The Preemptive Pre-planners!

Look how far the United States is involved in what they call ‘psy ops’. Nobody in Pakistan, even the shrewd politicians could have thought so farther in the future than the USAID’s Citizens’ Voice people. The report is that, with general election round the corner, the United States Agency for International Development has announced approval of 100 grants worth $2.5m for civil society organizations to strengthen ‘citizen’s voice’ for free, fair and peaceful polls. Under its Citizens’ Voice project, USAID has invited applications for its fifth grants cycle from registered organizations across the country. The value of each grant will be $25,000, according to a press release of USAID. “The objectives of the grants include increasing voter turnout; advocacy against discrimination against voters or barriers for voting; engaging youth voters for a proactive and constructive role in ensuring peaceful elections; and creating awareness about conflict resolution mechanisms relating to polls.”

It is The Economist forecast, not anybody else’s from Pakistan, that Nawaz Sharif has the chances of taking over government after the forthcoming elections. The polls and surveys they conduct are always reliable and near-authentic, not ours. The pulse they check is always in accordance with the facts on ground, not ours. This is how they do the future planning, and we only lack.

Alya Alvi, BIIT, Rawalpindi

Why terrorists are not hanged?

Suicide attacks, bomb blasts, target killings, destruction and blowing up power and gas lines have become a daily routine in Pakistan. The 9/11 shook the whole world and instead of declining, the menace of terrorism and fanaticism spread like an epidemic in our country. The reasons could be many but the main cause seems to be lack of determination and self interests by our leaders. The end game is approaching but we still have not been able to draw consensus at national level to deal with these groups. The people and the army have given huge sacrifices but without national strategy we can’t defeat them. In special circumstances, special laws are required but those are not framed and as a result these terrorists are released from the courts due to lack of evidence. Moreover, the fear of capital punishment deters the criminals and terrorists but since last five years only one has been executed and more than 8000 who have been awarded death penalty are enjoying the hospitality and kindness of the government. These highly dangerous murderers and killers either break the jails, like Bannu Jail or get released due to one reasons or the other. It’s beyond comprehension that, the sympathy is shown with these convicts but not with those families, who’s near and dear one have been brutally killed by these beasts. The USA is moving on gun control bill after a killing in school incident, Indian president approved death penalty for rapists within weeks after killing of just one girl but we are giving 2nd life to these hydra headed monsters so that they could continue playing havoc. It’s very unfortunate that after pushing out a dictator, people were pinning lot of hopes with the elected representatives but they   remain entangled in their own issues, leaving them high and dry.

The innocent are falling daily, the mothers are crying, the children are weeping, the wives are suffering, the old are becoming older, the humanity is dying but no emergency is seen at top level except a few sympathetic words and condolence messages. People are losing faith on democracy, they question, why they are not being protected, why the terrorists are not being hanged, why this killing spree is not being stopped, why the killers of Benazir Bhutto have not been brought to book and why the attackers of Malala Yousafzai have not been arrested as yet? The answer may not be forth coming but now the people have become wiser and may not be mislead with hallow slogans. The youth which is more than 50 percent had to play a decisive role in the forthcoming election. Instead of sitting idle and sleeping at homes, we need to come out in large number to elect the people who can really take the country out from these mounting crises. Until and unless the system of reward and punishment is not adopted till then we can’t sail smoothly.  

 

Bilal Shahid, Rawalpindi 

EXPOSURE OF A MINDSET

A stranded Pakistani soldier on the Line of Control identifies himself, yet receives bullets in response. He looks at the soldiers, their uniforms and then realizes they are not the ones who are trained and groomed. They are just a group of frustrated and desperate men unaware of the Geneva Convention Laws or do not bound to it. Their minds are so much poisoned that human and moral values do not matter. They are not bothered to commit actions which may be considered heinous crimes.  They are not conscious of any accountability rather expect to be praised for immoral acts. Why do they forget that in the past many Indian straggler soldiers were returned safely by Pakistan Army. Even when a helicopter landed in the Pakistan territory with Indian officers on board, they were safely allowed to go back. What a reciprocation of our kind and large hearted gestures?

