Thursday, July 17, 2014
Russia's Aeroflot, Transaero Decide to Avoid Ukraine Airspace After Malaysian Plane Crash
Aeroflot, Russia's largest air carrier, said Thursday it has decided to change its flight routes to bypass Ukrainian airspace following a crash of a Malaysian passenger plane in eastern Ukraine. "Aeroflot is carrying out flights bypassing the Ukrainian airspace," the company said in its Twitter blog. Earlier the same day, Russia’s Transaero Airlines also decided to carry out its flights to third countries bypassing Ukrainian airspace. Kazakhstan’s principle airline Air Astana has suspended its flights from Almaty to Kiev in connection with the crash of the Malaysian aircraft over the territory of Ukraine, the company said. A Malaysia Airlines Boeing-777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed near the city of Donetsk on Thursday. There were at least 280 passengers, including 23 US citizens, and 15 crew members on board.Flight controllers reported that the plane disappeared from radar screens while flying at an altitude of about 10,000 meters (some 33,000 feet). Witnesses told RIA Novosti the debris of the plane covers an area of about one square kilometer, and at least several dozen bodies were found scattered around the crash site.
Ukraine says Malaysian airliner shot down, 295 dead: agency
A Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency. The aircraft, which other sources said was a Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, came down near the city of Donetsk, stronghold of pro-Russian rebels, Anton Gerashchenko said, adding that it was hit by a ground-to-air missile. There was no further confirmation of the report, although Ukrainian officials said local residents had found wreckage. Malaysia Airlines said on its Twitter feed it had lost contact with its flight MH-17 from Amsterdam. "The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace," it said. Gerashchenko was quoted as saying: "A civilian airliner travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has just been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft system ... 280 passengers and 15 crew have been killed." Interfax-Ukraine quoted another Ukrainian official as saying the plane disappeared from radar when it was flying at 10,000 metres (33,000 feet), a typical cruising altitude for airliners. It came down at Torez, near Shakhtersk, some 40 km (25 miles) from the Russia border. The area has been the scene of fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels. Ukraine has accused Russia of taking an active role in the four-month-old conflict in recent days and accused it earlier on Thursday of shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet - an accusation that Moscow denied.
Message of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto’s 29th martyrdom anniversary
http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-In-Chief, Pakistan Peoples Party has paid rich tributes to Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto who laid down his life fighting the worst military dictator Gen Zia at a young age of 26.On his message on 29th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto, the PPP Patron-In-Chief said his Party has always been targeted by the dictators and terrorists because it provided a bond of unity and integrity for the people of all the federating units in Pakistan. “Shahnawaz Bhutto was killed by the Zia regime to smash the struggle of the people of Pakistan led by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto for restoration of democracy,” he stated adding but the dictator could not succeed in his unholy designs.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said struggle for the emancipation of the people in Pakistan from dictators and terrorists has seen enormous amount of blood-shed of democratic leaders and workers, citizens and soldiers. “Let us pledge on the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto not to let the dictatorial forces and terrorists to play with the roots of our country and its democratic system to pay befitting homage to our martyrs,” he stated. PPP Patron-In-Chief said Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto shall always remain alive in nation’s memories and history. PPP is proud for the sacrifices of its leadership and workers for the cause of the downtrodden masses and the country, he concluded.
Afghanistan: We Have Made an Agreement, Not a Deal: Abdullah
Appearing in a press conference for the first time since the resolution of the election deadlock, presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah revealed behind the curtain discussions with opponent Ashraf Ghani-Ahmadzai."Both sides have agreed that regardless of the final results, it is a win-win situation," Abdullah said. "Vote audits must take place transparently and with the observation of representatives from both campaign teams. Waheed Omer will be our representative." Creation of the "national unity government" is still one of the most important topics of discussion between the candidates. "What we have agreed on is a commitment to shared principles regarding the creation of a national unity government," Abdullah asserted. "We reject any claims regarding making a deal." Moreover, Abdullah stated that the spirit of cooperation between the two candidates is much better, emphasizing that transparency is among his key demands. "Our observers will work closely in provinces and the capital to ensure transparency this time," Abdullah added. "There is a better spirit between us [the campaign teams] and we would like to keep it up." People are optimistic about the election results as candidates make truce after the prolonged electoral tensions. One of the most important topics of discussion between the two campaign candidates has been the shift from the country's presidential system to a parliamentarian one.
Military Operation Opens Immunization Window In Pakistan
Author : Zofeen Ebrahim
The mass exodus of Pakistanis fleeing the dangers of war has a surprising bright side: polio vaccinators can finally reach previously unreachable children.
As the Pakistan army continues to flush out militants and destroy their hideouts, 1 million residents have fled North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They’re risking their lives to escape the dangers of war, and in the process, they’ve become another source of danger to others. Yet many like Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, a pediatrician and immunization specialist at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, see this mass exodus as a welcome opportunity. “This is a God-sent opportunity to reach families and children who, to date, have been held hostage by obscurantists and terrorists who have held the entire community and the polio program hostage for so long,” he told MintPress News. Since June 2012, no polio vaccinator has dared venture into Afghanistan-bordering FATA. Militants banned them from administering polio vaccine drops to an approximate 350,000 children living there unless the U.S. stopped drone strikes. Dr. Elias Durry, the head of the World Health Organization’s Polio Eradication Initiativein Pakistan, could not agree more with Bhutta. “The recent ground reality of massive population movement, since last month, provided a perfect opportunity to reach these unreached children,” Durry told MintPress. When the exodus from North Waziristan began, the government set up hundreds of vaccination points at permanent transit points, including train stations and bus stops, so that all children could be administered the oral polio vaccine before entering neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. As displaced communities move into other parts of Pakistan (some have also gone into Afghanistan), feverish vaccination drives are taking place in host communities as well as at transit vaccination posts. Over 800,000 people have been vaccinated within Pakistan as part of these efforts, and over 35,000 in Afghanistan.
