Monday, February 23, 2015
U.S. Open to Slowing Troop Pullout in Afghanistan
By
Four days into his tenure as defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday morning and opened up the possibility of slowing the withdrawal of the last American troops in the country to help keep the Taliban at bay.
Those 10,000 troops are now conducting counterterrorism operations and advising the Afghan military, and most are scheduled to be withdrawn by the end of 2016.
Mr. Carter said that the Obama administration was open to having a stronger military relationship with the current Afghan unity government, led by President Ashraf Ghani. Mr. Ghani’s government has reset relations with the West after turbulent years when President Hamid Karzai often clashed with the United States.
“A lot has changed here, so much for the better,” Mr. Carter said. “Our priority now is to make sure this progress sticks. That is why President Obama is considering a number of options to reinforce our support for President Ghani’s security strategy, including possible changes to our timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.”
He also said that the United States was “rethinking the details” of its counterterrorism operation in Afghanistan, but he did not elaborate on what he meant by that.
Already, Afghan and American officials have said, on the condition of anonymity, that the United States forces were playing combat roles in many joint special operations raids and were not simply going along as advisers. That is at odds with policy declarations by the administration, which has deemed the American role in the war essentially over, but reflects the reality in Afghanistan.
Despite the aid of American air power, 2014 was the deadliest year for Afghan forces since the start of the war in 2001, and many Afghan and Western officials in Kabul believe that 2015 will likely be worse, particularly with less support from Western allies. That has begun to change the conversation about the possibility of slowing down in the withdrawal.
Afghan and American leaders are expected to have more discussions about troop levels next month in Washington when Mr. Ghani is scheduled to visit President Obama at the White House.
Mr. Carter said he was in Afghanistan to begin his own assessment of the security situation since the United States wound down its combat mission last year.
He said that he had seen varying reports about Afghanistan, including some that said the Taliban were undergoing a resurgence and others that claimed that a small group of militants had rebranded themselves as members of the Islamic State.
Shortly after arriving, he was briefed by Gen. John F. Campbell, the top American commander in Afghanistan, and Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the head of United States Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the greater Middle East.
Mr. Carter then met with Mr. Ghani and with Mr. Ghani’s former rival and current chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah.
After that meeting, Mr. Carter and Mr. Ghani held a news conference and appeared to indicate that both sides were open to slowing the withdrawal of the troops. Speaking with reporters on his military plane on the flight to Afghanistan, Mr. Carter, who had been to Afghanistan nine times before this trip, but not since 2013, said that he had a number of questions as he tried to form his perspective on the country. Those included how the Afghan security forces were doing and what their assessment was of the battlefield situation.
Mr. Carter said that it was also important to visit because there were still many American troops in Afghanistan.
“They come first in my mind always — their welfare — particularly in circumstances like this,” Mr. Carter said of the troops. They are “what I wake up to, and wake up for every day, and I feel that — and want them to know that — and that is where this trip began and begins in my mind.”
Tough choice for U.S. in Afghanistan's Kandahar province
A once bustling military hub at the heart of America's war in southernAfghanistan, Kandahar Air Field seemed destined to quietly shut down this year as part of a U.S. withdrawal that had already thinned its numbers.
But, now, there appears to be growing signs that fate might be postponed, if only for a bit, as the United States weighs slowing the pace of the drawdown from Afghanistan.
New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the sprawling complex on Sunday, but kept reporters guessing whether he thought it should remain operational longer - keeping a U.S. toe-hold in an important region of Afghanistan.
"My advice needs to go first to the president," Carter told reporters during his first trip since swearing-in on Tuesday.
The prospect of exiting Kandahar altogether has sounded alarms in Washington, where Republican lawmakers critical of President Barack Obama's withdrawal strategy note the region's importance to Taliban militants and the threat they pose.
"Kandahar is just not a spot on the map. That's the spiritual home of the Taliban," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham declared at a Senate hearing this month.
