A Spicy-Script on Spy-Agency

The Times of India has published a ‘spicy script’ like the screen play of Indian movies. Story revolves around the ‘all time one villain’, who always has to be blamed for every ruckus in India, the one and only “ISI”. The starting of script tells about the making of ISI plan to behead Indian soldier, the intermission of the story puts light on the development and occurrence of ISI plan to behead Indian soldier and the story ends when ISI succeeded in its mission to behead Indian soldier. “This is all, ISI behind all”.

The story headlines “ISI gave Rs 5 lakh to man who beheaded Indian soldier”. It is an interesting piece indeed which tells that “the terrorist who beheaded Indian soldier Lance Naik Hemraj Singh on January 8 was rewarded with 5 lakh by Pakistani spy agency ISI, which executed the attack on Indian troops with the assistance of terrorists”. Is it making sense to readers that a spy agency is making a full-fledged plan and hiring terrorists to shoot a soldier on Line of Control (LoC)? Pakistan blamed Indian military for killing its soldier which makes sense because a military is trained to defend its border against any hostile act, and they know more well how to shoot the enemy’s soldier. Pakistan Army is the seventh largest Army in the world in terms of active troops so wasn’t it capable to shoot a soldier? Why ISI didn’t hire a military person, wouldn’t it be easier to hit the target?

According to MI report, the beheading was done by one Anwar Khan, a local guide who runs a shop in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a man who was also involved in the beheading of an Indian Army captain in 1996 in the same Mendhar area. India knew each and every detail of this person and still that person is surviving till now since 1996, moreover it questions the Indian intelligence that how this person succeeded in conducting a second activity.

The report has mentioned the names of all ISI officers who were part of this operation; it reveals the name of the board which was working on the mission, it tells the number of the people who were involved in the mission, the meeting points of ISI members and terrorists has been clearly cited in this report, even the amount is stated that who received how much and for what activity. In short the report is written in a way as if the ISI itself has provided the photo-state copy of plan. Indian intelligence must be declared competent to know the entire plan but off course not competent enough to exterminate the plan.

It is true that liberal India has got the liberty to publish anything but the words should make sense to the world. In recent UN Security Council session, presided by Pakistan, the world did not buy the Indian story of ‘Pakistani soldiers beheading Indian soldiers’. Indian writers Karan Thapar, Jyoti Malhotra and Arundhati Roy have also questioned Indian moves.  The blame game should be stopped, world don’t buy words blindly. The ‘peace loving’ India should restrain from destroying peace.

India’s unilateral Sir Creek Adventure

Is Pakistan going to face a Siachen-like situation in Sir Creek? The Hindustan Times report last month was highly alarming. According to it, India is going erect a floating fence anchored by submerged metallic mashes along the Sir Creek border area with Pakistan. That too, India is not realizing that it cannot do any kind of activity on its own because the 96km long border area is disputed between Pakistan and India. Unless it is resolved, amicably or otherwise, both the countries should, under the 1914 Bombay Resolution, not take any kind of unilateral step and resolve the issue within the same parameters. According to a report published in The Hindustan Times last month, Narindra Modi of India had announced to initiate two major projects, while erecting a floating “gabion box” fence; the work on which is reportedly going to start with two construction companies given the contract by Indian government i.e. National Buildings Construction Cooperation (NBCC) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Pakistan Army has recently reprioritized the internal threat as the number one threat to Pakistan’s security. Before that India was the number one threat, thanks to the increasingly “normalizing relations with the all-time adversary. Under such circumstances no sinister move from Indian side should have been expected. But such a unilateral decision reminds us to believe that “an enemy is always an enemy.” If one differentiates between a dispute and an issue, I would categorize Kashmir as a dispute and Sir Creek as one of the issues between Pakistan and India. Of all the issues Sir Creek has been the simplest issue that could been resolved only as a confidence building measure. Benazir and Musharraf governments were reportedly close to resolving the Siachen and Sir Creek issues, but probably the Indian intransigence did not give a way.