Martyrdom of our soldier should be a lesson to all about the hollowness regarded to the sanctity of international laws and values in the Indian Army. What should be expected of such a neighbour who holds a slogan of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ in one hand and a gun in the other?

 

Anwar Mukhtar, Islamabad.

EYE OPENER

The gruesome incidents of shooting in various states of US and killing of innocent people have raised an alarm raising many questions for introspection. The discussions on the US media very clearly identified the weak cultural system where the respect for norms and values is declining and the breaking of family systems leading to loneliness and negative trends as the root cause of problems in behaviours and violence. There is also a hot debate on the increase in mental illness and easy availability of sophisticated weapons. A study of twenty three rich countries by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, found that US firearm homicide rates were 19.5 times higher than other high income countries.

          No matter what new policies are formulated inside US and how many reforms are introduced, the issue cannot be addressed unless the basic problems are taken cognizance of. The psychologists are also minutely looking after trends prevalent in society leading to mental disorientation of individuals involved in violence. The outcome is that they are discussing the importance of the sanctity of the institution of marriage and the importance of parenthood.

          Analysing the situation makes us aware that how blessed we are as a society to have strong cultural bondages and a strong family system. The joint and extended family is a support which takes care in the hour of need. The problems in our society related to negative trends and violence can be overcome by strengthening the institution of marriage and giving importance to our family relationships.

Anwar Parveen, Islamabad.

Need for National Security Policy of Pakistan

Pakistan since its inception remained in chaos including internal and external contradictions that made it unstable and insecure both at national and international level. Regrettably, the dynamical consequences of international War on Terror (WOT) and absence of national parameters to combat the hazardous menace of terror campaign along with transnational terrorist organizations, needs a redefined and redesigned security policy. Therefore, the national security strategy of Pakistan is dependent on inter-state as well as on its intra-state security imperatives.  

Since the end of the Cold War the definition of national or international security has got widened due to the changing dynamics of internal and external threat perceptions by enhancing the range of issues and crises with the newly emerging regional actors along with non-state actors. For effectively confronting these threats of the 21^st century, it requires careful engagement to develop relationship between national and international security and a new kind of integrated strategic thinking is needed in developing national security policy. Since securitization of security of Pakistan is also under the subject of new threats, challenges and opportunities, accordingly it needs holistic strategy to convert the challenges into opportunities and safeguard the geographical entities of the state. It is worth essential to move forward by analyzing the traditional and non-traditional security threats in front of Pakistan keeping in view the national, regional and international security imperatives, their impact on Pakistan’s security and on the inter-state alliances of shaping the National Security Policy (NSP) for Pakistan.

Today Pakistan is facing internal and external threats to its national security, which have interlinked to each other directly or indirectly. It is noticeable that some external opportunist fundamentals for their widespread strategic interests are part to the conspiracy of a plot to destabilize Pakistan, also Prime Minister Gilani has disclosed that there were “several enemies of the country” and “foreign hands were also involved in the acts of terrorism”. Pakistan is not alone subject to these threats as India’s war-mongering policy is also part of it. Indian senior official has many times articulated that it is preparing for a “possible two-front war with China and Pakistan” since it considers China and Pakistan a major threat to India’s security.

Specifically, the internal security holds central and fundamental place in the formation of national security policy of any country. The existing scenario in Pakistan could form a basis that provides a thrust to strategic thinking about a practical vision for a specified nationalized Security Policy. The NSP of Pakistan would calculate the military security, political sovereignty, economic growth, environmental security, security of energy and natural resources, food security, rule of law, rights & freedoms, nuclear security and issue of terrorism etc. Now it has become imperative for Pakistani policy makers, strategist and academicians to look for the reasons of being insecure state and find a way out by providing strategic thinking about how national security policy are structured to guard against a range of threats facing by the country.

Since the rise of Kashmir issue as a major security matter among India and Pakistan along with the spillover effects of Afghanistan invasion post 9/11, incursion of border terrorism and suicidal attacks endangered the strategic stability and transformed the concept of strategic culture and strategic depth of Pakistan. Likewise, supporting the argument General Kayani, stressed the homegrown militancy as the biggest threat to national security; simultaneously there is an ultimate need for internal security that called for securing people of the country more importantly along with its border security.