The Islamic State's rise in Iraq following the U.S.
withdrawal is stoking anxiety about potential backsliding in Afghanistan as Obama pursues plans to cut the roughly 10,000 U.S. troops by nearly half this year and then slash them further to an embassy presence at the end of 2016.
Kandahar Air Field is already a shadow of its former self, with just 2,600 coalition forces, down from a peak of 26,000. Still, it offers the United States important capabilities for advising Afghans and aiding counter-terrorism efforts.
The head of the Afghan National Army's 205th corps in Kandahar told Carter's delegation that America's contributions were vital, according to one U.S. official. Major General Abdullah Hamid said "I need you to be here," the official recounted, paraphrasing.
Carter praised U.S. forces in Kandahar during his visit.
"We've given so much to create the conditions here that you now see in front of you where the Afghan security forces stand a real shot at making success stick," Carter said.
"But it's still not done and it won't be done without what you are accomplishing here in Kandahar."
PAKISTAN: MOUNTING INSECURITY – ANALYSIS
By Ajit Kumar Singh
On February 18, 2015, at least four Shias were killed and another six were injured in a suicide attack during evening prayers at a mosque inside Qasr-e-Sakina Imambargah (Shia place of worship) located on Kurri Road in the New Shakrial area of Rawalpindi District in Punjab. Police sources stated that the suicide bomber opened fire before trying to enter the mosque. When challenged by guards deployed at the Imambargah, the attacker attempted to detonate his explosive vest, but failed to do so. The explosive vest was diffused later. Fahad Marwat, a ‘spokesman’ of Jundullah, a splinter group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming responsibility for the attack, declared that the blast was in a reaction to the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb [Sword of the Prophet] in the North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
On February 13, 2015, at least 22 Shias were killed and another 50 were injured when a three member suicide squad attacked an Imambargah in the Phase-5 locality of the Hayatabad area in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). As the entrance of the Imambargah is heavily guarded, the terrorists, dressed in Police uniforms, entered the Imambargah from another side of the mosque, cutting through barbed wire. The attack was executed when around 800 worshippers were offering Friday prayers. Of the three suicide bombers who entered the mosque, only one was able to blow himself up. A second was killed by Security Force (SF) personnel, while the third was arrested in an injured condition. Claiming responsibility for the attack, TTP ‘spokesperson’ Muhammad Khorasani declared, “It is the revenge of Dr. Usman who was hanged for attack on the Army’s headquarters.” Mohammed Aqeel aka Dr. Usman was among the two convicted terrorists who were hanged at the Faisalabad District Jail in the night of December 19, 2014.
On January 30, 2015, at least 61 Shias were killed and more than 50 were injured in a bomb attack on Karbala-e-Moalla Imambargah in the Lakhidar area of Shikarpur District in Sindh. More than 300 worshippers were inside the double-storey compound of the Imambargah and the prayer leader, Maulvi Tanveer Hussain Shah, was delivering the Friday sermon, when the bomb exploded. Ahmed Marwat of Jundullah, declared, “We claim responsibility for attack on Shias in Shikarpur very happily. Our target was the Shia community… They are our enemies.”
On January 9, 2015, eight persons were killed and another 25 were wounded in a bomb blast inside the Aun Muhammad Rizvi Imambargah in the Chittian Hattian locality of Rawalpindi city in Punjab. The blast occurred when prayers were in progress at the Imambargah.
Though terrorist formations have cited different reasons for these attacks, the reality is that the Shias in particular and all religious minorities in general, are under relentless attack across Pakistan. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), out of 226 civilian fatalities in the current year, 2015, (all data till February 22, 2015), at least 105, among those whose identities were confirmed, were Shia. The number has increased dramatically, after a sharp decline in 2014. Through 2014, out of a total of 1,781 civilian fatalities, Shias (identities confirmed) accounted for 116, as against 504 Shias killed out of a total of 3,001 civilian fatalities in 2013.
