Shakil Chaudhary interviews Dr Shabir Choudhry on 5th February 2023:
https://youtu.be/WoES3tXyk18Saturday, 18 February 2023
My interview with Shakil Ch in 2021:
My interview with Shakil Ch in 2021:
https://youtu.be/5nurZNGvPVQTuesday, 14 February 2023
Why Pashtun Nationalism Is Considered A Major Fault Line in Pakistan? Glimpses Of History (Part IV)
Why Pashtun Nationalism Is Considered A Major Fault Line in Pakistan? Glimpses Of History (Part IV)
In the line of Pashtoon nonviolent uprisings in the 20th century by Bacha Khan and Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai already discussed in the previous articles against the atrocities and suppressive policies inflected upon Pashtoon population by colonial power and particularly Pakistani establishment after creation of Pakistan, the emergence of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement is a new phenomenon of 21st century in that continuity.
Though the movement is nonviolent inspired by the past none violent struggles but initially it sparked by the extrajudicial killing of Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud, since it began its long march to Islamabad in the beginning, calling for the demining of the former tribal areas and greater freedom of movement in the latter, the rights-based alliance has insisted on an end to the practices of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions, and for its practitioners to be held to account within a truth and reconciliation commission.
The ‘Pashtun Renaissance’ started under the very young, enthusiastic and charismatic leadership of Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen and its co-founders, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar who hails from the so-called tribal area of Waziristan.
The history of the area goes farther back than 9/11 and that is why it was created as a ‘safe haven’ for global terrorists by the ‘deep state’. Despite, being ignored by the mainstream media, PTM is drawing huge crowds of young and old Pashtoon population throughout the country particularly in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tribal areas (former FATA) Baluchistan province and Karachi city.
The movement is positioning itself as a platform to protect the rights and lives of the Pashtoon from what it considers are elements from within and outside the state bent on demonizing and excluding the Pashtun population in Pakistan.
For the first time in the history of this state, the PTM challenged the steel frame of militarized status quo not for seeking power or share in power bounty, contrary to traditional political parties but for just rights of Pashtoon with in the constitutional boundaries and enforcing the social contract in letter and spirit.
The problem with the state within a state is how to cope with this new extra ordinary political phenomenon that, so far, has no Achilles heel. The leadership of the movement carries no bag of the past except the heart wrenching narratives of widespread destruction and humiliation they faced in their home towns erstwhile tribal areas due to terrorism and counter terrorism military operations particularly, “Radd-ul Fasaad” and Zarb-e-Azb”. The establishment could not intimidate them with the usual carrot and stick policy. Their high moral ground flowing from their legitimate cause has across the board acceptability in the oppressed Pashtoon population. Even all political parties and installed civilian government is carefully choosing its words while speaking about the PTM. It is regrettable that, barring some initial steps to address their concerns, the response to the PTM by the state apparatus and mainstream political classes at both federal and provincial levels has largely been paranoid and counterproductive. Despite taking remedial measures to address the demands of PTM, the Pashtoon anywhere are seen as a threat and need to be monitored as terror suspects. Both, Punjab and Sindh started profiling Pukhtoons. Students were refused hostels in universities. Pukhtoons staying in hotels or private accommodations had to report to the nearest police station. Police circulated instructions for keeping an eye on them and any new Pashtun face was to be reported. Thousands of Pashtun were – and are still – under surveillance and, whenever required, eliminated in extrajudicial encounters, branding them as terrorists.
Are the demands of PTM in line with constitution?
The demands of the PTM are very few and simple.
1) They ask for their area to be cleared of landmines; planted by Pakistani security forces during a military operation against the Taliban across FATA, which claimed the lives of a number of civilians.
2) to produce in courts of law persons made forcibly missing;
3) for a life of dignity; they ask not to be collectively punished for crimes not committed by them, abandoning ‘collective punishment’ of tribes in FATA when terrorist activity is detected. When incidents occurred in FATA, security forces surrounded that area and punished the entire locality where the incident happened.