It is not too late. The Sir Creek issue has to be resolved mutually as well as amicably so that the process of bringing two peoples closer is not stopped and the common threat to this region i.e. terrorism, is countered and defeated with full force. Both the countries submitted their claims to the UN for increasing the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) area through claiming Continental Shelf in 2009. These claims cannot be approved unless both countries are able to resolve sea boundaries issues with each other. If not resolved, the two countries will again come to collision course, with which the populace on both sides would badly suffer. And if EEZ is not approved, it would affect the economic activity, peace and stability – a dream that the leadership on both sides wishes to come true. The international community should also facilitate Pakistan-India talks to amicably resolve the maritime boundary issue as early as possible, before it triggers to becoming counterproductive.

Marya Mufty, Kinnaird College, Lahore

Natural and Regional Resolution for Afghan Quandary

The land of massive resources with a history of the most crucial wars is once again looking forward for its fate. The disastrous decade of bloody war is a well prove for the instability of Afghanistan. The only option is to give the right to Afghan local to decide their own fate while playing the facilitating role by the regional powers and international community.

For that reason, in order to find a podium to success for Afghanistan mess two possible options can be deemed up in the brackets of “Natural Resolution” and “Regional Resolution”. Therefore, the said pathway could be met only by engaging diverse Afghanistan’s Internal Groups (AIG) i.e., Afghan ethnic, tribal, religious and geographical groups under one umbrella. In order to congregate the two resolutions by endeavouring the equivalent ambition for Natural Resolution and Regional Resolution could be that Natural Resolution press on by “Afghan Owned Process” (AOP) and the RegionalResolution is by “Consensus of Regional Actors” (CRA). However, the Afghan Own Peace Process is solely depended on Consensus of Regional Actors. For that purpose, ethnic bridge amongst AIG needs to build up. In case of conflict of interests among stakeholders dialogues, conferences and meetings could be the liberal alternative or needed solution for the hour.

By the assurance of regional actors, CRA could be proved itself as a vital factor for building Afghan peace which pays way for getting an ultimate result to facilitate grounds for structuring a road map that would build an ethnic bridge among the AIG. Consequently, by the help of successful Afghan ethnic bridge, dissuade regional actors could be avoided and a futuristic stable Afghanistan would be affirmed by taking proactive actions. Thus, this hope could be visualized that Afghans would be able to reach at a long lasting solution for peace, development and progress of their country.

Since it is established facts that till the lost boot of US-led Western forces remain at the soil of Afghanistan, there would be no peace in Afghanistan and the region would be remain in disturbance. In this regard, Afghanistan issue has raised a question of perception predicament towards the US-led Western forces presence in Afghanistan as its practical depiction can be observed globally. Concurring to the fact, the “Perception” plays an imperative role in determining relations among international performers: there are two prevailing perceptions around the globe about the on-going US-led Western forces operations in Afghanistan. Firstly, according to the US-led Western perception about their forces is that these forces have been deployed for the safe guard of world for hunting the global terrorist and to get ride of the Afghan nation from the al-Qaeda terrorist networks and its like-minded flocks. Secondly, the other perception is in the view of Afghan and the regional local aspirations that these US-led Western forces are illegally occupied forces that have captured their Afghan land and violated its sovereignty. The only way to replace this miss-perception into omen is “Regional Peace-Keeping Forces (RPKF)”.

 For getting rid-off that images two recommended strategies could be implemented in order to fill the gaps created by NATO untrained ANF. Even though by 2014 an expected security gap could be seen, nevertheless, it can be replaced by two Peace Keeping Forces i.e., SCO Peace Keeping Forces and UNO Peace Keeping Forces that could be expected as a positive alternative for ensuring peace and harmony in security situation in and outside the Afghanistan.

Thus the first Strategy in this context; the SCO Peace Keeping Force can be formed as a best possible option that could not only be a very useful tool in training the ANF after pull-out forces but would also fill the Afghan security gap. The reason of an un-objectionable regional peace keeping force is that the SCO Peace Keeping Force would not be considered as an illegal occupied force because mostly regional countries are SCO permanent members and rest of them having the status of observer including the War torn Afghanistan along with its neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Iran, etc. Since, Afghanistan’s nation is combination of different ethnic groups and those ethnic groups have kin relations in all Afghanistan’s neighbourly countries. These relations provide a strong binding and bonds between Kabul and its neighbouring countries. This bridged relationship gives the sense of fraternalism alienation. Keeping in view, the strong bonding relations, the SCOPKF would be seen as protectors rather than looters.

