The Taliban’s delegation visited Pakistan to seek “guidance” from Pakistani intelligence agencies….reports Asian Lite News
Ahead of Turkey summit on Afghanistan’s peace, Taliban negotiators have left for Pakistan from Doha to consult and seek guidance from their “leadership”, Tolonews reports.
The Taliban’s delegation visited Pakistan to seek “guidance” from Pakistani intelligence agencies.
“Whenever there is a stalemate in the talks in Qatar, they (Taliban) say that we are going to consult our elders, in reality, ‘elders’ means that ‘we are going to seek suggestions from the ISI and the (Pakistani) army,'” said Afghanistan’s First Vice President Amrullah Saleh.
This comes as the Taliban blamed the extension of the US presence in Afghanistan as the main cause for their non-participation in the Turkey summit which has been postponed from April 24 to May 4.
Intra-Afghan talks in Doha.
Last week, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had said the announcement of the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan will require that Pakistan make a decision on its Afghan policy — whether to opt for cooperation or enmity with its neighbour.
Ghani said, “After two years, we are fully prepared for the day and we have a comprehensive plan for their withdrawal.” He added that “Today, it is a day of decision for Pakistan”.
The US has announced that all its troops will be out of Afghanistan by September 11.
US President Joe Biden earlier this month had said that the United States will start its final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan on May 1 and complete its pullout ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
US troops in Afghanistan.
‘Our troops capable of fighting Taliban’
Afghanistan’s military has the capacity to fight the Taliban unaided after the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops as it has demonstrated throughout last year, Afghan National Security Council spokesperson Rahmatullah Andar told Sputnik.
“Since last year, Afghan security and defense forces have been conducting 96 percent of operations on their own self. Afghan troops have no problem fighting with the Taliban,” Andar said, noting, however, that Afghanistan would continue receiving assistance from abroad after the pullout of foreign troops.
The official described the Afghan forces as being in “active defensive potion” and stated that the fighting was particularly intense in areas where the Taliban have access to the illicit economy and drug trade. Andar also accused the Taliban of having members of al-Qaeda (banned in Russia) and other terrorist groups in their ranks.
The Prime Minister added that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs for curbing the spread of the coronavirus, warning that Pakistan may soon be facing a situation similar to India if the current trend continues.
Addressing the nation after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, he said: “I am appealing to you to follow SOPs so that we don’t have to take steps that India is taking which means imposing lockdowns. Half the problem is solved when you wear face masks.”
New SOPs announced by the NCOC:
Schools in districts with over 5 per cent positivity rate closed till Eid
Markets to be closed at 6 p.m.
Indoor and outdoor dining banned till Eid; only takeaway and delivery to be allowed
Pakistan’s medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)
“If our circumstances become the same as India, then we will have to close down cities. We can’t do that because, as experience has shown, the poor suffer the most when lockdowns are imposed,” the Prime Minister said.
“People are telling me to impose a lockdown today, but we are not going to do so because, and I keep repeating this, daily wagers and labourers will suffer the most.”
That is why we have not taken action, he said, adding that however long this lasts will depend on the people. The premier called on the nation to start observing precautionary measures, in the same way which you did the previous year during Ramazan, the Dawn reported.
“Pakistan was the only country which had kept mosques open last year during Ramazan. I was proud of the way our religious scholars and imams informed the people about precautionary measures,” he said.
The premier also noted that very few people were following SOPs. “If we don’t take precautionary measures, we will have to impose a lockdown which will also affect our economy at a time when it is on the rise.”
The Prime Minister added that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs. “We have been asking people to follow precautionary measures. But we have seen that people have become careless.”
People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi
He added that the government was making all out efforts to procure vaccines. “We have asked China, but their demand is also quite large. There is a shortage in the rest of the world.”
Even if we get the vaccines today, it will take at least a year for them to have an impact, he said. “What will make the biggest difference is following precautionary measures,” he said, reiterating that half the problem is solved when wearing face masks.
He hoped that once the nation starts following SOPs, the number of cases would decrease. “Until we face this together, we will not be able to win. I remember how a year ago people adopted precautionary measures and followed SOPs before Ramazan because they were scared.
“But citizens have become tired over the span of a year and fatigue has set in which is why there is such a stark difference.” He hoped the nation would follow SOPs so that the government is not forced to lock down cities.
