Is it fair to be ungrateful to the Army?

I am Gunner Fazal Mehmood,currently serving in a medium regiment artillery located at a peaceful location. It is 0400 hours,the first day of Eidul Azha and while lying on my charpoy I am thinking about the last night – it is the third consecutive Eid that I will be spending away from my family.

I don’t know why,but I am constantly reminded of a similar chaand raat which I had spent along with my family back in Bahawalpur a few years ago. All the luminosity,crowd and chanting at the Meena bazaar near our house constantly reminded me of my baby girl‘s face which was so cheerful because she was to wear her new cloths on Eid which I had bought her. I also remember going to the bazaar with my family to get my wife’s palms henna-stained and fetch the last minute make-up items.

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AFGHANISTAN: HOPE, FANTASY AND FAILURE!

While the people of Pakistan prayed for early recovery of Malala, they were awe-struck by the frenzy created about the incident. Where people die in dozens each day as a result of terrorist attacks, singling out Malala for over glorification was rather intriguing. Our media, especially its electronic component gave a helping hand to their pay masters; or may be it sleep walked into the trap. Sense of proportion was lost, caution was thrown to wind. It appeared as if a high profile head of state had been critically attacked. The only other example of such hype was Raymond Davis case. National leadership fumbled in case of Raymond Davis and had to face the humiliation of Abbottabad attack.

This time the Malala incident was being exploited for pressuring Pakistan to undertake military operation in North Waziristan. Once again, national leadership was posturing to cede space and fall into the trap of initiating a military operation. Hopefully, the strategic fiasco has been averted, at least for the time being. Our political government which carries an unfortunate stigma of coming into power as an outcome of a deal underwritten by America appeared more than keen to improve its credentials with its mentor before the next elections.

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OUR YOUTH: OUR REAL FACE

Youth festival at National Hockey Stadium Lahore and two T-20 cricket matches at Karachi’s National Stadium were the trend setting events. Both were a resounding success; radiating the real image of Pakistan, the world over. During the youth gala, thousands of cheerful boys and girls fascinated the viewers all over the world by their splendid performance. It demonstrated to the world that sky is the limit when it comes to the potential and capabilities of the Pakistani youth, and as indeed the Pakistani nation. Likewise, in both the T-20 matches ‘Pakistan All Star XI’ outplayed their rivals. More than the results, what mattered was that after a long spell, Pakistan played host to international cricketers. Over 35,000 cheering fans enjoyed the action on two evenings. Above all, there was no untoward incident during these mega sporting events.

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US Presidential Debate on Foreign Policy- candidates for maintaining status quo vis-a-vis Pakistan

While the average American has abysmal knowledge of world affairs, and the Presidential Debate on foreign policy doesn’t really stack the cards for any candidate, it provides us a snap shot of how the next four years might pan out in terms of security problems, economic and military aid and general American interests with reference to Pakistan.

The third and final US Presidential Debate on foreign policy this week saw a surprising departure from the general norm of the challenger trying to goad the incumbent. President Obama spent most of his time discrediting Romney’s statement and trying to prove that Romney did not have ‘clarity of leadership’ or a solid plan with respect to the rest of the world, and Pakistan. Romney on the other hand chose not to criticize Obama on most issues and agreed with many of his foreign policies, except his stance on Iran and Russia. He said that Obama had ignored Israel on his trip to countries in the Middle East, and ‘they had noticed’. He reiterated that Israel was America’s greatest ally in the region and in the event that another country went to war against Israel, American would stand by it diplomatically and militarily. This statement was made especially in the context of Iran’s nuclear program. Romney was of the view that the US must tighten sanctions against the Iran and take a hard line approach towards Iran’s attempts to gain nuclear capability, as it was a direct threat to Israel and United States. The strategy he wanted to use was to impose crippling sanctions and isolate Iran diplomatically.

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America's flawed plan for Pakistan, Afghanistan

President Obama said, referring to Osama bin Laden’s killing, “If we had asked Pakistan permission, we would not have gotten him.” But if Pakistan can’t be trusted, the president owes the American people an explanation of how he’d deal with a nuclear-armed impoverished country over the next four years.

Mr. Romney seems committed to changing Pakistani behavior. And although he claims he wouldn’t “divorce” Pakistan, Mr. Romney’s answer showed that he would downgrade Pakistan’s status as an American ally. Demanding policy changes from Pakistan in return for American support and friendship is a sound idea but neither candidate has spelled out what specific instruments of persuasion or coercion the United States might successfully deploy to that end.

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American Drones Killing a Generation in Pakistan

Drones.

They are expensive, lethal, and precise in their killing; at least they are designed to be. A creation of the nation’s intelligence apparatus, they act as the new soldiers abroad, innately non-emotive machines asked to perform the previous duties of an army combatant more efficiently and free of the inhibitive emotional affects on human cognizance. They kill their enemies but also can miss their targets and a study released last month shows that they miss a lot.

