The objective of this strategy is the protection of society by reducing youth crime. Source: Unknown |
A Need for Balance
July 1st, 2009Things have to change, or life as we know it will
June 30th, 2009The economy of each country depends on its long term planning and predictions. The planners future thinking based on current facts help the economy stable and “worrying free”. |
Failed States Index
June 29th, 2009Recently a report has been published in newspapers where Pakistan has been stated as failed states at number 9 in the list as Somalia is at No. 1 What is the true fact and how this index is calculated, you can visit the website http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350&page=1. We should not close the eyes and issue statements against any fact but to consider it politely and remove the objection raised in the report removing from the list. |
Global Corruption Barometer and Pakistan
June 5th, 2009What is the Global Corruption Barometer? The Global Corruption Barometer is a survey that assesses general public attitudes toward and experience of corruption in dozens of countries around the world. Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Barometer reveals a growing distrust of business, the daily struggle of the world’s poor with petty bribery and public unconvinced of governments’ anti-corruption efforts. A global public opinion survey, the 2009 Barometer reflects the views of more than 73,000 people from 69 countries and territories around the world. Consumers demand zero corruption From mitigating financial, legal and reputational risks to generating stable returns, the business case against corruption is unquestionable. The 2009 Barometer shows that zero corruption matters to consumers as well. Half of respondents globally expressed a willingness to pay a premium to buy from corruption-free companies. In Cambodia, Hong Kong, Liberia and Sierra Leone, this number rose to as many as 4 in 5 respondents. Making the business case against corruption even more persuasive, this finding provides business with a powerful incentive to prove that they are clean and to communicate this clearly with the public. Companies must do more, though, to address the challenges posed by corruption. More than half of those polled believe that the private sector uses bribes to influence public policy, laws and regulations. Half of respondents view the private sector as corrupt. Moreover, in roughly a fifth of the countries and territories surveyed, respondents identified the private sector as the most corrupt institution. World’s poor persistently hard hit The global economic downturn has affected people around the world, but in particular the poorest. As jobs and incomes shrink, petty bribery compounds the already difficult situation of low-income households. The 2009 Barometer reveals that low-income respondents continue to be more likely to pay bribes than high-income respondents. “As economic growth shifts into reverse, poor households are increasingly forced to make impossible choices in allocating scarce resources,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair, Transparency International. “Do parents pay a bribe so that a sick child can see a doctor or do they buy food for their family? It is simply unacceptable that families continue to face these decisions.” In Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Uganda, more than 50 per cent of respondents reported paying a bribe in the past 12 months. Regionally, the Middle East and North Africa registered the worst results, with 4 in 10 respondents reporting bribe payments in the last year. Worryingly, petty bribery was reported to be on the rise in Venezuela, Ghana, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bolivia, Senegal, Russia and Kenya. The police are most frequently reported to be given bribes worldwide – one in four of those who had contact with them in the previous year claim to have paid a bribe. Government efforts lacking More than half of those interviewed in the 2009 Barometer rated their governments’ anti-corruption efforts as ineffective. Fewer than 1 in 10 respondents in Argentina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Ukraine considered their governments’ efforts effective. In comparison, 7 in 10 or more respondents in Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Nigeria and Singapore see their governments’ efforts to be effective. In keeping with past editions of the Barometer, 68 per cent of respondents view political parties as corrupt, and 29 per cent saw them as the single most corrupt institution in their country. The civil service and parliament follows closely behind, perceived by 63 and 60 per cent of respondents as being corrupt. The legitimacy and effectiveness of official channels for making corruption-related complaints are not trusted. Fewer than one in four of respondents who reported paying a bribe in the previous year filed a formal complaint, while most of those interviewed felt that existing channels were ineffective. Corruption in Pakistan Key sectors affected by corruption in Pakistan and recent diagnostic material To fully respond to the question as to which sectors are most affected by corruption, both quantitative (through diagnostic material) and qualitative (through reports and direct questioning of international and national experts) sources have been consulted. Nevertheless, it is worth bearing in mind that some of the reasons that particular sectors are highlighted more often than others are due not only to objective merits but also to the facts that i) there is more research and survey work done in those areas and ii) public perception and awareness seem to be more vocal as regards those areas. Thus, the exercise of highlighting some of the sectors should be read with the knowledge that corruption in Pakistan seems pervasive across most sectors. With that in mind, it is safe to say that expert sources indicate that the following sectors are among those most affected by corruption (the particular order varies from source to source): Police and law enforcement These sectors seem to be affected by chains of: 1. Petty corruption to access public services or to bypass the law (through the direct interaction of citizens with the respective authorities and bribe-paying) 2. Middle and grand corruption (through corruption in public contracting and procurement as well as direct misappropriation of public funds by senior officials). 3. In addition, political patronage, conflicts of interest, influence peddling and other forms of corrupt behaviour are commonplace across the sectors. 1. Reforms in sectors rated to be amongst those most affected by corruption Police and law enforcement Corruption in the police and law enforcement is perceived to be pervasive – creating a culture of lawlessness and lack of credibility and trust in authorities. The police and law enforcement appointments are often politicised and full of conflict of interest. Criminals and rent-seeking and extortionist authorities are often the sole beneficiaries of the game. Police reforms were instituted about two and a half years ago by President Musharraf but, according to certain expert voices, have been significantly watered down by the elected government, which still sees political patronage of police officers as important. However, a system of recruitment of better quality and standards is being implemented with improvements in areas of professional training, competence development and remuneration. A great deal remains to be done to implement full police reforms including the establishment of public safety commissions and an effective independent police complaints authority. It is hoped that the reorganisation outlined by the new Police Order of 2002 and the Police Complaints department will improve the functions of the police and provide relief to the citizens. Reportedly, one of the first steps taken in the reorganization has been the separation of the police force into various branches, divisions, bureaus and sections. It is intended to help improve the efficiency but in fact may lead to more corruption and less efficiency due to non-cooperation or lack of coordination. The Police Order of 2002 has also outlined a format for setting up district Public Safety Commissions (PSC). The functions of such commissions will inter alia include investigations of complaints on excesses and neglect against