The BSF stated that today’s drone intrusion bid foiled by BSF Jammu troops is indicative of alertness and swift retaliatory action by BSF on a drone intrusion from Pak side…reports Asian Lite News
BSF troops in Arnia sector of Jammu district in Jammu and Kashmir foiled a drone intrusion bid by Pakistan on the International Border by firing upon two drones/UAVs that they observed entering from Pakistan side and compelled them to retreat.
An official statement issued by the BSF today said, “Today alert BSF troops in Arnia Sector foiled drone intrusion bid by Pakistan on International Border. During the early morning hours today, two drones/UAV were observed entering from Pakistan side and immediately fired upon by vigilant BSF troops which compelled it to retreat back to Pakistan territory.”
The BSF stated that today’s drone intrusion bid foiled by BSF Jammu troops is indicative of alertness and swift retaliatory action by BSF on a drone intrusion from Pak side.
“The BSF intelligence branch was receiving inputs about possible use of drones by Pakistan for ferrying arms and ammunition from Pakistan into Indian side. Accordingly, the troops are on alert and the border domination was exponentially increased,” the statement said.
It further said, “Despite the existence of ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, Pakistan Rangers did not stop their nefarious activities against India and carried on with their ill motives on International Border in Jammu.
The BSF stated that it is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Rangers have been regularly violating the International Boundary through drone intrusions and trying to drop arms, ammunition in Indian territory but have been successfully repulsed by BSF troops on border.
It may be recalled that BSF shot down a Pak Hexa-Copter carrying huge cache of arms, ammunition on 20 June 2020 at BOP Pansar, it added. (ANI)
Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog on Wednesday filed a reference in the Quetta accountability court against three former Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) chairmen for misuse of authority and corrupt practices…reports Asian Lite News
While Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government “plans” to make Gwadar the “next Dubai” under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Balochistan chapter has unveiled a total corruption of approximately 1.24 billion rupees in the Gwadar Water Desalination Project.
According to The Express Tribune, the Water Desalination Project was initiated to provide clean water to the residents of the port city of Gwadar.
Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog on Wednesday filed a reference in the Quetta accountability court against three former Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) chairmen for misuse of authority and corrupt practices in the installation of the water desalination plant.
Gwadar Port(wikipedia)
NAB had also filed a reference against 15 persons including 5 tehsildars for tampering with the revenue record and an illegal sale of government land in Gwadar, reported The Express Tribune.
It further reported that the investigation into the incident revealed the current Tehsildar Gwadar Buhair Dashti and former Gwadar Tehsildars including others sold 844 acres of land to private individuals after tampering with the official record.
The illegal sale of government land had caused a loss of approximately Pakistani Rs 214 million to the national exchequer, reported The Express Tribune.
In 2015, China announced an economic project in Pakistan worth USD 46 billion. With the CPEC, Beijing aims to expand its influence in Pakistan and across Central and South Asia in order to counter the influence of the United States and India.
The CPEC would link Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port (626 kilometres west of Karachi) in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China’s western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail, and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East. (ANI)
Pakistan's medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)
The Covid crisis has led to Islamabad’s hospital beds being filled up rapidly. There are a total of 836 hospital beds in Islamabad, of which 525 have been occupied by coronavirus patients…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan’s medical facilities are crumbling under the mounting pressure from the rapidly escalating COVID-19 situation in the country.
According to Islamabad District Health Officer Zaeem Zia, Islamabad’s coronavirus positivity ratio has risen to 9 per cent as of Saturday, while recording 463 new cases. Zia also said that the rise in infections has been steady for the past three to four weeks, reported Geo News.
The crisis has led to Islamabad’s hospital beds being filled up rapidly. There are a total of 836 hospital beds in Islamabad, of which 525 have been occupied by coronavirus patients, say sources.
Out of the 116 ventilators reserved for COVID-19 patients, 69 are currently under use, and the number is quickly rising.
People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi
Meanwhile, 90 out of 105 beds at the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC) are occupied by patients, while 149 out of 183 beds have been filled at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), reported Geo News.
When it comes to ventilators, 10 out of 21 ventilators at PIMS and 12 out of 20 ventilators are being utilised. Moreover, at the Polyclinic Hospital, where all scheduled surgeries have been called off, 100 per cent of ventilators are under operation.