4) Creating a judicial commission to investigate extra-judicial killings and examine the thousands of Pashtun disappearances
5) the killers of Naqeebullah Mehsud particularly Rao Anwar former police officer, to be brought to justice.
6) Abolition of the Watan Card, a special identity card (not a national identity card) issued by the military personnel deployed in the locality. It is required for locals to move freely to and from their areas and homes.
7) Putting a stop to security forces humiliating Pashtun tribesmen at check posts.
8) withdrawal of all cases against Ali wazir MNA from FATA and his release from jail in connection with an FIR registered against him under Sections 120 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc.), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121-A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121) and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 5 of the Loud Speaker Act on behalf of the state.
9) establishment of truth and reconciliation commission to probe into exta judicial killings, missing persons, terrorist activities in the area and fix responsibilities etc.
10. Reconstruction, rehabilitation and compensation of houses and shops damaged or destroyed during operations in the area
11) withdrawal of security forces from mines and mineral in the tribal areas and allow people free access to their forests and mining
The PTM’s first demand is according to article 10, security of person:
‘No person shall be deprived of life or liberty, save in accordance with law’.
The second and fourth demands are according to article 10 and 10 A, safeguard to arrest and detention and right to fair trial:
‘No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed of the grounds for such arrest’.
“Every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before a magistrate within twenty-four hours of such arrest, and no such person shall be detained in custody beyond the said period without the authority of a magistrate”.
“For the determination of his civil rights and obligations or in any criminal charge against him a person shall be entitled to a fair trial and due process”.
Third demand is according to article 14; Inviolability of dignity of men. ‘The dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of the home, shall be inviolable’.
The demands of the PTM are very much constitutional; there is nothing negative about it. Then why are its protests dubbed as ‘engineered’ and its leader, Manzoor Pashteen, as ‘agent of RAW and NDS’, and Ali Wazir setting MNA has been kept in jail for last two years, even his production orders are denied by the speakers of both National Assemblies of Imran Khan’s and the present PDM government. Everyone is tempted to ask?
When Pakistan’s Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) highlighted the plight of their people living in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and in the other parts of country and gained momentum in the youth chanting following famous slogans against the security forces:
· “ye jo dehshatgardi hai, iske peechewardi hai” (Those in uniform are behind terrorism).
· “Ye jo namaloom hey, ye hamen maloom hey” (We know all the unknown persons) (We know your unknown). “Lar aw bar yo Afghan” (Afghan both in Pakistan and Afghanistan are one).
· “Ye jo talib-gardi hey, esky peechy wardi he” (The uniform [military] is behind this Talibanization).
The slogans rhyme give expression to their miseries:
destroyed houses, dead, disappeared and frustrated loved ones, uprooted communities, and unwelcomed neighborhoods.
Demanding the state’s attention, Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, the young leader of PTM, wants the ruling elite to pay heed to the suffering of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and enlarged Pashtoon population in the other parts of the country. His impassioned stories of lives being lost to landmines and families of missing persons languishing in pain have brought out one clear message:
militants and the military are alike in destroying terrorism affected Pashtun communities.
Actually, former FATA Society was well on its way to progress when it saw its ‘natural’ course of change and development rudely interrupted with the coming of thousands of foreign Mujahideen, establishing Jihadi Seminaries and recruitment of students of those religious institutions including locals by the US and Pakistan in the 1980s to fight a jihad against what was then the Soviet Union. The story of how the world abandoned the Mujahideen and Afghanistan, following the end of the Cold War is well known. But what is, perhaps, not known is that FATA too was abandoned, leaving it with a jihadi mindset, an abundance of cheap modern weapons and easy entry and exit of foreign Mujahideen. The weaponization of society and the presence of foreign extremist elements has dealt a serious blow to the tribal system. This in large part is responsible for the current imbroglio.
On the other hand, no serious efforts were ever made by the government to change the FCR, reduce poverty and give effective political representation, basic human rights and a mechanism to redress grievances to this marginalized region of Pakistan. By failing to fulfil its obligations, the state appears to have abandoned FATA to its fate. People in tribal agencies have suffered heavily for being consigned to the backwaters, ignored and exploited for jihadi activities. The resulting militancy has considerably weakened the tribal structure as well as the old system of governance that cannot be revived.