police officers and encourage greater police-public participation. The PSCs are to be set up within the Federal and Provincial Government and the District and Town Local Governments. There shall also be a National Public Safety Commission. Further, the Order makes provisions for setting up of federal and provincial police complaints authorities for enquiring into serious complaints against the members of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. Other measures provided for by the Order include the establishment of the Criminal Justice Coordination committee, to work on the improvement of the system as a whole and promote good practices, and of the National Police Management Board, to work on overall technical and human resource capacity building within the Police. Judiciary and legal profession There is widespread lack of public confidence in the institutional legitimacy of the justice system. Access to justice and the rule of law are undermined by corruption and are under a threat. Alongside the corrupt judiciary is the legal profession with low ethics of lawyers and poor controls of the bodies (such as the Pakistan Bar Council) responsible for maintaining the high standards that should be required of it. Reform efforts have included: a) Access to Justice Programme There are mixed signals about the success of the reforms. It has been voiced that the efforts are perceived to be lacking tangible outcomes and that there have been some challenges in terms of the project implementation itself (sources: NIS country study and an independent expert). b) Supreme Judicial Council c) Accountability Courts Public sector procurement and contracting There have been major concerns in this area. There is large-scale corruption in procurement and contracting affecting government and development aid funded programmes, public works, etc. Some of the systemic weaknesses have included the lack of a standardised procurement regime (sets of clear, transparent rules and legislation) along with absence of repository of procurement expertise in the government. Grounds and opportunities for corruption are provided at every stage of the procurement process (from preparation to tender, bid evaluation, negotiations, and contracting). Some of the reform efforts include: a) Establishment of a public procurement regulatory authority Some reports (such as NACS related sources) suggest that the agency, however, has not been properly staffed and needs capacity building if it is to perform the intended functions. b) Resolution related to procurement standards the Standard Procedures for Procurement of Works, Goods and Consultants should be revised by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. Either the World Bank or PEC by-laws should be uniformly implemented in all government and semi government departments till such time the PPRA prepares its own Guidelines; c) Integrity pacts 2. Reform initiatives in other areas Public Service: Efforts are under way on the part of the government to reform the Federal and Provincial Public service commissions, particularly with regards to capacity and competence building. Further, the World Bank has approved a US$55 million IDA credit in May 2004 for Public Sector Capacity Building Projects that will fund the training and professional development of over 500 public servants, enhancing the capacity in key ministries/agencies which are in the forefront of designing, implementing and monitoring policy reform. It will also aim to strengthen some key regulatory agencies, specifically NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority), OGRA (Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority) and PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority). Public sector financial management: It is suggested that some of the weaknesses may be addressed by the government’s Project to Improve Financial Reporting and Auditing (PIFRA). The World Bank has carried out a country Financial Accountability Assessment in December 2003 (the report is available on WB Pakistan’s website at www.worldbank.org.pk or can be emailed by the U4 helpdesk upon request). Further, the ADB has approved a US$ 204 mln loan (part of a wider sequence) to support the Government of Punjab. Among other objectives, the programme aims to improve the effectiveness and accountability of financial management by bringing in transparent and user-friendly budgets and accounts, and financial and procurement systems (further details can be found on ADB website at http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2003/nr2003175.asp). Financial oversight bodies: The Supreme Audit Institution of the country (the Auditor General’s office) is trying to reform itself by following international best practices, such as those of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), as part of its reform agenda. It has been noted that there seems to be some progress in reorganizing the department with a view to adopting modern techniques of audit and reporting formats. It has initiated a capacity building program under the project to improve Financial Reporting and Auditing (PIFRA). Some of the other reform efforts include the design of diagnostic tools, such as a “Financial Government Rating Index (FGRI)” and an “Internal Quality Rating (IQR) for its departments, etc. Public Accounts Committee: the PAC was for a number of years operating as an ad-hoc body in need of serious reform efforts. In December of 2003, a Standing Committee on Public Accounts was finally established comprising about 18 members including the present Minister for Finance (ex-officio). Independent Anti-Corruption Agencies: the Government of Pakistan has undertaken a number of steps to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Agencies, and has especially concentrated on the National Accountability Bureau for its reforms. The reforms include the creation of NAB as the sole Anti Corruption Agency at the Federal level; adding the functions of prevention through research and monitoring and public awareness and coalition building with civil society to NAB’s mandate; provisions on appointments of ACAs (from the elected opposition members) and security of tenure of key office bearers of the ACA and others. Further reforms and restructuring are in the process. Local Government: the Devolution programme (forming part of the local government plan built around decentralization of administrative authority, de-concentration of management functions, diffusion of the power-authority nexus, and distribution of resources to the district level) of handing over local governance to the local levels and the people is deemed to be progressing satisfactory. The Devolution programme is coordinated by the National Reconstruction Bureau. Some survey tools (mentioned in Part I of this U4 answer) have been developed in cooperation with CIET International to measure progress and the impact of the process on public service delivery at local levels. Civil society and public participation: It has been noted that civil society and non-governmental organisations are being engaged in government’s committees, task forces and other advisory and oversight roles. So, for example, the local government is now required to establish various bodies that are to act as “watchdogs” and contribute inter alia towards the fight against corruption. These are to be set up in each town where citizens can take part in the direct monitoring of the Police, Judiciary, the District Government and others. These include the district Public Safety Commission to prevent unlawful or motivated use of police by the District Nazim; a Police Complaints Authority which will address serious complaints against police; Citizens Community Boards (comprising of civil society representatives) for energizing the community for development and improvement in service delivery through voluntary and self help initiatives as well as for carrying out citizen monitoring of the local government; local Ombudsman schemes and other bodies. Freedom of Information and Media: Several ordinances have been promulgated in 2002, including the Freedom of Information Ordinance, the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance and others. While this legislation has scope for major improvements, it is a reasonable first step to build on. Resources : |
New Zealand named world’s most peaceful nation, Pakistan on 137th position.