Sources cited “insufficient arrangements for high flow oxygen beds” at the Federal Government Hospital, where there are reportedly no ventilators available for COVID-19 patients.
Apart from patients, even frontline workers are not safe from the virus, as 46 of the Polyclinic Hospital’s healthcare workers have tested positive for the virus, including two doctors, 17 nurses and 27 paramedics, Geo News reported.
People wearing face masks walk on a road in Rawalpindi of Pakistan’s Punjab province
Oxygen supplies at the hospital have also come under stress with the use rising to three times the usual.
Amid the worrying situation, Pakistan’s National Command and Operations Centre has reported that children are increasingly falling victim to the pandemic, with two children aged between one and 10 years dying from COVID-19 over the course of a single day.
In the month of April, so far seven children have succumbed to the virus.
Pakistan recorded the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday since the outbreak of the pandemic in February last year. At least 157 people died of COVID-19 in a single day, pushing the national tally to 16,999, while 5,908 new infections were reported, ARY News reported citing the NCOC. (ANI)
Of the high-value drugs smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan, 10% of the quantity is believed to be for local consumption and 90% for high-end clients in Amritsar, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities, reports Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
The valley of Kashmir particularly the northern Kupwara district is rapidly turning into a major hub of the narcotics smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the official figures, heroin worth over Rs 300 crore has been seized in the valley in the last 16 months even as the volume of the drugs smuggled in, produced and traded in the same period is estimated to be of the order of Rs 600 crore.
“59 kilos of heroin, 51 kilos of brown sugar and 355 kilos of charas (marijuana) has been seized in Kashmir from 1 January 2020 to 20 April 2021. This is in addition to fukki and processed drugs in the form of capsules, tablets and injections recovered from different individuals and gangs during the same period”, Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, revealed to India Narrative.
According to the official statistics, Police have also seized 2,000 kg of fukki, 73,800 drug tablets and capsules and 245 vials of injections besides cash worth Rs 14820248 (1.48 crore) from the persons dealing with drugs and psychotropic substances since 1 January 2020.
1,498 persons have been booked and arrested in 946 FIRs under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Charge-sheets have been produced against 530 persons in different courts in the Union Territory.
The revenue district of Kupwara, comprising Kupwara and Handwara Police districts, is emerging as the epicentre of the drug smuggling with its advantage of being contiguous to the border areas of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 19 kg of heroin has been seized in Kupwara and 22 kg in Handwara in addition to 10.3 kg of charas in Kupwara and 7.4 kg in Handwara. Police have also recovered 48.5 kg of brown sugar in Kupwara and 0.27 kg in Handwara.
Of the cash recovered from the people engaged in drug smuggling and trafficking, Rs 1,37,91,738 has been recovered in Handwara alone.
Seventy NDPS-related FIRs have been registered in Kupwara and 44 in Handwara, even as 25 cases have been chargesheeted in Kupwara and 18 in Handwara and 86 persons have been arrested in Kupwara and 69 in Handwara.
One of the high profile cases in Handwara has been assigned to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has completed a part of the investigation, taken custody of the accused traffickers from the Police and arrested some of them. The NIA has filed its charge-sheet for prosecution in a designated court in Jammu.
Senior Army and Police officers maintained that the entire Kashmir valley was now affected by the drugs and narcotics being smuggled in from Pakistan and Afghanistan, traded, consumed and also produced locally.
“However, there is one marked difference between North Kashmir and South Kashmir. Almost the entire quantity of drugs in circulation in the North is smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan, mainly to convert it into terror funding. Contrarily, the drugs in circulation in South Kashmir are procured out of the poppy straw grown on large chunks of land in Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag districts”, said one Senior Superintendent of Police.
“Militants, growers and traders (of drugs) are not by and large linked to one another in South Kashmir but they do not disturb others. This is different from North Kashmir where terror funds are generated out of the large scale smuggling of the high-value heroin”, said the SSP.
Afghanistan is the source of more than 90% of world’s opium supply and more than 95% of the European opium supply since 2001.
Since the United States military occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, followed by the NATO occupation in 2003, opium production has increased exponentially in Afghanistan. According to Global Research, October 17, 2018, the area under opium cultivation has increased to as much as 3,28,000 hectares in Afghanistan in 2017.
