Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Ethnic cleansing of Hazara community
THE recent wave of terrorism against the peaceful Hazara community in Quetta is a clear failure on the part of the provincial and federal governments to protect ethnic and religious minorities.
From the Newspaper
The massacre of 40 ethnic Hazara community members in less than 10 days is a clear message for the Hazara community that terrorists are focused and determined in their operations.
More than 1,500 members of the Hazara community have lost their lives in less than a decade, and the provincial government, on the other hand, is incapable of anything except advising Hazara community members to inform the local police station before moving in the city which is by no means a practical solution. Interestingly, despite heavy deployment of security forces and the presence of other security agencies in the region such incidents raise many questions about the credibility and seriousness of the provincial government to protect the lives of the ethnic Hazara community.
Besides, the silence of the Supreme Court of Pakistan is another mystery.
Is not the genocide of an ethnic community enough to open the eyes of the Supreme Court?
SAAD JAAN
Karachi
DAWN
From the Newspaper
The massacre of 40 ethnic Hazara community members in less than 10 days is a clear message for the Hazara community that terrorists are focused and determined in their operations.
More than 1,500 members of the Hazara community have lost their lives in less than a decade, and the provincial government, on the other hand, is incapable of anything except advising Hazara community members to inform the local police station before moving in the city which is by no means a practical solution. Interestingly, despite heavy deployment of security forces and the presence of other security agencies in the region such incidents raise many questions about the credibility and seriousness of the provincial government to protect the lives of the ethnic Hazara community.
Besides, the silence of the Supreme Court of Pakistan is another mystery.
Is not the genocide of an ethnic community enough to open the eyes of the Supreme Court?
SAAD JAAN
Karachi
DAWN
Youm-e-Tarheem
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Rawalpindi: The Youm-e-Tarheem was observed Friday to pay homage to all those who fell victim to target killings and terrorism throughout the country including the martyrs of Quetta on the call of Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi, says a press release.
The day began with recitation from Holy Quran in mosques of all small and big cities and towns of all the five provinces including AJK and Islamabad. Khutaba, Ulema and Waizeen in their Friday sermons highlighted the philosophy of death through resolutions adopted on the occasion. Murder of innocent people of Hazara tribe in Quetta was strongly condemned and the powers that be were asked to take concrete steps to check the menace of terrorism instead of giving a mere lip-service.
Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi addressed Majlis-e-Tarheem at the headquarters of the Maktab-e-Tashayyo.
On the occasion resolutions were adopted against massacre of Hazara tribe in Quetta, incidents of terrorism going on throughout the country and drone attacks in the frontier regions of the country.
Rawalpindi: The Youm-e-Tarheem was observed Friday to pay homage to all those who fell victim to target killings and terrorism throughout the country including the martyrs of Quetta on the call of Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi, says a press release.
The day began with recitation from Holy Quran in mosques of all small and big cities and towns of all the five provinces including AJK and Islamabad. Khutaba, Ulema and Waizeen in their Friday sermons highlighted the philosophy of death through resolutions adopted on the occasion. Murder of innocent people of Hazara tribe in Quetta was strongly condemned and the powers that be were asked to take concrete steps to check the menace of terrorism instead of giving a mere lip-service.
Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi addressed Majlis-e-Tarheem at the headquarters of the Maktab-e-Tashayyo.
On the occasion resolutions were adopted against massacre of Hazara tribe in Quetta, incidents of terrorism going on throughout the country and drone attacks in the frontier regions of the country.
Nasir Shah demands roadmap to end Hazara killings
ISLAMABAD - PPP MNA Syed Nasir Shah said on Friday that he would not end his boycott of the National Assembly session unless he was given a solid roadmap to end sectarian killings in Quetta and return peace to the city whereas Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the government was taking solid steps to ensure peace in Balochistan.
Nasir Shah after his boycott of the current session of the National Assembly has been sitting outside the Parliament House in protest against sectarian killings of Hazaras, a largely Shia community, in Quetta. He has demanded the dissolution of the provincial government in Balochistan which, in his view, has failed control law and order situation in the province.
The Interior Minister met Nasir Shah and urged him to end his boycott as the government was taking solid steps to control deteriorating situation in the province of Balochistan. Talking to the media, Malik said that anti-Pakistan elements were attacking the Shia community as a part of larger conspiracy. He said they will be dealt with an iron hand.
He said he will visit Quetta next week on the direction of President Asif Ali Zardari. Malik said action against all terrorist organizations, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, will be taken and the Balochisan Chief Minister and Chief Secretary had been directed in this regard.
He added the federal government can only intervene in provincial matters after 18th Amendment on the invitation of provinces.
He said security in Shia area had been reinforced and the Zaireen going to Iran are being escorted by security officials, leading to a decrease in targeted killings in Balochistan.
Responding to a question about imposing Governor Rule in Balochistan, Malik said while he respected the sentiments of the people of Balochistan, the government will take steps according to the Constitution. Meanwhile, PPP MNA Syed Nasir Shah talking to Pakistan Today said Rehman Malik wanted him to end his boycott of the National Assembly session but he would do so only if he was given a clear and solid roadmap to end sectarian killings in Quetta.