June 4th, 2009The South Pacific nation of four million people and 40 million sheep has knocked Iceland off its perch after violent demonstrations followed the collapse of Reykjavik’s banking system. The Global Peace Index, a report prepared for the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit, ranks 144 countries in a league table of peacefulness. The index defines peace as “the absence of violence”. Twenty-three criteria on which the league table is compiled include political stability, risk of terrorism, murder rate, likelihood of violent demonstrations, respect for human rights, internal conflicts, arms imports and involvement in foreign wars. It will be a source of quiet satisfaction for New Zealanders that Australia, their great rival across the Tasman Sea, managed to score only 19th place. Nordic countries Denmark and Norway took their accustomed positions near the top of the table. Britain, by comparison, was 35th, slightly higher than last year but one place below Botswana and one higher than Italy. Britain also ranks below most of the rest of Europe. The United States came 83rd, dragged down by two foreign wars, a high prison population, and the wide availability of guns. Its position did, however, mark a rise of six places, attributed to the number of years that have passed since 9/11 without suffering another terrorist attack. Iraq was last for the third of the three years since the index was launched. The report says the global economic recession and an increase in violent conflict and political instability around the planet took a toll on world peacefulness in 2008. Clyde McConaghy of the Institute for Economics and Peace said: “Peace is a concrete aim that can be measured and valued, not just in social terms but in economic terms. “There is a clear correlation between the economic crisis and the decline in peace.” In New Zealand, the report says last year’s election of a Centre-Right government “with a strong popular mandate and a robust parliamentary majority” was a factor contributing to peacefulness. Analysts also attribute the country’s relative racial harmony in part to a now well-established institutional system for addressing historic Maori grievances. Professor Kevin Clements, of Otago University in Dunedin, said: “The index is a pretty good reflection of countries people want to live in, because on bicultural issues and a variety of factors we are scoring well. “If you look at the top 20, they are all small nations based on strong welfare principles, all with good and relatively uncorrupt governance.” Top 10 most peaceful nations: 1 New Zealand, 2 Denmark, 3 Norway, 4 Iceland, 5 Austria, 6 Sweden, 7 Japan, 8 Canada, 9= Finland, 9= Slovenia. Ten least peaceful: 1 Iraq, 2 Afghanistan, 3 Somalia, 4 Israel, 5 Sudan, 6 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 7 Chad, 8 Pakistan, 9 Russia, 10 Zimbabwe. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/5433581/New-Zealand-named-worlds-most-peaceful-nation.html dated: 03 Jun 2009 |
Don’t bring God into politics: Noted cleric
June 3rd, 2009Politicians have a very different nature. When they smell that their popularity is moving behind the wall, they raise any such issue which will boil the atmosphere and graph of their popularity will begin to rise. In Islamic countries, they mostly raise the issue relating to religion. Each Islamic state have different sects of Muslims. The statements against one sect or any un-Islamic tradition or news, normally blow up their popularity. In Pakistan, about 10 years before, Shia Sunni conflicts were the main issues and now terrorist activities are the bad images of Pakistan in the world. Indonesia is also one of the biggest Islamic state where politicians do not spoil any such opportunity to get popularity using political tricks. “Use political science in politics. Don’t bring God into politics,” Gus Mus, a senior figure with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, said when receiving his Doctor Honoris Causa from Yogyakarta’s Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University (IAIN) on Saturday. The moderate cleric, who is also a poet, voiced his strong objection of the use of “religious symbols” in Indonesian political activities. He said religions, particularly Islam, which is embraced by the majority of Indonesians, were often used as political tools by politicians to win support in elections. In his inaugural doctoral speech entitled “Fortifying Cultural Islam, toward Humanity and Harmony”, he also said Indonesian Muslims, as the majority in the country, should be held responsible for the condition of the nation, be it good or bad. He said many Muslim Indonesians had failed to understand the true meaning of Islamic teachings due to their focus on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) rather than content. What happens now is that “Islam’s beauty” only appears in the five “pillars of Pancasila”, the state ideology, not in the real life of Muslims, he added. He also questioned Indonesian Muslims’ understanding of Islam, particularly in relation to God. He warned ritual religious services carried out by Indonesian Muslims had unconsciously shifted from their principal Islamic meaning, which led to incorrect conduct. “Does religion wasilah *an Arabic term for tool or vehicle*, or become ghoyah *an Arabic term for goal*? “Islam in Indonesia has been too *focused* on fiqh. We always hear about halal *lawful* and haram *forbidden*; about cigarettes being haram and Facebook being haram. “But this is not what Islam is all about. *We have to also focus* on how Islam can bring about tranquility for humankind.” He added misinterpretations of Islam had led to the absence of its values in everyday life. Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the country’s second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, said Gus Mus deserved the Doctor Honoris Causa degree because, as the caretaker of the Taman Pelajar Rembang Islamic boarding school in Rembang in Central Java, he had given many colors to the culture of Islam in the country. “In terms of Indonesia’s culture, Gus Mus’ thoughts and works have truly contributed to the development of Islamic culture,” said Din, who attended the inauguration ceremony on the IAIN campus. IAIN Sunan Kalijaga rector Amin Abdullah said Gus Mus deserved the honor because his thoughts and personality were in line with the visions of the Islamic state university. Also attending the event were other prominent Muslim scholars and cultural figures, such as Emha Ainun Nadjib, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, Butet Kertaradjasa, and Constitutional Court chief M. Mahfud MD. Source: http://www.thejakar tapost.com/ news/2009/ 06/01/don039t- bring-god- politics- noted-cleric. html Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Indonesian’s “honesty cafes”, a challenge to Pakistani culture
June 1st, 2009Recently I was reading a news from a Indonesian Newspaper GlobalPost where an article written by Peter Gelling Published on May 30, 2009 appealed to me to reproduce it with thanks so our leaders can establish such cafes in Pakistan too to create a HONESTY culture in the country. “JAKARTA — Indonesia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Transparency International ranks it 126 out of 180 nations — worse than Nigeria, but better than Myanmar. And so a handful of progressive leaders are trying anything they can to stem the overwhelming problem. In fact, the strategies to end graft are these days almost as imaginative as the graft itself. |