Interestingly, SCO slogan is to put effort to combat terrorism and extremist elements to secure the borders of its member states. For that purpose, all the SCO members need to identify the common interests. In this instant, among other neighbouring countries Pakistan can play a vital and crucial role in Afghan stability. For which Pakistan Iran and India necessarily needs membership of SCO (although currently at status of observer states) as support and facilitating role of immediate neighbour is necessary.

The second strategy could be inked up as UNO peacekeeping forces. The formation of the UNO peacekeeping forces could be the subsequent probable preference, as an active partaker in the post 2014 security scenario. Owing to fact that the US refused to go along with “internationalisation” of Afghanistan, but peace building and peacemaking with UN forces would be the unsurpassed option in the contemporary position of Afghanistan.

Wrapping up, role of regional powers is very crucial for Afghan Peace. When the Regional powers see Afghanistan as a part of solution rather than a part of conflict only then they could be reached at a common consensus. Also, considering the deployment of SCO or UNO peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan is a best option that would purge the perception of predicament about US/NATO forces worldwide. A stable and peaceful region is directly associated and dependent upon a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.

Beenish Altaf

Peace Postponed by 'Peace-Advocators'

The advocator of ‘Peace’ has once again snubbed the peaceful approach of talks and negotiations to resolve disputes. As talks between Pakistan and India on water disputes, scheduled to be held in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore has been postponed. The water secretaries of the two countries were to meet on January 28-29 to discuss the dispute over Wullar Barrage, refers to as Tulbul Navigational Project. However India intimated that Secretary Water Resources Dhruba Bijaya Singh would be able to reach Islamabad. Pakistan alleges that since the project is on the Jhelum River itself, it is in violation of the Indus Water Treaty 1960. Pakistan believes that Wullar barrage can be used as a geostrategic weapon, potential to disrupt the triple canal project of Pakistan (upper Jhelum, upper Chenab, Lower Bari Doab canals), to badly affect the Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project, to affect agriculture in Azad Kashmir, would dry 5.6 million acres of land of Punjab’s cultivable land, would dry Mangla dam and would result in load shedding if Pakistan does not get enough water to run its turbines. India started the Wuller barrage project quietly in 1985 and Pakistan got information about this project in 1987. Pakistan raised objection and the work was suspended which has not been resumed so far. Pakistan asserted that the real agenda behind this project is to make a man-made lake that would store 324,000 acre-feet of water and will be used to run the Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Plant and Uri Hydroelectric Plant on the Indian side of the Line of Control. This shows the Indian thirst for water.

It is believed that India called off the Secretary-level talks with Pakistan due to the tension at Line of Control. India on one hand is violating the treaty and on other hand is resisting talks. Delhi has also rejected the Pakistani proposal for calling investigation of LoC violations by UN Military Observers Group. Moreover India has also suspended the on-arrival visa facility for senior citizens as Manmohan Singh said it would no longer be business as usual with Pakistan. The whole scenario utterly speaks that India is pushing peace process on every front and fueling tension between the two states to set peace on fire!

Twitter don’t Tweet ‘Aman Ki Asha’

