For better trade ties
From the Newspaper
December 13, 2010 (5 days ago)
By Farman Nawaz
PAKISTANI traders were expecting some kind of announcement during or after the recent visit of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to Kabul. But the Afghan president and the Pakistani prime minister were more interested in plans to counter terrorism.
No doubt, terrorism must be the top priority of the two sides. However, trade links can also bring closer these two neighbours that are wary of each other. Despite the fact that for the last three decades Pakistan and Afghanistan have had the chance to shake off distrust and come closer to one another, there remain several negative perceptions and misunderstandings between them. This has led to severe mistrust.
While at such a tenuous stage of relations and regional politics, Pakistan may feel uncomfortable about revealing all its thoughts to Afghanistan, it would be better to discuss mutual problems honestly before the situation worsens. There is much sense in doing so as that would enable us to find solutions to our own problems.
Here in Pakistan it is said that Afghan friends advise Pakistani traders not to disclose their identity as they move around in Afghanistan. In fact, it is considered safer for them to disguise themselves and, if approached, to identify themselves as Indians, as there is a perception here that in Afghanistan, Indians are more respected than Pakistanis.
This appears incongruent and awkward because until some years ago, Pakistanis moved freely in Afghanistan. In fact, I still know a few Pakistanis who are working in Afghanistan and they are quite satisfied. Nevertheless, we must pay attention to those who are raising objections. If it is true that there are negative sentiments about Pakistanis in Afghanistan, then we must ask why our Afghan brethren has turned against us.
Here in Pakistan it is strongly believed that Indians are indulging in intrigue against Pakistanis in Afghanistan. But then, by the same token, we must also ask ourselves if there is an ongoing intrigue against us in the Arab countries where Indians are better paid than Pakistanis. We may even ask ourselves whether Indian tactics are responsible for the UK not willing to provide its cricket grounds to our team. It is about time that Pakistanis emerged from this cocoon of the Indian fear-fantasy.
If we believe that for three decades we helped our Afghan brothers then how is it now possible for Indians to replace Pakistanis in Afghanistan`s markets? In fact, we would do well to reflect on the fact that if our own market is full of Chinese items we are hardly in a position to blame someone else when they occupy our erstwhile position in Afghanistan.
Here in Pakistan it was hoped that after the Pakistan-Afghanistan trade agreement, Pakistan would have the opportunity to gain access to markets across the border. Strangely enough, everyone appears to object to this agreement. The traders` association in Peshawar has raised many objections about it. Even motorway authorities are complaining about the right-hand-drive vehicles coming from Afghanistan. Strangely, the same vehicles and drivers face no such impediment in India.
Pakistani traders have complaints about the zero tax on Indian items in Afghanistan especially as Pakistani items are heavily taxed. This heavy taxation compels them to adopt illegal methods like smuggling. (In much the same way, Indian items are smuggled to Pakistan which causes losses to Pakistani manufacturers and importers.) As smuggling from India to Afghanistan is difficult that may be the reason that Afghan authorities have levied no tax on Indian items, to help Indian traders compete with Pakistani items. Nonetheless, this issue needs the attention of the concerned authorities in Afghanistan.
In fact, the issue of smuggling is a very serious problem for the provincial government of Khyber Pakhunkhwa. Last year, when a judge of the Peshawar High Court blamed the provincial government for the smuggling, a senior official of the ruling Awami National Party made uncalled-for remarks against the judge while talking to the media. He strongly denied the charge of smuggling and asked the court to provide proof of how such smuggling was possible in the presence of international forces on the borders. The problem needs to be identified publicly and tackled.
Besides the smuggling issue, Pakistani traders also perceive that Afghan traders find Indian markets more profitable than Pakistani markets. So Pakistani authorities must facilitate Afghan traders because only a long-term solution to this problem can bring harmony to our trade relations. Unless this happens, this friction will lead to a deadlock on the Pakistan-Afghanistan trade agreement, which can exacerbate the situation — although, Pakistanis and Afghans would also do well to remember that ups and downs in our trade relations should not be allowed to upset religious, cultural and political relations between the two countries.
Afghan trade is in its initial stages and it will come across many hurdles. Secondly it may hurt Afghans but it is a fact that Afghanistan is still not a sovereign country like Pakistan. It is under the yoke of international forces and Afghans will have to look towards them for many issues, although in all fairness, it must be said that Pakistan, after six decades, continues to wait for foreign help to bolster its economy — and in recent times to recover from the devastation of the summer floods. The Afghan war was more severe than the recent floods in Pakistan. It is also our fault that we did not exercise a beneficial influence on the civil war in Afghanistan which is now dominated by a number of forces.
farmannawaz@gmail.com
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New strategy of soft targets
From the Newspaper
December 14, 2010 (4 days ago)
By Syed Irfan Ashraf
IT is becoming increasingly evident that militant groups are struggling for survival in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Their capacity to launch organised attacks against security forces is considerably less than before. And yet, there has been no let-up in terror tactics in many troubled areas where militants are now opting for a less challenging alternative — soft targets.
The increasing number of incidents of kidnapping indicates this. In November 2009, Kohat University`s vice chancellor (VC) was abducted. Reportedly, a sum of Rs50m for his release was paid. Shortly after, the VC of the Islamia College University met the same fate. His release is still awaited. So far militants have kidnapped some 13 high-profile diplomats and foreign nationals for ransom and to pressurise the government to release their comrades.
More than 190 people are reported to have been kidnapped in the last 11 months in Peshawar alone. The figure is believed to be higher than what is reported to the police. “Many interconnected networks are involved, but militant groups have emerged as those most involved in kidnapping incidents,” said a police official.