Two faces of a Coin
May 30th, 2009The recent revival of religion around the globe has raised fundamental questions not only about its role in both national and international politics, but also concerning its claim to serve as a principle of identity indispensable to the continuing survival of communities and peoples across the generations. There are many who would argue strenuously that the sense of belonging to a community is seriously weakened in the absence of a shared religious commitment. Others would insist just as strenuously that social and public life should be both conceived and organised in essentially secular terms. This lecture series debates this crucial contemporary theme. There’s a really interesting and important piece in a recent edition of the International Herald Tribune, Only traditional Islam can do it, by Phillip Blond a senior lecturer in philosophy and religion at the University of Cumbria (also an established Radical Orthodoxy luminary) and Adrian Pabst, lecturer in theology at the University of Nottingham. What they are essentially arguing for is a strongly tradition-rooted resistance, from among Muslims, to the legitimation of terror within present, politicized Islam. Contemporary Islamic fundamentalism is, they point out, modern and heretical rather than ‘traditional’ – contrary to the mistaken assumptions of many commentators and a superficial reporting culture. (I think it’s inevitably more cloudy than that, but in the final analysis they are correct.) So, they write, “given that we are losing the battle of hearts and minds, we would be well advised to chart a different path. By encouraging an Islamic renaissance and reviving traditions that the fundamentalists have so violently suppressed, Muslim youth might be diverted from their present course.” By contrast, trying to make Islam less Muslim (as if it was all corrupt, and non-religious modernity is all benign) is unworkable and counter-productive. Read it all here. This is clearly related to the recent news stirring about who gets to be imams, how they are formed and equipped, and where they come from. That has actually been a Muslim (and inter-faith) concern for many, many years. And those like Philip Lewis in Bradford, and others, who have tried to get it recognised have often been ignored or misunderstood. So good on the BBC for finally getting there, courtesy of the University of Chester. But the media and government are only just coming up to speed with these things – and they still have no idea about how behind they remain and how much they don’t know. So I’m essentially in agreement with Blond and Pabst. What will stop Muslims, Christians and other religionists (as well as humanists, atheists and non-believers) from developing into bigots, murderers and haters is not trying to tell them that they must become less Christian or Muslim (say) if they are to be civilized “like us”. It is the recovery of deep traditions of compassion within each of these ways of believing, becoming and behaving. To make this kind of thing possible, we need living moral communities (congregations, networks, associations) which are also interpretative communities – those who take conscious and collective responsibility for carrying the past into the future in ways that free us, unite us, and respond to visions of humanity and the world which are enriching, compassionate, non-violent and expanding. This is a massive task, I know. The alternative belief in some round-the-corner political fix, or the temptation to seek a new piety (some current secularism has an unhealthy belief in its own inherent goodness and the evil of that which it contends, say) may look overwhelming. ‘Christian ideology’ fails to see this in any way. Thus it becomes part of the problem (essentially ‘Christianism’) rather than part of the solution the Gospel helps us to imagine. But what Islamic ideology is presenting in the world especially in the UK where a number of Muslims from all over the Islamic and non-Islamic states are living and practicing without any barriers. The path we shall demonstrate to non Muslims has been presented as following in a newspaper. “Islamist extremists who protested at a parade for returning soldiers have been forced off the streets by an organised demonstration of moderate Muslims. Skip related content Bedfordshire Police would not comment on the incident but it is understood no-one was injured in the clash and no arrests were made. In March, protesters had brandished banners with slogans such as “Butchers of Basra” and “cowards, killers, extremists”. Afterwards, there was anger and dismay in the town’s wider Muslim community. Moderate followers of Islam said the protest had played into the hands of extreme right-wing groups and had made their day-to-day lives on the streets of Luton more difficult. On Friday, after weeks of rising tensions, members of the two groups of Muslims clashed in the town. Qadeer Baksh, chairman of the Islamic Centre in Luton, said a group of around 200 moderate followers descended on Bury Park, where the extremists regularly preach from a stall, to drive the protesters away. Numbering about six, the extremists were surrounded and themselves barracked with calls of “We don’t want you here”, said Mr Baksh. Scuffles broke out before police arrived. Mr Baksh said: “The Muslims of Luton are totally fed up with these boys. Police were unable to get them off the streets and stop them bringing harm to the Muslim community, so we had to. A small minority are giving us a bad name and allowing the British National Party to capitalise. They have made the place insecure for our women and children.” This piece is slightly adapted from http://faithinsociety.blogspot.com/ and http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090530/tuk-muslims-in-face-off-with-extremists-6323e80.html Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Poverty … The Poor Get Poorer
May 29th, 2009 Poverty is understood in many senses. The main understandings of the term are that poverty in this sense may be understood as the deprivation of essential goods and services. Poverty is an economic condition of lacking both money and basic necessities needed to successfully live such as food, water, education, and shelter. In the sense of social need, it includes social exclusion, dependency, and the ability to participate in society. This would include education and information. Social exclusion is usually distinguished from poverty, as it encompasses political and moral issues, and is not restrained to the sphere of economics. |
New law should ban picking baby’s sex by abortion
May 26th, 2009In most of the Asian nations, sons are preferred over daughters. Couples try to know about the sex of coming baby before its birth by ultrasound and if it reveals that their unborn child is a girl, the woman tries to have abortion. |
Justice May Be Blind and Behind the Chair…..
