Rabbani said any attempt to rollback the 18th amendment would go against the Federal government and the small provinces would never accept such a move.
He said the statements on the 18th amendment by the Federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are condemnable.
“We want the Federation to devolve the Ministry of Health and Education to the provinces,” he asserted, adding, “we wanted to give the government a 100-day honey-moon period but now consultations will be held after the Eid over talks of 18th amendment’s rollback”.
He hoped that the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would also give their reaction to the issue.
U.S: Republican No-Shows in the Budget Wars
Amid the morass of Washington’s endless budget fights there was a moment of sweet revelation last week: House Republicans choked outright when they failed to muster support for the draconian dreams of Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin legislator and fabled budget hawk who last year ran for vice president on a program of unforgiving fiscal austerity that his colleagues suddenly found too politically risky.
A $44 billion measure based on the tooth-and-claw Ryan blueprint approved by the same House just three months ago had to be yanked from the floor when not enough Republicans showed up to vote yes. An embarrassed leadership was forced to concede that the size of the proposal’s cuts to transportation, housing and urban development had become intolerable even to the fiscal zealots among the rank and file, who no longer had the stomach to walk the austerity talk.
The embarrassment was deserved. The leadership offered hollow excuses about a tight legislative calendar, but the truth was more accurately explained by Harold Rogers, the Republican appropriations chairman and no slouch as a budget hawk. The frustrated lawmaker underlined the moment by noting: “The House has made its choice: sequestration — and its unrealistic and ill-conceived discretionary cuts — must be brought to an end.”
The retreat hardly settled the larger budget wars, which remain noxious. The Republicans have not abandoned their threats to bring government to a halt, to stage-manage another federal debt crisis, and, of course, to fiscally strangle the law of the land known as Obamacare.
But the House’s skittishness at the decidedly unpopular costs of some of the party’s budget strictures presented a revealing tableau of both hypocrisy and weakness: Republicans could not pass their own cramped vision of the future.
The non-vote also laid bare intramural chaos that may or may not educate a sufficient number of Republicans to act more responsibly in the coming budget struggles. For all his candor about “ill-conceived discretionary cuts,” Mr. Rogers and others would still like to take the knife to entitlement programs.
This is the last thing President Obama and the Democrats should allow. There is already concern that Mr. Obama may not forcefully defend against cuts to Social Security and Medicare that Republicans increasingly seek, even as they lick their self-inflicted sequestration wounds.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President: Obama turns 52
Terror machine beyond Afghan borders the main threat
At least 12 people were killed in the deadly attack targeting the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city, bordering Pakistan, in the backdrop of reports that the ISI-backed Haqqani network among others were again plotting to attack Indian interests in Afghanistan.With militants again targeting its mission in Jalalabad, India today said "terror machine" that operates from "beyond the borders" was the main threat to Afghanistan's security while the war-torn country assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure safety of Indian diplomats there. At least 12 people were killed in the deadly attack targeting the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city, bordering Pakistan, in the backdrop of reports that the ISI-backed Haqqani network among others were again plotting to attack Indian interests in Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid called up his Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rassoul and thanked him for the efforts of Afghan National Police in ensuring the safety of the Consulate General of India in Jalalabad, official sources said. They said Rassoul informed Khurshid that "Afghanistan will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of Indian diplomatic personnel and the Afghan Government is determined to counter the efforts of those inimical to India's friendship with Afghanistan." Earlier, MEA Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, "This attack has once again highlighted that the main threat to Afghanistan's security and stability stems from terrorism and the terror machine that continues to operate from beyond its borders." He said the attack which has led to the injuries and deaths of several valiant Afghan police personnel as well as deaths of several innocent Afghan civilians including children, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. However, he asserted that India would not be deterred by this attack and will continue to assist Afghanistan in its reconstruction and development effort. "This was clearly an attack not just against India but an attack against the efforts to help the Afghan people overcome the tragic hardships they have endured due to several decades of war," he said. This is the second strike on the Consulate which was earlier attacked in 2007. Indian Embassy in Kabul too came under a deadly attack in 2008 and was again targeted in 2009. Pakistan-based Haqqani network, described by a former US military chief as the "veritable arm of ISI", has earlier been found to have carried out the attacks. It is understood that Indian government had inputs about possible terror attacks against its consulates including the one in Jalalabad following which a team, comprising security officials, visited the consulates and the embassy in Kabul last week. Apart from Jalalabad, India has consulates in three more places in Afghanistan- Herat, Mazare-i-Sharif and Kandahar. As per the recent intelligence inputs, apart from Haqqanis, the security threat was also from smaller militant groups based in Pakistan, following which India's Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha came to the headquarters here for the consultations. Meanwhile, Akbaruddin said India wishes to express its deep gratitude to the brave Afghan security personnel who laid down their lives while protecting the Indian Consulate. "We wish to express our grief and condolences to the families of the innocent Afghan civilians who also lost their lives during this attack," he said.