Success goes hand-in-hand with failure
For over 25 years, the world has been battling this crippling disease with significant success. In 1988, polio was endemic in 125 countries, but today, it is found in just three: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Up to 116 cases have been reported so far this year, with 103 from the three endemic countries. Of the total, 91 are from Pakistan, 5 from Nigeria and 7 from Afghanistan. Of the three endemic countries, Pakistan has the poorest record in fighting polio. In 2005, the country reported just 25 cases and was on the verge of eradicating the disease, but last year, 93 cases were reported. Experts say the main reason for the rebound is that the war within and at its borders has derailed the polio eradication campaign. In fact, most cases have been sprung from security-compromised areas, despite the Pakistani government’s persistent pleas for the Taliban in North Waziristan to give safe passage to vaccination teams. (Of the 91 cases of polio reported this year, 55 are from North Waziristan.) Experts say that until the virus is completely eliminated from the face of the Earth, it poses a danger to the world. “Despite the progress achieved since 1988, as long as a single child remains infected with poliovirus, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease,” according to the WHO. “The poliovirus can easily be imported into a polio-free country and can spread rapidly amongst unimmunized populations.” The war on polio virus continues A month on, the influx of the internally displaced persons into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is down to a trickle. But health officials say the war on polio is far from over. As the internally displaced persons move from neighboring areas and spread to other parts of the country, the virus needs to be closely monitored. Dr. Nima Abid, former head of the WHO in Pakistan, fears there is imminent “risk due to possibility of the virus spreading to settled districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and beyond.” “The risk of disseminating the virus in other parts of the country is definitely there,” Durry noted, emphasizing the need for continued vaccination of internally displaced persons living within host communities. “That risk can be mitigated by immunizing children in possible host communities and also maintaining high immunization rates across the country through special campaigns and routine immunization,” he continued. Abid said that while vaccination at the permanent transit points was good, vaccination of internally displaced persons within host communities needs to be improved in order to make full use of this unique opportunity, especially in Frontier Region Bannu in FATA and Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “The transit points and house-to-house campaigns for polio vaccination should be part of every health and humanitarian intervention for [internally displaced persons],” he stressed. “We are holding weekly three-day vaccination campaigns in all the areas and immunizing the under-five locals as well as displaced children,” Ahmed Ali told MintPress over the phone from Bannu. He works in the government-run Lady Health Workers program. The Lady Health Workers are 100,000 female community workers who go door-to-door delivering basic health services. They are also the backbone of the immunization services in Pakistan. “But people are getting tired of our polio teams knocking at their door at all odd times of the day — especially because it is happening too often — and have started refusing,” noted Ali. Ali has observed that in the last five years more and more parents are refusing, and not only because of vaccination fatigue. “Misinformation about the vaccine persists — some suspect it causes infertility among females and is a Western ploy to curb the Muslim population,” he said. According to official data, the number of refusals increased from 4,200 during the polio vaccination drive carried out between June 6 and June 8, to 12,043 during the vaccination campaign run from June 23 to June 25. On a visit to the camps set up for the new entrants, Ali said he overheard a displaced woman muttering angrily that making them leave their homes and beginning an army offensive in their villages was a conspiracy by anti-polio teams to vaccinate their children. But they dared not refuse, as that would have meant not being able to enter the comparatively safer Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province or take advantage of the government’s aid packages for internally displaced persons. With the displaced people posing a risk for “further dissemination of the virus,” as explained by Durry, the situation has been compounded by the refusals from the host communities. But even if the displaced children are administered the oral polio vaccine, experts say the one-time administration is certainly no guarantee that the children are protected and that the disease will not spread. “There is need for multiple doses, ideally weekly, to rapidly build the immunity amongst the [internally displaced persons],” Abid said. Routine immunization takes a backseat In the hurry to vaccinate the displaced children against the polio virus, Bhutta observed: “Sadly, the focus is not on other vaccinations. We should be using the opportunity to fully vaccinate these children.” “It seems that the agencies were unprepared for this, despite the operation clearly looming for weeks, if not months.” Referring to the steps taken by the government based on the recommendations of the WHO, whereby since June 1, everyone leaving the country had to be vaccinated, he described the huge undertaking “an unnecessary distraction” and “a bit overblown.” Instead, he said what was most urgently needed was to “rapidly scale up immunizations so that there are no pockets of disease in Pakistan.”
http://www.mintpressnews.com/military-operation-opens-immunization-window-in-pakistan/194084/
Pakistan: Raiwind operation concludes after 10 hours, 2 militants killed, 1 identified
Two Al Qaeda militants were killed, one of them was identified during operation in Raiwind.The security forces have completed the operation against militants after 10 hours in Raiwind , a town in the outskirts of Lahore.
According to the state media, two militants were killed and one of them was identified in the last stage of operation when security forces entered the compound. An elite force personnel was also martyred while five others injured in the shootout in Arayian village on Raiwind Road. For the last six months, the militants were residing in this compound which was only 2.5 km away from the residence of PM Nawaz. Militants and security personnel exchanged fire during a search operation that started at 2AM Thursday. The operation was conducted on a tip-off provided by the Interior Ministry regarding the presence of militants. The militants were present in a house who traded fire when police reached the compound, one of the security officials said. The police gave militants several warnings to surrender, he added. The official confirmed that an elite force personnel was martyred while five other security personnel were injured in the shootout who were taken to Jinnah Hospital. The heavily armed militants also hurled grenades from inside the compound. According to security sources, the militants belonged to Al-Qaeda. Provincial Minister Shujah Khanzada confirmed that the security forces successfully completed the operation. He said the militants had a plan to target PM Nawaz residence in Raiwind. Huge cache of arms and suicide jackets were recovered from the compound, Khanzada added.
Dunya news-Raiwind operation concludes after 10... by dunyanews
Pakistan: Two Wrongs
With less than a month left till the Independence Day celebrations and the Azadi March to be held in the same place, Nawaz Sharif has dubbed protest politics an archaic political tactic, and claims that his government cannot be destabilized by protests held by the minority. But with this statement the Prime Minister reveals his ignorance of the democratic process. It is not something that reveals itself once every four years, after which the people must sit silently and wait for the next term before they can make themselves heard. It is in fact, this constant holding to account that is the hallmark of a democratic style of governance. It is the constant influence of the people on political decisions, and having the right to question and express one’s displeasure against the government. Has the PML-N government managed to uphold its responsibility to its voters in the past year to any degree? The energy crisis still looks to be as unsolvable as when the PML-N came into power. On matters of security, the army’s operation in North Waziristan is apparently going well, although no independent reports exist to confirm this. Added to this, the government’s failure to treat the PTI with due dignity, has exacerbated the issue of rigging- now with the likes of notorious former President Asif Zardari joining the chorus and likening the Premier to a monarch. Which brings us to protests and the PTI’s Azadi March. What was to be a march to make the government start the recounting of votes in four disputed constituencies has now evolved to a complete audit of the general elections of May 2013. The Prime Minister must realise that no matter what the demand, if the third largest political force in the country is pushing for it, then it requires proper addressing. Protest politics is just the new word for exercising a democratic right. As far as the need for a transparent system goes, the country recognises it is there, but as far as the timing is concerned, the PTI has ill-timed its movement. For one, Imran Khan must look towards what should be his immediate priority- hundreds of thousands of IDPs- sitting in his province. This is his opportunity to prove his leadership, and many look on with knowing cynicism, as he pursues the Azadi March on the capital. Whether he is power-hungry or the great electoral reformer this country needs is irrelevant. How he is perceived now, is most important. And right now, amidst the political instability, the war and humanitarian crisis before the nation, he isn’t the saviour; not even relatively speaking.
Pakistan: Ghulam Bilour says Imran misleading masses
Awami National Party (ANP) senior leader and former federal minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour on Tuesday termed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest against loadshedding as a political gimmick. Speaking at a press conference, he said Imran Khan was misleading the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by staging the protest in Peshawar. “The PTI should stage the protest against the blackouts at an appropriate place like Islamabad or Lahore,” he added. Flanked by ANP Peshawar district president Malik Ghulam Mustafa, general secretary Sartaj Khan and deputy general secretary Sabz Ali, the nationalists leader said the nation would not support the PTI if Imran Khan tried to derail the democratic dispensation in the country by unconstitutional means. “Imran Khan is trying to become a prime minister despite the fact that he had failed to run the affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added. Ghulam Bilour said inflation had increased by 50 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the government had failed to control crimes, act of extortions and kidnapping for ransom. “The party has failed to bring about the change it had promised with the people of the province,” he added.He said the province was producing 4500 megawatt of electricity against its total consumption of 2200 megawatt but was denied its due right. Ghulam Bilour said the federal and provincial governments’ response to the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was not encouraging. “The IDPs are facing host of hardships in the Ramazan and in the sizzling summer heat due to the indifferent attitude of the governments,” he added. He said the ANP condemned the killing of the innocent Palestinians at the hands of Israel which was carrying out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip unabated. Regarding the Pakistan People’s Party deal with general (R) Pervez Musharraf, Bilour said that it was the internal matter of the PPP, adding the ANP didn’t make any deal with anyone. He said the ANP supported the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance as it was the need of the hour.