Indians are fairly verbally assertive about ‘Aman ki Asha’ as if they heartily welcome this campaign. A famous Chinese proverb ‘Don’t Listen to What They Say—Go See’ sets fit on this practice, yes one should test out Twitter and need to see what Indians Tweet for Pakistan. You will find it interesting that your country has become a center of attention, many loves to talk about Pakistan. You will notice many Indians commenting on issues related to Pakistan in name of liberalism, but if any one writes some piece on India they all together blabber that what a Pakistani has to do with Indian issues. It honestly looks an organized party line; after all what can be a better weapon than cyberspace in this information warfare! Obviously neither Pakistani issues are profitable nor do social blogs offer money on each comment, off course there will be other reasons. Either such users may be having too much hatred about Pakistan and find social blogs the right place to split their anger or they are working for some organization on schema of spreading abhorrence and anti-Pakistanism. If it’s not the case then why Indians seems too much obsessed about Pakistani issues, aren’t they having their own issues to comment on like rising Hindu terrorism, separatist movements, massive poverty, diseases, female infanticide, rape case and human right violation etcetera! Why Indian media and Indian people focus too much on Pakistan, isn’t the democratic India is behaving very diplomatically by tweeting Aman ki Asha explicitly and propagating implicitly. For this reason it is needed to understand that Pakistanis should avoid getting into arguments with such propagators in name of liberalism. They should be precisely answered and should be told to fix their loose screws. Rather we need to create blogs to present our arguments logically, to clear allegations on Pakistan and to tell world what the prevailing perception is and what actually our country is all about. Play your part being a Pakistani. Don’t let your country down by criticizing it in front of your adversaries, it not going to make any improvement for Pakistan but it will certainly make an improvement in your opponent’s propaganda. In information age, cyberspace is indeed a big front and we have to defend our country on this front!

Matrix of Pakistan Defense & Indian Designs

India as usual maintained its tradition to further frustrate neighbor’s situation in order to use it in its own ‘favour’, ironically truly deserves to be declared as most ‘favoured’nation! At a time when Pakistan is going through various domestic developments, incidents of terrorism and the political atmosphere has disturbed country awfully, India got the chance to fuel the fire. Besides this internal instability, the most significant development was New Military Doctrine in Green Book that considered ‘Internal Security’ as biggest threat. However India has yet again abolished all doubts about the ‘Biggest Threat to Pakistan’. Right after the essential transformation in military doctrine for prioritizing ‘homegrown militancy’ as the biggest threat in comparison to traditional enemy ‘India’, attack by Indian army on Pakistani post killed one soldier and another injured. Even after this incident the ceasefire violation from Indian side was put on a pedestal.
The “Green Book” which Pakistan Army publishes every year, evaluates its war preparedness and capabilities to keep them exact and accurate. The Green book comprises of strategic papers written by professional soldiers who present their thoughts on diverse themes. This year a special chapter titled ‘Sub-Conventional Warfare’ has been included. The ongoing guerrilla war in the tribal area near borders with Afghanistan and armed attacks from different groups and elements on security installations and in cities were mentioned as biggest security threat in the new military doctrine. Without naming characters in the war, the book talked about few groups and elements and also mentioned cross-border attacks from Afghanistan. Various news and reports that emerged in the Pakistani and foreign media tried to portray that the Pakistan Army no more perceives India as its primary threat. The Dawn reported: ‘The Pakistan army has changed its operational priorities for the first time in eleven years and described internal threats as the greatest risk to the country’s security’ And the India Today rejoiced ‘The Pakistan Army now believes that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and a host of assorted militants within, are a bigger security threat than India.’
Nonetheless, in fact declaring that the real threat is inside the country, by no means abolishes the externals. This point was also highlighted in a recent speech of the Army Chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani that was given to Pakistan Navy officers on December 29, 2012. “Today, we are pitched against an amorphous enemy when the conventional threat has also grown manifold. He added “The increasingly complex external environment and our rather precarious internal dynamics have created a myriad of security challenges”. Therefore, the standpoint of this doctrine should be taken as a pronouncement of the Pakistan Army that it does not stick to the conventional thought of warfare alone in era of fourth and the fifth generation warfare; an era when most hostilities are being dealt with newly evolving methods. Besides, this doctrine should not be taken as novel to an Army that has been at war with all kinds of internal threats for over 11 years, the Pakistan armed forces have shown the capability to crush this militant threat as they have so courageously fought in Swat, South Waziristan Agency, Malakand, Dir, Khyber Orakzai, Kurram Agencies and elsewhere in Pakistan.
Moreover internal and external threats cannot be taken separately. Several top security officials stated repeatedly that Islamabad has solid evidences of involvement of foreign elements, particularly from neighboring countries for assisting the separatist elements in Balochistan, for conducting blasts and massacres in other parts of country like Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.Pakistani state remained a battle-ground of proxy wars due to the involvement of several foreign agents. Special focus on Afghan border is needed due to dual policy of US which had allowed India a stronghold in Afghanistan by engaging them in training of Afghan army and initiating joint strategic projects which are detrimental to the interests and security concerns of Pakistan. Moreover, Islamabad occasionally raised concerns about 24 Indian consulates along 2200 kilometer Pakistan-Afghan border, asserting their involvement for assisting anti-Pakistan elements to conduct terrorist activities in Pakistan.
On other way, the Indian threat cannot be ignored for their strong non-conventional capability as approximately eighty percent of Indian nuclear capable armed forces are deployed against Pakistan. Since now there has been no apparent paradigm shift in India’s strategic direction away from Pakistan. There has been no alleviation of threat from Indian side so there seems no reason for Pakistan to do so voluntarily. Thus far, Pakistan Army’s strategic orientation rightly focused on the more existential threat ‘India’ and cannot be ignored anyway. The Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani did well by declaring that the armed forces will cater for the full threat spectrum – India as well as the militancy. A balanced approach in our strategic orientation is the order of the day. The militants may be the more immediate and bothersome threat, but India is certainly the more potent and genuinely existentialist one. The recent Indian violation on Line of Control has further proved that the sun rises from the east and so does our primary threat.
There are clear indications that Indians are intentionally escalating tension on the LoC by conducting ceasefire violations, killing of Pakistani soldiers, injuring civilians and damaging property. This reflects the particular Indian mindset of aggressive designs against Pakistan. All these are efforts to disrupt peace process between Pakistan and India. These are to disturb the public diplomacy, to delay bilateral visits, to distress trade and to achieve vested interests. India represents itself as a peaceful state in front of world by singing mantra of ‘Aman ki Asha’but in fact doing enough for composing ‘Aman ka Tamasha’. Pakistan must hoist the concern at the UN Security Council and also sensitize members of the international community about real designs of India. Pakistan has already offered probe of the firing incidents by the UN, which shows authenticity and truthfulness of its position. However, Indians have rejected this offer, which evidently tells that they are dual at their stance and are not in favor of any impartial inquiry. It is high time that the international community should takenotice of these tremendously provoking statements coming from the Air Chief and the Defense Minister of India contrary to New Delhi’s assertions that it was enthusiastic in efforts for improvement in relations with Islamabad. These aggressive moves from India should also be an eye opener and thought provoking for those who are over wholehearted and raise voices for unconditional peace process. There should not be free for all dialogue process that only takes into account Indian interests and results into compromise on Pakistan position. However, by keeping in mind the nuclear parity, both states on equal basis should step forward to ensure peace on border and constancy in bilateral relations. Avoiding conflict and ensuring peace between the two can ensure peace in South Asian region.