The actual situation is, likely, worse. According to the United States (US) Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report titled “Violence towards Religious Communities in Pakistan”, published in August 2014, over the one-year period from July 2013 to June 2014, at least 430 people were killed in a total 122 attacks against minorities. These include 222 Shias in 54 attacks; 128 Christians in 22 recorded incidents; 10 Ahmadis in 10 such attacks; and two Sikhs in three attacks. Four attacks were recorded on the Hindu community in this period, with no fatality reported. 29 attacks resulted in 68 fatalities among other religious/sectarian groups.
The systematic persecution of religious minorities continues amidst prevailing anarchy across the Pakistan. The SATP database recorded at least 5,496 terrorism-related fatalities, including 1,781 civilians, 533 SF personnel and 3,182 terrorists, in 2014 as against 5,379 such fatalities, including 3,001 civilians, 676 SF personnel and 1,702 terrorists. In 2015, fatalities have already touched at least 697 (data till February 22), including 226 civilians, 59 SF personnel and 412 terrorists.
While civilian fatalities recorded a steep decline in 2014, the level of brutality saw dramatic escalation. In particular, in one of the most barbaric acts of terror in the country, a seven-member TTP suicide squad killed at least 135 school children, ten school staff members, including the Principal, and three soldiers in an attack on the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar (capital of KP) on December 16, 2014. Schools and children have been targeted by terrorists before, but there was a conspicuous qualitative escalation in the Peshawar atrocity.
2014 also saw fewer SF fatalities, in comparison to 2013. Fatalities in this category have been on a decline since 2012, primarily due to a conscious effort by the SFs to avoid direct engagements with the terrorists on ground. On the other hand, terrorist fatalities, which had also been declining since 2012, for similar reasons, recorded a steep increase in 2014, with SFs launching a massive – primarily aerial – operation in NWA in the aftermath of the attack on Karachi Airport on June 8-9, 2014, in which at least 33 persons, including all ten attackers, were killed. The operation named Zarb-e-Azb, launched at 01:30am [PST] on June 15, 2014, still continues. The Director General (DG) of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, on January 16, 2015, claimed that SFs had killed 2,000 ‘terrorists’ under Operation Zarb-e-Azb, and also disclosed that 200 soldiers had been killed and another 800 had sustained injuries. No independent verification of these figures, or of the identities of the ‘terrorists’ killed, is possible, as media access to areas under the Operation is severely restricted.
Other parameters of violence, including suicide attacks, explosions, and major incidents, varied noticeably. Suicide attacks and resultant fatalities declined, with 336 killed in 25 such incidents in 2014, as against 43 suicide attacks resulting in 751 fatalities in 2013. Similarly, incidents of explosion and resultant fatalities in 2014 registered a sharp decline, from 574 incidents and 1,624 deaths in 2013, to 388 such incidents accounting for 846 fatalities through 2014. However, the number of major incidents (each involving three or more fatalities) and resultant deaths in 2014 increased, with 402 incidents and 4,173 fatalities, up from 355 incidents and 3,268 fatalities in 2013.
Violence was reported from across the country. FATA retained the distinction of being the most violent region, with the highest fatalities in 2014 (2,863), followed by Sindh (1,180), Balochistan (653), KP (617), Punjab (180), and Gilgit-Baltistan (3). In 2013, FATA with 1,716 fatalities, was the worst-affected, followed by Sindh (1,668), Balochistan (960), KP (936), Punjab (81), and Gilgit-Baltistan (18). While fatalities increased in FATA and Punjab in 2014, Balochistan, KP, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed some relief, as compared to the preceding year. SATP data indicates a dramatic rise in fatalities in Punjab, reversing a declining trend in the Province since 2010. Punjab has, for years, served as an ideological source, sanctuary and recruitment ground for various terrorist formations in Pakistan, and saw civilian fatalities increased from 64 in 2013, to 132 in 2014. On January 1, 2015, Awami National Party (ANP) Central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain asserted that Punjab was a “training centre for terrorists and their masterminds” and demanded that the Government initiate decisive action against the terrorist leadership and infrastructure in the Province. He stressed, further, that “terrorism could not be eliminated from the country until an operation began against terrorist organisations in Punjab”. Pressing for action against terrorists, Hussain remarked that “there should be no distinction between good Taliban and bad Taliban and state institutions should take across-the-board action against terrorists.”
