Sunday, August 27, 2017
#Afghanistan - Watchdog Warns Of Millions Being Lost In Mining Sector
The Natural Resources Monitoring Network (NRMN) criticized government for not reaching its revenue collection target from the mining sector for 2017.
According to the watchdog, the projected income should have been about $1 billion USD but only $15 million USD has so far been earned. The monitoring network said this was extremely low for a country that was potentially so wealthy in terms of minerals. The network said based on the National Development Strategy, the revenue from the mining sector should have been $1 billion USD. The officials accused mines of embezzling money and said bad management was to blame. “For the past three years, mines are being managed very badly – in fact we can say that mines are not being managed,” said Ibrahim Jafari, a member of NRMN.
Meanwhile, the ministry of mines acknowledged that revenue generation had dropped over the past few years. The ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Qadeer Mutfi, said they are reviewing contracts and are working on a strategy for mines and once the strategy has been finalized, measures will be implemented to grow the sector and increase revenue. “Our annual revenue has decreased because big contracts have not been signed and small contracts have been suspended,” said Mutfi. A number of economic affairs analysts meanwhile said the National Unity Government (NUG) has no plans for mine management and that natural resources are being looted.
Pakistan - Ex-PM must stop assailing institutions
NAWAZ Sharif wants to have his cake and eat it too.
He wants to have his party’s government in power and yet behave as if he is in the opposition. He wants to talk about strengthening institutions and democracy while relentlessly attacking the very institutions of democracy. This must stop.
The speech Mr Sharif gave to an audience of lawyers on Friday was unwise and unacceptable. It is clear that the Supreme Court judgement which ousted Mr Sharif from the prime ministership is flawed and controversial.
Mr Sharif is rightly aggrieved and some of the questions he raised on Friday are pertinent to his family’s continuing legal difficulties. A superior court judge monitoring a trial court’s proceedings against a defendant who the superior court has already declared to be unfit to hold public office appears to violate the principles of justice and due process.
Yet, Mr Sharif’s broadsides against the judiciary and dark allusions to threats against the democratic order are counterproductive.
Beyond the venting of personal grievances in public, it is not clear that the former prime minister has a strategy to strengthen the democratic order. A month since his ouster, the most Mr Sharif and his inner circle have been able to suggest is the need for a constitutional amendment to the qualification and disqualification criteria of parliamentarians.
While clarity is needed on the matter, the PML-N’s motives hardly appear to be altruistic. Indeed, the suggestion that a constitutional amendment be applied retrospectively to allow Mr Sharif to once again participate in electoral politics indicates that the PML-N continues to misjudge the national mood and is willing to deepen the political crisis simply to save its own leader.
A person-specific constitutional amendment would be the very antithesis of democracy, as were earlier stipulations barring Mr Sharif and Benazir Bhutto from becoming prime minister again.
There is an obvious path that the PML-N could take that would be democratic and help dispel the air of crisis: a snap election. Dissolve parliament and go to the voter for a fresh mandate with a manifesto outlining the constitutional, legislative and institutional changes that the PML-N intends to bring in order to deepen democracy in the country.
Admittedly, with detailed census results yet to be released and an important electoral reforms package still to become law, a snap election under current rules and with existing constituencies would not be ideal, but at least the vote would be a referendum of sorts on the PML-N and its plans for the democratic order. Another path, one that the Supreme Court itself may want to consider, is to convene the full court for a review of the judgement against Mr Sharif.
While there may be technical objections to such a move, surely the voice of the full court should be heard in the matter. What is clear is that the current situation is unsustainable. Mr Sharif and his PML-N cannot talk like they are in the opposition while running the government and the superior judiciary cannot ignore the genuine legal concerns that have been raised.
Pakistan's Transgender community rejects census figures
As per the provisional summary of the results of the 6th Population and Housing Census released by the PBS, the country’s transgender population stands at 10,418 — 0.005% of the total population of over 207 million.
While talking to The Express Tribune, transgender activists claimed that according to an estimate, there are more than one million transgender persons across Pakistan, adding that 5,000 to 10,000 are living only in the twin cities and surrounding areas.
The activists also expressed reservations over the procedure adopted by the census teams for counting transgender people – an exercise conducted for the first time in the history of Pakistan. Many complained that the census staff did not visit their homes or refuse to count them because they did not have CNICs.
Shilpa Sanam, a trans man also known as Fahimo, claims that 500 to 600 transgender people are living in Bari Imam, Nurpur Shahan, on the outskirts of the capital.
“If the census teams had approached me, I would have let them meet hundreds of transgender people living in this area,” said Sanam who not counted by a census team as transgender because according to the CNIC, he is a male.
“Though I am a transgender, I was counted as a male in the national census,” complained Sanam.
Nighaian Kiyani, a trans woman from Jehlum, said the census team did not visit her home.