Pakistani media should focus on ‘Critical’ not ‘Catchy’

Media warfare is not a new term in contemporary era. It is being used as a weapon in international politics. The most effective way to promote the things which we want to share with mass audience is done through media. In current information age we cannot undervalue the importance of mass media. TV, radio, internet, magazines and newspapers have become a frequent part of our lives. Being the most powerful tool of communication, media due to its vast exposure is being used to mold the opinion of the audience.  It would not be out of place to say that in this point in time a media war is going the aim of which is to captivate the audience. Media up to dates the audience for whatever is happening in their surrounding and all around the world. 

 However in order to attract audience they sensationalize the information which presents a complete different picture beyond the reality, this is how media many times misleads its audience and this is how media is being used as a tool to garnish many interests. The role of media in west is more effective because they use it as a weapon to gain their state interest, our neighboring country India tries to do the same.

However, our media seems to be more influenced by foreign media especially by Indian channels. We have probably forgotten the words of Indra Gandhi that India will beat Pakistan not through a regular war but through a media war, and this seems to be true. India awfully exaggerates the situation and does its best to malign Pakistan as it is lately doing on LoC issue. Unfortunately our media poses very immature and careless attitude, they overlook the fact that media is the fourth pillar of society and they have to play their role as a custodians of culture and national interest. Many channels in Pakistan are influenced by foreign cultures and their sources of information. Our channels talk more of Indian dramas, songs and movies. We have started using Indian stuff even in our news and talk shows to attract audience. Our channels tries to give more converge to catchy stuff than the critical ones. We must take every precaution against Indian cultural invasion and should not blindly follow the western media.