Afghanistan: An enduring rivalry behind Indian consulate attack
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/At least 12 people were mowed down mercilessly in a deadly suicide bomb attack on Saturday targeting the Indian consulate in Jalalabad—the capital city of eastern Nangarhar province, bordering Pakistan. Indian interests in Afghanistan have been under a constant threat as it is the third time that Indian embassy and consulate had come under attack. The repeated attacks on Indian facilities inside Afghanistan shows there has been an enduring rivalry behind it and it couldn’t be the job of a ragtag Taliban group that doesn’t want anything else but to be back in power in Afghanistan. Therefore, the attack seems to be the job of a third party—definitely a state not a militant group. In 2008, a car bomb attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul had killed over 60 people and suicide attacks on two guesthouses in 2010 killed 16 people, including seven Indians. Saturday’s attack took place in the backdrop of threats of likely terror attacks on Indian diplomats and other facilities in Afghanistan therefore a security team was dispatched from New Delhi to Kabul last week to assess the threats. No militant group has owned responsibility for the attack yet so far but Kurram tribal agency based Haqqani network is likely to be blamed for the attack. The dreaded network has been responsible for attacks on American embassy and military installation as well as on Indian embassy and engineers. Since Haqqani network is based in Pakistan so the dangers of insurgency within Afghanistan and across areas along the Durand Line are predominately sourced in Pakistan, to a far greater extent than in the war-torn Afghanistan. The Taliban and transnational jihadi groups based in Pakistan remain the principal instrumentality of Islamabad’s response to India’s growing engagement in Afghanistan. In Pakistan’s Urdu press Afghan Taliban are feted and eulogized while Pakistani Taliban are being depicted as brutes with and endless bloodlust. Most of the Pakistani so-called liberal writers dip their pens in gall when they give vent to their opinion on Indian consulate in Jalalabad and India’s role in Afghanistan. For them, as if, it is India that has created the Taliban on Pakistani soil. It is no denying the fact that most of these writers are on the payroll of Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). Being matchless in “blame the victim” game, Pakistan continues to spread misleading propaganda about the “large Indian consulates” in Afghanistan being a source of insecurity in Pakistan. This perceived threat has been so much projected in media that even those living in the tribal belt on the other side of the Durand Line feel India responsible for insecurity and mayhem in the region. It is despite the fact that most of tribesmen blame Pakistan’s security establishment for their miseries and displacement from their ancestral land. Recently a delegation of Afridi tribesmen comprising of 200 tribal elders had visited Nangarhar and Kabul where it lodged complaints against Pakistan army and ISI, appealing the Afghan government to help them in getting freedom from persecution of Pakistan army. Since Pakistan’s security thinking has been predominantly occupied with a perceived threat from Indian interests in Afghanistan therefore it’s hell-bent on damaging Indo-Afghan ties. The problem is it doesn’t look at who attacked GHQ, police stations, military installations and markets in Pakistan. Islamabad doesn’t have to worry about India in Afghanistan rather it should worry about the thriving militant safe havens and groups in western Pakistan and the tribal belt—a nurturing land for terrorists. Besides that when India has already shown reluctance from sending military trainers to Afghanistan and has clearly declared its intentions not to waver from its commitment to reconstruction and capacity building in Afghanistan, attacking Indian interests in Afghanistan could potentially trigger a catastrophic blowback.
