Posts Tagged ‘Pakistan’
Pakistan and Counter-Terrorism: Inability or Unwillingness?
Pakistan’s recent military offensive against the Taliban has earned the country some 
international support for its counter-terrorism efforts. There is hope that the democratic government will be willing and committed to fighting terrorism. However the events of the past week have raised a disturbing concern in my mind. Pakistan has, beyond doubt begun combating terrorist elements operating on its soil; but at the same time Pakistan’s counter-terrorism strategy is selective and self-serving. In a matter of few days the Government of Pakistan has re-arrested Sufi Muhammad and released Hafiz Saeed. To me this is not a simple case of supporting terrorism against India but has deeper implications. It’s about Pakistan’s reluctance and not inability to combat terrorism. The Sufi-Saeed case points to three trends in Pakistan’s ‘counter-terrorism efforts’: no person-specific operations, inconsequential arrests on mild charges and treating terrorism as legal problem. Click to continue…
‘Humor Censorship’ in Pakistan
One of the long standing criteria for distinguishing dictatorships from democracies was the degree of press freedoms. A free press is considered to represent the popular voice and keeps a tab on all branches of the Government. A recent directive by the Government of Pakistan has added a new dimension to this discourse. What about freedom of expression through email, blogs and text messages? How would you respond if your expression of humor is censored? For those who find this strange should thank their stars if they are not residing in Pakistan. And for those who are living in Pakistan remember this before you crack a joke next time: Pakistanis who send jokes about President Asif Zardari by text message, email or blog risk being arrested and given a 14-year prison sentence. Click to continue…
Indian Diplomacy with ‘Faulty Drafts’
Diplomacy, to my mind, was the art of playing with words to serve national interests. The choice of words can turn diplomatic leverage into abject surrender. This is exactly what India has done in the Summit level negotiations with Pakistan at the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Egypt last week. After facing massive criticisms following the recent round of negotiations with Pakistan, the Government of India has come up with an innovative excuse. India’s Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon reiterated that India has not capitulated to Pakistan on terrorism, saying that the joint statement issued by the prime ministers of the two countries last week “can be faulted for bad drafting”.
“The joint statement can be faulted for bad drafting but the meaning is clear that the composite dialogue is not delinked from Pakistan taking action on terrorism,” he said while interacting with MPs after delivering a lecture on the “Challenges and Opportunities” of India’s foreign policy.
“Action against terrorism should not stop because there is no dialogue,” he said, maintaining that India-Pakistan relations were not akin to a Twenty20 cricket match where the intention is to hit every ball for a six or claim a wicket.
Is the Foreign Secretary really serious? Does an aspiring global power, contending for a permanent seat at the Security Council, walk in and out of negotiations with faulty drafts? If this is the quality of our negotiations in non-emergency situations, how would India fare if major crisis occurs?
India-Pakistan Peace Process: Dialogue to Nowhere
If someone asked me to describe a circular motion, the course of Indo-Pak peace process would instantly come to mind. Most analysis on India-Pakistan through this week had referred to the resumption of peace talks; I would refer to it as the resumption of the ‘dialogue ritual’. Unlike most Indians and Pakistanis, I neither support nor condemn the recent efforts at resuming the dialogue between India and Pakistan. Meaningful dialogue is meant to be progressive rather than repetitive. More than five years after the Composite Dialogue was initiated between India and Pakistan, the two sides are still undecided about what and how to discuss. Though both sides claim to be open to dialogue, every item on the list is tied to fulfillment of preconditions. Dialogue is about these preconditions rather than the real issues. Sharm el Sheikh is merely another addition to list rather than a major breakthrough. Click to continue…
IDP Crisis: Two Faces of Pakistan
The military operation in the NWFP to clear the region of terrorist elements has, like any other military offensive, pros and cons. And like any other contemporary military action, the civilian population continues to suffer unimaginable collateral damages. 2 million people have been displaced from their homes in the NWFP and face an uncertain future. Termination of the military operation and safe return to their homes will be followed by the tumultuous task of living normal lives. The international community has responded impressively by extending assistance to the IDP community in Pakistan. However within Pakistan, two opposing trends can be discerned with regard to the IDP situation. On the one hand individuals, NGOs and corporate houses have come forward to extend all possible help to the IDPs. On the other hand political parties have raised parochial issues to secure petty political victories. These reactions show two different faces of Pakistan; one that is guided by considerations of human solidarity and the other that is immersed in political opportunism.