May 23rd, 2009So it’s hot here in Pakistan, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other suspended judges are now on their chairs, enjoying the air conditioners while who were protesting on roads for their restoration in the winter season are now protesting for electricity, protest is on its way of routine but with a different face, and it will take another year like the “Save Judicial, Save Pakistan” movement to “Give us Electricity, save our economy”. The Judges are in routine of their business and some typical cases are there for decision which may revert the old rulings because the element in their restoration are still behind the chair who are indirectly asking their reward now to save their future. “In notes of proceedings of Wong Hua Seh v Abang Mohd. Porkan bin Haji Abang Budiman & Ding Kuong Hing on 24 June 12008 reproducing a part of it (unedited), Justice Datuk Ian Chin lashed out at the “serving judge” mentioned in the News Straits Times report on 11 June 2008 and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad: On the “serving judge” “I can think of one reason and I can think of one judge (who is still serving) who will do that. This takes me back to 1996 or some other year, where Dr Mahathir had another group picture taken with the judges. To my disgust, this judge quickly planted himself behind the chair where Dr. Mahathir was to sit and when Dr Mahathir was about to be seated this judge declared: “Sir, I am always behind you.” It was disgusting even as a joke as it reduced the dignity of the office of a judge since the statement panders for endearment to Dr Mahathir. Since then I have always pondered whether this judge really meant what that statement would ordinarily convey which is that he will forever support Dr. Mahathir and to mean also, since it was made by a judge, he will decide what he thinks what Dr. Mahathir would like the verdict to be and worse still when told to.” Now the test of impartiality those judges who were suspended by Musharaf Government have started and public will judge who is behind the chair while giving any award in the case of Sharif Brothers? Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Who ruined the Beauty of Swat?
May 17th, 2009Swat is known as the Switzerland of Pakistan. It is on of the most green valleys of the Northern Pakistan, well connected to the rest of Pakistan and located in the middle of foothills of Hindukush mountain range. It is a place for leisure Lover, Hikers, and archaeologist. The Swat is garden of Ashoka and was a prosperous land in the Buddhist times (2nd BC to 5 AD) There are at least over 100 archaeological sites in the valley less then 10% of them are excavated. One can explore some of those sites in a half day tour of Swat. Swat was a princely state till July 28, 1969. The Islamic state of Swat was established in 1849 by Sayyed Akbar Shah. The state of Swat was kept in abeyance from 1863 to 1926, but Sharia law prevailed through Qazi courts during this period. The courts were restored by the British in 1926. Qazi courts operated till 1969 when Swat finally became part of Pakistan. Scene from Hell where Security forces were forced to take an action A mission which is impossible without economic development Syed Allauddin, a ruling Pakistan People’s Party MP from Swat who is unable to return to the region, believes there may be a three-pronged solution to the violence. Government of Pakistan writ Current Situation in Swat and other districts What will be the end? |
Pakistan: warning that a poor attitude towards Pakistan can damage the UK
April 30th, 2009IAS Chief Executive tells a Parliamentary Group that treating Pakistani students badly could rebound on Britain’s interests Contents of email which I received today from IAS. Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Zardari for solving agriculture issues on war footing
April 11th, 2009Recently in blogs on this website, we urged to the Government of Pakistan to work for Agriculture base industries and products and we are happy that Present Zardari have stressed the government official to work on emergency basis as country can meet its food requirements with proper use of available technologies “The development of the food and agriculture sectors is important for social and political stability of the country, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday. “If harnessed properly with the aid of latest technologies, Pakistan could not only meet its own food requirements but also become a net exporter of grain and commodities and earn foreign exchange and produce indigenous fuel. The technology to boost agriculture and food production was available in the country and a lot could be learnt from the Chinese model to increase food and agriculture production, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The president also advised the government to consider the possibility of enhancing the food grains storage capacity through a partnership between the private and public sectors. He said the private sector could build an additional storage capacity while the public sector guaranteed to rent out the storage space built by the private sector. The president also advised the government to consider special projects for the upgradation of ginning factories with a focus on meeting their power requirements. We hope Mr Zardari will establish a think tank for agriculture boost up and to look after the issues of small farmers and shortage of urea in the country, too. Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
World Bank Calls for Renewed Emphasis on Agriculture for Development
April 10th, 2009The World Development Report issued in October 2007 calls for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries and warns that the sector must be placed at the center of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realized. Titled ‘Agriculture for Development’, the report says the agricultural and rural sectors have suffered from neglect and underinvestment over the past 20 years. While 75 percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas, a mere 4 percent of official development assistance goes to agriculture in developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a region heavily reliant on agriculture for overall growth, public spending for farming is also only 4 percent of total government spending and the sector is still taxed at relatively high levels. According to the report, agriculture can offer pathways out of poverty if efforts are made to increase productivity in the staple foods sector; connect smallholders to rapidly expanding high-value horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, as well as dairy markets; and generate jobs in the rural nonfarm economy. Agriculture consumes 85 percent of the world’s utilized water and the sector contributes to deforestation, land degradation, and pollution. The report recommends measures to achieve more sustainable production systems and outlines incentives to protect the environment. If we have a look over agriculture progress in Pakistan, it is clear not a single government of Pakistan now and in the past have considered this sector for due progress. Claims are made but on site it is zero. The situation is that we, being a agricultural country, are importing agricultural products from neighbor countries. The policies of government are only up to papers. Being a member of farmer family, I know how a poor farmer is living hand to mouth in these days. Prices of Urea , diesel and electricity have gone up. There is shortage of water for lands. If there is no rain in time, then a shortage in yield do not cover the expenses. So many issues and problems in agriculture sector are there. Dairy and livestock development issues are there but no proper planning is there to support a lay farmer. The authorities should make policies not in the offices but on site listening the farmers. And most important is to construct the new resources to supply the water in time to farmers. Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Tehrik-i-Taliban: A Specious Claim and Brash Threats