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Remembering Pak Army on UN Day

Today, 24 October will be celebrated as United Nations (UN) Day. Let’s not forget the role and sacrifices of Pakistan Army’s in Peacekeeping United Nations Missions all over the world.

According to ISPR – Pakistan’s commitment with UN for promoting international peace and prosperity stems from the vision of its Founding Father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan’s journey with UN Peacekeeping operations began in 1960 when it deployed its first ever contingent in United Nations Operations in Congo (ONUC).  Over the past 50 years, Pakistan has been the most significant and consistent contributor to the UN Peacekeeping around the World.  Pakistani peacekeepers have left no stone unturned in the noble cause of helping humanity, building peace and bringing stability across the regions, under the banner of United Nations.

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Angelina Jolie declares Malala a ‘Woman of Impact’

I told my kids—and you should too: Girls’ education is under threat in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and around the world. It’s time we all took a stand. By Angelina Jolie. Plus: Here’s how you can help, and sign a petition for Malala.

On Wednesday morning, as we readied the kids for school amidst a few of the usual complaints about not wanting to go, I saw a headline on the cover of The New York Times: Taliban Gun Down a Girl Who Spoke Up for Rights. The Taliban claimed that 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai “ignored their warnings, and she left them no choice.” They approached her school bus, asking for her by name, and shot her in the head for promoting girls’ education.

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Beware of ATM fraud

Though a large number of accountholders have been deprived of their money by fraudsters through the automated teller machines (ATMs), it was perhaps for the first time that a citizen in the federal capital found a skimmer attached to an ATM.

A skimmer can be fixed in the ATM slot for copying data from the card to make its duplicate and then steal money.

Tauqeeruddin, an electrical engineer and computer software manufacturer by profession, told Dawn that he went to an ATM at a commercial centre of the capital city to withdraw money at about 7:15pm on October 13 (Saturday).

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Photo camp for young journalists

The USAID is sponsoring a six-day ‘photo camp’ for 15 young photo journalists from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), which opened here on Thursday.

Rodger Garner, USAID acting Mission Director, formally inaugurated the photo camp, which also showcases photos by the participants of the training.

The photo camp was conducted in partnership with Washington based National Geographic Society, whose magazine is internationally renowned for its extraordinary photography.

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Malala and Beyond

The striking photograph of a single man facing a tank with upraised arms in Beijing’s Tian An Men Square galvanized China and the world to the reality of oppression and resistance to state power. Another memorable photograph that stunned the world showed a naked terror struck screaming girl running from a fireball behind her — more than anything else this one picture summed up the sordid horror of the VietNam war — the massacres, the use of Agent Orange, napalm and indiscriminate bombings. More recently the visuals of the prisoner abuse in Abu Gharib prison, the images of US Marines urinating on Afghan corpses, the killing of a US diplomat in Libya — and closer to home- beheaded bodies, bomb blasts, kidnappings and random killings — all make up the mosaic that is the war on terror. The teenage Malala gunned down by Taliban in the name of what they call Islam is a horror that drives home the image of intolerance, ignorance, brutality and extremism. Those who carried out this atrocity and those who ordered it stand exposed for what they are and what they stand for.

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In search for a national terrorism policy

A country can never be fully prepared to meet the challenges that terrorism, be it of any kind or in any shape, brings. In the Information Age, methods and techniques of terrorism are continuously evolving and the danger keeps escalating. Pakistan faces a unique challenge, for it is the battlefield for fighting terrorists which have caused great human losses across the globe.  Since 9/11 it has had to deal great pressure from western powers to curb militants who have targeted foreign nationalities and even Pakistanis.  With an economy in distress and meager welfare facilities, all of which are plagued with corruption, insecurity and cases of terrorism have stretched thin the allocation of resources. However, policy makers and analysts feel some of this stress can be relieved if Pakistan deals with security crisis in a systemic and organized manner. Twelve years into the War on Terror and Pakistan still lacks a universal narrative on terrorism. The attack on 14 year old Malala Yousafzai on October 9th uncovered the political rifts in the Pakistani government over counter terrorism.

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Picking the scab of militancy

Amidst intermittent gaffes issued by the Interior Ministry and thinly veiled attempts to distort public discourse on the operation, lies the school girl from Swat, caught in a cross fire between ideologically opposed elements, who would go as far as to justify the attack on her. 

As condemnation against the attackers of Malala Yousafzai and her friends Kainat and Shazia, poured in from all quarters of the world, political and right wing leaders in Pakistan rushed to slam the attack immediately and a national consensus vis-à-vis Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) was seen to emerge.  The attack had been ordered from across the border by Maulana Fazulallah and as people took to the streets to demand swift action against the miscreants, a counter narrative to the general reaction was seen to emerge and infiltrate popular sentiment.