[Photo courtesy: Paula Bronsteinl/Getty Images]
Female Radio Journalists in FATA
Whether it’s the flogging of a woman in tribal areas of Pakistan or destruction of schools providing education to girls in Swat, the issue of women’s right has remained central to the anti-Taliban campaign. The counter-terrorism campaign, strengthening of national democratic institutions, drive for gender-equality and efforts at cultural contextualization are over-lapping in contemporary Pakistan. A recent report in the Dawn on female journalists in FATA epitomizes this unique struggle in Pakistan. The Dawn article entitled “Women in FATA find a Voice” highlights the aspirations and struggles of three women hired as radio journalists by Radio Khyber.
[Dawn: June 30, 2009]
Understanding J&K Dispute: Government of Pakistan and People of AJK and Norther Areas
The intra-national dimension of the J&K dispute also involves strained relations between the inhabitants of the Pakistan administered regions of J&K and the Federal Government of Pakistan. The 1949 ceasefire line resulted in the division of J&K with Pakistan gaining control over some portion of the disputed territory. Pakistan administered region of J&K was subsequently divided in 1970 into two administrative zones: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Federally Administered Northern Regions. AJK is constitutionally not a part of Pakistan and is governed by an elected President, Prime Minister and Legislature. Northern Areas are under the direct control of Islamabad and is ruled through a Northern Area Council headed by Pakistan’s Minister for Kashmir Affairs. Though Pakistan claims to be supporting the cause of self-determination in India administered regions of J&K, the degree of autonomy and kind of democratic freedoms granted to the populations of AJK and Northern Areas are highly controversial and have caused widespread unrest in the region. Click to continue…
Understanding the J&K Dispute: Government of India and People of J&K
At the second level J&K dispute refers to the relations between the Indian administered regions of J&K and the Government of India. The J&K territory east of the Line of Control (LOC) is formally a part of the Indian Union and west of the LOC is a part of Pakistan. Escaping popular attention and media limelight, the people of J&K have demanded redressal for their numerous grievances against the political leadership of the State and Government of India (GOI).
Is Pakistan a Victim of Impressions or of Reality?
Just came across a very interesting and even surprising news piece in the Telegraph.co.uk
The news article reads “Pakistan’s Asif Ali Zardari faces army rebellion over India détente”. The opening lines of the article read “According to sources close to Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Kiyani, senior officers are alarmed at the president’s plans to divert troops and aircraft defending Pakistan’s border with India and deploy them in a new offensive against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.”
Though I am not very sure that the threat to Zardari’s Presidency is as real as projected in this particular article, the news nevertheless confirms that “impressions dictate reality”. The difference of opinion between the political leadership and military personnel of the western countries is hailed as the gift of democracy. But for countries like Pakistan, such difference of opinion creates the impression of an impending military coup. Pakistan is no doubt facing several challenges but the international media often over-reacts to developments in the country.
Is Pakistan a victim of impression or of reality?
Understanding the J&K Dispute : Inter-State Dimension
Jammu and Kashmir, referred to as one of the most dangerous places on earth, is embroiled in one of the most misunderstood conflicts of modern times. The general perception is that J&K as a territorial conflict is rooted in religious sentiments between India and Pakistan. This inter-state aspect highlights merely one dimension of the more complex intertwined dyads of a deeper conflict. This four part analysis of the J&K conflict elaborates on the primary dimensions of the conflict: i) inter-state aspect involving the states of India and Pakistan; ii) intra-national dimension involving grievances of the people in the India administered regions of J&K towards the Government of India and the lack of democratic freedoms in the Pakistan administered areas of Kashmir, and iii) inter-regional linkages among the various sub-regions of undivided J&K. Click to continue…