April 9th, 2009By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart When we wrote our Global Security and Intelligence Report last week on Baitullah Mehsud and the Manawan attack, we had no intention that the piece would be part of a series, but several developments over the past week have compelled us to once again write about Pakistan — and Mehsud and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in particular. First, on April 4, eight paramilitary police were killed in a suicide bombing against their camp in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. This attack was the second suicide bombing in Islamabad in less than two weeks, and followed closely on the heels of the March 23 attack on the headquarters of the Police Special Branch in Islamabad. After the April 4 attack, one of Baitullah Mehsud’s deputies, Hakimullah Mehsud (who, like Baitullah, is a member of the large Mehsud clan) contacted the press to claim credit for the attack and threatened that the group would carry out two suicide attacks per week in Pakistan. According to press reports, Hakimullah Mehsud said: “We have shown enough restraint, previously, we were striking once in three months, but from now onward we will go for at least two suicide attacks a week.” On April 5, a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Chakwal, a Punjab city located approximately 50 miles southeast of Islamabad. The attack killed at least 22 people and injured another 35. About 2,000 people had gathered at the mosque for Majlis Aza, an annual Shiite celebration. The bomber reportedly detonated himself when guards stopped him in the crowd at the mosque’s front gate. Umar Farooq, the spokesman of the shadowy militant organization Fedayeen al-Islam (FI), called The Associated Press the same day to claim credit for the Chakwal attack. Farooq said his group staged the attack on the mosque as part of a “campaign against infidels.” Oddly, on April 4, Baitullah Mehsud (or someone claiming to be him) called Reuters to claim responsibility for the April 3 shooting at a U.S. immigration center in Binghamton, New York. “They were my men,” the caller told the AP. “I gave them orders in reaction to U.S. drone attacks.” This claim was quickly discounted by eyewitness accounts of the shooting. According to surviving victims and other witnesses, the Binghamton shooting was carried out by a lone gunman, Jiverly Voong, who was a Vietnamese immigrant with no apparent links to Islam or the Taliban. Before plunging into the Binghamton claims and threats to attack the continental United States, let’s take a quick look at the man behind them, Baitullah Mehsud. As STRATFOR has previously discussed, Mehsud, who is only in his mid-30s, is a member of a new generation of militant leaders in Pakistan’s tribal badlands. As part of this new generation, Mehsud has endeavored to systematically remove or undermine the established tribal leaders in South Waziristan, usurping power and thus severing many of the tools of influence the Pakistani government held in the region. This process of killing off the old tribal leadership has been a significant contributing factor to what we have previously referred to as the “Talibanization” of Pakistan. In some ways, Mehsud personifies the struggle between al Qaeda and Pakistani intelligence organizations for influence and control of Afghan and Pakistani jihadists. Since Mehsud operates largely outside of its control, the government of Pakistan has come to view Mehsud (and others like him) as a larger threat to Pakistan than the Afghan Taliban or the foreign jihadists — like al Qaeda — that Mehsud considers allies. Indeed, Pakistan has long tried to play up the importance of Mehsud to the United States and has been quite agitated that, until relatively recently, the United States was not targeting Mehsud’s TTP organization. When the United States finally did turn its sights on Meshud and his network, the TTP responded by launching attacks against the Pakistani authorities. Indeed, Hakimullah Mehsud said the group was stepping up the tempo of their attacks precisely because of the U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks directed against the TTP. As we noted last week, although Baitullah Mehsud tells journalists that he is ready to be martyred, the UAV attacks against the TTP do pose a very real threat to him, and to the viability of his organization. The scope of this threat is made evident by their response to the attacks. However, there is also another dynamic that threatens the TTP, and that is the efforts of the Pakistanis and the Americans to try to split the nationalist militants from those who are more internationally focused. That is, split those groups who want to carry out jihad to create a transnational caliphate (like al Qaeda) from those groups whose primary interest is establishing more localized control — like the Taliban in Afghanistan prior to the U.S. invasion. This approach is very similar to the approach coalition forces took in Iraq to separate al Qaeda in Iraq from the more nationalistic Sunni tribal militants in places like Anbar province. While the United States is attempting to divide the jihadists on the Afghan side of the border, the Pakistanis are attempting to do the same among those in Pakistan. If the Pakistanis and Americans are able to split the more nationalist jihadists (like the Haqqani network) away from the more internationalist jihadists (like al Qaeda and the TTP) this could leave al Qaeda and the TTP isolated and far more vulnerable — which is why this process is seen as a threat by Mehsud and company. Indeed, divisions already exist with groups like the Haqqani network, which opposes attacks inside Pakistan. Into this mix, Mehsud has injected threats to hit the United States and has made the strange claim of credit for the Binghamton shooting. Let’s examine the Binghamton claim first. We were quite surprised — and a bit embarrassed — to see this claim come out only a couple of days after we wrote in our security weekly that a prominent militant leader like Mehsud did not have to take credit for other people’s attacks, and that lying about such things would hurt his already well-established reputation. Initially, we thought that perhaps the claim was some sort of psychological operation by the Pakistanis or Americans designed to make Mehsud look like a fool or a nut. However, when days passed and the TTP issued no retraction, it became apparent that Mehsud had actually made the claim for some reason. Also, despite his carefully crafted public image of never displaying his face, Mehsud is a media animal, who, as his frequent calls to Reuters, The Associated Press and Pakistani journalists testify, loves to see his name in print. With all the coverage surrounding the Binghamton claim, he undoubtedly was aware of the event. Had the claim been orchestrated by an intelligence agency seeking to discredit him, he would have quickly denied it — just as he quickly denied the claims that he was behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. As