“It is a big joke that there are only 10,000 transgender people in Pakistan,” said Kiyani, adding that the census teams must have failed to reach all the places where they lived. Hooram, an intersex person hailing from Hyderabad, also claimed that no census staff visited her house. “The transgender count shared by the PBS contains no data on the number of intersex people in Pakistan,” said Hooram.
Meanwhile, Nadeem Kashish, the founder of the Shemale Association for Fundamental Rights (Safar), said that over 300 trans persons alone were registered with the NGO. Kashish said there were several organisations or gurus, alone taking care of 500 to 600 transgender persons. “How is it then possible that there were only 10,000 transgender across the country!”
“The count shared by the PBS is entirely misleading and inaccurate as the number of transgender persons in Pakistan is increasing with each passing day, “Kashish said, adding that around 11,000 were already registered with NADRA.
Kashish said the government should have approached the transgender community, their gurus and various organisations working for their rights. Kashish also said the census staff was not given any kind of training for verifying or registering the transgender persons. “Whosoever made a claim of being a transgender was counted as so without any verification,” Kashish complained, adding that several transgender persons, who were mentioned as male or female in their CNICs, were not counted as transgender.
Kashish said that before the census, the transgender community and activists had demanded of the government to come up with a proper procedure for counting them, “but our woes were not heard by the government.”
Pakistan - Opposition parties raise question over census results
Opposition parties showed serious concerns over the initial results of the national census and questions the accuracy of the numbers released by the statistics division.
Opposition leader in National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah accused the authorities of releasing details as a mere formality and no one is satisfied was census process. Shah added that statistics department and Army should be compared to get a correct data.
Khursheed further alleged that Sindh population was intentionally shown less at least 10 million and the Punjab population was overestimated to 10 million. By giving 50% representation to Punjab in the Council of Common Interest is the part of the same conspiracy, Shah claimed.
Similarly, former MNA and and senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP Bushra Gohar while sharing her views on the census result on twitter, she said that there were nearly 2 million registered IDPS from North Waziristan alone and now how can Fata population be 5 million and adding that it’s a fabricated result.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, PTI MNA Murad Saeed and Senator Shibli also shown their reservations over the result.
Pakistan - Nawaz, Imran two sides of the same coin: Bilawal
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have failed to come up to the expectations of the masses.
He said Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan were two sides of the same coin.
Addressing a public meeting in Fateh Jang, Bilawal sought cooperation of masses to put the country on the track of development and prosperity. He assured the people that the PPP would leave no stone unturned to come up to their expectations.
The PPP chairman vowed to serve the people without any discrimination. He said the recent public meetings of the PPP were eye openers for the opponents who were saying that the party was limited only to one province. He said the poor man of the country knows that the PPP waged struggle for them. He said love for the PPP was in the blood of the people from Punjab to Bolan.
The PPP chairman said the country is passing through a critical situation. He said the PPP did not bend before any dictator and was never sacred of any terrorist. He said thousands of PPP activists and great leader Benazir Bhutto laid their lives for the country.
Bilawal alleged that the PML-N has buried the National Action Plan (NAP). He said terrorism could not be eradicated only through an army operation. He called upon the nation to come on one page if it wants to win the war against terrorism. He lashed out at the foreign minister, saying that instead of visiting other countries, he was standing at GT Road and asking people why his Quaid was ousted. He said
here was no foreign policy of the PML-N-led government. He said the present government took record loan during its term. “Mian Sahab, you are disqualified and your government has failed,” he added.
here was no foreign policy of the PML-N-led government. He said the present government took record loan during its term. “Mian Sahab, you are disqualified and your government has failed,” he added.
Bilawal also lashed out at the PTI chairman Imran Khan over giving millions of rupees to a madrassa in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said dengue virus was unbridled in the province. He said the PTI chairman was deceiving the masses and telling lies constantly with them about development in the province. He said claims of Imran Khan regarding change are mere deceptions. He said today all segments of society including farmers, labourers and textile sector are depressed.
Central leaders including Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Sardar Saleem Haider and others were present on the occasion.
Pervaiz Ashraf said Bilawal will contest the next general elections. He was optimistic that the PPP would clinch victory with a landslide margin in next elections under the leadership of Bilawal.
Yusuf Raza Gilani said the PPP would be ruling the country in 2018. He said Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan to serve the masses, not to rule over them. He termed acquittal of Asif Ali Zardari by accountability court as victory of truth.
Manzoor Wattoo said the PPP has rendered countless sacrifices for democracy. He said that PPP would continue its mission of serving the masses.
Nadeem Afzal Chan said all efforts were foiled to wipe out the PPP. He alleged that Sharif family established baseless cases against Asif Zardari, adding that now the accountability court has acquitted him. He said the PPP would not become a party of capitalists. He said there was need to provide justice to people at their doorsteps.
Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah said Jiyalas of the PPP are still active and enthusiastic. He said there was no doubt in it that a virus of corruption has entered into politics. He said there was a major difference in the PPP and virus affected parties. He said Mian Sahab asks what was his sin despite doing massive corruption.