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Nights of Worship in the Hindu community

Starting from the first day of the Navratri festival in India feasting and fasting takes over normal life for millions of Hindus. The festival started on October 16,2012.

Navratri,the nine-day festival,is held twice a year during the spring and autumn seasons and symbolises the triumph of good over evil being celebrated with worship and dance. Devotees worship various forms of Hindu goddesses during the festival,whose name literally means nine nights.

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India not so keen on Stealth Fighters anymore

India is cutting its order for a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed jointly with Russia by a third, India’s Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told India Strategic.

India’s Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL) is to build the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), a derivative of the Sukhoi T-50, in India. The two nations signed a 50/50 joint venture to build the aircraft in December 2011.

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Taliban threatens to attack journalists who oppose them

Enraged by widespread media coverage of Malala Yousafzai,who was shot and critically injured by the militants in Swat,the Pakistani Taliban led by Hakimullah Mehsud reportedly planned to target media organisations,particularly television channels and some journalists in the country,well-placed sources told this correspondent on Sunday.

According to sources,the Taliban felt that the media has become biased against them and was giving ‘undue’ coverage to the attack on Malala and portraying them as the ‘worst people on earth’.

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TTP’s justification for attacking Malala and the ensuing backlash

TTP explains and elaborates reasons that motivated them to attempt target-killing of Malala Yousafzai:

TTP successfully targeted Malala Yousafzai in Mingora,although she was young and a girl and TTP does not believe in attacking women,but whom so ever leads campaigns against Islam &Shariah is ordered to be killed by Shariah.

When it’s a matter of Shariah,and someone tries to bring fitnah with his/her activities,and it involves leading a campaign against shariah and tries to involve the whole community in such campaign,and that personality becomes a symbol of anti shariah campaign,not only is it allowed to kill such a person but it is obligatory do to so in Islam.

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Why can’t Pakistanis unite against the drone?

When was the last time a Pakistani political party helped set the world news agenda for a day? Pakistani politics seldom draws any outside attention barring occasional jokes. So this is a real change. Welcome to constructive, positive politics in a country dominated by failed, violent parties.

The PTI’s anti-drone campaign has propelled the CIA’s illegal drone attacks in Pakistan to the top of world agenda. And it certainly makes the job of the CIA and other pro-drone lobbies in the United States much more difficult as more Americans realise the blunders their military is committing in their name abroad. The expansion of global opposition to the use of drones in Pakistan is a challenge to the Pentagon and increases the chances of future legal accountability for innocent deaths.

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UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld coined the phrase “unknown unknowns,” a snappier way to describe “unintended consequences.” Both refer to events that are unanticipated, unexpected and unpredictable.  Beyond the arming of the Mujahidin with Stinger missiles in Afghanistan that ultimately drove out the Russians and led to a Taliban takeover, a more telling example of unintended consequences was the implosion of the Soviet Union.

Although some wrongly attribute the end of the Soviet Union to President Ronald Reagan’s attempt to spend the “evil empire” into oblivion by forcing an arms race capped by the Strategic Defense Initiative, derisively called “star wars,” the truth lies elsewhere.  After a series of geriatric Soviet leaders finally expired, the youthful Mikhail Gorbachev won the top post realizing that the rot and decay of a (fatally) flawed political system demanded reform if the USSR were to survive as a superpower.  Gorbachev, a dedicated communist, created “glasnost (openness)” and “perestroika (restructuring)” as cures for reducing the political sclerosis and cholesterol that threatened the health of Soviet Russia.

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Colin Monteath – Showcasing the Karakoram

A passionate photographer and experienced mountaineer, Colin is widely travelled in the polar and mountain regions of the world. Colin has a reputation for quality images and an ability to write evocatively about his experiences. Colin has collaborated on many photography and editorial projects as well as publishing his own books.

Cathedral peaks above Baltoro glacier, Karakoram, Pakistan

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Think tanks fear Afghan implosion after 2014

The Afghan government could implode after NATO troops pull out in 2014, particularly if presidential elections are fraudulent, according to a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

A repeat could undermine what little hope remains for stability after the Afghan government takes full responsibility for security from US-led NATO forces, the analysis by the respected Brussels-based group says.

The report, Afghanistan: The Long, Hard Road to the 2014 Transition, says the country is on course in 2014 for another set of fraudulent elections after the chaotic presidential and parliamentary polls in 2009 and 2010.

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Pakistan Police: Improving performance through legislative reforms

A series of unfortunate events have brought Pakistan to a position where it is in a continuous state of war. It is currently fighting off forces of economic slump, social dissatisfaction, political instability and an epidemic of local and foreign militants. The Pakistani government, people, and even foreign agencies can be seen struggling to maintain order. But police forces only appear to be making a feeble contribution.