Additionally, militants have started fresh targeted killings aimed at pro-government elders and activists of the Awami National Party (ANP). Some 1,200 tribal notables and civilians have been killed over the last two years. The ANP claims to have lost over 400 activists including three legislators and the son of the information minister.
In October, more than 100 people were killed in a single day in three separate attacks carried out inside mosques in Darra Adam Khel, Badaber and Swat, despite the heavy presence of security forces in the areas. Why do they kill innocent people? Conspiracy theorists would have us believe that Blackwater or Indian money is behind the attacks on civilians. However, such allegations are meant to serve the agenda of religious parties, which hardly miss a chance to score political points at the cost of national unity.
At the other end, it would be wrong to believe that such attacks against civilians smack of a defeatist mentality. Since miscreants have failed to translate violence into political power, they are willing to strike at anything. The ruling ANP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa propounds the same theory that random terror incidents are a prelude to the bloody end of militancy in and around the province.
The ground realities seem different. Militants, no doubt, have been weakened. But they are committed to neutralising official gains by keeping the terror torch burning. They are moving in the right direction with awesome precision. It is hardly a surprise to know that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Mohmand Agency has extended targeted killings to other parts of the country e.g. its spokesman claimed responsibility for the killing of two tribal elders in Lahore.
Militancy was dealt a heavy blow when the self-defeating creed of Talibanisation imploded under its own weight. The crumbling began in 2009 when common people in Malakand division became aware of the Taliban`s true colours and agenda. This brought civil society on the same page as the government. Subsequently, the displacement of the former enabled the latter to fight the militants. Civilians later formed lashkars and peace committees meant to prevent militancy from revisiting the troubled zones.
However, after reaching the halfway success mark, policymakers appeared content with maintaining the status quo in the restive areas. Initially, after clearing the areas of militants, the latter were not pursued further. This defensive strategy was looked upon as a success.
The lack of official commitment helped the ragtag militants to regroup. This time they have shifted their attention towards the less challenging but more rewarding enemy — non-combatants. This approach has made clear its deadly effects in all spheres of public life. Terror tactics, including kidnapping, have resulted in damage to the economy and also the flight of capital down country or abroad.
More appalling is the insensitivity of policymakers, who are least interested in coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of lives and property. It has been seen that tribal jirgas are `invited` to the offices of political agents in their respective agency to organise lashkars. However, the lurking militants strike at such gatherings killing tribal elders.
Is there anyone to ask political agents in Fata why they are inviting tribesmen to their garrison offices if they are not able to provide them security in the first place? Given the situation, where should people go from here?
Many observers blame the rulers for insensitively using civilians to achieve short-term interests. In not adopting a proactive policy to engage militants in hot pursuit and punishing them according to the law, the government has done damage to civil society. “We have chopped them into pieces, but now every piece has become a whole to fall back on us,” said a security official.
A senior army official, while talking to this writer, admitted that “the advantage of the aggressor still goes to the militants because it is practically not possible for the army to chase after every single militant or group”.
Thanks to military operations, the command and control system of the terrorist network has been dealt a heavy blow. However, after dismantling the top leadership, a variety of independent groups have sprung up to fill the vacuum. This has meant a more localised agenda for militancy.
Instead of attacking the fortified bunkers and garrison forts of the well-equipped security forces, the new lot has found it more convenient to take revenge on elements such as pro-government civilians, peace committee members and mobile police parties.
Under the circumstances, militancy has assumed a more dangerous form and direction. It requires a change of strategy to aggressively take up the challenge. By remaining in defensive mode, the government cannot stop militants from striking at will. Such an approach can only reinforce the status quo, which, in turn, will lead to more civilian deaths in the days to come.
The writer teaches at the Peshawar University.
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Fake leaks
From the Newspaper
December 13, 2010 (5 days ago)
AS if the torrents unleashed by the real WikiLeaks were not overwhelming enough, it seems that now some clever souls are keen to use the opportunity to `contribute` to the heady flow of information. On Thursday, some Pakistani newspapers carried a news story which claimed there was sufficient proof of Indian involvement in Balochistan and Waziristan. Additionally, in an attempt to cater to a sense of security and superiority not uncommon among Pakistanis, it trivialised matters as serious as the attack in Mumbai in 2008 and resorted to caricaturing senior soldiers on the other side. The piece appeared to be based on a series of WikiLeaks cables that American missions had sent to Washington — only for its publishers to later realise that it may have been planted news. One newspaper group which carried the item has since sent a legal notice to the agency which originally ran the fake story. The group has accused the agency of filing suspect stuff in the past as well and warned that it may be constrained to not subscribe to it in future.
With the final responsibility of allowing it in print resting with the newspapers, we must question how, with such a history, the agency managed to make a splash with the story. The answer to this may lie in various tendencies we Pakistanis have perfected over time, and in our inability to come to terms with the emergence of multiple sources of information. Our idea of patriotism encourages us to promote causes even when the damage such promotion on our part can do to the country should make us extremely careful of what we report and how. Today it is one set of newspapers which has been misled into portraying ill-conceived propaganda as information; tomorrow it can be another. This is a warning for all those in the media. Sadly, the rush to provide information, and in this particular case an abundance of it, led to some of us losing the cherished balance — and scepticism — though hopefully momentarily.
The incident also illustrates how the more conventional media can falter easily in its quest for popular reporting as it strives to keep abreast of new competitors. In the case of the fake WikiLeaks cables that have now been condemned, the publishing of the news either coincided with, or was preceded by, its release on several websites. Not all these sites are known for their fairness, let alone objectivity. It will only be in the interest of the media to be a bit wary of the information suppliers that exist outside their pool of trustworthy sources.