Many nations today do possess their declared NSS; the US President on May 26, 2010 through the US National Security Policy and Strategy Document replaced Islamic radicalism with the notion of terrorism along with many other alarming orders. According to sources although, Pakistan is in process of formulating its National Security Strategy and Policy (NSSP) since 9/11 but it is being classified as “Top Secret” yet that needs to be on the screen now as early as possible.

More to the point, Pakistan faces a variety of security challenges in an around the entire south Asia region today. It’s not a test case of Pakistani leadership to enact law and security as its need of hour by force to develop a consensus on a holistic National Security Policy and use its strategic influence in a globalized world to secure support for its implementation. Above and beyond, nuclear weapons—the national power element of Pakistan are the mechanism of policy to safeguard national security interests of the country.

Since the national security is a wide-ranging concept that goes further than military power so it is up to political leadership now as, how to formulate a security stratagem to make the most of its potential. Eventually, at this decisive stage, Pakistan’s political and military establishment along with general masses needs a strong sense of unity to look over Pakistan’s strategic framework and formalize a National Security Strategy with consensus to cope up with internal and external threats to the national security of Pakistan.

Last but not the least, the achievement of strategic and security objectives in a definite environment make strategic culture an essential matter to undergo. However, Pakistan’s strategic culture can go through a positive shift only, if Pakistan and its regional countries both behave rationally keeping in view the geo-strategic indispensable realities and magnitude of their relations. 

Beenish Altaf

‘The Ugly Truth behind the Opium Policy’

Elimination of opium economy is a long a complex challenge in Afghanistan. The Khaama Press report on continued opium production in Afghanistan and West’s investment underhand is “the ugly truth behind the international opium policy”. Now that democratic government is functioning in Kabul, world has opened its eyes towards solving the narcotic drugs problem, more than 100,000 international forces are present in Afghanistan…, no effective action has been taken so far to stop the opium production and trade. In the past two decades, Afghanistan had provided more than 90% of world’s opium. the total illicit narcotic drug trade is equal to one third of the country’s GDP, benefiting millions of Afghan citizens directly or indirectly. Statistics say Afghanistan has experienced one of the highest rates of drug fabrication in the past year. Different groups, including government-military officials, the rural poor, large and small businesses, local warlords and international criminal syndicates are among its beneficiaries. Elimination of the opium economy will be a long and complex process.

Because of corruption by Kabul officials, the Afghan opium cultivators prefer to ask Taliban to protect their opium crops. The UN says only about 10% of total opium profits go to farmers and 20% to insurgents. The rest of the income is for traffickers, police, warlords and government officials. These people abuse their position in government to support the arrest and prosecution of the main traffickers and smugglers. “The latest example of involvement of high-ranking members of governments in the narcotic drug trade goes back to 2010. At that time, several Afghan Air Force personnel claimed that some of the Army Air Force staffs took advantage of aircrafts at night and by the assistance of the Department of Defense they were committing narcotic drug and weapon trading. However, this investigation was confronted with the disruptions of senior officials of the Ministry of Defense and the Presidency.”

Now it is feared that the risk of widespread drug cultivation will be high in the coming years. Thus Afghanistan is unable to solve this global problem alone. “The international community and countries on the drug transit route should join hands together to solve this problem that is greater than the threat of terrorism,” as the study suggests. It adds that the ugly truth is that the Afghan opium boom and a flood of cheap heroin to Europe and other rich countries reveals that powerful states prefer to allow some farmers to cultivate opium and only support them against international terrorism.