Analysts and experts attest to the importance of a strong independent police force for maintaining security and stability. The Police force has a significant role to play in countering terrorism which includes, but is not limited to, carrying out duties like analyzing terrorist attack sites, searching and monitoring suspects and maintaining records of known terrorists. Douglas P. Lackey, Professor at Yale University, in fact, believes that killing of civilians by terrorists is “not war but murder”[1] and thus, terrorists should be dealt by the police and not the military.

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RUSSIA-PAKISTAN-AMERICA

Reaction to ‘postponement’ of President Putin’s visit to Pakistan is quite interesting. Conspiracy theorist blame American and Indian pressure, some also talk about American pressure via Saudi Arabia. Over the last two years or so, there has been a quantum jump in high level Pakistan-Russia interactions. Hence, expectations have been snowballing in the context of a pleasant reset of bilateral relations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov visited Pakistan and General Kayani visited Russia on the heels of postponement of the Presidential visit. This indicates that it is not a crisis situation.

Bumpy Pak-US relations have prompted an urge in Pakistan to balance out and diversify its interests. Decades of reliance on America has resulted in multifaceted and lopsided dependencies. As of now, Pakistan can only act as a mere spectator against US policies and demands. Hence, when Obama said he had no time in New York to meet with President Zardari, no one was surprised. Obama had acted in a similar way during the NATO conference in Chicago.

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The Army reaches out to Balochistan

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan and nobody can deny its importance. Pakistani geopolitical location is always been significant for the global players. In the recent past, Pakistan Army has made gigantic contributions in the development of Balochistan, which includes development in all sectors like education, health, mining, provision of jobs in army, infrastructural development and other socio-economic development.

About 4,000 Balochi recruits of this massive campaign completed their basic training on October 29, 2010, and joined various units of Pakistan Army. The induction of these soldiers in large numbers is a major milestone and historical occasion for their families and the province. Indeed, the contribution of armed forces in bringing the Baloch youth into the mainstream through their induction process is commendable.

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Spearhead Analysis: Six vs. One

The Army Chief General Kayani has given a one point comment on the ongoing debate on Baluchistan sparked by the six points given by the Baluchistan National Party Chief Mr Akhter Mengal. His one sentence comment—‘the Army fully supports any political process as long as it is within the Constitution’—carries a world of meaning for those willing to accept it with an open mind.

The General or his spokesperson could have denied the allegations of a ‘military operation’ in Baluchistan, or the mention of ‘death squads or any or all of the other four other points raised by Mr Mengal during his appearance in the Supreme Court. Such a denial would not have carried much weight with those who forget that there are elected federal and provincial governments and insist that it is the Army that is ‘calling the shots’. By mentioning the Constitution the Army Chief has drawn attention to what is Constitutional and what is not. The six points need to be examined in this context especially by those political leaders who have rushed to endorse them just to discomfit the government.

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US less hopeful of a successful Taliban peace deal

WASHINGTON – With the surge of American troops over and the Taliban still a potent threat, U.S. civilian and military officials acknowledge that they have all but written off battering the Taliban into a peace deal, a report in The New York Times said.

The goal to force the Taliban into a peace deal was once one of the cornerstones of the US strategy to end the decade-old Afghan war, the paper noted Tuesday. “The once ambitious American plans for ending the war are now being replaced by the far more modest goal of setting the stage for the Afghans to work out a deal among themselves in the years after most Western forces depart, and to ensure Pakistan is on board with any eventual settlement,” the Kabul-datelined report said.

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FORE! AND AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

“Fore” is a loudly shouted warning in golf, alerting other players and spectators to an errant shot that could do serious injury.  After all, however small, a golf ball is quite hard.  Traveling at speeds in excess of 70 or 80 miles an hour, it can hurt any onlooker it strikes.

American exceptionalism is the view of the uniqueness of America that has made it the greatest power in history.  In both political parties, exceptionalism has achieved cult status.  To disavow American exceptionalism risks political excommunication and exile and branding as a self-hating citizen.  After all, who dares to say America is simply not the best or the greatest even if it is the lone superpower or in more laidback moments, merely the world’s “indispensable” power!

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Access to Youtube, Facebook blocked in Kashmir

Local media reports that popular social media websites have been blocked throughout the restive state.

Popular websites Youtube and Facebook have been blocked in Indian-administered Kashmir,local media reported.

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London Muslims attempt to improve image of Islam

A group of London Muslims are knocking on doors in a bid to “restore” the image of Islam.

The group said the Prophet Muhammad had been tarnished by an American anti-Islam film and further damaged by the violent reaction by some Muslims globally.

Members said they hoped talking and handing out leaflets about Islam could make a small difference.

One member, Hazik Rahman, said he was trying to “build bridges”.

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