to the threat to attack the United States, one must use a two-step test: 1) Does the actor behind the threat possess the capability to carry out the threatened action? and 2) Does the actor possess the intent to do so? When we look at the capabilities of the TTP, the group has not demonstrated the ability to operate as a transnational organization. We have seen instances of grassroots-type jihadists elsewhere who were allegedly trained at TTP camps, but providing paramilitary training to grassroots jihadists is different from actually training and dispatching operatives to conduct attacks on your behalf. The technical skills and tradecraft required to conduct an act of terrorism are very different from those needed to be an insurgent, and are very different from the subjects taught in basic military — or paramilitary — training. Even if the grassroots operatives are trained in some of the more technical skills of terrorism such as bomb-making, there are still important tradecraft skills that must be acquired and honed before a person can become a successful transnational militant capable of conducting acts of terrorism in a hostile environment. We define terrorist tradecraft as the set of subtle skills needed to maintain secrecy and operate within a hostile environment. These skills are foundational to the success of both the individual jihadist and his network anywhere, but they are acutely critical while conducting transnational operations. Merely being able to travel internationally with ease is something many guerrilla fighters cannot do. More refined tasks, such as conducting preoperational surveillance in a major metropolitan area, maintaining secure communications, establishing cover for status and cover for action while undertaking operational activity, or acquiring weapons without arousing unwanted attention, are simply things not taught to most guerrilla fighters, and they are skills that require a great deal of practical training in order to master. So far, the TTP has shown an ability to successfully operate inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, but its operations to date have been somewhat rudimentary (like the Marawan attack) and have not shown an advanced degree of nuance or sophistication. Likewise, the group has not demonstrated the ability to train and dispatch operatives to a major western city like New York or London in order to conduct an attack. (Al Qaeda has demonstrated this ability but the TTP has not.) When all is said and done, employing an improvised explosive device manufactured at a camp in Pakistan against a target in Pakistan is a far cry from employing it against a target in London. Now, with regard to the second step of the test — intent. Is the TTP really planning to strike Washington, D.C., New York and London? This is a question that almost every major intelligence and law enforcement agency in the West began to focus on following Mehsud’s public statements in a January 2008 interview with Al Jazeera that he wanted to attack the United States and the United Kingdom. “We pray to God to give us the ability to destroy the White House, New York and London,” Mehsud said during the interview. “And we have trust in God. Very soon, we will be witnessing jihad’s miracles.” But does such a public statement — or even his March 31 statement in which he threatened strikes against Washington, D.C. in response to U.S. UAV attacks — really translate into intent? This is where the intent side of the equation gets very fuzzy. Merely stating that one is going to do something is not necessarily a clear indication that there is real intent to do so. Indeed, there is a good argument to be made that if Mehsud truly intended to strike the United States or United Kingdom he would remain silent about his aspirations in order to help ensure the operational security of any operatives he has dispatched abroad to conduct such strikes. Certainly, Osama bin Laden did openly declare war against the United States in August 1996 and again in February 1998, but he never mentioned specific targets in those declarations and was certainly far more circumspect with his statements as his operatives got closer to actually executing attacks. In fact, bin Laden even went so far as to deny responsibility for many of the early al Qaeda attacks and initially denied responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. Mehsud is neither stupid nor crazy. Such people do not become major militant leaders at age 35 in the violent world of Pakistan’s tribal areas. He is clearly rational and quite Machiavellian. What he is doing, therefore, likely has some rational explanation beyond the fact that he likes to hear his name mentioned by the media. While the threats against the United States and United Kingdom may be explained away under the “media debutante” rationale, unless Mehsud made a terrible miscalculation in taking credit for the Binghamton shooting, there must be some other overriding reason to risk damaging his reputation as a militant leader with a specious claim. As seen by the U.S. reaction to the 9/11 attacks, any successful large-scale attack on American soil could have dire consequences for Mehsud. Such a strike could, at the very least, serve to steel U.S. resolve to stay in Afghanistan, or it could motivate the United States to dramatically increase its focus on totally destroying the TTP. Additionally, if Mehsud is truly intent on hitting the United States or United Kingdom, we should see him begin to hit American and British targets within his current operational sphere, i.e., within Pakistan, before graduating to American and British targets overseas. There is another possibility. Perhaps Mehsud does not possess the intent to attack Washington, New York or London. Maybe his threats — along with the Binghamton claim — are intended to scuttle the emerging U.S. strategy of dealing with factions of the Taliban in an effort to divide them and isolate the more radical elements. If Mehsud does fear such a strategy — and he has reason to, following its successes in Iraq — it is possible that his recent antics are an effort to influence public perception inside the United States regarding the Taliban. As the United States reaches out to factions of the Afghan Taliban in an attempt to split them from al Qaeda, et al., Mehsud threatens the United States and attempts to link the Pakistani Taliban to a shooting in Binghamton, New York. Even though the link to the shooting was quickly and officially discounted, it is a safe bet that it will live on for a long time as an urban legend or rumor, especially among the more conspiracy-minded. Such perceptions are going to make the strategy of negotiating with any Taliban (Afghan or Pakistani) appear to be less tenable for many Americans. At the same time, Mehsud could be using his rhetoric in an attempt to steer the more nationalist jihadists in Pakistan and Afghanistan toward his more transnational agenda. In any case, Mehsud’s efforts to shape opinion at home or abroad could explain his recent posturing, however bogus or brash it might be. |
Facing Reality