While 25% of the drugs produced locally in the southern Kashmir are believed to be consumed, mostly by the youths in the age group of 14-34 years, around 75% of the productions is smuggled out to traders and consumers in different Indian States. Of the high-value drugs smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan, 10% of the quantity is believed to be for local consumption and 90% for high-end clients in Amritsar, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities.
According to senior Police officials, including Director General of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Dilbag Singh, gangs of professional smugglers have been receiving drug consignments through different modes, including underground tunnels. In some cases, drones are believed to have dropped the consignments along the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts in Jammu and Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab.
During its investigation in different cases in Jammu and Kashmir, the Enforce Directorate (ED) has also detected smuggling of heroin through the cross-LoC barter trade. It has been officially asserted that the proceeds of the contraband were being used for funding of the secessionist militancy. In the wake of such detections, and finally a suicide attack on the CRPF on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in February 2019, the cross-LoC trade and travel has been completely suspended.
(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan's Rawalpindi
The USCIRF report cites Pakistan’s treatment of Ahmadiyya community, who continue to face severe official and societal persecution for their beliefs…reports Asian Lite News
Religious freedom conditions in Pakistan continue to worsen as the government systematically enforced blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws, according to a report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The USCIRF on Wednesday released its 2021 Annual Report documenting developments during 2020.
“Religious freedom conditions in Pakistan continued to worsen. The government systematically enforced blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws and failed to protect religious minorities from abuses by non-state actors. There was a sharp rise in targeted killings, blasphemy cases, forced conversions, and hate speech targeting religious minorities,” the report stated.
In its report, USCIRF stated that Pakistan’s treatment of religious minorities is best assessed through the prism of its treatment of the Ahmadiyya community, who continue to face severe official and societal persecution for their beliefs and self-identification as Muslims.
2021 #USCIRFAnnualReport Recommendations for Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation:
Burma, China, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam
“The year saw a surge in targeted killings of Ahmadis. Between July and November, five Ahmadis were murdered, including 57-year-old Tahir Naseem, an American citizen accused of blasphemy who was shot in a courtroom in July.
“In May, the government formed the National Minorities Commission (NMC) required by a 2014 Supreme Court decision, however Ahmadis were excluded,” the report said.
It further stated that Pakistan’s religiously discriminatory legislation, such as the blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws, used in combination with new media rules, contributed to egregious human rights abuses and fostered an overall atmosphere of intolerance for religious minorities that often leads to violence and discrimination.
In August, over 40 blasphemy First Incident Reports (FIRs) were registered, mostly targeting the Shia minority during the month of Muharram.
In 2020, there reportedly were 30 Christians, including seven on death row, jailed in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy, said the report.
Reports also highlighted the issue of abduction, forced conversion to Islam, rape, and forced marriage remained an imminent threat for religious minority women and children, particularly from the Hindu and Christian faiths.
“Pakistani courts systematically failed to protect and provide justice to victims, who are often forced to testify that they converted voluntarily to protect themselves and their families from further harm.
In April, Myra Shahbaz, a 14-year-old Christian schoolgirl, was abducted at gunpoint. Despite Myra telling police she was drugged, raped, and forced to sign papers her abductor later used to allege that she was 19 and had voluntarily married and converted, the court ordered that she be returned to her abductor,” the report mentioned.
As per the latest US rights commission’s recommendations to the US government, it stated that “Repeal blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws; until repeal is accomplished, enact reforms to make blasphemy a bailable offense, require evidence by accusers, ensure proper investigation by senior police officials, allow authorities to dismiss unfounded accusations, and enforce existing Penal Code articles criminalising perjury and false accusations.”
“Release blasphemy prisoners and other individuals imprisoned for their religion or belief,” it added.
The 2021 Annual Report also recommends holding accountable individuals who incite or participate in vigilante violence, targeted killings, forced conversions, and other hate crimes.
“Impose targeted sanctions on Pakistani government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations,” the report recommended. (ANI)
The deadly attack on Alam attracted condemnation from journalists and politicians alike…reports Asian Lite News.
Pakistan continues to remain as one of the most unsafe countries for journalists, as targeted attacks, abductions, killings and assassination attempts on senior scribes continue unabated.
In the latest tragic incident in the capital Islamabad, senior journalist and former chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam, was shot in broad daylight by unknown attackers.
In a video message shared on social media, Absar Alam could be seen stating that he was shot outside his house.