The motto of our media should not be to facilitate other lobbies and their agendas. They talk of their interest and we are in sheer need to work on our own. Here the role of social media is significant which keeps on highlighting the fault lines of electronic media and in result dynamic views of a particular issue comes up. Our channels need to educate people by highlighting the critical traditional and non-traditional issues.

India building ‘war hysteria’

The peace loving India is cooking up now, the state to vow the mantra of ‘Aman ki Asha’ has warned Indian occupied Kashmir to get prepare themselves for a possible nuclear war. These instructions got published in a local English ‘Greater Kashmir’ newspaper by the disaster Response Force, which is part of Police. To describe the nuclear war scenario it cautions “to wait for the winds to die down and debris to stop falling”.
Why India is building this war hysteria? To stress the already suppressed Kashmiris? To further frustrate neighbor’s situation in order to use it in its own ‘favor’? Ironically truly deserves to be declared as most ‘favored nation! At a time when Pakistan is going through various domestic developments, incidents of terrorism and the political atmosphere has disturbed country awfully, India got the chance to fuel the fire! The Indian traditional tactic!
Pakistan in its new Military Doctrine in Green Book has considered ‘Internal Security’ as biggest threat. However India has yet again abolished all doubts about the ‘Biggest Threat to Pakistan’, she has proved that sun rises from the east and so does our primary threat.
What India thinks if a nuclear war breaks down Pakistan is going to attack Kashmir and not the big cities of India? India to turn Kashmir disastrous, is now working for its disaster management! Food for thought!
India should avoid using psychological weapon in Kashmir to spread hatred. It would be much better for India to work for the disaster management of its own big cities if she is truly going to be offensive. The bottom line is that India once again is derailing the peace process. The ‘alarm bells are ringing, wake up, the liberal advocators of Aman ki Asha’

Pakistan supports Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation

The Security Council meeting in Brussels where Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani inserted a crucial proviso in the peace plan and favoured an “Afghan-owned and Afghan-led” reconciliation process – reminding the world that Pakistan’s support will be subject t to the peace process not being harmful to its interests. Our focus also includes the 7thTrilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey held at Ankara on December 12, 2012 where the three heads of state expressed their resolve to combat terrorism and other regional challenges through concerted efforts. Both the events brought to focus, among other things, Pakistan’s pivotal contribution for the Afghan peace process, giving Islamabad its due credit for taking steps to facilitate peace in Afghanistan and the US withdrawal by 2014. (a) Pakistan has released the Taliban prisoners on the requests of the High Peace Council of Afghanistan and Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul after they visited Pakistan recently, to facilitate negotiations between the good Taliban and the Kabul government. (b) Pakistan has shown its willingness to organize a Joint Ulema Conference in Afghanistan in January this year to denounce militancy and suicide bombing in the name of religion. (c) The presence of both the Chief of Army Staff and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan at the Brussels Conference indicated that Pakistan is ready to reconcile with the international players towards the post-2014 situation in Afghanistan. (d) Pakistan has shown flexibility in showing its willingness to seek a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, somewhat similar to that the latter has already signed with the US and India.
At the same time Pakistan desires that after 2014 there should be no security, or power, vacuum left in Afghanistan, a fact that has been recognized by the world community as well. While NATO is ready to engage Pakistan in a strategic partnership agreement, the European Union is also engaging it for five years in socio-economic areas. The EU is also offering the Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATPs) to Pakistan, a gesture that conveys to Pakistan the EU countries’ resolve to help settle the Afghanistan conundrum. Turkey has offered to host a Pak-Afghan summit to remove mutual mistrust, as the Karzai government takes every opportunity to put blame on Islamabad for any act of terror inside Afghanistan. Despite all the sincere efforts made by Pakistan and its security forces, as enumerated above, Islamabad is cognizant of the fact that the world community would put the blame if it failed to withdraw forces from Afghanistan within the given deadline. Thus, the “peace roadmap” offers some hope of a negotiated settlement, and this is what ought to be our aim for the year 2013. Realizing that a peaceful settlement is the best way forward, all stakeholders – both regional and international – need to consolidate their efforts that lead towards a peaceful and progressive South Asia.