Pakistan: Terminological inexactitude
Daily TimesImran Khan’s two explanations (with a break in between for consultations) in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the alleged contempt by him of the judiciary, failed to cut much ice with the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry when the PTI leader appeared before it. In the first explanation by his counsel Hamid Khan, it was submitted that Imran Khan had not committed contempt of court nor could even think of doing so since he held the judiciary in high esteem. It went on to elaborate the PTI leader and his party’s struggle in the movement for the restoration of the judiciary. His remarks, considered contemptuous by the SC, were placed in the context of the PTI leader’s pleas to the SC to adjudicate his party’s complaints regarding rigging in the elections of May 11 in at least four National Assembly constituencies. In other words, the counsel argued that it was the high expectations from the SC that had disappointed Imran Khan to an extent that he lapsed into the ‘immoderate’ language that has offended the court. The bench however, advised the counsel to retire and submit a more ‘considered’ statement. This second explanation argued that Imran Khan’s statements were made in good faith and against the lower judiciary returning officers in the election. However, the court would have none of it and ordered the counsel to file a comprehensive written reply on August 28. Both before his appearance before the SC and after, Imran Khan appeared unrepentant and unapologetic, arguing he had said nothing wrong or contemptuous and therefore did not see the need to apologise to the court. The bone of contention appeared to be ‘terminological inexactitude’ over the meaning (and translation in parts of the media) of the word used by Imran Khan regarding the conduct of the elections and the ‘judiciary’s’ role during and after the polls. The offending word is ‘sharamnaak’, which some of the media have translated as ‘shameless’ and most as ‘shameful’. ‘Shameless’ is a much stronger word and arguably falls into the category of contempt. However, ‘shameful’ could refer to the conduct of their duties by the judiciary rather than the person of judges or the institution per se. While arguably ‘shameful’ may or may not be contemptuous, it is certainly derogatory. Nevertheless, even this subtle distinction did not help Imran Khan’s cause before the bench. Imran Khan has been sounding off since the elections on the following lines: the election saw the worst (?) rigging in any election in Pakistan’s history, and the lack of redress by the Election Commission of Pakistan or the SC was ‘shameful’. The SC bench patiently explained to the alleged contemnor that such electoral rigging complaints, under the law and judicial procedure, were referred in the case of 31 pleas by the PTI members to the election tribunals as the proper forum for dealing with such complaints. Imran Khan, on the other hand, is impatient with that route since he believes the election tribunals take far too long to deliver any verdict and arguably by the time they do, the next elections may well be round the corner. Hence his insistence that the SC, which otherwise has been known in recent years to utilise its suo motu powers liberally, should intervene to cut short the long winded process. In other words, Imran Khan, in the view of the court, demands special treatment. While it is understandable that Imran Khan and his party were frustrated by their inability to sweep the polls as they had convinced themselves before the voting they were poised to do (the ‘tsunami’ effect), it is not wise to vent that frustration at the judiciary or the undeniably slow processes that characterise our electoral and justice systems. In Imran Khan’s defence, the best that can be said is that despite being in politics for 19 years, he has yet to learn the difference between captaining a cricket team and participating in democratic politics. It has been apparent on a number of occasions that when Imran Khan’s wishes are not complied with, a streak of impatience, even arrogance, comes out on display. There are hard lessons to be learnt about the need for patience and fortitude in politics, even in the face of adversity, which our former cricket hero and admirable philanthropist would be wise to imbibe even at this stage. The contempt case in question has inadvertently framed a new reality: both the judiciary (in this case in the shape of the bench) and Imran Khan seem ‘disillusioned’ with each other. This may be a case of unrealistic expectations on both sides, but it would perhaps serve little purpose to drag the matter on indefinitely when the country is confronted with so many more serious problems. It is not for us to advise the court on a sub judice matter how to proceed. However, it may not be out of place to ask for restraint and an amicable solution, either through an apology (with Imran Khan swallowing his pride in the interests of the country’s delicately poised juncture in a gesture of statesmanship) or a milder treatment by the court (a rebuke perhaps?) to avoid convicting Imran Khan and sending him to jail, which would