Pakistan: An apology without a solution no solution at all
Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Asif, in a press conference, apologised to the nation for failing to ensure supply of electricity during sehri, iftaar and taraveeh, as directed by the Prime Minister, and explained why the government was forced to resort to unannounced power outages. The reasons behind the energy shortfall have largely remained the same as were evident during the PPP-led coalition government and include: (i) a transmission system that is unable to accommodate more than 15000 MW and any additional supply leads to tripping; (ii) a massive inter-circular debt, which currently stands at 300 billion rupees. This is despite the fact that Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar cleared around 400 billion rupees on 29th June, 2013 - a day prior to the end of fiscal year 2012-13 (which increased our indebtedness without reducing loadshedding) as well as the proactive implementation of the Ministry's policy to disable supply to areas where pending bills are in excess of 80 percent of total receivables; (iii) inability to compel provincial governments to pay their dues continues; and (iv) the loss of 1500 MW from the system, the word used by the Minister was "disappeared" because of fault in two transformers in Lahore causing a drop in total generation to 13000 MW. The supply side issues are compounded by rising annual demand, around 800 MW each year, and a marked escalation during the summer months. At present Minister Asif stated demand has escalated to between 19,000 to 20,000 MW, which several independent analysts maintain is understated with actual demand hovering around 22,000 MW to 23,000 MW. Within the context of supply and demand, he stated that the country should pray for rains that would relieve demand immediately enabling the government to reduce the existing 7000 MW shortfall thereby reducing loadshedding hours which, at present, have risen to 14 hours a day in Lahore - the stronghold of the PML-N. Critics of the government argue that within one year the government should have shown some results. In its defence the PML-N points out to several ongoing energy projects as proof that the government is engaged in raising generation capacity and cited Nandipur as well as Guddu power plant inaugurations of the Prime Minister amidst much fanfare as proof that generation has increased. A little more than a year later Nandipur remains non-operational as it is furnace-based and the cost to produce simply too high (22 rupees per unit) to justify its operation while Guddu continues to suffer from technical faults. Not one MW of electricity has been added to the system the country has now been informed and all the threats and bravado of the Minister of State Abid Sher Ali has not reduced payables of the sector. The question is could the government have done different and better? One would have to respond in the affirmative because a look at the PML-N's own manifesto reveals that identified reforms have not yet been implemented. Granted that privatisation of discos and gencos is in the works and the process is scheduled to commence soon but the government has to accept the fact that after the end of its first year supply-demand gap is higher than during the PPP government's last year in power - a year may not be a long time in terms of developing and implementing infrastructure projects but the government needs to explain why it has performed so poorly.
Pakistan: PPP wants probe into PTI accusations of tampering with election results
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, who is currently on a visit to the United States, has demanded judicial probe into fresh allegations levelled by PTI Chief Imran Khan on Tuesday of tampering with results of various constituencies by a team at the Information Technology University. According to a statement issued by the PPP provincial secretariat here on Wednesday, Wattoo expressed these views while talking to party leaders and workers in New York. PPP Lahore leader Misbahur Rehamn was also present there. Wattoo said that the government should have readily accepted demands of the PTI regarding thumbprints verification in four constituencies of Lahore, adding their foot dragging had created much political tension in the country when it was fighting the war of its survival. The PPP Punjab president expressed his disapproval over delaying tactics of the PML-N government regarding thumbprints verification on one pretext or the other, thus giving credence to the impression that they had some skeletons in their cupboards, which they were hiding. He also supported PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s statement as compatible to the aspirations of people in which the former president had demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to conduct himself like an elected prime minister and not like a monarch, who acted on his whims without any regard to the problems of the people. Wattoo regretted that the mandarins had learnt no lesson from the history and that their personal style of governance confined within the family clan was grossly incongruous to the democratic ethos because collective wisdom was its essence. Describing the PML-N government’s rule as anti-people, he added that the PPP, being the party of the poor, could not afford to align itself with those, who were pursuing policies against the masses. He said that electricity outages cobbled with skyrocketing inflation, worsening law and order, poverty and lack of health and education facilities had made the lives of the people miserable. In particular, he said, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was showcasing his performance through aggressive advertisements campaigns on taxpayers’ money but the ground realities were quite opposite. Shahbaz Sharif’s personal and unsubstantiated self-projection was being taken as insult to their injury, he opined. The former Punjab chief minister reiterated that for the PPP, democracy was non- negotiable because it stood for the people’s politics and said that any entity that distanced itself from serving the people, would not find the PPP as its supporter and would lose its sympathy eventually.
Pakistan: Religious extremism: our biggest challenge
With financial support from both the US and Saudi Arabia, religious desperados of all hues were recruited to come to Pakistan from all over the world to take part in the Afghan jihad
Today, religious extremism, in its various forms and manifestations, is the biggest threat faced by Pakistan. These forms of religious extremism range from the right-wing views of a great majority of our citizens to the outright militant movement of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who declare their avowed goal to be the overthrow of, what is in their opinion, the ‘un-Islamic’ government of Pakistan. Many of our religious and rightist political parties, and their followers, may disagree with their violent means but are generally sympathetic to the cause of these militant Islamists. Due to the overt religious policies and propaganda of successive regimes, Pakistan over the years has become a reactionary and intolerant place. This was not always the case. In its earlier years, Pakistan was more liberal and pluralistic, where members of other faiths and minority groups were tolerated. In today’s Pakistan, when most people are riding high on a crest of false religiosity, such tolerance is rare. To fully comprehend the phenomenon of religious extremism, it would be helpful to briefly delve into the history of the Pakistan Movement, and the political and religious orientations of our various governments and state institutions. Intellectual confusion has been pervasive in our society ever since the conception of Pakistan. Liberal leaders like Jinnah had to use the religious card to get the overwhelming support of Muslims, required for the creation of the new state. This was, however, to be a temporary phase. In view of Jinnah and his associates, a Muslim welfare state, and not an Islamic theocratic state considering itself responsible for the woes of the entire Muslim ummah (community), was the goal. It was only after Jinnah’s death that the narrative of the Islamic state gained ascendency through an alliance between the military, mullahs, right-wing politicians and pro-establishment bureaucrats. The Objectives Resolution of 1949, for the first time, clearly highlighted the Islamic character of the Pakistani state. This resolution was passed against the opposition of the minority members in the Legislative Assembly at that time. Religious parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which initially opposed the creation of Pakistan, became very close to the army and played an important role in dictating the Islamic agenda. The Jamaat spearheaded the anti-Ahmedi riots of the 1950s and the creation of al Shams and al Badr for the persecution of Bengalis in East Pakistan in 1971. The JI was an important partner of the Zia regime in its initial years also. These retrogressive religious forces, to make certain decisions thought to be in conformity with Islam, forced even a secular and pro-socialist leader like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to do their bidding. The declaration of Ahmedis as non-Muslims was the most important of these decisions. Pakistan thus became the first and perhaps the only country in the world to declare Ahmedis non-Muslims. The self-serving and opportunistic Islamic policies of General Zia gave a further nod to overt religiosity, leading to religious extremism. On the external front, Zia shortsightedly involved Pakistan neck deep in the Afghan jihad against the Soviet invasion. Pakistan became a refuge for over three million Afghan refugees. Various Afghan jihadi outfits established their headquarters and training camps in Pakistan. With financial support from both the US and Saudi Arabia, religious desperados of all hues were recruited to come to Pakistan from all over the world to take part in the Afghan jihad. The Arab and Islamic fighters brought their Wahabi and Takfiri ideologies with them, which are haunting Pakistan to this day. Many militant and sectarian organisations like the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were created with the active support of our government and military intelligence agencies. All these measures led to the religious radicalisation of Pakistani society. The erroneous concept of ‘strategic depth’ prompted our defence establishment to help and nurture the Afghan Taliban in order to have a friendly government in Kabul. A jihadi culture was thus established in Pakistan from where militants went to fight not only in Afghanistan but Kashmir as well. The saddest part of all this was the total oblivion of our governments and defence establishment to the pernicious long-term effects of this jihadi enterprise, carried out right under the nose of our authorities. Saudi Arabia has no doubt been a good friend to Pakistan in its time of need but it has played a very dangerous role in radicalising our society and in financing Wahabi and Deobandi projects. Saudi largess was lavishly used to set up rabidly anti-Shia militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which have been involved in a full-scale genocide of Shias. Our army and its intelligence agencies were involved in setting up an alliance of right-wing parties — the IJI, against a more secular PPP. The right-wing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) it seems also has a share of its sympathisers in the defence establishment of Pakistan. The turning point for Pakistan came after 9/11 when Musharraf, under US pressure, had to take a U-turn against the Afghan Taliban. Many of the Afghan Taliban, along with their al Qaeda supporters, took refuge in the Pakistani tribal areas. Very soon after, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was born, turning their guns towards the state of Pakistan. An existential threat to Pakistan from this religious militancy was thus created. The existence of our state, as well as our way of life, came under threat. Our successive governments and even our army did not respond to this threat as earnestly as was required because of the influence of right-wing religious and political forces. Pakistan suffered tremendous human and financial losses due to this delay in a decisive action against the militants. Even in the present North Waziristan operation it seems the army forced the hand of the PML-N government to agree to a full-fledged operation rather than wasting more time. Many religious parties like the JI and JUI-F are still against the operation. The PTI has very reluctantly and perhaps insincerely supported the operation. The deliberate overplay of the religious card by various governments and state institutions has led our society to become reactionary and intolerant. In the absence of any counter-narrative by our governments, the retrogressive jihadi narrative preached by religious parties and militant outfits holds the field in Pakistan. In my opinion, we need to go back to the narrative of a modern Muslim nation state. It will not be easy as the theocratic forces are so well entrenched. The combination of jihadi culture and weak state institutions has led to stiff resistance towards modernisation in education and outlook, so essential for survival and progress of a society as complex as ours.