Shumaila Raja, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi

The Line of Fire

The recent deadly flare-up over the military Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir has not only pushed back the peace process between Pakistan and India but has also deeply affected the Indian image. India though dramatically crafted story to blame Pakistan for the whole episode of LoC infringement but it was astonishing when no country seemed interested in Indian story of ‘Pakistani soldiers beheading Indian soldiers’ at the UN Security Council session presided by Pakistan. For assertion that Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers, Pakistan had complained to the UN observer force that Indian troops allegedly crossed the LoC and raided a border post. United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) said it would conduct an investigation in accordance with its mandate however India rejected Pakistan’s proposal for a UN investigation into the LoC confrontation. Hence it conferred a worldwide impression that India got something to conceal that is why it is not permitting UN to hold an inquiry. Here it should be calculated that whose interests are better served by this LoC flare up? Have a glimpse on recent incidents, Pakistani hockey players were told to leave India and return to Pakistan, the visa-on-arrival facility for Pakistani citizens of 65 years and above entering India has been put on hold, Indian PM stated ‘No business as usual with Pakistan’, war hysteria was created by warning Indian occupied Kashmir to get prepare themselves for a nuclear war, water secretaries meeting of both countries over Wuller barrage/Tulbul Navigational project has been postponed, on Indian Republic Day the Indian head of the state told Pakistan that its hand of friendship should not be taken for granted! All these proceeding by Indian state clearly speak of who is derailing peace-process by using LoC shield. It speaks that overturn peace was a planned project

This Indian approach has also been criticized by Indians itself, Indian Journalist ‘Karan Thapar’ claimed in Hindustan Times - ‘Indian Army too beheads soldiers’. He mentioned various incidents when Indian Army beheaded Pakistani soldiers; he showed concern that why their media don’t show facts. In another piece of writing ‘The siege within-and without’, Jyoti Malhotra also suggested India to adopt a peaceful approach and not an eye for an eye approach; she declared it is Israeli specialty. On Indian humanitarian violation the famous Arundhati Roy bluntly said ‘India will suffer for what it did in Kashmir’.She said "Troops and paramilitary troops involved in various heinous crimes including custodial killings, disappearances, rapes and declared accused through FIRs and other reports have evaded action which has resulted in making them habitual offenders. These habitual offenders when deployed in other states will commit the same offences against innocent people. To continue its occupation in Kashmir, India has made its forces immune from every law there. If civil society of India and other human rights activist do not take appropriate steps, we will feel ashamed in future." These are Indian people vocal against Indian violence and violation. Moreover recently India’s home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde confessed ““Reports revealed during investigation that BJP and RSS conduct terror training camps to spread terrorism; Bombs were planted in Samjhauta express, Mecca Masjid and also a blast was carried out in Malegaon.” Pakistan according to its new military doctrine is working on internal threats to eliminate extremist groups while India is working to further strengthen such groups. These are not allegations, these all are confessions. India on all fronts is breaching the line of fire and hence putting peace on fire.

Farooq uz Zaman Khan, Islamabad

Stop Quetta Genocide!

Hazara community has been targeted second time within few weeks, the heinous attack killed ninety members of Hazara tribe and tens of thousands of people are protesting across the country. The tribe has yet again shown their trust in Army; the protestors demand to call in Army in Quetta. Even the strategy to implement governor’s rule remained ineffective and couldn’t stop a big terrorist activity to take place.  Since 2002, more than 50,000 Pakistanis has been killed in the genocide. Terrorist are targeting Pakistanis since many years and by killing Hazara community the propaganda is definitely to divide the Pakistani society.

Most of the political parties prevented military to operate freely in Quetta but it is unfortunate fact that government remained failed in combating terrorism. In Pakistan the debate of counter-terrorism always remained focused to operations in tribal region and TTP. The attention should have been paid to other militant groups, as lately Lashkar e Jhanvi claimed responsibility for the attack and remained active against Shias.

The Hazara community should be appreciated for behaving prudently in understanding the lethal action and propaganda of hostile elements. They have called Army but government should be forced to take such steps because it is the government’s responsibility to find the most appropriate and timely solution for the issue. Politicians should not turn opportunist to exploit this critical moment for their own political motives. The best counter-terrorism strategy would be a balanced blend of intelligence, law enforcement and military.

Supreme Court took suo moto notice but merely notice is not going to enough, terrorist should be hanged. Pakistanis should raise voice to detain terrorist but sectarian mobilization should not be promoted. Terrorist are our common enemy and they are above any sect and religion.