The threat of terrorism in Pakistan has been augmented further, as reports of the Islamic State’s (IS) outreach into the country gathered force. In June 2014, IS released a ‘world domination map’, including Pakistan within its projected ‘Khorasan’ region. IS now has a native Pakistani national – Hafiz Saeed Khan, a former ‘commander’ of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – as its Ameer (chief) for ‘Khorasan’. Khan replaced Afghan national Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost as the Ameer of the Khorasan Chapter.
Significantly, General John Campbell, the commander of The Resolute Support Mission, the new mission of US and NATO Forces in Afghanistan, warned on January 18, 2015, that IS was recruiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan: “We are seeing reports of some recruiting. There have been some night letter drops, there have been reports of people trying to recruit both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, quite frankly.”
The issue of ‘disappearances’, the continuing recovery of dead bodies, and the mounting numbers of missing persons continue to haunt the country. Pakistan’s Attorney General (AG) Salman Aslam Butt, on February 10, 2015, told a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, hearing an application filed by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Chairman Nasrullah Baloch, that 4,557 dead bodies had been recovered from all over the country over the preceding five years, and that 266 of these were unidentified.
Meanwhile, an orchestrated political drama brought Pakistan under siege during the latter part of 2014. Beginning August 16, 2014, Constitution Avenue in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, became the epicenter of violent demonstrations, with thousands belonging to the Imran Khan led-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) thronging to this venue. The crisis was brought to an end after the December 16, 2014, terrorist attack on APS Peshawar, when Imran Khan called off the protest (Qadri had earlier ended protests on October 22, 2014, claiming that the campaign had served its purpose of ‘awakening the nation’). Nevertheless, the protracted standoff with the Government certainly weakened the civilian Government’s position vis-a-vis the military even further, as it was widely believed that the crisis had been manipulated by the all-powerful Army.
In attempts to stall the country’s enduring hurtle into chaos, both Federal as well as Provincial Governments in Pakistan announced several measures through 2014, as in past years. Some of the most prominent among these included the lifting of the moratorium on execution of death penalties in terrorism-related cases on December 17, 2014, in the immediate aftermath of the Peshawar APS attack; and the launch of the National Internal Security Policy (NISP), among others. The Government also approved the 20-point National action Plan (NAP) ‘to root out terrorism’ in January 2015, and released a list of 5,400 suspected terrorists, to ‘swiftly execute’ a crackdown against sympathizers, financiers and facilitators of banned outfits across the country. After the lifting of the moratorium, at least 24 prisoners have been executed, including at least two with no connection to terrorism. Government officials also disclosed, on February 15, 2015, that over 600 hardcore terrorists have been arrested since the approval of NAP. Of these 600-plus terrorists, 320 belonged to TTP, while 311 had links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT). Significantly, however, the top leaderships of LeT and JeM continue to roam free, and in many cases, their actions are visibly facilitated by state agencies.
Unsurprisingly, these various measures are bound to fail, given Islamabad’s close and enduring ties with various terror formations thriving on its soil. In the latest admission of such bonding, former President General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf, in an interview published on February 13, 2015, admitted that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) had supported the Taliban after 2001 because the then Afghan Government led by ex-President Hamid Karzai had an overwhelming number of non-Pashtuns and officials, who were said to favour India: “Obviously, we were looking for some groups to counter this Indian action against Pakistan. That is where the intelligence work comes in. Intelligence being in contact with Taliban groups. Definitely they were in contact, and they should be.”
Crucially, Islamabad continues its policy of supporting select terrorist formations. In the aftermath of the December 16 Peshawar APS attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had made many bold claims about rooting out all terrorists, without discrimination. What followed, however, was in complete contrast, and reaffirmed the conviction that Islamabad would never abide by its promises to end support to terrorism.