Seven suspected militants, one elite force man killed in Lahore clash
An armed clash between security forces and suspected militants during a search operation early Thursday in a compound situated in Lahore’s Raiwind Road area killed seven suspected militants while one elite force man was also killed and five others had been injured, Punjab Minister for Anti-Terrorism Col. (retd) Shuja Khanzada said. Speaking to media representatives, Khanzada said that the exact figure of militants present the area could not be established and several of them appeared to have fled. He said security forces wanted to apprehend the militants alive, adding that terrorism could not be eliminated in a single day. The clash began when security forces, acting on a tip off, conducted a search operation in Araiyan Pind near Raiwind Road. According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Nawaz Marwat, the operation started at 2am during which security forces surrounded the compound where suspected militants were present. An intense clash erupted between security forces and militants who used heavy arms and ammunition against the forces’ personnel, Marwat said. Also during the operation, at least eight explosions were reportedly heard while recurrent bouts of firing continued between militants and security forces. Police sources have claimed that at least seven militants hiding in the compound had been killed during the operation which is still ongoing. A fresh contingent of elite force personnel has also been called in to manage the situation as the area has still not been declared clear.
Protest against load-shedding: Demonstrators break into WAPDA House in Peshawar
The Express Tribune News
Breaking barriers placed outside the Wapda House in Peshawar, angry demonstrators broke into the building during a protest organised by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government against load-shedding in the city. The protest was led by K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and most of the demonstrators were workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A few members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) also took part in the demonstration.The K-P chief minister said that the province is getting only 1,300 megawatts (MW) instead of 2,000 MW. Khattak demanded that cheap electricity be supplied to K-P and load-shedding be decreased. “If Wapda doesn’t solve this issue, I will not cooperate anymore,” he also threatened. He further remarked that the federal government does not have the right to run Wapda House as well as the government if it cannot solve this issue. In a show of solidarity with the people of his province, Khattak on July 13 had vowed to lead demonstrations on July 16 if the issue of prolonged and widespread load-shedding was not resolved. He had claimed the provincial government could eliminate the electricity shortage if the Centre handed over the control of power supply to K-P.
Khattak says federal govt doesn’t deserve to... by ExpressNewsHD
Pakistan: Zardari asks Malik to speed up efforts for Faizullah Khan’s release
Former President and co-Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari has advised the party leader, Senator Rehman Malik to take all possible measures regarding the release of ARY News’ reporter, Faizullah Khan, who was recently convicted in Afghainstan and sentenced to four years imprisonment – ARY News reports. According to details, former Interior Minister, Rehman Malik met Asif Ali Zardari here on Wednesday and discussed with him the matter of ARY News’ reporter, Faizullah Khan’s imprisonment in Afghanistan. The former President directed Rehman Malik to take all possible measures for the release of Faizullah Khan and to speed up efforts in this regard. On this occasion, Senator Rehman Malik also held a telephonic conversation with the father of Faizullah Khan, who thanked the ex-Interior Minister for taking personal interest regarding the release of his son. See more at: http://arynews.tv/en/zardari-asks-malik-to-speed-up-efforts-for-faizullah-khans-release/#sthash.gaWIaMPS.dpuf
Media rights groups condemn sentencing Pakistani journalist in Afghanistan
By Mirwais Jalalzai Afghan and international media rights groups are condemning the sentence of a Pakistani journalist by a court in eastern Nangarhar province, located near the Durand line.
On July 12 Khan, a reporter for ARY News TV based in Karachi, was sentenced to four years in jail for entering Afghanistan without proper documentation. A local court in Jalalabad dropped espionage charges that had also been made against him. Khan was on an assignment to interview a Taliban leader when he was arrested. Afghan authorities had accused Khan of spying but no formal espionage charges were brought against him, according to ARY News officials. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in its criticism of the harsh prison sentence imposed on TV journalist Faizullah Khan and is demanding the Afghan government immediately review the case with a view to granting Khan early release. The Pakistani journalist was arrested in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar in April after traveling to the nearby Pakistani city of Peshawar to interview members of the Taliban. The IFJ urges the Afghanistan and Pakistan governments to act swiftly for the safe return of the journalist and to respect the rights of journalists gathering information. The IFJ said: “It is deplorable the court has handed down such an excessive punishment when Faizullah Khan was merely carrying out his duty as a journalist. Journalists continue to take huge risks to investigate stories for the betterment of the society. We strongly believe this situation could be handled better rather than recourse to a wildly excessive jail term.” Reporters Without Borders and the Pakistani NGO Freedom Network on Wednesday called for Afghan authorities to quash the “utterly disproportionate” sentence on appeal. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are dangerous regions for journalists to operate in, with poor safety and security situations, and impunity in attacks on journalists. The IFJ urges journalists operating in the region to remain vigilant about the possible dangers especially when traveling to remote areas. The Pakistani Embassy in Kabul is said to be involved to helping Khan in his legal fight.
Taliban Claim Responsibility for Kabul Airport Attack
The Taliban on Thursday said they were responsible for an ongoing assault on Kabul airport. "A number of our mujahedeen armed with heavy and light weapons have launched an attack on Kabul International Airport," the insurgents' spokesman Zabiuhallah Mujahid said in a statement.