“I have been shot in my ribs,” said Absar Alam while being taken to the hospital after being shot at.
“My message to those who did this is that I am not going to be scared by such tactics,” he added.
Alam was rushed to the hospital immediately where his condition has stabilised.
The incident prompted immediate response from the Islamabad Police, which stated that the capital police chief has constituted a special team under the command of the SSP (investigation) to probe the attack.
Federal Minister for Interior, Sheikh Rasheed, also took notice of the attack and ordered the Islamabad IG to investigate the matter with immediate effect.
“Those involved in the firing should be arrested as soon as possible,” he said.
“Those who fired at Absar Alam will not be able to escape the law. Very soon they will be within the ambit of the law,” he added.
Lahore HC removes PEMRA chairman (ANI)
The deadly attack on Alam attracted condemnation from journalists and politicians alike.
“Silencing the voice of dissent is cancer that has plagued this country for many years. Absar Alam Sahab is the latest victim of this cruel & barbaric crime. May Allah SWT heal his wounds and the wounds of this country. Ameen,” tweeted Maryam Nawaz, the Vice President of opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also lashed out at the government, stating that it seems like the deep state is at large against the journalist community.
Absar Alam (ANI)
“It seems that the deep state is at large against the journalist community who are victims of rising crime and terrorism in the country,” PFUJ said in a statement.
“Such incidents cannot deter the journalist community from raising the voices against lawlessness and for freedom of press in the country,” it added.
The PFUJ has demanded that a judicial commission be set up to investigate the attack on Alam and crimes committed against other journalists, calling on parliamentarians and politicians to raise their voices for the protection of journalists.
Media persons in Pakistan continue to become targets of threats, abductions, torture, arrests, and murders. In 2020, at least 10 journalists were murdered while several others were threatened, kidnapped, tortured and arrested, while performing their professional duties.
As per the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Media Freedom Report 2020, “No action has so far been taken against those responsible for torturing and killing journalists and it seems that such persons enjoy impunity.”
“It is a matter of grave concern that the legal system of the country has become useless in protecting and providing justice to journalists,” the report stated.
In 2017 Pakistan Naval Chief announced the approval of a new shipyard at Gwadar, to be completed within three to five years. 12 years since the idea and three years since the latest round of excitement, Pakistan has only been able to sign a MoU that too between its Federal and Provincial Governments, writes Binay Kumar Singh
Zubaida Jalal, Pakistans Minister for Defence Production, recently oversaw the signing of a MoU for construction of a Shipyard at Gwadar. This is a project that has been in the works for many years; at least since 2008.
The latest round of excitement started in 2017, when, in a seminar organised by the Pakistan Navy (PN), its Naval Chief announced the approval of a new shipyard at Gwadar, to be completed within three to five years. 12 years since the idea and three years since the latest round of excitement, Pakistan has only been able to sign a MoU that too between its Federal and Provincial Governments. Even this has been possible only because PN eyes it a form of enriching itself with new sources of income and post retirement jobs.
This is reflective of the larger malaise that afflicts Pakistan’s maritime economy riddled with inefficiencies; bureaucratic hurdles; corruption and the choke hold PN exercises over this sector. Accordingly, while the outlook for the maritime economy remains gloomy, that of PN’s own milbus (military business) represented by the Bahria Foundation, remains bright.
Bahria Foundation, a charitable trust formed to look after the welfare of its personnel, both serving and retired, has expanded into a veritable conglomerate with business tentacles in areas ranging from construction, education, pharmacy, securities, travel, boat building and myriad maritime services like dredging, LNG terminals, shipyards, off-shore exploration, etc.
Pakistan Navy
While there have always been accusations of money being diverted for some of PN’s operations and procurements, it is definitely a scheme for enriching its senior and middle level officers. Many are not aware that PN like its other Sister Services, runs formal ‘retirement’ plans for its senior officers who don’t make it to Chief.
This includes lucrative jobs heading ventures of Bahria Foundation, Ambassadorships, government posts, etc. These plans are mutually discussed and agreed upon so as not to create any bad blood among those not making it to four-star rank. The Bahria Foundation has four ‘pillars’ around which it organises its businesses. These include ‘Bahria Estates’, ‘Commercial businesses’, ‘Bahria Education and Training Services (BEATS)’ and the recently launched ‘Maritime Works Organisation’ (MWO) which forays into new areas like off-shore exploration and LNG terminals.