These slogans raised by PTM, gained the military’s top brass attention and considered it anti state movement supported by Indian RAW and NDS of Afghanistan. In this connection few instances are quoted as:
1) Lt General Nazir Ahmad Butt, the then corps commander Peshawar in a statement said that PTM’s “demands are genuine and we are ready to address all demands within the purview of the Constitution.”
The military’s decision to hold a dialogue with the PTM, which was previously termed an “engineered movement” supported by Pakistan’s foes, is certainly surprising. While the choice of a dialogue is a prudent approach, considering the movement’s demands fall in the ambit of the country’s’ constitution, it remains unclear why Pakistan’s powerful military has decided to enter a dialogue with the group at this point.
2) Speaking at an investiture ceremony in Rawalpindi on April 12, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in an obvious reference to the Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), warned that ‘engineered protests’ will not be allowed to reverse the gains of counter-terrorism operations. The army chief may have had his reasons for labelling the PTM protests as ‘engineered’ and there may very well be evidence of the el
3) On 3rd May 2019, at press conference by former Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the Inter-Services Public Relations director general, now corps commander 12 corps Quetta, covered a lot of ground and addressed many questions. It also left behind some fresh questions. The most important concerns, according to the military spokesman was foreign funding for the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement and the idiom and style of the PTM at its protest demonstrations. The then ISPR chief mentioned several instances of PTM leaders receiving funds from hostile neighbors. He also said they had had several meetings with the enemy. He announced that law would take its course against PTM leaders who had been flouting it. He added that the law-abiding citizens of what had been the Federally Administered Tribal Areas would not be harmed. It appeared that the military or the government will approach a court of law to seek action against the PTM leaders and produce tangible evidence of their guilt. There was no ambiguity about the message as the general (twice) told the PTM, “Your time is up.” But that never happened due to reasons best known to military establishment.
(To be continued)
Sher Khan Bazai, the writer is retired from civil service as Secretary Education
Azadi of Azad Kashmir is a joke – This colony is totally controlled by Pakistan, Jamil Maqsood.
Azadi of Azad Kashmir is a joke – This colony is totally controlled by Pakistan, Jamil Maqsood.
People of Gilgit Baltistan and POJK are completely free to praise those who rule us. Sadly, some citizens are unable to differentiate between azadi and Ghulami.
5th generation war & Pakistan. Pakistani infrastructure and elephants of Porus. Part 1
5th generation war & Pakistan. Pakistani infrastructure and elephants of Porus. Part 1
When Pakistan established infrastructure behaved like elephants of porus and attacked Pakistan and army Generals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM6Dm1ZhrBI
Wednesday, 8 February 2023
Pakistan in the dock in the UNHRC on the issue of human rights. Under the UPR mechanism Pakistan’s record was examined.
Pakistan in the dock in the UNHRC on the issue of human rights. Under the UPR mechanism Pakistan’s record was examined.
Mahmood Kashmiri says, all oppressed nations living under the control of Pakistan must unite to defend their fundamental rights.
Monday, 6 February 2023
How the world observes India and Pakistan India and Pakistan are in the news in the West, Shahid Javed Burki
How the world observes India and Pakistan India and Pakistan are in the news in the West
Shahid Javed Burki February 06, 2023
Once again, India and Pakistan, the sister states carved more than 75 years ago by the British out of their large South Asian colony, are in the news in the West. India is being widely written about as the world’s most populous country and its largest democracy. In terms of the size of its population, it overtook China in the beginning weeks of 2023 and while the size of the Chinese population has begun to decline, that of India would continue to grow. India has both very rich and very poor people with a large middle class that is growing in size and spends a great deal on goods that are beyond the reach of the poor. This growing demand is attracting foreign firms to start production and distribution in the country.
India is now the world’s fifth-largest economy. Its expansion is being encouraged by the government which has pulled back from several parts of the economy, leaving space into which private entrepreneurs have moved. Among those who have contributed to the growing economy is Gautam Adani, an industrialist who has built a large industrial empire that uses coal as a source of energy.