“Mian Sahab, you should seek reply of your answer from 220 million people, not us,” he added.
He said the PPP was not waging war for rule.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said residents of Fateh Jang have responded to those who were saying that the PPP was finished. He said Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq and others perished but the PPP is still alive.
Pakistan - Bilawal promises employment opportunities at Fateh Jang rally
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, addressing a rally in Fateh Jang, promised employment opportunities for the people of the area and said the party has worked for the well-being of farmers.
"PPP is notorious for opening the door of employment for the people," Bilawal said.
He added that once the PPP comes into power, the party will ensure more employment opportunities for the people as "it is their basic right".
Addressing his second rally in Punjab after Chiniot, the PPP chairperson said he is visiting different cities of the country and has also visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mansehra, Chitral and Kaghan.
Criticizing PTI chairman Imran Khan, Bilawal said people are dying of the dengue virus in Peshawar while the PTI chief was busy addressing a rally in Sukkur.
"Imran Khan you fear terrorists, are you also scared of mosquitoes?" Bilawal questioned.
Shifting his criticism towards the ruling PML-N, the PPP chairman said the government had not appointed a foreign minister for years and now when one has been appointed, the minister is not working to better Pakistan’s international relation.
Senior leaders of the PPP were also present at the rally ground with Bilawal.
While addressing the crowd earlier, Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah said the rally was proof of PPP’s existence in Punjab.
“It is said there is a virus of corruption in politics these days,” he said. “There is no doubt about it.”
Shah said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif questions what his crime was which led to his disqualification.
“Nawaz Sharif should ask the public not us about where he went wrong.”
PPP leader Manzoor Wattoo said none can compete with PPP's leadership.
“Our leadership has made sacrifices for the sake of democracy,” he said.
“We will stand [to contest elections] in Punjab under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto," said the PPP leader.
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, while speaking in regards to the accountability court’s decision, said those spreading propaganda have gone into hiding as former president Asif Ali Zardari has been acquitted of all corruption charges.
“Once again PPP has succeeded,” Kaira maintained. “Those hurling allegations against Zardari have been defeated.”
He added the former president faced consequences for crimes he never committed. “But now Zardari will play his political role.”
According to local leaders of the party, at least 20,000 chairs were set up at the site, while flocks of activists and party workers reached Fateh Jang from different parts of the country.
To ensure security of rally participants and workers, walk-through gates had been installed at the entrance of the venue and a large number of police personnel were deployed.
U.S. security aid to Pakistan ‘will be conditioned’: White House official
The official was responding to a series of question on the statements coming out of Pakistan, which are generally in strong opposition to the Trump’s South Asia strategy.
America’s security aid to Pakistan “will be conditioned” on the steps Islamabad takes against terrorist groups such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network, a senior Trump administration official has said.
“There have been long standing relationships between the Pakistani intelligence officials and these terrorist groups.
So, we don’t expect things to change overnight. We expect incremental changes over time,” the official told PTI.
His comments came days after US President Donald Trump hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to “agents of chaos” that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has “much to lose” by harbouring terrorists.
“We will be able to see when these changes start to happen. They [might] not become immediately apparent to the public, but we’re confident that when Pakistan takes the steps we’re asking it to do, we’ll know it and we’ll be able to assess. And so, our security aid will be conditioned on the steps that we expect them to take against, in particular, the Taliban-Haqqani Network,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The United States, the official said, is monitoring the situation carefully in Pakistan and expects some progress.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to give exact timelines that we’re dealing in. But, certainly there is an expectation that we’ll start to see some changes in the very near future,” the official said when asked if the Trump administration has set a time line for progress in action being taken by Pakistan against the terrorist groups.
The official was responding to a series of question on the statements coming out of Pakistan, which are generally in strong opposition to the Trump’s South Asia strategy.
“How do you see Pakistan’s reaction? Do you think that they would be, given these kind of reactions that’s coming up in public domain, think they will be cooperating this time with you on counter—terrorism issues?” the official was asked.
“I think the President was very clear that we are going to take a different approach to that stand. There’s a lot of frustration (in the US) with the continued safe havens in Pakistan. But we believe there is hope for greater cooperation from Pakistan on these issues. It’s Pakistan’s choice.
Pakistan has much to benefit from by cooperating with the US and cracking down on some of these groups,” the official said.
And Pakistan has much to lose if it fails to do so, the official warned.
“We’re not going to talk about the precise steps that the US is considering with regard to its relationship with Pakistan. We’ll reserve that for our private discussions on Pakistan. We’ll just simply say that it’s extremely important to this administration that Pakistan take tangible steps against the groups that continue to support attacks against US service members and US officials in Afghanistan,” the official said, adding that the US will be working very closely with Pakistani officials to achieve that objective.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif is soon expected to visit the US and meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Ahead of the US visit, Asif is scheduled to travel to China, Russia and Turkey to hold meetings with their leaders on the Trump’s South Asia policy.