Formation of the MWO has coincided with Pakistan’s first off-shore exploration effort in collaboration with Exxon Mobil; and efforts at setting up additional LNG terminals to augment falling domestic gas production. While the Exxon Mobil effort failed, the tendering and bidding process for a third LNG terminal is at an advance stage. However, it has virtually been sabotaged by PN which wields the trump card of ‘national security’.
Despite appeals by bureaucrats and ministers, PN is yet to issue a No Objection Certificate for its construction at Port Qasim. However, its open knowledge that the objection is more for promoting its own terminal at Sonmiani Bay than fears of an Indian attack a la 1971.Accordingly, despite multi-national companies having sunk millions of dollars conducting feasibility studies and lobbying with even the Prime Minister, clearances are yet to be issued.
Pakistan Navy(wikipedia)
In the real estate sector too, Bahria Foundation has seen the launch of new ‘Naval Anchorage’ projects including at Islamabad and Gwadar even as the civilian sector has come to a grinding halt due to witch-hunts by central authorities in the name of corruption. It is well known that Pakistan Armed Forces, the biggest land owners in Pakistan (also referred disparagingly by some as the ‘kabza group’), are immune from such proceedings and make millions on dubious real estate deals.
Last year, Pakistan Air Force’s Shaheen Foundation had to pay back home-buyers after it tried to sell property built in the name of its martyrs in the open market. Currently, two off-shore islands off Karachi – Buddho and Bundal Islands, are in the news. These are being eyed by Pakistani real estate magnates offering a Dubai-like living experience even as the common Pakistan lives amidst squalor.
In Gwadar, Bahria Foundation has had a first mover advantage and having procured land at nominal rates is developing or selling them at huge premiums. This is adding to the concerns of the local Baloch who fear marginalization as more and more ‘outsiders’ move in. The Naval Anchorage project offers retired naval personnel a luxurious lifestyle, insulated from the grinding existence of locals, for whom, even basic amenities like water and electricity are a struggle.
PN’s ventures in the education sector too are flourishing with new Cadet Colleges (latest one being at Ormara) and Schools (PN Model Schools) being set up. The University it runs, Bahria University (BU), has also seen expansion with a new campus being set up at Lahore. Existing campuses at Karachi and Islamabad are also seeing addition of new departments like Dental, Engineering, and Science and Technology which were inaugurated just prior the previous PN Chief went on retirement. All this comes at a time when Pakistan’s education sector is seeing a serious resource crunch.
The total budget allocated for Pakistan’s education sector this year (2020-21) is only PKR 83.4 bn which is miniscule compared to PKR 1.7 trn for the Defence. Interestingly, even out of this meagre allocation, PKR 6.6 bn is for military run educational institutions. While PN’s Bahria Foundation flourishes, the overall maritime economy is in a state of mess. As already brought out, plans for a second shipyard and a third LNG terminal are languishing. A look at the Fisheries sector reveals the same story of apathy, mismanagement and corruption.
Fishing mafias abound many of whom are connected to nefarious groups, smugglers and armed gangs that dot Karachi. Over-crowding at Karachi fishing harbour has led to the spawning of illegal jetties at Ibrahim Hyderi which protrude like Helena’s locks into Korangi creek, even as fishing harbours at Gaddani, Ormara, Pasni, etc are silting up due to lack of funds for dredging.
The PMSA makes a killing here trying to act as arbiters to various warring fishing communities and groups leading to its own cycle of corruption. Despite potential, the Fisheries sector contributes a paltry 0.4 percent of the country’s GDP and catch sizes have seen no growth even as the numbers of fishing vessels continue to grow.
This gloom and doom is despite PN having accorded itself the role of arbiters of the maritime economy as part of its ‘significant role’ in nation building.
As per its own claims, PN aims “to act as a catalyst for synergising efforts and optimising resources of various stakeholders in the development of the country’s maritime sector which has lacked vitality despite its vast potential.”
For this it has a dedicated Directorate at Naval Headquarters to coordinate with agencies and the Naval Chief taking on the moniker of the Chief Adviser on Maritime Affairs.