Indeed, soon after the APS attack, top LeT ‘commander’ Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks was granted bail by Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court on December 18, 2014, citing ‘lack of evidence’. However, after several u-turns, under intense pressure from India and the international community, Lakhvi continued to remain behind bars. Similarly, despite several reports and claims of a ban on the ‘charitable organization’ Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani Network in the aftermath of the Peshawar APS attack, it was subsequently confirmed that these outfits remained ‘legal’. Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, while clarifying that the Government has not outlawed any group after the APS attack, declared, on February 11, 2015, “Yes we are a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Charter and we will devise a policy on this topic [But] so far, we have only added 10 organisations – proscribed by the UN – to our watch list.” Interestingly, the Supreme Court on January 22, 2015, had directed the Federal Government to upload on its websites, details pertaining to terrorist outfits banned by the Government. The Court observed that no such record was available and friendly countries should also be informed in this regard. The Government claims that it has banned 63 terrorist outfits, but no record or notification of such a list is in the public domain.
Pakistan has recorded apparent cycles of relief in terms of various indices of terrorism, essentially when state Forces have backed off and sought disengagement from the extremists. The assault against civilians, particularly minorities, however, continues, and even mounts during these periods, clearly demonstrating the intent and capability of the terrorist groupings. Ham handed operations by state Forces, overwhelmingly depending on area weapons and aerial attacks, have inflicted large fatalities across widespread target areas, but the residual capacities of the targeted groups, after such operations, appear undiminished. Worse, the state-backed process of radicalization and the selective support by state institutions to a number of ‘loyal’ terrorist formations, continues to expand the spaces for domestic and international terrorism in Pakistan. There is, however, no single political entity in Pakistan that has demonstrated the will and the courage to challenge the edicts of majoritarian religious extremists in the country, or to act against all terrorist formations without discriminating between the ‘good Taliban and bad Taliban’.
There is a long, dark tunnel ahead, for Pakistan to traverse, before the possibility of approaching light.
Pakistan - Miners from Darra demand benefits, facilities
A day after the governor approved the first ever mineral policy for Fata, miners from Darra Adam Khel demanded the extension of Employees Old Age Benefit Act (EOBA) and Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance (WWFO) to the region.
While addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, the general secretary of Pakistan Mine Workers Federation Darra chapter, Sar Zameen Afghani, said a large of number of people are employed in Fata’s mining sector but remain deprived of employee benefits and facilities in the absence of EOBA and WWFO.
“The government has failed to take any steps to improve working conditions for miners and prevent their deaths in mining accidents,” said Afghani.
According to Afghani, the number of related deaths has increased because of a lack of implementation of relevant laws. “More than 833 mine workers have lost their lives in the past decade in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Fata,” he said.
Afghani urged the government to conduct special on-job safety trainings for miners to prevent any more tragic deaths. He also asked the government to facilitate miners from tribal areas through the Workers Welfare Board (WWB) and demanded Rs500,000 as compensation for families of deceased workers.
The general secretary expressed concerns over the ineffective implementation of the Mines Act 1923 in the tribal areas and urged relevant authorities to mitigate the sufferings of people working in Fata’s mining sector.
Afghani also demanded the establishment of regional rescue stations in Darra Adam Khel and Orakzai and Mohmand agencies. “The government should provide ambulances to all mining blocks in Fata,” he said.
The federation also sought representation for Fata’s mine workers in the WWB K-P chapter, saying tribal workers are deprived of incentives because they do not have representation on the board.
The Pakistan Mine Workers Federation’s chief organiser for K-P and Fata, Fazal Rabi, and scores of workers were present on the occasion.
Policy approved
Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan approved the first-ever mineral policy for Fata on Sunday.
According to a handout, Governor Mehtab said mineral deposits in Fata will be exploited by effective implementation of this policy and tribal disputes will also be resolved.
Under the policy, the process of leasing mineral deposits to investors will be made more transparent and applications for lease will be disposed of within a specific timeframe.
Moreover, a fund will be established to compensate miners and their families in case of death or injury.