“We think that Pakistan will see that it’s in its own interest to cooperate with the US. And that, when they’re thinking about their core security interests in Afghanistan, they will assess that they can better achieve those objectives by being in a cooperative relationship with the US, rather than a contentious relationship. These are the kinds of conversations that we’re having with Pakistan,” the official added.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-security-aid-to-pak-will-be-conditioned-white-house-official/article19570016.ece
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Pakistan - Lawyers’ hooliganism should be condemned
By Hassaan Khan Niazi
Lawyers ought to be the fighters for justice, and the upholders of the rule of law. Instead we have become a symbol of fear.
The Masjid gate of Lahore High Court was closed, so I had to walk to the back gate in order to reach the principal seat of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The aftermath of the chaos by the black coated hooligans, had completely upset the ambiance of intellect and grace. The steel shutter (nearly 15x20 feet), which had been put up to block the alley way leading to Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s court, lied broken on the ground. Stones littered the floor which titans like Jinnah, Amir Raza Khan, and Abid Hassan Minto had used to walk towards the courts to pursue justice.
For all lawyers, who have a passion for the profession; practice is life and the courts are our homes. The lawyers, and those pretending to be lawyers, had attacked their own home in order to safeguard their ever-changing integrity and ever inflated egos. The Multani hoodlum, Sher Zaman, did not have the courage to appear before the court Larger Bench himself, so he chose to send a few cronies from Multan to ‘fight’ on his behalf.
I started looking for this group that had attack our home. When I finally encountered the group of lawyers who were responsible for such disrespect of the High Court, standing outside the judges’ gate on main Mall Road, I was surprised to see their stubbornness. Some were throwing stones and brick over the judges’ gate, knowing it would bear them no fruit. Some were shouting abusive and degrading slogans regarding the honourable Chief Justice.
Gone are the days when influence and force could be used to escape the law. Now even the Prime Minister is held accountable under the law. Mr Sher Zaman should know that he cannot take the law into his own hands while hiding behind the black coat What is almost unforgivable is the absence of some of the senior and most influential names. These influential lawyers are those who lead the political fronts of the only two groups of lawyers, politically. For the dignity of the bench to be rescued, it is imperative for big names such as Hamid Khan Advocate to intervene. The lawyers who took law into their own hands reportedly belong to the Hamid Khan group, and as such, are besmirching the reputation and the integrity of Mr Khan. Therefore, it is important for him to disown such elements if he is to maintain his integrity.
Mr Rasheed A Rizvi, who is President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has also been curiously silent and absent from the mainstream. It’s time for the respected lawyers like Mr Rizvi and Mr Khan to break the silence and condemn the hooliganism which the entire country witnessed.
There is no justification for the actions of Sher Zaman. He does not only deserve to be put behind bars, but his license should also be cancelled permanently. The profession is better off without the likes of him. Gone are the days when influence and force could be used to escape the law. Now even the Prime Minister is held accountable under the law. Mr Sher Zaman should know that he cannot take the law into his own hands while hiding behind the black coat. Also appalling were the false allegations of corruption raised against the Chief Justice in order to malign his character and credibility as an honest member of the bench. Those who tried to defame him should be asked that was the honourable Chief Justice not corrupt before he took the contempt notice. Lawyers ought to be the fighters for justice, and the upholders of the rule of law. Instead we have become a symbol of fear. Lawyers have always been looked upon to correct the wrongs in a society, help the weak, protect the innocent, and respect the law.
All these lawyers who wreaked havoc in the High Court, should have been using pens to fight their battles, but sadly, they decided to pick up stones. They were supposed to pick up books rather than batons. They were supposed to raise their voices on the rostrum, rather they raised their voices to shout slogans, hurl abuses, and spew venom at the bench. Instead of trying to win against the Bench, the Bar should rather help the Bench win. Otherwise, history will not forget who stood on which side when Sher Zaman and his cronies attacked our home — the court.
PAKISTAN’S POPULATION TOPS 207 MILLION IN CENSUS
By Asif Hassan
EARLY RESULTS SHOW AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF 2.4 PERCENT FROM 1998 TO 2017
Pakistan’s population has surged by more than half to 207 million, according to provisional results of the country’s first census in almost two decades released by the statistics board on Friday.
Once confirmed in the final report, Pakistan could be set to overtake Brazil as the world’s fifth most populous country, according to statistics on the U.S. Census Bureau website.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi praised the work of census officials and called for “early completion” of the final figures, a statement from his office said. No date has yet been announced for the release. Abbasi also lauded the victims of several attacks targeting census officials, including a bomb blast in Lahore in April that killed at least seven people.
Pakistan had not held a census for nearly two decades due to years of bickering by politicians concerned it could redraw the political map, raising fears over power bases and federal funding. The provisional results published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed an average annual growth of 2.4 percent since 1998, when the total population was put at 132.35 million.