Despite noble intentions, it is clear that PN is mostly interested in its own maritime milbus with hardly a thought for the civilian side of the maritime economy. As part of its firm grip, the Minister for Maritime Affairs makes frequent calls on the Naval Chief to coordinate policy issues and for allocation of lucrative appointments within the myriad departments of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and Karachi Port Trust.
Another example of this neglect is the ship-breaking industry. From being the largest ship-breaking yard in the 1980s, it has fallen to third in ranking after India and Bangladesh and continues its decline.Despite contributing 10-15 percent towards the domestic Steel sector and employing a huge work force, the industry is languishing due to lax controls, uneven taxation, smuggling, poor safety standards, occupational health hazards and non-adherence to the latest international conventions and treaties.
Lastly, its Shipping sector too is stagnating with hardly any growth in the number of Pakistani flagged ships or private shipping companies. Even after 20 years of the launch of an ‘attractive’ Merchant Marine policy in 2001, the total fleet size of Pakistani flagged ships has been nominal. With only 16 percent of its total seaborne trade being carried by Pakistani bottoms, Pakistan continues to lose almost US$5bn per annum in foreign exchange in freight bills due to poor business environment and lack of planning.
Reflective of the larger problem, unless Pakistan’s maritime economy rids itself of its Navy’s choke hold and allows free enterprise, merit and transparency in the system, its prospects would continue to remain under the shadow of gloom even as, PN’s Bahria Foundation blooms.
(Binay Kumar Singh is an author and columnist. He can be reached at Twitter: @BinayBharat. The views expressed are personal)
Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, a hardline religious organisation, was declared as proscribed by the Imran Khan-led government after the former had detained security officials and unleashed mayhem in the country, reports Hamza Ameer
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a country formed on the basis of freedom of religious rights for its citizens, is a Muslim majority state, where religious groups and organisations play a pivotal role in the country’s democratic system and political setups.
It is common in Pakistan for political parties to seek allegiance from various conservative and hardline religious groups to attain political strength, which could lead them to the victory throne to rule the country.
Hardline religious groups, under the guise of political gains by many political parties, have been supported, facilitated and protected, giving them the leverage to practice and spread their narratives of the religion among the masses.
However, while many such religious groups have made headways and have challenged the country’s democracy in the past, the recent surge of popularity and intensity of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) has certainly raised serious questions over how the country’s democratic setup and government operate.
TLP, a hardline religious organisation, which was part of the political race during the last general elections, was declared as proscribed by the Imran Khan-led government after the former had detained security officials and unleashed mayhem in the country.
TLP’s popular identity is its aggressive reaction to any activity or action by any person or country that targets Islam and its Prophet Muhammad.
TLP’s prime agenda has been to protest against any blasphemous action or intent, which has seen support pouring in from all corners of the country.
TLP’s protests have seen violence, blockages, killings and vandalisation, chocking the whole country through its widespread massive support across the nation.
Imran Khan
TLP has certainly demonstrated that its public presence and violent reaction to issues related to religion has time and again brought the sitting government and the authorities to their knees.
This poses a serious threat to the country, which is now witnessing a backlash by such organisations, which were its own creations.
Islamist hardline groups in Pakistan have been able to spread their narrative openly and have been mainstreamed by the governments to the level that they have now become a threat to their own country’s security and its standing in front of the world.
TLP’s demand for expulsion of the French Ambassador from Pakistan and severing relations with France in protest against the ‘blasphemous’ caricatures of Islam and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has put the Imran Khan-led government in a difficult position as the premier has stated that the country cannot afford to sever ties with France or with Europe at large.
However, the government, succumbing to the pressure from the Islamist group, has tabled a resolution in the Parliament, seeking its vote on the expulsion of the French Ambassador.
Such Islamist hardliner elements have also enjoyed support from the country’s establishment, which has in the past supported them in their protests.
In 2017, TLP had staged a protest sit-in in Faizabad, the connecting bridge between the capital Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi, demanding the resignation of the then sitting law minister over his alleged role in proposing changes to the wording of the oath taken by the parliamentarians, as they deemed it to be blasphemous.
The demand back then was met as the law minister had to resign, even after repeated clarifications that he had never intended to commit any blasphemy.
What is shocking to see is that these Islamist hardliners have been able to dictate terms to the government, both in terms of foreign policy and parliamentary agenda.
This has now become a serious concern for the Imran Khan-led government, which has been trying to portray a positive image of Pakistan to the world.