Pakistan - Bilawa Bhuttol will return to Pakistan next month
Pakistan People’s Party leader and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has disclosed that his party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will come back to Pakistan next month.
Khursheed Shah made the above disclosure in a media statement on Saturday.
He said his party opposes ‘horse-trading’ for the upcoming elections of the upper house of Parliament.
Shah said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government have reached an agreement over formation of the proposed judicial commission for probing the allegations of rigging in 2013 general elections.
He said Aitzan Ahsan and himself have had a meeting with Ishaq Dar and that soon Qamar Zaman Kaira would also meet the PTI Chief Imran Khan.
He said the parties should win the senate seats in proportion to their representation in the assemblies.
Balochistan: No Woman No Politics
Adnan Aamir
Empowerment of women is a barometer for development of any society. Over the course of the last few decades, some progress has been made in creating political space for women in Balochistan. However, the composition of cabinet and elections for local bodies indicate a shrinking space for women in the politics of Balochistan.
In October 2013, 15 member cabinet of Balochistan took oath and it did not have a single woman. There is no woman advisor or parliamentary secretary in Balochistan as well. In the last government led by Nawab Aslam Raisani, there were a handful of women ministers. Not to mention, a female deputy speaker during the last phase of that government. Compared to that, the current political setup in Balochistan is a step backwards for political empowerment of women.
Balochistan achieved the distinction of being the first province to conduct local bodies elections. How the government machinery was used to influence the elections and why the process took over 14 months is a different story altogether. Coming back to the point, in local bodies polls not a single woman was elected on general seats. Elections took place for 1,450 positions for offices of chairman and deputy chairman of district councils, municipal corporations, municipal committees and union councils. There was not a single woman among the 1,450 people elected for those offices. Not a single woman was issued a ticket for contesting election on these seats, let alone winning any seat.
The disturbing facts hint at a mindset that doesn’t believe in women empowerment. Two of the ruling parties National Party (NP) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) claim to be progressive parties. In their manifestos, both these parties show their commitment towards empowerment of women. In practice, it is a concept alien to them. The current government of Balochistan, led by a so-called ‘middle class’ chief minister proved to be even worse compared to the last government which was led by a tribal chief, in terms of political empowerment of women.
Shazia Langove, secretary for women affairs Quetta-chapter of NP, rejects the premise that the current government is to be blamed for the exclusion of females from political setup. She claims that “voters in Balochistan have not reached the level of awareness where they would vote for a female. That’s why no tickets were issued to women in local bodies polls.” In an attempt to prove the commitment of her party to women empowerment, Langove said that unlike other political parties, women members of provincial assembly (MPAs) of NP have the freedom to use the development funds at their discretion.
Blaming it on lack of awareness in society, Salma Jafar, a development consultant who works for women empowerment in Balochistan, sees exclusion of women as ridiculous and mind-boggling. “I find this policy grounded in a patriarchal mindset that is discriminatory towards women.”
Jafar urged the women politicians of Balochistan to stand up against the narrow minded male-rulers who have pushed back the small gains made in women empowerment after decades of hard work.
It’s true that Balochistan is a tribal society where women don’t enjoy the same level of freedom as they do in urban metropolitans such as Lahore and Karachi. Tribal cultures of Balochistan notwithstanding, many women have made it to the cabinet several times in the past. Therefore, this rationale which shifts the blame on society is actually misplaced.
The political dynamics of Balochistan are different from other provinces. Here, MPAs are mostly tribal chiefs who join political parties to become ministers. There is a race among MPAs to get a ministry and the total number of ministerial slots is restricted to 15, thanks to the 18th Amendment. In such a situation, ideals such as women empowerment and gender equality become after-thoughts. In order to justify the exclusion of women, male-rulers then fabricate excuses pertaining to religion, culture and society.
There would have been no woman in Balochistan Assembly if there were no reserved seats. The same formula can be applied to ensure a significant participation of women in the cabinet and other positions of power. Constitution should be amended to set one-third quota for women in federal as well as provincial cabinets. Only, this constitutional guarantee can help ensure the representation of women in cabinet, in a misogynistic and male-dominated society.