The updated figure—an increase of around 57 percent since 1998—is higher than the estimate of 200 million that had been in wide use.
Central Punjab province remained far and away the most populated, home to more than 110 million people or more than half the country—but it also showed the slowest average annual growth rate, at 2.13 percent. The areas with the fastest growth rates were Balochistan province, with a population of more than 12 million and an average growth rate since 1998 of 3.37 percent, and the Islamabad Capital Territory, whose population passed two million with an average growth rate of 4.91 percent.
The results from the count, which began in March, are also set to help give a clearer picture about religious minority numbers in the Muslim-majority country.
The weeks-long process, a challenge in a country known for corruption and dysfunction, deployed a team of more than 300,000 people and involved 55 million forms. The results will be the basis for revising political boundaries, parliamentary seat allocations and finances ahead of national elections, due to be held by the end of 2018.
Powerful Punjab province, for example, could see its political grip weaken as a result of its population not rising at a similar rate to other provinces.
http://newsweekpakistan.com/pakistans-population-tops-207-million-in-census/
#Pakistan - New tidings For AfPak
By Afrasiab Khattak
The new US Afghan policy declared in a speech by President Donald Trump on August 22 is impressive for its clarity, comprehensiveness and nuance.
US seems to have learnt from its past mistakes and the deep, rigorous and long process of consultation involving all stakeholders in the US state system must have also contributed in producing a substantial policy. Surge in US troops will be quite modest but unlike the past there is no date for withdrawal given in advance. Decision about withdrawal in the future will be taken on the need basis keeping in view reality on the ground. In the past even a huge military surge was ineffective because Taliban knew the date of withdrawal of international forces in advance so they could adopt the simple strategy of waiting them out.
In that situation US had the watch and Taliban had the time. Now the tables have turned.
The focus of the fresh US support program is to equip, train and advise the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) rather than replacethem in fighting. ANSF has turned out to be an effective fighting force during the last four years, after taking over the country’s defense from international forces. There were certain deficiencies in equipment and training.
The additional equipment and training (particularly the air cover) will boost its strength and morale. Under the new policy US military commanders will have greater power to make decisions on ground in Afghanistan which will enable them to take quick decisions, and time is of the essence in this war like every other war. But the most important aspect of the policy is the focus on counter-terrorism. That has been the most significant purpose of the presence of international troops in Afghanistan but it wasn’t given its due priority.
Nation building in Afghanistan isn’t the business of foreigners.
It is for Afghan themselves to work on the project of nation building and state building. The new US policy makes a strong commitment to support Afghanistan but it also makes it clear that the Afghan government shouldn’t take it as a blank cheque. The National Unity Government (NUG) has to put its act together in terms of implementing reforms, rooting out corruption and achieving legitimacy by gaining people’s confidence. Interestingly the new US policy, along with expressing commitment for support of NUG, also leaves the door open for negotiations for a political solution which adds to the strength of the policy.
President Trump’s new Afghan policy mentions Indian contributions in stabilising Afghanistan in terms of economic development. It carefully avoids any military role for India and again the new policy is building on something that is already there. India has already invested billions of dollars in building roads, dams, bridges and other infrastructure in Afghanistan. Coming to the aspect of the new US Afghan policy dealing with Pakistan one can say that it’s the least surprising. Pakistan’s consistent campaign for imposing Taliban’s rule on Afghanistan has been attracting the criticism of different US leaders after September 11.
By redefining his Afghan policy as AfPak policy President Obama had made it clear that he regarded Pakistan as part of the problem. He had also threatened Pakistan with international isolation if it kept providing sanctuaries to Afghan insurgents. Due to long association and collaboration of the past (coming from working together in SEATO, CENTO and Afghan War) the US security establishment has taken a long time to put the Pakistani security establishment on warning for its support for Taliban and other organisations alleged to be involved in terrorism. But it had to come one day and it’s still a warning so far. It may be a historic opportunity for Pakistan to get rid of a flawed Afghan policy that has acquired malignant proportions over the time. Even otherwise, this is a potentially suicidal policy for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Afghan policy is the product of a militaristic and hegemonic design based on the jihadist project of the 1980s and it hasn’t changed in any tangible way despite tall claims to the contrary. It aims at imposing a puppet government on Afghanistan by defeating the Afghan state and its international allies. Many political parties in Pakistan have been criticising this policy. It has neither been approved by the Parliament nor supported by any elected political government. Pashtuns in Pakistan are particularly opposed to it because it puts them in the eye of the terrorist storm. Pakistan’s Afghan policy has been the monopoly of the country’s security establishment and at times the civilian government would be sent packing for opposing it. Taliban’s brutality was unleashed on every entity that clearly opposed it. The policy of supporting good Taliban (that includes Afghan Taliban and elements fighting against India) has perpetuated terrorist problem in Pakistan despite valiant sacrifices by the people of the country and members of the security forces. Pakistan has remained a war theater for almost the last four decades. It’s only natural that the generals and not the civilians would call the shorts in a war theater. So it isn’t surprising to see that support for jihadist project and threat to democracy emanate from the same source. Again it’s the same mindset that is attacking democratic republics (however flawed they may be) in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan has already missed many opportunities to review this bankrupt Afghan policy during the last so many years. It has renounced the policy of so called strategic depth only in statements but in practice there hasn’t been an iota of change. Pakistan has not been able to avail the opportunity of having access to Central Asian markets because Talibanisation of Afghanistan has remained a higher priority than developing regional connectivity and trade. The approval of the National Action Plan in December 2014 was another big opportunity for wrapping up the Taliban project and we were given to understand at the highest level that there will be a shift. But it never came, despite the fact that Pakistan has every possibility of achieving its legitimate national interest in Afghanistan through political and diplomatic means. No other two countries in the world have the type of commonalities that exist between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This potential can be taped only if Pakistan learns to befriend Afghanistan instead of doting on the Taliban.