Asha Khan

NASR- Significant Entry in Pak Nuke Club

A new short range ballistic missile Hatf-IX (NASR) has been added in Pakistan’s nuke club. NASR with a range of 60 km, have a quick response system, can carry four missiles, have high accuracy and ensures deterrence in evolving scenario. It was part of short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SRBMs) and its medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is expected to be completed in three cycles by July of this year. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of about 1,000 km or less. It should be noted that Nasr is a modern missile, developed considering the evolving threats to ballistic missiles. Shaheen-IA is developed keeping the same threat in mind, and so will be the future ballistic missiles of Pakistan.

NASR is a significant addition as it is designed to defeat all eminent anti-tactical missile defense systems. Small range Nuclear Warheads are not meant to wipe out cities. Instead their role is to wipe out enemy bases or a strategic point which is too hard to be conquered. This 60 km range battle field missile is meant to be used with Tactical Nukes – not Strategic – to stop advancing armor division’s entering into the country. Many strategic planners in New Delhi have long been of the opinion that there exist loopholes in the Pakistani deterrence at shorter ranges which can be exploited in the Indian Cold Start Doctrine to capture Pakistani territory. Therefore missile is considered to be more deadly then longer range missiles because as it lower the nuclear threshold (for tactical nukes). The Americans had at one point deployed similar short range battlefield nukes in East-Europe against the Soviets – to underscore the will to go all out nuclear against a larger invading force. It is called an effective deterrence.

The NASR is more likely to be utilized as a means of targeting static Indian military infrastructure close to the border with conventional warheads – a more accurate substitute to an MBRL. Shireen Mazari has termed NASR as counter to India’s limited war doctrine. We are signaling our acquisition of tactical missile capability and miniaturization technology. This will allow our already developed cruise missiles - the Hatf-VIII [Ra'ad] which is an air-launched cruise missile [ALCM] and Hatf-VII [Babur], which is a ground-launched cruise missile [GLCM] - to be miniaturized for sea-launched submarine capability in order to move on to a second-strike capability. This would help stabilize the nuclear deterrence and its credibility,"

Missiles development does not mean offense but they serve as a deterrent when our hostile state is in race to increase its missile capability. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat”. Hence to defeat the fear, state has to take steps to fortify its defense. Scientists, military and nation should be congratulated for such developments which ensure state security.

Afzal Guru: Injustice of ‘Indian Justice System’

Afzal Guru, the prime accused for Indian Parliament Attack (2001) was secretly hanged in mottled Tihar Jail; he has been buried near this notorious jail. Afzal Guru was proved culprit after putting high efforts by Indian government and Media. Circumstances were twisted in such a way that despite of weak prosecution, judges followed the society will. Evidences were never heeded and he was hanged without pronouncing a death sentence, just to satisfy collective mass.

On this injustice of Indian justice system, where on one side people like Amitabh Bachan are celebrating the hanging, on other side by making this incident foundation, a new wave of violence has been started in Jummu Kashmir. However, Arundhati Roy from India spread high words for this injustice. Ms. Roy in ‘The Hindu’, under an ironic heading ‘A perfect day for Democracy’ writes: “Contrary to the lies that have been put about by some senior journalists who would have known better, Afzal Guru was not one of “the terrorists who stormed Parliament House on December 13th 2001” nor was he among those who “opened fire on security personnel, apparently killing three of the six who died.” (That was the BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Chandan Mitra, in The Pioneer, October 7th 2006). Even the police charge sheet does not accuse him of that. The Supreme Court judgment says the evidence is circumstantial: “As is the case with most conspiracies, there is and could be no direct evidence amounting to criminal conspiracy.” But then it goes on to say: “The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties had shaken the entire nation, and the collective conscience of society will only be satisfied if capital punishment is awarded to the offender.” 

Afzal Guru was being forced to accept all allegations for 2001 Parliament attacks, but he didn’t damage prestige of Pakistan for saving his life and preferred death for the offense he never committed. 
No doubt silent killing of Afzal Guru is big question mark on Indian democracy, before another Kashmiri Maqbool Butt was also hanged in this notorious Tihar Jail, Ajmal Kasab is another accused. Now who is next in queue? Is it Ranjoana Singh? How collective conscious can be bigger than justice? Why killings without trials? Where are the most reputed international human right organizations? Where are the advocators of peace? Why a deadly silence on stabbing of justice?