Women empowerment doesn’t seem to be a cause of concern for many due to all sorts of crises affecting Balochistan at the moment. However, Balochistan and Pakistan for that matter can never develop into true democratic societies without empowering women in politics.
Balochistan: Rich In Natural Resources And Poor In Living Conditions
Imdad Baloch
Balochistan is one of the richest resource states in the South Asia but its inhabitants live in abject poverty. Balochistan has the lowest literacy rate and highest infant mortality rate in all over Pakistan. Despite being a naturally rich province, people of Balochistan suffer due to apathy of Provincial and Federal government.
Over US$1 trillion worth of natural resources have been discovered in Balochistan including, Gold, Copper, Black pearl, Oil, Valuable Stones, Coal, Chromite and Natural Gas. Additionally Balochistan has an Oceanic coastline that stretches along with one of the world’s most important shipping routes i.e. the Straits of Hormuz. Balochistan’s resources could potentially support the population of Balochistan and bring prosperity to the region. Balochistan does not need any foreign aid for its development.
Natural resources of Balochistan have been mercilessly used by the state but no investment was made in socio-economic development of Balochistan. As a result human development index of Balochistan is lowest in all over Pakistan.
The province of Balochistan has trillions worth of Gold and Natural Gas but its people are deprived of employment, quality education and clean drinking water. Humans and Animals use the same water and there are no proper Healthcare facilities.
While the Sui area of Dera Bugti remains plentiful in Natural Gas, it’s shocking to see that none of it benefits the residents of the district. Instead the Gas is exported to other provinces like Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh. But people of Dera Bugti are still cooking their food on open fire and sticks. For 67 years, Pakistan has been benefitting from Balochistan’s natural resources, while people of Balochistan suffer due to indifference of federal government.
Federal government and provincial government should realize their responsibilities and use the natural resources of Balochistan for the social well being of the Baloch people. This is the only way to improve the quality of living of all those who live in Balochistan.
Islamic State poses serious threat to Pakistan: FO
Days after the interior minister denied the presence of Islamic State (IS) in South Asia, particularly Pakistan, the Foreign Office said the militant group poses a threat to the country.
“The government is on alert to the IS threat in the region,” Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in Islamabad at Parliament on Monday.
The foreign secretary further said the government has directed all concerned authorities to ensure that no organisation or individual remain in contact with IS in the country.
The Islamic State, is a militant group that has has set up a self-proclaimed caliphate on large swathes of land in Syria and Iraq.
A bipartisan parliamentary panel discussed the potential threat posed by IS or Daish to Pakistan amid reports that the ruthless militant outfit is seeking a foothold in the country.
However, Chaudhry clarified Pakistan has no desire to become part of the international coalition against IS.
The cabinet meeting presided over by Senator Haji Adeel was called to address the potential threat posed by the IS in Pakistan.
The government has long denied the presence of the militant group in the country.
“As of now, I can say with confidence that the ISIS only exists in the Middle East,” he said. “It absolutely has no presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said while speaking at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington on Thursday.
He said that the terrorist space in South Asia was totally occupied; however, if the issues were not addressed, a grand alliance between different groups could not be ruled out in the future.
Last year as well, the interior minister had quashed speculation about the presence of the militant group.
His statement had come a few days after Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani denied claims of the presence of IS militants on ground in the province.
However, wall chalkings in favour of the militant group have earlier appeared in major cities, including Lahore, Quetta and Karachi.
Earlier, splits within the Taliban, and doubts over whether its elusive leader is even alive, were said to be driving a growing number of militant commanders in Afghanistan and Pakistan towards IS for inspiration.
Security and intelligence sources believed there are no operational links yet between IS and South Asia, and that the region is not a priority for a group that occupies areas of Syria and Iraq and is focused on the Arab world.
Earlier, this year intelligence sources had also claimed security forces arrested a man believed to be the commander of the IS group in the country as well as two accomplices involved in recruiting and sending fighters to Syria.