The economic and financial rise of Gautam Adani, from the Indian state of Gujrat which is also the home state of Narendra Modi, the country’s prime minister, has begun to attract attention from the Western media. In mid-January 2023, Hindenburg Research, a short-seller firm based in New York, published a lengthy report that accused Adani of, among other things, artificially boosting the company’s shares over several decades by using a network of overseas shell companies linked to his relatives. The report said that the Adani companies were seriously overvalued, perhaps by as much as 80%. The Hindenburg report was picked up by a number of newspapers including the Washington Post which reported that the Adani group’s holding company’s shares fell by more than 18%, while several of its subsidiaries also suffered severe losses. According to Bloomberg News, publicly traded Adani companies lost roughly a combined $50 billion in market capitalization by the end of January 27. Adani Enterprises’ difficulties had consequences for other sectors of the Indian economy. For instance, public and private sector banks held a total of about 40 % of the Adani Group’s debt which led to a fall of 2.5% in their capitalization on one day, January 27.
Pakistan is also being noticed by the Western Press. While most of the reporting on India is positive much of what is being written about Pakistan is negative. It is not viewed as a country with considerable potential which could become the center of economic activity and commerce in a highly troubled part of the world. There are many analysts in the West who have written of this country of some 220 million people as a rapidly failing state. Even some well-informed Pakistanis believe that the country may soon fragment into a bunch of small states. Pakistan lost a good part of its territory when its Bengali citizens left to form a new state, Bangladesh.
The Bengali departure demonstrated that ethnicity is a powerful foundation for building a nation. Ethnicity is at work again in what is now Pakistan. The growing activity attributed to the Baluchistan Liberation Front, the BLF, which is openly campaigning to create an independent Baluchi state that will have a large area with the likelihood of rich deposits of iron, copper and gold. Exploiting these riches would result in a type of economy that have emerged in the Gulf.
Ethnicity is not the only problem Pakistan faces. The other is the return of terrorism promoted by Islamic extremists. This too is receiving a great deal of attention in the Western press. For instance, the January 31, 2023 issues of both The New York Times and The Washington Post gave extensive coverage to the bombing of a mosque in Peshawar which killed more than 100 worshippers and injured another 160. The Post placed a picture of the destroyed mosque on its front page. In the accompanying story, the writers described the terrorist operation as “one of the deadliest militant attacks ever on Pakistani forces.” The responsibility for the attack was claimed by two officials of Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which has waged a war against the government for years and recently broke off a truce that had been negotiated last year. The group has a close alliance with the Afghan Taliban, now ruling Afghanistan, but operate independently.
In my own writings, I have taken a largely positive view of Pakistan’s future once it is able to stabilize its highly fractured political system. Pakistan sits on top of India and borders China. Through Pakistan, the landlocked countries of Central Asia can gain access to the sea. Gwadar on the Baluchistan coast is being developed as a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor program of investment. Once it is fully operational, it would become a major port on the Asian mainland. Much of Chinese and Japanese international trade would flow through the port, avoiding the long-haul passage through the Strait of Malacca, a narrow artery that adjacent to Singapore.
Providing space for international commerce is not the only advantage Pakistan has for inviting international interest including foreign investment. It also has considerable agricultural potential that is used for producing grain on land fed by canal irrigation. In the world’s major grain producing areas such as the United States, Russia and Ukraine, grain is grown on rainfed land. Land that relies on irrigated water should be producing high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables. There is a growing demand for these products in the rapidly developing western provinces of China.
Pakistan also has the potential to feed China’s large industrial enterprises with products that use relatively cheap labour. With the rise of wages in China, the supply chains have extended to the countries in Southeast Asia. Even India has been pulled into this structure. Pakistan should try to partner with large Chinese producers and enter the growing field of international system of production. Realization of the positives would require serious public policy work.
The writer is a former caretaker finance minister and served as vice-president at the World Bank
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2399553/how-the-world-observes-india-and-pakistan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)