April 7th, 2009We are quoting comments published in English news paper of Pakistan “The News” which reflects the reality of suicide bombing and its causes. We all know that most, if not all of these, are carried out by young Pakistanis. In some cases at least these teenagers are as much the victims as the hapless people whose families live forever with the grief of a life so aimlessly lost. But the key fact is that it is Pakistanis, citizens who may at their schools have sung the national anthem or, like many of us, waved green and white flags on key occasions, who are behind the wave of terrorism that has overtaken us. The sectarian conflict that Chakwal never knew has taken a hold there. This is the doing of our own people. Cover-ups and a refusal to face what is happening to our country will take us nowhere. We must hope the interior advisor’s admission can lead to action to deal with the elements who have set up base everywhere in the country and today threaten its very survival.” Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Judicial Murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
April 4th, 2009Today, it is the anniversary of Ex Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and people have gathered on his tomb in Larkana to salute him pray for his soul and his daughter Ex Prime Minister Benazeer Bhutto who was also assassinated in the name of restoration of democracy in Pakistan. When Zufiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1977, I was a student and I remember all the situation in my mind what happened and how he was hanged. He was a great leader who worked for Pakistan and I often say when someone remember him that “He gave the voice (tongue to speak) to poor people to raise their voice for their rights”. And no doubt, after his regime people learned how to come on roads and how to struggle for their rights. His hanging was a judicial murder and preplanned by Ex President General Zia-ul-Haq. He was hanged under sec. 109 PC on false evidence of some officials in the murder of Mr. Kasoori who was his opponent in politics. Now and even after his hanging, it was protested all over the world that it was a judicial murder but not a single government even Benazeer Butto’s own government had any enquiry in this regard or set up any commission to know the facts. It may be the judges of that bench in Supreme Court who confirmed the hanging are alive, can disclose the facts and tell the nation why they were forced to confirm the decision of Lahore High Court. They should come in front of people and tell the truth. Media who was crying on the reinstatement of Chief Justice Mr. Iftikhar Chaoudhry should disclose the facts too on his judicial murder and ask the people and judges to come forward and unveil the secrets. Mr Chief Justice Iftikhar Ali Choudhry who is known as a Honest Judge, if he has courage, can set up a Bench and investigate this Judicial Murder on Sue Moto Notice. Can we expect this one from Mr. Chief Justice Iftikhar Ali Choudhary? Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
Police under terror attack in Pakistan and future measures
March 30th, 2009The Global terrorism have become so cheap that it is common now in developing countries where resources of security measures have made it easy especially where the weakness of political system encourage terrors to do their activities with a little manpower capturing the world’s attention and gives the weak, the ability to terrify the strong. Is there any way to beat it? Here Bjorn Lomborg sets out some of the cost problems – and offers some possible solutions. In such scenario if governments take any actions to guard one venue simply prompt the terrorists to shift to another target. Terrorists enjoy strategic advantages over the nations they attack and can hide among the general population and are difficult to identify. What happened in Pakistan, today March 30th, 2009 in a police training institute, martyring 25 persons in attack, injuring 92, martyring 8 in the operation and killing 4 terrorists showing the negligence of government agencies and lack of securities measures? The author have gathered some security measures to be taken in future from different sources for the authorities who are responsible for the safety of people and maintenance of peace in the country. What can be Done? To be effective, counter terrorism measures must either make all modes of attack more difficult or reduce terrorists’ resources making some targets ‘harder’ simply encourages terrorists to shift their focus. Terrorists can observe how governments change potential targets and then attack accordingly. For now, we need to rely on our government and the World experts to resolve this issue. Meanwhile, we can learn to be patient and be a little more tolerant of the increased security measures until the terrorism issues are resolved or the risk of future harm is reduced. A terrorist group can, at times, be annihilated, but new groups will surface. Actions to kill a group’s leaders may result in more ruthless leaders replacing them, as Israel discovered with Black September and Hamas. On a wider international perspective, increased cooperation is difficult due to nations jealously guarding their sovereignty over police and security matters. Cooperation only works if it is comprehensive. If all but a single country denies terrorists a safe haven on their soil, the one holdout undercuts the efforts of the others. We should consider that in future, terrorist can attacks upon schools in large cities with the terrorists’ goals of creating fear.” School and public safety officials nationwide now proactively pursue prevention programs, security measures, and emergency preparedness measures to prevent a future Columbine-like attack in their schools. The failure to talk about the possibility of such an incident occurring and the failure to take steps to prevent such an occurrence would be considered as “negligence” in the eyes of most educators, public safety officials, parents, media, and courts. In this regard encouragement to school personnel to maintain a “heightened awareness” for suspicious activity and to report same will be a basic factor in security measures taken by the government. This may include suspicious vehicles on and around campus, suspicious persons in and around school buildings including those taking photographs or videotaping, suspicious packages around the building perimeter and/or in the school, and suspicious information seeking efforts by phone or by unknown “visitors.” Suggested Anti-terrorism Security Measures Little or No Cost Actions: Actions that May Bear Some Cost: • Consider installing telephone caller I.D., record phone calls, if necessary. |
Load shedding in Pakistan
March 24th, 2009It was claimed by politicians when the judiciary will be reinstated, all economic crisis will end in the country. Now after the reinstatement of Iftikhar Choudhry and other judges, we are looking any miracle which can end the load shedding. The TV media which was shouting over judiciary crisis now should shout over the load shedding and economic growth in the country. It should realize the politicians and beurocrates that paying the bills to WAPDA by them as well as by their departments is the survival of the WAPDA. Paying bills by laymen or small shopkeepers cannot survive WAPDA untill those who thief the electricity. There are so many factors for the losses of WAPDA due or Karachi Electric Supply Company due to which new sources of generation have stppoed. In my opinion, following are the factors of load shedding: 1. No new sources of generation as WAPDA have no sources. 2. Politicians who use free electricity at their homes and industries and intervention in management of WAPDA. 3. Free use of electricity in Sind and FATA or tribal areas. 4. Leakage with support of WAPDA staff. 5. Distrust by foreign investors over infrastructure of WAPDA and its mode of payment . There may be other factors and you can mention here. Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, |