Gunmen Attack Afghanistan’s Main Airport in Kabul, AP Reports
By Eltaf Najafizada
Gunmen have attacked Kabul airport in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported, citing a military official. The militants have taken over two buildings near the airport and are using it as a base to fire rockets, the AP cited Afzal Aman, a general in the Afghan army, as saying. Two attackers were killed by Afghan forces, according to the report. Today’s assault is the second major militant raid in Afghanistan after the U.S. brokered a deal to audit votes in a disputed presidential election. Forty two people were killed in a suicide attack at a crowded market in the eastern part of the nation on July 15. Afghan civilian casualties rose 24 percent in the first half of 2014 from a year earlier, the United Nations reported this month, as the nation prepares for its first transfer of power since the U.S invasion in 2001. Both candidates vying to replace President Hamid Karzai have vowed to sign a pact that would keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond this year. U.S. President Barack Obama plans to reduce U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 9,800 by the end of this year, with only a small force at the embassy by the end of 2016, when he will be preparing to leave office.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
U.S. sanctions will take Russia relations to a dead end -Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions will take relations with Russia to a "dead end" and damage U.S. business interests in his country. "Sanctions have a boomerang effect and without any doubt they will push U.S.-Russian relations into a dead end, and cause very serious damage," he said to reporters on a visit to Brazil. The U.S. government on Wednesday, because of what it views as Russia's interference in Ukraine, imposed its most wide-ranging sanctions yet, on key players in the country's economy, including Gazprombank and Rosneft Oil Co, and other major banks and energy and defense companies. Putin said he needed to see the details of the sanctions to understand their full scope. But he added that he was sure the sanctions would damage the national interests of the United States in the long run. "This means that U.S. companies willing to work in Russia will lose their competitiveness next to other global energy companies," he said. Putin said the sanctions will hurt Exxon Mobil Corp which has been given the opportunity to operate in Russia. "So, do they not want it to work there? They are causing damage to their major energy companies," he said. The new sanctions also target senior Russian officials, including the deputy head of the State Duma, or parliament, the minister of the Crimea, a commander of the Russian intelligence agency FSB, and a Ukrainian separatist leader, several of whom had already been targeted by the European Union. The sanctions, posted on the U.S. Treasury Department website, stopped short of targeting Gazprom, Russia's biggest gas company, which provides much of Europe's energy supplies.NAW
President Obama: “Are You Gay?” Guy: “Only When I’m Having Sex!”
www.buzzfeed.com
Anita Badejo
Daniel Rugg Webb, a 32-year-old cashier at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, had been hearing the rumor all day on Thursday: President Obama was stopping by. He and his co-workers didn’t give much credence to the idea—that is, until eight secret service agents, and then some, walked into the restaurant in the afternoon. “[They] frisked everybody, which was kind of my favorite part,” Webb recalled in an interview with BuzzFeed Saturday night. “Then he just showed up.” Webb, who is also a comedian and retired musician, wasn’t about to miss his opportunity to say whatever he wanted to a sitting president. So, after he had introduced himself and the president was signing a reportedly $300 bill, he slammed his hand on the counter.“Equal rights for gay people!” he exclaimed. Obama reacted without missing a beat. “Are you gay?” Taken aback by the directness of the question, he said, Webb responded, “Only when I’m having sex!” The president laughed, then, realizing there was a group of children near the two, said, “Not in front of the kids!” The two men bumped fists and that was that. “As a comedian, it was cool to have a moment where I was making a sitting president laugh — over something that might be considered inappropriate is a bonus,” Webb said of the experience. He said he had been hoping to get in a joke about Texas Governor Rick Perry, who he described as “famously anti-gay.” While Webb said he appreciates Obama’s social progressiveness, he expressed hope that the president will close the gap between his own relative forward-thinking on gay rights, and his general quietness on the anti-gay views of many state leaders before he leaves office. “It would be interesting if he could call some people out for it. People can use a lot of things—religion, freedom of speech—to be anti-gay, but I need people to understand you can call people out for civil rights things,” Webb said. “We are an anti-gay state. We are a state with a whole bunch of hungry children and sick old people, and [Rick Perry is] grandstanding on things that will get him a better election,” Webb said. “And it’s glaringly obvious. He’s kind of primitive in his social beliefs. I would like to see Rick Perry negatively influenced by any kind of attention. Even Obama laughing at something as, hopefully, acceptable as sexuality can show the difference.”
BRICS group of nations sets up development bank to rival IMF, World Bank
Emerging powers agree details of US$50 billion lender to rival the IMF
Leaders of the five BRICS nations agreed on the structure of a US$50 billion development bank by granting China its headquarters and India its first rotating presidency. Brazil, Russia and South Africa were also granted posts or units in the new bank.
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa also formalised the creation of a US$100 billion currency exchange reserve, which member states can tap in case of balance of payment crises, according to a statement issued at a summit in Fortaleza, Brazil. Both initiatives, which require legislative approval, are designed to provide an alternative to financing from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, where BRICS countries have been seeking more say. "The BRICS are gaining political weight and demonstrating their role in the international arena," Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said after a signing ceremony. Until the eve of the summit, India and South Africa had vied with China to host the headquarters of the bank, dubbed the New Development Bank.The administration of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in after it was reminded that his country's previous administration had agreed to Shanghai as the bank's headquarters, according to an Indian official. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the BRICS nations decided in favour of Shanghai because the city offers better infrastructure, opportunities to capture private funding and is home to more investors than the competitors. Chinese media yesterday hailed the creation of the development bank, and blamed Western countries and multilateral agencies for flaws in the global financial system. "The plans of the emerging-market bloc of BRICS to establish a development bank usher in a long-awaited and helpful alternative to the Western-dominated institutes in global finance," Xinhua said in an editorial. An opinion piece in the Global Times newspaper, known for its nationalistic editorial stance, said competition from the BRICS bank could prompt the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to carry out much-needed internal reforms. "BRICS countries have to blaze a new trail to reduce losses as well as safeguard interests," wrote Liu Zongyi, a research fellow at the government-linked Shanghai Institute for International Studies. "Loans from the World Bank are not able to meet the demands of the developing nations ... "The IMF also failed to play an active role in stabilising the turbulent emerging financial markets during the global financial crisis." For President Xi Jinping , the meetings represent a new push by Beijing to gain influence in a region traditionally seen as a US backyard.
China's role in resolving the Iraqi crisis
The situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate. As the largest foreign investor in Iraq's oil fields, China will naturally be affected by the situation.
Influence in the short-term
The impact of the Iraq crisis on China's energy security is very limited, despite China's growing reliance on imported oil resources. China's overall imports of Iraqi crude oil represent less than 1% of China's total energy demands. There are more than 10 000 Chinese citizen working for Chinese companies. They are generally in safe areas - southern and eastern Iraq, controlled by Shiites - where most Chinese investments are located. The Chinese government has announced that it attaches great importance to the security of Chinese citizens and companies, as well as the protection of their legitimate rights in Iraq. It has demanded that the Chinese embassy in Iraq and the Iraqi side both take effective measures to protect them. It has transferred its Chinese staff from relatively risky areas to safer areas.
Long-term impact
The continuation of the volatile situation in Iraq and other areas in the Middle East will affect the creation of the economic belt on the Silk Road of China in the long term. The strategic alliance between China and Russia has facilitated the establishment of an economic belt on the new Silk Road. On this basis, the preservation of peace in the Middle East will help China to open new markets and enhance cooperation with Europe across the Middle East. It will also help China to break the U.S. 'siege' on Asia. However, continuing long-term chaos in Iraq will increase the power of extremist forces. If the Iraqi crisis continues to spread into surrounding areas, the establishment of the economic belt on the Silk Road will face significant challenges. Thus, the impact of the current situation in Iraq on China will not be immediate, but in the future. Based on this fact, China must refrain from direct interference in the current problems in Iraq; otherwise it will be dragged down into the swamp. However China cannot simply watch the growth of extremist groups in Iraq and let the current chaos in Iraq expand to Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and even to China This will have a very negative impact on China's development in long term. The Chinese government will support the efforts of the Iraqi government to achieve stability and territorial integrity. China will provide financial support and equipment to the Iraqi government through special channels, while at the same time encouraging Iran, Russia and other countries to increase their support to Iraq, in order to help restore stability and promote political reconstruction and national reconciliation in Iraq.