have the collateral effect of debarring him from politics for at least five years. The election commission and its tribunals too should revisit and speed up the matter of irregularity complaints in the general elections. This would help the election commission to restore some of its battered prestige after the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim soon after the presidential election debacle. The respect and dignity of the judiciary as an institution must be upheld by all and sundry if Pakistan is to institutionalize after long years of struggle a democratic dispensation with a clear separation of powers and defined (as far as possible) areas of purview. We can only hope that wisdom will prevail, no ego should dictate matters, and that the issue can be settled without too much damage.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa suffers as downpours continue
The Express TribuneAt least 19 people were killed and dozens injured on Saturday as torrential rains continued to flood rivers and streams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Chitral district was the worst affected area, where flash floods in streams caused damage to property and lives alike. Apart from the loss of seven lives in two days, at least 116 houses were damaged out of which 62 were destroyed. “We are expecting further information from the remote areas of Chitral about flood devastation,” the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre (PEOC) official Adnan Khan told The Express Tribune. In Peshawar, heavy rain water from Khyber Agency flooded Budhni stream, killing at least three people. In Bannu one person lost his life and four others were injured. In Tank, three union councils, Warsponn, Pai and Gullam Imam went under flood water. In the Kari Wam area of Frontier Region Tank, a vehicle slipped into a flooded water channel resulting in five deaths, while 11 people went missing. In Northern Waziristan three people died, according to a report. In Lakki Marwat, a girl was swept away by flood water, while in Southern Waziristan life came to a standstill due to heavy and continuous rain. In Kurram Agency, four members of a family died and one injured in a roof collapse following thunderstorms. According to Flood Control Cell, most of the rivers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were flowing at normal or medium level flood condition except Kurram River and Gambela River in Bannu region, which were releasing high level floodwater. In DI Khan, there was a medium level flood releasing 3,00,000 cusecs water. While due to flood water flow from Chitral into river Kabul at Nowshera and Warsak there is medium level flood. The Met Office has predicted more rains in the next 24 hours in upper areas including Chitral, Dir and Khyber Agency; however floods have not been predicted.
Balochistan:The Ifs And Buts of Negotiating With Insurgents in Balochistan
The Baloch Hal
MALIK SIRAJ AKBARIf there is one news story that will always make front page headlines regardless the redundancy, it is a government announcement to reach out to insurgents in Balochistan for negotiations. We all have heard such government announcements since the weakening of pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (P.M.L-Quaid-e-Azam). Sardar Saleh Bhoothani, Balochistan’s interim chief minister ahead of the 2008 general elections, announced that he intended to negotiate with the Baloch insurgents. He failed not because he did not genuinely try but because he neither had the mandate nor the required time to complete such an initiative. He was soon followed by Nawab Aslam Raisani, the full-time Chief Minister from the Pakistan People’s Party. Mr. Raisani’s announcement was taken more seriously considering his credentials as a Baloch tribal chief. His statements were also echoed and backed by Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi. They both failed in making even an inch of progress in initiating dialogue with the Baloch armed groups. In his brief stint as the caretaker chief minister, Ghaus Bakhsh Barozai, promised to play his role in commencing a peace process with hardliners among the nationalists. He failed too. Speaking on the floor of the Balochistan Assembly, Chief Minister Dr. Malik Baloch said last week that his government intended to initiate a peace process soon after the Eid. The proposed process would comprise of members of the parliament and Baloch tribal elders. The C.M.’s peace plan is two-pronged. He wants to speak to the Baloch nationalists who apply violence to achieve a free Balochistan and also the Islamic extremists who regularly target Shia Muslims in the province in the name of religion. There is never better news than talk of peace. Most peace talks fail which is what makes them so challenging. It is always reassuring to talk of peace and make an attempt to end violence. However, some bleak ground realities will contain Chief Minister’s attempts to resolve the Balochistan conflict. Consider the following simple facts. One, Baloch armed groups are unwilling to negotiate on anything less than Balochistan’s absolute freedom. Two, the civil and military leadership in Islamabad is unwilling to negotiate with anyone who questions the integrity of Pakistan. Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Kayani are indeed on the same page when it comes to not talking to those who seek separation from Pakistan. There are some other reasons why a peace process in Balochistan will not immediately kick off. Here is why: While coming in power, the P.M.L-N is not as desperate on the Balochistan issue as was the P.P.P. at the time of coming in power in 2008 under the slogan of ‘reconciliation’. What the P.M.L.-N realizes about the situation in Balochistan is not even realized by Dr. Baloch. When the P.P.P. came into power in 2008, it was under tremendous pressure because the moderate Baloch nationalists (such as the Balochistan National Party and the National Party) had boycotted the elections and the new government faced a serious credibility deficit. The P.M.L-N. no longer faces that situation. With the B.N.P. and the N.P. contesting elections, the polls gained legitimacy while the appointment of a Baloch nationalist as the C.M. also resolved half of the problem. After all, it was people like Dr. Baloch who were the first contributors to discontent in Balochistan as early as 2004 when they voiced reservations about the Gwadar Port. Unlike Sharif, the post-election situation has significantly weakened the position of the Baloch nationalists on theoretical front. If Balochistan is a political issue, its champions were political parties like the B.N.P. and the N.P. With their institutional accommodation, the Baloch ‘nationalists’ are technically no longer outside the so-called national mainstream. The international community support for the Baloch, if there is any, is predominantly for peaceful political parties not the armed groups or those who champion violence no matter what justifications they provide for their actions. With regards to the Baloch armed groups, they are not political organizations although their demands and ambitions are political. Since they do not have offices in Balochistan, it is impossible for the government to reach out to the real insurgent leaders to initiate dialogue. Hairbayar Marri and Bramdagh Bugti, based in London and Switzerland respectively, have time and again denied running the Baloch Liberation Army or the Baloch Republican Army. The only leader currently operating in Balochistan on behalf of the armed groups is Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, the presumed head of the Baloch Liberation Front. There is a Catch-22 situation involved here. The more he refuses to negotiate with the government, the more it perpetuates his political life and also adds to his popularity whereas a government attempt to kill him will also backfire and open new fronts of armed resistance. The government has to act very cautiously while talking to the armed groups. What is also pertinent is this: What does the government, mainly the security establishment, has to offer in return of starting talks with the armed groups? Is the army willing to pull out of Balochistan or stop kill and dump operations? What are some of the confidence building measures (C.B.M.s) that the government is willing to take? If the government has nothing tangible to offer, a mere announcement to negotiate is, after all, not enough to move forward. Lastly, any peace talks with the Baloch armed groups will not succeed until they are backed by the central government and the Pakistani armed forces. Both of them, at this point, do not seem to be in any kind of urgency with regards to addressing the the level of violence the Baloch nationalists are currently employing. For them, this is still not more serious than the Taliban threat or the violence in Karachi. Islamabad is confident that it can digest the current amount of violence that is taking place in Balochistan considering the overall national state of law and order. Hence, in such circumstances, the federal government is unprepared to offer the Baloch any major concessions, including agreeing to resurface the missing persons. With the 18th Amendment and the appointment of a Baloch nationalist chief minister, one can see a marked decline in the interest of the media and the civil society in Balochistan affairs. Ironically, ‘internal autonomy’, a concept meaning provinces should manage their own affairs, can be catastrophic for Balochistan. The province consistently needs media attention and national and international debate. A Balochistan that is not under spotlight will remain a land where the ordinary person suffers every single day. Consider a Balochistan where security forces apply violence against citizens; hardliner Balochs kill moderate Balochs on a regular basis and Islamic extremists routinely target Shia-Hazaras. And what if, in the midst of all this chaos, the central government and the media show least interest in Balochistan’s ‘local affairs’!
Pakistan: New power, petroleum tariff to cost Rs 360b
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John Kerry’s Message to Pakistan
by Omar Samad
The Secretary of State told Pakistani leaders the U.S. will be in Afghanistan after 2014. Now the ball is squarely in Pakistan's court.
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