Political will to implement the policy is equally crucial. Similarly China, Iran, Russia and Central Asian states aren’t mentioned. They are important players and their inclusion is a must for any sustainable solution to the conflict around Afghanistan. China and Russia are genuinely worried at the presence of the so called IS in the region along with other violent extremists that threatens their vision of regional development.
The recent collaboration between Taliban and IS in massacring Shia Hazaras in northern Afghanistan crystalises the nature of the threat. One hopes countries of the region and beyond will cooperate to eliminate this common enemy instead of playing double games.
ہمیں سازش کے تحت محدود کرنے کی کوشش کی گئی،بلاول - #AttockBhuttoKa
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا کہنا ہے کہ ہمیں ایک سازش کے تحت محدود کرنے کی کوشش کی گئی، ہم نے ہمیشہ غربت ختم کرےکے لیے کام کیا۔
چیئرمین پیپلزپارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے فتح جنگ میں پی پی کے جلسے سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے مزید کہا کہ جو لوگ کہتے ہیں کہ پیپلزپارٹی ایک صوبے تک محدود ہوگئی ہے، وہ ہمارےجلسے دیکھ لیں، پیپلزپارٹی آج بھی عوام میں رچی بسی ہے جس طرح ذوالفقاربھٹو اور بینظیر بھٹو کے دور میں تھی۔
انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ چنیوٹ کے بعد پنجاب میں یہ میرا دوسرا جلسہ ہے، چترال اور مانسہرہ، کاغان میں بھی جلسے کیے اور عوام کا جوش و جذبہ دیکھا، لوگوں سے کہتاہوں کہ وادی مہران سے پنجاب تک پیپلز پارٹی آج بھی عوام میں مقبول ہے، پیپلزپارٹی چاروں صوبوں کی زنجیر ہے۔
بلاول کا کہنا ہے کہ ملک کے کسانوں، مزدوروں نے ہمیشہ ہمارا ساتھ دیاہے، ملک کا غریب جانتاہےکہ ہم نے ہمیشہ ان کی غربت ختم کرنے کے لیے کام کیا، کسان جانتا ہے ہم نے ان کی خوشحالی کے لیے کام کیا، نوجوان جانتا ہے کہ ہم نے ہمیشہ اس کو روز گار دیا ہے، خواتین جانتی ہیں کہ ہمیشہ ہم نے انہیں عزت کا مقام دیاہے، پنجاب سے بولان تک بھی پیپلزپارٹی عوام میں رچی بسی ہے۔
ان کا کہنا ہے کہ ہم نے عوام ، غریبوں کی سیاست نہیں چھوڑی،کبھی کسی آمر کے سامنے نہیں جھکے اور کبھی کسی دہشت گرد سے نہیں ڈرے، ہمارا ملک ایک نازک صورتحال سے گزر رہاہے،امریکا کے صدر نے بھی ایک طرح کی دھمکی دی ہے،ملک خود دہشت گردی کی آگ میں جل رہاہے، دہشت گردی کےخلاف لڑرہاہے، سیاسی جماعتیں اور عوام دہشت گردی کا شکار ہوئے، ہم پر دہشتگردوں کو پناہ دینے کا الزام لگ رہاہے، یہی الزام پہلے بھی لگایاجاتاتھامگر اب تو دھمکی بھی آگئی ہے، لگتاہے پاکستان سفارتی طور پر تنہا ہوگیاہے،ہم قربانیاں دے رہے ہیں، اس کے باوجود ہم پر الزام لگایاجارہا ہے۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا کہنا ہے کہ یہ الزام لگاتے ہیں کہ ہم دہشت گردوں کو پناہ دے رہے ہیں، ملک کی ایک خارجہ پالیسی ہوتی ہے، مگر مسلم لیگ ن کی کوئی خارجہ پالیسی نہیں ہے،میں پچھلے دو سال سے کہہ رہاہوں، انہوں نے نیشنل ایکشن پلان کو ختم کردیاہے، آپ کودنیا کے ساتھ چلنا پڑتاہے اور اپنا مؤقف بتانا پڑتاہے، نیشنل ایکشن پلان پر مکمل طور پر عمل نہیں کیا جا رہا ہے، صرف آپریشنز سے دہشت گردی ختم نہیں ہوسکتی، دہشت گردی کےخلاف جنگ جیتنے کے لیے پوری قوم کو ایک کرنا ہوگا، یہ نہیں ہوگا کہ کالعدم تنظیمیں نام بدل کر سیاست میں آجائیں ،صرف فوجی آپریشن سے دہشت گردی ختم نہیں ہوتی۔
انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ دنیا دیکھ رہی ہے کہ آپ کیا کررہےہیں، آپ عوام کو دھوکا دیتے ہواور جھوٹ بولتے ہو، دہشت گردی اور انتہاپسندی کے خلاف ایک ہونا ہوگااور ایک بیانیہ دینا ہوگا، ملک اس وقت نازک صورتحال سے گزر رہاہے، بیرونی اور اندرونی چیلنجز کا سامناہے، سیاسی جماعتیں چیلنجز کو نہیں دیکھ رہیں صرف کرسی کودیکھ رہی ہیں، سیاسی جماعتیں صرف گالی کی سیاست کررہی ہیں۔
بلاول نے کہا کہ میاں صاحب میں نہ تو اہلیت ہے اور نہ صلاحیت کہ وہ ملک کے مسائل حل کرسکیں،یہ دائیں بازوں کی سیاست کرتے ہیں، غریب ، کسان ، مزدور ان کے ایجنڈے میں نہیں، میاں صاحب!آپ نااہل اور آپ کی حکومت ناکام ہے، ان کا اگر کوئی ایجنڈا ہے تو بس اقتدار حاصل کرنا اور اقتدار میں ہی رہنا۔
چیئرمین پی پی پی کہتے ہیں کہ دنیا کو اپنا بیانیہ بتانا پڑتا ہے، وزیرخارجہ کوچاہیے تھا کہ پاکستان کا بیانیہ دنیا کوبتاتے، وزیرخارجہ خارجہ پالیسی کی بجائے جی ٹی روڈ پرکہتے ہیں کہ ان کے قائد کوکیوں نکالا گیا،اچھی یا بری ہرملک کی خارجہ پالیسی ہوتی ہے، ن لیگ کی کوئی خارجہ پالیسی نہیں۔
بلاول نے عمران خان کی جانب اپنی تنقید کا رخ کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ خیبرپختونخوا کی حالت دیکھ کر آیاہوں، ان کی تبدیلی کے سب دعوے جھوٹ ہیں، خان صاحب آپ دہشت گردوں سے توڈرتے ہو، کیا مچھرسے بھی ڈرتے ہو، جب خیبرپختونخوا کو خان صاحب کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے تو خان صاحب پہاڑ پر چلے جاتے ہیں، خان صاحب کو کیا کہوں، ان کی تبدیلی کے دعوے جھوٹ ہیں، خان صاحب سندھ میں کن لوگوں کے ساتھ مل کر تبدیلی لانا چاہتے ہیں۔
ان کا مزید کہنا ہے کہ گھوٹکی کا پیر ہے جو زبردستی نکاح کراتا ہے، اقلیتوں کا دشمن ہے، وہ خان صاحب کے ساتھ ہے، دوسرا شخص دادو سے تعلق رکھنے والا سابق وزیراعلیٰ خان صاحب کے ساتھ ہے، یہ وہ واحد وزیراعلیٰ ہے جس کو کرپشن پر ہٹایا گیا، ن لیگ اورپی ٹی آئی کا کوئی منشور نہیں، دائیں بازو کی سیاست کرتے ہیں، پشاور میں ڈینگی سے لوگ مر رہے ہیں، خان صاحب سکھرمیں تقریرکرنے آتے ہیں،میاں صاحب اور خان صاحب ایک ہی سکے کے دو رخ ہیں، خان صاحب کے لیے کیا کہوں، خیبرپختونخوا میں جھوٹ جھوٹ اور بس جھوٹ ہے۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ ٹیکسٹائل انڈسٹری بند ہورہی ہے، کسان رو رہا ہے، ملک میں نہ بجلی ہے نہ گیس، کس ترقی کی بات کررہے ہیں، پیپلزپارٹی کا جھنڈا اب میں نےاٹھالیاہے، پورے پاکستان اور نوجوانوں سے مخاطب ہوں کہ پریشان نہ ہوں، یہ دونوں جماعتیں اقتدار کی جنگ لڑ رہے ہیں، میں عوام کی حمایت اورطاقت پریقین رکھتا ہوں،خان صاحب کے تبدیلی کے دعوے صرف جھوٹ ہیں۔
انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پیپلزپارٹی پرالزام لگتا ہے کہ اقتدارمیں سرکاری اداروں میں نوکریوں کے دروازے کھول دیتی ہے، لوگوں کونوکریاں دینا جرم ہے توہاں میں یہ جرم کرتا رہوں گا،اعلان کرتاہوں اقتدارمیں آیا توسرکاری اداروں میں نوکریوں کےدروازے کھول دوں گا۔
بلاول کا یہ بھی کہنا ہے کہ میاں صاحب آپ کی حکومت ناکام ہے،پیپلزپارٹی عوام کے ساتھ ہے جودہشت گردوں کو للکارتی ہے، اللہ، رسول اور عوام کو گواہ بنا کر کہتا ہوں کہ اپنےمشن کی تکمیل کروں گا، ریاست سب کو ایک آنکھ سے دیکھتی ہے، سلالہ چیک پوسٹ پر حملے کے بعدہم نےنیٹو سپلائی بند کی، امریکا کو اس واقعے پر معافی مانگنا پڑی تھی۔
https://jang.com.pk/latest/367221-efforts-were-made-to-limit-us-by-conspiracy-bilawal
Court gives clean chit to Zardari in corruption case
An accountability court acquitted former president Asif Ali Zardari in a reference pertaining to his assets on Saturday.