Ukrainian Troops Hurt in Clashes Receive Treatment in Russia
Fifteen Ukrainian servicemen were hospitalized on Wednesday in Russia's Rostov Region and received qualified medical treatment after being wounded in firefights with armed militia in eastern Ukraine, the regional branch of Russia’s Federal Border Guard Service said. “Fifteen wounded have been placed in hospitals in the town of Gukovo,” the service said in a statement. The wounded were transferred to the Russian side on emergency request by Ukrainian border guards in late afternoon at the Chervonopartyzansk border crossing connecting Ukraine’s Luhansk Region and Russia’s Rostov Region. A representative of the Russian Health Ministry told RIA Novosti that two other Ukrainian border guards are to be operated on after they were wounded as a result of a shelling. One officer reportedly received injuries to his abdomen, while the second one has severe splinter wounds and burns. Both are in a critical condition. Vasily Malayev, a spokesman with the Federal Security Bureau (FSB) in the Rostov region, said Russian border guards at the Kuibyshevo border crossing were informed about two their Ukrainian colleagues in need of urgent medical treatment at about 2 pm Moscow time (10:00 GMT). They were immediately transported to a local clinic in the city of Kuibyshev. As of 7:30 pm Moscow time (15:30 GMT), one of the Ukrainian servicemen has been undergoing surgery, Malayev said. Running artillery battles continue between the pro-Kiev troops and self-defense forces in the east Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions. On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry invited military attaches from 18 countries, including the United States and Germany, to assess the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border that has been hit multiple times by Ukrainian artillery. This came after at least seven artillery shells landed in southern Russia near the border with Ukraine on Sunday, leaving a man dead and two women injured. Russian investigators are currently trying to determine those responsible for the shelling.
TURKEY: ISIL ‘attacks Shiite mosque’ in Istanbul
Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked a Shiite mosque in Istanbul last week, a human rights association has claimed in report, refuting official statements about the incident. On July 8, a fire caused significant material damage at the Muhammediye Mosque in the Esenyurt neighborhood of the city. Three Qurans and a 300-volume hadith collection were destroyed in the fire at the mosque, which belongs to the local community from the Ja’farite school of Shia Islam. Turley’s Human Rights Association (İHD) prepared a report on the incident based on the testimonies of witnesses and official statements. The findings of the report were announced to the public on July 15 in a press conference at the İHD headquarters in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu neighborhood. The report quoted Seçkin Çengeloğlu, a local police chief, who ruled out the possibility of arson. He described the fire as “a coincidence” that occurred during a burglary in which the clock of the mosque was stolen by a local drug user acting alone. However, citing the testimonies of witnesses, including the imam of the mosque, İHD Istanbul head Abdulbaki Boğa said the report concluded that the fire was a “planned assault,” contradicting the official police statement. Imam Hamza Aydın was quoted in the report as saying that an individual between the ages of 25 and 30 had visited the mosque with two teenagers 10 days before the fire, asking him which Islamic sect he belonged to. “You’re Shiite, you have no right to live, we will burn you,” the person reportedly told the imam after getting an answer. The report concluded that ISIL was behind the fire, without presenting direct evidence linking the incident to the militant group. “ISIL is in Istanbul now. We knew it, but this is their first attack against a belief group in Turkey,” claimed Hulusi Zeybel, a central executive board member of the İHD. “The attack against Ja’faris is an attack with a political message,” Boğa added.
New documents reveal Bahrain crackdown on dissent
Bahrain's main opposition group has revealed a series of documents, shedding light on the Al Khalifa regime's harsh crackdown on dissent across the Persian Gulf Kingdom.Al-Wefaq said on Wednesday that new documents indicate several cases of torture and mistreatment in Bahraini jails. According to the opposition, the Bahraini regime forces detained at least 114 people last month alone. Sources say 18 of the detainees were children. The developments come as several international organizations and human rights activists have criticized Manama for refusing to disclose the cause of the protesters' deaths in an attempt to protect their killers.
Juan Mendez, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Torture, has repeatedly confirmed that Bahraini judiciary has issued harsh sentences against peaceful protesters and activists. Mendez says he had received complaints of torture, coerced confessions and denial of medical treatment. The Bahraini regime has also blocked requests of visits by Mendez and other international rights officials. In June 2014, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights censured the Manama regime for human rights violations. A total of 46 members of the international body expressed deep concern over the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown on peaceful protesters. Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to Bahrain to help Manama quash the anti-regime protests. Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.
Bahraini Regime Troops Impose Massive Security Alert in Damstan
The Bahraini regime troops imposed massive security alert and flew helicopters at low attitude in the area of Damstan as pro-regime websites circulated news about shooting a police station, with no injuries recorded.
When Bill Clinton Served 'Rotis' to Schoolchildren in Rajasthan
Students of a school in Rajasthan today held out their plates to be served by Bill Clinton. The former US president doled out "rotis" to over two dozen children of a government-run school in Jaipur. He was joined by Avi Glazer, the businessman who owns the football club Manchester United. The meal was special in more ways than one. Along with their khichdi staple, the children today got cake. In return, they performed a folk dance for Mr Clinton, and ran to him for autographs soon after. Asked about his favourite sport as a student, he replied, "Basketball." The children responded with the chorus of "cricket!" Mr Clinton is visiting India as part of the Clinton Foundation's initiative to collaborate with NGOs related to education and malnourishment. One of these programmes is the "Akshay Patra", which provides mid-day meals to 1.3 million children in more than 10,000 schools across India. "I love the midday meal programme because it helps keep kids involved in schools, it prevents dropouts and improves learning," the former president told NDTV. "In my last year as president I secured 300 million dollars to give to 20 countries to provide meals in schools and I know what happens. The involvement goes up and dropouts go down, learning improves." Mr Clinton announced a two million dollar donation from Caterpillar, a US based company that will support a similar mid-day meal programme in Lucknow.
John Kerry’s deal to end Afghanistan’s election crisis is in trouble already
By Erin Cunningham
Just days after Secretary of State John F. Kerry brokered an end to Afghanistan’s election crisis, the deal has run into trouble because of disagreements among the two rival presidential candidates. The agreement was intended to resolve a weeks-long impasse that had threatened to split the country. But implementation of the deal has been held up by confusion over whether Afghan or international institutions will lead the inspection of the 8.1 million votes cast in a June 14 runoff that was marred by fraud. The electoral dispute has raised alarm that conditions could deteriorate further in a country already battling a resilient insurgency. Highlighting the country’s fragility, a suicide bomber driving a truck packed with explosives killed at least 45 people in a crowded market in the southeastern province of Paktika on Tuesday, a spokesman for the provincial governor said. The Afghan Defense Ministry said 89 people had been killed. The conflicting death toll reports could not immediately be reconciled. The White House had dispatched Kerry to Kabul last week to forestall possible violence after candidate Abdullah Abdullah’s threats to declare his own government. An ambitious deal to recount the votes and form a national unity government was clinched in marathon talks that ended Saturday. But on Monday, the audit of the ballots, meant to begin within 24 hours of the announcement of the accord, was postponed indefinitely to addresstechnical disputes, Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) said. Western officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said they expected the vote counting to begin Wednesday or Thursday.