However, sources revealed that al Salafi was actually arrested sometimes in December last year and it was only disclosed on January 22.
Yousaf al Salafi – allegedly the Pakistan commander of IS – had confessed during investigations that he has been receiving funds through the United States.
Former President Zardari condoled the death of Justice Rana Bhagwandas
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Co-Chairman Pakistan People’s Party former President Asif Ali Zardari has condoled the death of Justice Rana Bhagwandas who passed away on Monday the 23rdFebruary 2015 in a hospital in Karachi.
In a condolence message former President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed profound grief over the death of Justice Rana Bhagwanddas and paid glowing tribute to the late justice. A jurist of impeccable integrity Baghwandas was a noble soul and an inspiring humanist who radiated hope. Leading by personal example he silently illumined the path and served as a role model for many. At a time when excellence seems receding people like Bhagwandas will be sorely missed.
May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace and grant patience to members of bereaved family.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Oscars promise a night of anticipation and suspense
Hollywood’s awards season reaches its apogee on Sunday at the 87th Academy Awards, where “Birdman” and “Boyhood” will battle for best picture and veteran actors are likely to grasp their first golden Oscar statuettes.
The film industry’s biggest night will serve up its share of suspense as three top honors - best picture, best director and best actor - are proving hard to predict, even for the most seasoned experts.
But those nail-biters will come at the tail end of the three-hour ABC telecast from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, where first-time host Neil Patrick Harris will guide a show heavy on humor, magic and music from big artists like Lady Gaga.
In a sign of how the Oscars might be split, the Film Independent Spirit Awards for small-budget movies on Saturday crowned show business satire “Birdman” as best feature and its star Michael Keaton took best male lead. Richard Linklater won best director for his coming-of-age tale “Boyhood,” made over 12 years with the same actors.
“I am proud to belong to this species in extinction,” said “Birdman” director Alejandro G. Inarritu, of the smaller films that are proving hard to make in a Hollywood bent on big film franchises.
While both Linklater and Inarritu have been nominated before for Oscars, they have never won.
Together, “Birdman” and “Boyhood” have made $62 million at the North American box office, compared to $310 million for the most commercially successful of the eight best picture nominees, Iraq war drama “American Sniper” from director Clint Eastwood.
The dearth of blockbuster movies at this year’s Oscars could diminish the number of people who tune in to watch the biggest non-sports televised event in the United States.
Last year with host Ellen DeGeneres and her selfie that broke Twitter, the Oscars pulled in its largest audience in 14 years.
Around 40 percent of Americans plan to tune in to the awards telecast, according to the annual Reuters/Ipsos Oscars poll. Forty-five percent said they most enjoy seeing who wins, followed by 22 percent who like to see their favorite celebrities.
Keaton comeback?
The Oscars are also one of the world’s biggest fashion moments as Hollywood’s leading ladies parade down the red carpet in elaborate gowns and jewels in a fierce competition among top designers and fashion houses.
But the famously fair Los Angeles weather may not make things easy. Oscar organizers ordered that plastic tarps be placed over the arrivals area on Saturday and the forecast Sunday pointed to rain at red carpet time.
The Oscars are determined by 6,100 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a body that has taken its knocks this year for nominating no actors of color in the acting races.
Civil rights groups have called a boycott of the Oscars to protest the lack of diversity and will demonstrate before the ceremony.
But experts believe the Academy, where actors are the largest voting bloc, will ultimately reward performers with long careers with their first Oscars.
Keaton, coming back from a sagging career, could beat best-actor favorite Eddie Redmayne, who has swept up awards for his painstaking portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.”
Julianne Moore should take best actress for her role as a woman with early onset Alzheimer’s in “Still Alice” and Patricia Arquette is favored to win best supporting actress as the struggling single mother in “Boyhood.”
J.K. Simmons, a character actor with a long resume, is set to win the best supporting actor trophy for his monstrous music teacher in “Whiplash.”
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