Justice Khalid Mehmood Ranjha, of accountability court no 1, accepted the documents requesting acquittal of the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson.
The reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has no legal standing, stated the court order.
After the verdict, Zardari’s lawyer Farooq Hamid Naek, while speaking to Geo News, explained that the reference against his client was filed in 1998 under sections of Accountability Act 1997.
He added said that the reference alleged that Zardari had created illegal assets.
Naek further said the reference against the former president was filed by former NAB chairman Saif-ur-Rehman on Nawaz Sharif’s request and added that the accountability body failed to provide any evidence in the case.
“NAB’s investigating officer accepted that Asif Ali Zardari had no share in the sugar mills,” Zardari’s legal counsel said.
Naek added Zardari has been acquitted in eight corruption references. Six cases were filed during Nawaz's tenure while two were filed during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure.
After the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was passed, all references against Zardari had ceased to exist. Once the NRO was revoked, Zardari had immunity as the president of Pakistan.
Another trial then commenced against Zardari when his presidential immunity ended.
Friday, August 25, 2017
132 million in 1998, Pakistan’s population now reaches 207.7 million: census report
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has presented a provisional census report showing the country’s current population at 207.7 million against 132 million that was estimated in the last census in 1998.
The census report was presented during the Council of Common Interest meeting today.
The statistics show that the population of the country is at 2.7% annual growth rate over a period of 1998-2017.
Province wise breakdown shows that Punjab leads in terms of populace with 110 million, Sindh 47.8 million, Khyber Pakhtonkhwa 30.5 million, Balochistan 12.3 million, Fata 2.4 million and Islamabad Capital Territory 2 million.
Below is the further breakdown in terms of gender, sex ration and increase in average annual growth from 1998 to 2017.
The first census in the country was conducted in 1951, followed by second in 1961, third in 1972, instead of 1971 due to political turmoil, and the fourth in 1981.
The fifth census, which was due in 1991, was held in March 1998. The army assisted the authorities in conducting the last census 19 years ago.
Fast-growing Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, had not held a census since 1998 due to years of bickering between politicians.
The count could redraw the political map as the country gears up for a national election next year — a prospect that has raised fears over power bases and federal funding.
At the time census was launched, it was stated that the people who will provide wrong information to the enumerators will face six-month jail term and Rs. 50,000 fine over the breach of the census rules.
Each enumerator was given the map of his or her area for the census. The houses having more than one family were counted on the basis of separate kitchens.
https://arynews.tv/en/pakistan-population-reaches-207-7-million-census/
Pakistan - Nawaz wishes to form 'greater Punjab
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Friday alleged that former PM Nawaz Sharif wishes to form "greater Punjab", which he explained as merger with Indian part of the region and do business with them.
In his interview to a private TV channel, the former president claimed that Nawaz-league never had the public mandate; they were always brought into power. "Same was the case in 2013," he added.
He said the former premier has over Rs10 billion worth business portfolio in Pakistan. When inquired, the PP co-chairman said it was the Federal Investigation Agency's duty to trace out Sharif's assets, not his.
Acknowledging Sharif as his political rival, Zardari denied he had a soft corner for him. "The companies Sharif is speaking of are public limited companies and their directors are some other people."
Criticising the disqualified prime minister, he said there is difference in running the country and business.
Hitting out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the PPP co-chairman said that PTI's politics is limited to central Punjab and it does not have any existence in Sindh or Balochistan.
"PTI will lose its turf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he said referring to the next elections, however, added that in central Punjab all the three parties will have a tough contest.
Zardari went on to say that Bilawal and Aseefa are the future of People's Party, not him.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/155276-nawaz-wishes-to-form-greater-punjab-alleges-zardari
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