The campaign of former foreign minister Abdullah — who last month accused the IEC of helping rig the vote — said it was promised that international bodies would take charge of the audit. The team of the opposing candidate — former World Bank official Ashraf Ghani — says no such stipulation was included in the deal. According to Afghan law, the IEC is required to carry out the audit. The United Nations can play only a supervisory role, Ghani’s campaign says. “There was an agreement in the discussions that there would be an international audit, not an Afghan-led audit,” said Mohammad Mohaqiq, one of Abdullah’s two vice-presidential candidates and a former warlord who commands strong support among Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara community. “If the IEC is in charge of this audit, then all of these efforts will translate into nothing — a zero.” It was not clear Tuesday why the two sides had such differing accounts of what the agreement involved. But a senior U.S. official said Monday that although the IEC “technically conducts the audit, it’s being done under the auspices of and the supervision by the U.N.” “Obviously something of this complexity is still being worked out,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. “There will be many, many moving parts of this over a period of at least another month.” On Tuesday, a senior State Department official said that “all parties continue to meet together” to discuss the process. “We’ve seen nothing to indicate that there’s any walk-back from commitment” to the deal, the official said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity.
But that such a high level of uncertainty over the process has cropped up so soon after negotiations underscores the polarized nature of Afghanistan’s political landscape. The first round of elections was held April 5. Abdullah won the most votes but fell short of the majority needed to take the presidency. In the second round, elections officials said, Ghani secured 56 percent of the votes, according to a preliminary count. But authorities acknowledged that the results were tarnished by vote tampering. The new president’s inauguration was initially scheduled for Aug. 2. But the United Nations requested that President Hamid Karzai postpone the date to allow for the audit and negotiations over a national unity government to take place. Should the rift over the audit process remain unresolved, it could endanger one of the central goals of the accord: the formation of a consensus government that would eventually choose a prime minister, transitioning Afghanistan from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government. Right now, Karzai possesses extensive powers. The new political framework would immediately create a chief executive post subordinate to the president, Mohaqiq said. The chief executive position would be a prototype for the prime minister job. The hope is that a parliamentary system would ease ethnically based grievances by enshrining a more even distribution of power, U.S. officials said. There was no claim of responsibility for the bombing in Paktika. But Afghan forces are struggling against a Taliban-led insurgency that has killed a growing number of the country’s soldiers and civilians. According to a U.N. report released last week, civilian casualties here rose by 24 percent during the first half of the year.
Foreign troops under the command of the International Security Assistance Force are scheduled to withdraw by the end of 2014, a rapidly approaching deadline that has Afghans and international observers worried that the country could face increasing Taliban advances or the kind of ethnic bloodshed that tore Afghanistan apart in the 1990s. Abdullah, of mixed Tajik and Pashtun heritage, enjoys the backing of the country’s Tajik community in the north and west. Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, is popular among Pashtun populations in the east and south. The United States is eager to leave behind a more stable Afghanistan, having invested hundreds of billions of dollars since 2001, when U.S. troops invaded to topple the Taliban government.
Haqqani Network said to sexually abuse boys
http://centralasiaonline.com/
By Zahir Shah
Militant sexual abuse of the boys they recruit to join their cause apparently is rife in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the months after a Central Asia Online exposé about the Taliban's sexual assault of boys, Afghan and Pakistani officials have discovered instances of such abuses among other militant groups. "I was dressed in women's clothes and was raped over four nights," Samiullah, a teen victim who was recruited by the Haqqani Network, said in a video statement posted last year on YouTube. "A friend of mine named Muhammad was also raped." NDS evaluates Samiullah's case Samiullah was 16 and had been working at a restaurant in Khost city, Afghanistan, when a man named Hamayun recruited him to join the Haqqani Network. After going through training in Pakistan's tribal region, militants sent Samiullah on a mission to assassinate the governor of Khost Province, but security officials caught him before the suicide bombing was carried out. During his interrogation, Samiullah detailed some of the tactics the militants used during training, the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) said. "Haqqani Network commanders are sexually abusing teenage boys who are being trained to carry out terror acts," the NDS statement said in a December statement. NDS officials recently told Central Asia Online they take such allegations seriously, especially when a boy provides specific information. Samiullah, for example, named Haqqani Network commanders Musa and Mohammad Kaleem, who are brothers, as two who raped him. Long-term effects Sexual assaults are a social issue that needs to be dealt with, psychiatric specialists said, because the ramifications can be far-reaching for society. One concern is the spread of disease, but more worrying, psychiatrists said, is the lasting mental anguish that can destroy families and the social fabric. "Children passing through the agony of abuse start hating males, even the male members of their family," psychiatrist Khalid Mufti said. "The trauma can even influence marital life later." Sexual abuse can also lead to anger issues, he said, where the victims will view violence as the best way to solve problems. And the reported cases likely represent only a fraction of the violations, psychiatrists assert. Not a new practice Samiullah's case is not an anomaly. Naematullah, a would-be suicide bomber arrested in Herat Province, told officials that he and many others were sexually abuses during militant training, according to an NDS statement. And the allegations of sexual abuse are not new. The Taliban in the 1990s were accused of sexually abusing boys, University of Peshawar professor Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmed said. "It's a deep-rooted phenomenon … [that has] always happened in the war that has been going on the Pak-Afghan tribal belt." Indeed, the concept of such paedophilia is so commonplace it is colloquially called bacha bazi, or "boys for pleasure." Militant abuses are condemned But the idea that the problem has been going on for years – and sexual abuse of youth in general being such a long-standing issue – makes it no less condemnable, Ahmed said. "It's the criminalisation of the society that the religious extremists were playing in the name of religion and also involved in such gruesome acts," Prof. Ijaz Khan of the International Relations Department, University of Peshawar, said in agreement. Recently, though, a broad spectrum of society has been calling for justice. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has also urged that urgent steps be taken to stop the sexual abuse and slavery of young boys, according to Khamma press. And activists in Pakistan are stressing that it is the state's responsibility to protect the children. "It’s really a dangerous trend," former Awami National Party (ANP)-affiliated Pakistani parliamentarian Yasmin Zia said. "The Taliban or any warlord involved in such acts of inhumanity must be punished as abuse is a major sin and there are clear-cut punishments for its perpetrators." "If we can't protect our children, then it's our failure," she said.
14,000 Pakistani Christians Left Pakistan In 2013
A large number of Pakistani Christians are leaving Pakistan preferring asylum in foreign countries.
According to a latest report sent to Fides by a Pakistani NGO- World Vision in Progress claims that about 14,000 Pakistani Christians have sought asylum in foreign countries. The World Vision in Progress clarified that as a result of the increasing terrorism, insecurity and harsh living conditions the religious minorities are abandoning Pakistan. In the past year for instance about 14,000 Pakistani Christians have sought asylum in Asian countries but also in Western countries, in Europe and America. Farrukh H. Saif- Executive Director of the World Vision in Progress stated: The situation is serious; minorities, especially Christians and Hindus are being targeted for acts of terrorism, mass violence and abuse of the blasphemy law. Because of this situation an increasing number of families choose to leave Pakistan. Thousands of Pakistani Hindus seek refuge in India, while Christians, Ahmadis, Shias and other religious groups have reached East Asia and South Asia and have registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), hoping to be able to settle in a country where they can enjoy equal rights. He continued: flight of Christians began in 2009, when Christian neighborhoods and villages in Punjab were attacked by Muslim extremists. Hundreds of homes were burned and hundreds of Christians from Gojra and Korian took refuge in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Also in March 2013 Islamic fanatics attacked the ‘Joseph colony’ Christian area in Lahore. According to our investigations, last year 14,000 Pakistani Christians sought asylum in countries of East Asia and South Asia. He noted: in order to stop the exodus, the Pakistani government should stop terrorism and provide security to Pakistani Christians and other religious minorities. A few months ago – he continues – Pakistani authorities intercepted a thousand Christians who were travelling to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong and stopped them. In the second week of June, the Sri Lankan police launched an operation against Pakistani Christians seeking asylum, and arrested them; an action contrary to the rules and international principles. In fact, a host country cannot arrest refugees if they are registered under the auspices of the UNHCR. World Vision in Progress has appealed to the international community to help curb the suffering of religious minorities in Pakistan. The NGO has also urged the countries in which refugees seek asylum to respect of humanitarian law and the rules of international law concerning the refugees. World Vision in Progress strives to bring to end religious minority discrimination in Pakistan and to uphold respectable living conditions for them in the country. - See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/14000-pakistani-christians-left-pakistan-in-2013/#sthash.GU8i8cbV.dpuf
Education Reforms In Pakistan Need Of The Hour
The country is facing an ‘education crisis’ which, if not tackled now, can become insurmountable. But, given political will and resources, a reformed education system can still produce a tolerant citizenry accepting religious, ethnic and cultural diversity, and help Pakistan return to its moderate roots. This is the crux of a report on “education reforms” in Pakistan recently released by the International Crisis Group. In its major conclusion, the Brussels-based NGO working to prevent conflict worldwide says: “If Pakistan is to provide all children between the age of five and 16 years free and compulsory education, as its law requires, it must reform a system marred by teacher absenteeism, poorly maintained or ghost schools and a curriculum which encourages intolerance and fails to produce citizens who are competitive in the job market.” It says that curriculum reform is essential and overdue and urges the provincial governments to ensure that textbooks and teachers no longer convey an intolerant religious discourse and a distorted narrative based on hatred of imagined enemies – local and foreign. “The working-age population will continue to grow in a country with so many young people. Without substantial and urgent efforts to improve access to quality schools, illiteracy and poor learning outcomes will result in rising levels of unemployment and under-employment, hampering economic development and – if the most attractive jobs are available with the jihadi forces and criminal groups – contributing to violence and instability. “The rot can still be stemmed by reversing decades of neglect of the fast failing, under-funded education sector and opting for meaningful reform of the curriculum, bureaucracy, teaching staff and learning methodologies,” it says. According to the report, poorly qualified and poorly trained teachers and rote pedagogy discourage learning. Improvements in methodology have yet to make it to the classroom, and what is taught is problematic. An unreformed curriculum continues to promote religious intolerance and xenophobia as do madressahs which flourish in the absence of a credible public education sector. Private schools are flourishing but few, except those which cater to the elite, provide quality education. Attempts are being made to harness private sector support, including through partnerships and philanthropy, but the scale of the challenge requires a government-led approach and political ownership of reform. “To counter the challenge posed by private schools and madressahs, which fill the gaps of a dilapidated public education sector but contribute to religious extremism and sectarian violence, the government will have to do far more than just increase the number of schools and teachers, it says. Since the 18th Constitution Amendment devolved education to the federating units, provincial governments have taken some steps to meet their obligation to educate children. Yet, not all provinces have the required legislative apparatus, rules and regulations in place. Budgetary allocations, despite increases, are insufficient to meet growing needs. The report deplores that millions of five- to 16-year olds, now entitled to free and compulsory education, are still out of school and the quality of education for those enrolled remains abysmal. Nepotism and corruption permeate the system, including in the employment, posting and transfer of teachers. It points out that militant violence and natural disasters have exacerbated the dismal state of education. Earthquakes and floods have destroyed school buildings, disrupting the education of hundreds of thousands of children. More than nine million children do not receive primary or secondary education and literacy rates are stagnant. The country is far from meeting Millennium Development Goals of providing universal primary education by 2015. The primary school enrolment rate in 2012-13 registered a mere one per cent increase from the preceding year. There are significant gender disparities and differences between rural and urban areas, the report notes. The combined federal and provincial budgetary allocation to education is the lowest in South Asia, at two per cent of GDP. It all shows how grave the education sector is in Pakistan.
Punjab's Sharif clan : Time running out
The ruling Sharif clan may not know that the time is running out, and running out very fast. The public discontent with it is skyrocketing with not just the day but by every hour of the day. Of course, incumbency is a very deadly monster that ruins and ransacks even promising ruling hierarchies. But then the Sharif coterie does not even figure on that scale any where remarkably. Its spin doctors may be weaving yarns after yarns to show it up as a performer par excellence. But a screaming public tells that all that is a big, big lie. In fact, ever nook and cranny of the land is crying out shrilly that the people never had had as worst of time as are they having on its watch. But once in the saddle, the hierarchy started gradually to backtrack on what it had promised the electorate. As the shortages stay now as persistent and unrelenting as in the past, some of its grandees have now even taken sheepishly to apologising to the people for betraying them with false, deceptive and misleading promises of obviating power load shedding immediately after ascending the Islamabad throne. So obviously, it had been using the ploy of inaugurating of power plants and foundation-stone-laying of new projects by the prime minister to impress the public with its efforts to deliver on its poll promise of shooing off power scarcity from the land. But the trick has not worked. Rather, the people are livid that the Sharif ruling clan is taking them for a ride with such contrivances. But the people's discontent with the Sharif ruling clique is not due to the power scarcity alone. It runs far deeper and far inflammably on many an other account. Indeed, the utter collapse of this coterie in alleviating the people's biting travails on account of increasingly unaffordable food prices and a galloping unemployment has taken away all the people's trust and confidence in it. Even those who once were its fond supporters have now turned against it. And on the street, it is all anger that is dancing giddily against this Sharif coterie. It really is so astonishing that the incumbency has flung in so early to gore this ruling clan. It had stridden into office, bragging deafeningly that it had had the experience of governance as well as an experienced team to tackle the adversities tormenting the people so woefully. But just in a year's time, it has become just dust on the street. And quite perilously. One knows not how the people would respond to the calls of Imran Khan for a people tsunami and Tahirul Qadri's people revolution. But a storm is brewing up on the street. And if the Sharif ruling clique doesn't act at once and wisely to mitigate what really is making the people's miserable lives a living hell, a real people's tsunami is sure to break out from some obscure niche of the street to flare up and engulf the whole land with unforeseen consequences. The Sharif clan as also its peers in various political comps must know that the so-called democracy which in effect is a patent plutocracy may be their darling baby. But on the street it has no takers left. The people's patience with this sham system has run out. None out there in the street would stick his neck out to be chopped off for this spurious system that serves the needs of a privileged oligarchy of landed aristocrats, waderas, landed pirs, sardars, chieftains, robber barons and the moneyed upstarts. Not the people's. They have no love lost for it; not at all.
Malala - The Free
Malala Yousafzai has managed to achieve global recognition due to her tireless efforts to end the struggle of young women. She now travels around the world speaking out to different audiences, highlighting the need for female education, female emancipation and dignity. On one of her most recent journeys, she flew to Nigeria where she met with the families of the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, following her pledge to devote her efforts towards their rescue. As photographs of Malala meeting with Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, flash across the nation’s newspapers and ignite the admiration of the Pakistani social media, perhaps it is important to remember who she really is to Pakistan. Despite her overwhelming patriotism and loyalty to the country to which she belongs, can we really lay a claim to the accomplishments of this extraordinary child? During her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, she was shunned, laden with accusations and conspiracy theories that painted her in one clean stroke as an “agent of the West,” a foreign pawn, and a theatrical tool for garnering sympathy.It is important to draw the distinction between Malala the national symbol, and Malala the international humanist. Pakistan belongs to her, and to the countless courageous young people like her who will inherit this land. But we can lay no claim to the development of this truly global hero, because we disowned her in spirit. Her work transcends the topicalities of any one nation, any one war or any one injustice. In many ways, the national disownment freed her from Pakistan’s unforgiving gaze and judgment. As she travels to spread her international message of peace with the grace of an adult thrice her age, her country can only observe with pride and amazement, the seventeen year old girl who has survived in the throes of its deepest evil and emerged victorious. But no more, can we claim ownership of this free child of the world.
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