“Rehman Malik told me that he is going to Quetta and the situation will improve soon. He wanted me to end the boycott. I cannot do so unless a clear and solid roadmap is not made to end sectarian killings. Can Rehman Malik going to Quetta bring peace?,” Nasir asked.
PAKISTAN TODAY
Hazara community for operation against killers
our correspondent
Saturday, October 15, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Hazara community on Friday called for a targeted operation against terrorists allegedly being protected by certain political elements in Quetta, who were involved in a series of executions of Hazara pilgrims and labourers.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik informed the visiting delegation of Hazara community from Quetta that 10-15 persons were involved in execution of Hazaras and they would not be spared now.
The minister was not available for his views on the matter. He has been asked by the president to visit Quetta and review security situation there and ensure protection to Hazaras. The minister promised to the visitors, who called on him here, that he would focus on flushing out terrorist elements from Quetta, as previously he was hectically engaged in controlling target killings in Karachi.
Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) President Abdul Khaliq Hazara, who was also part of the delegation, when approached for comments on the burning issue, told The News that within a day or two, culprits could be located and nabbed. “Areas falling in the jurisdiction of three police stations, located in Shalkot, New Saryab and Brewery are safe havens for the killers, as the Inspector General of Police is also helpless here,” he charged and said they had informed both the president and the interior minister about this bitter fact.
HDP president pointed out that the areas in jurisdiction of these police stations were sparsely populated and it was quite easy to have an eye on the movement of criminal elements. “We have credible information that the perpetrators live in these areas and freely go out, gun down innocent people and then return home despite the presence of three check posts along the road, leading to Mastung,” he noted. He charged the provincial government as well as the Quetta administration had been paralysed and as a result no one was being questioned or held responsible for these glaring security lapses and the killers were making their escape good.
Abdul Khaliq contended despite knowing the incidents of killing were taking place in a part of Mastung, the native district of chief minister Balochistan, no sincere effort was made to check this bloody trend.
Asked what the president said to them when they explained to him their ordeal, Abdul Khaliq noted “the president expressed his concern and regretted all this was happening during his tenure as head of the state”. The delegation, he noted, also apprised the president of growing sense of insecurity among Hazara community after no arrests were made and no heads were rolled after repeated massacres of Hazaras.
THE NEWS
Saturday, October 15, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Hazara community on Friday called for a targeted operation against terrorists allegedly being protected by certain political elements in Quetta, who were involved in a series of executions of Hazara pilgrims and labourers.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik informed the visiting delegation of Hazara community from Quetta that 10-15 persons were involved in execution of Hazaras and they would not be spared now.
The minister was not available for his views on the matter. He has been asked by the president to visit Quetta and review security situation there and ensure protection to Hazaras. The minister promised to the visitors, who called on him here, that he would focus on flushing out terrorist elements from Quetta, as previously he was hectically engaged in controlling target killings in Karachi.
Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) President Abdul Khaliq Hazara, who was also part of the delegation, when approached for comments on the burning issue, told The News that within a day or two, culprits could be located and nabbed. “Areas falling in the jurisdiction of three police stations, located in Shalkot, New Saryab and Brewery are safe havens for the killers, as the Inspector General of Police is also helpless here,” he charged and said they had informed both the president and the interior minister about this bitter fact.
HDP president pointed out that the areas in jurisdiction of these police stations were sparsely populated and it was quite easy to have an eye on the movement of criminal elements. “We have credible information that the perpetrators live in these areas and freely go out, gun down innocent people and then return home despite the presence of three check posts along the road, leading to Mastung,” he noted. He charged the provincial government as well as the Quetta administration had been paralysed and as a result no one was being questioned or held responsible for these glaring security lapses and the killers were making their escape good.
Abdul Khaliq contended despite knowing the incidents of killing were taking place in a part of Mastung, the native district of chief minister Balochistan, no sincere effort was made to check this bloody trend.
Asked what the president said to them when they explained to him their ordeal, Abdul Khaliq noted “the president expressed his concern and regretted all this was happening during his tenure as head of the state”. The delegation, he noted, also apprised the president of growing sense of insecurity among Hazara community after no arrests were made and no heads were rolled after repeated massacres of Hazaras.
THE NEWS
India's Afghanistan Ties Driven by China, not Pakistan
The strategic partnership agreement signed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi last week made front-page news across the region and beyond. The attention it attracted is hardly surprising: The agreement, the first of its kind for Afghanistan, includes the provision of training for Afghanistan's military and police, the establishment of social and cultural exchanges, and measures to enhance economic ties.
It also comes in the context of increasing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. A day prior to the announcement, Karzai harshly criticized Islamabad for not supporting ongoing peace and stability operations in Afghanistan, accusing Pakistan's leaders of playing a "double game" when it came to the Taliban. Relations have been especially fraught since the killing in September of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani -- who headed Afghanistan's peace process -- allegedly by a group with close ties to Pakistani intelligence.
The timing of Karzai's criticisms and his signing of a landmark deal with Islamabad's historic rival led analysts and politicians to cast the growing relationship between India and Afghanistan as a snub to Pakistan. However, it would be short-sighted to categorize India and Afghanistan's recent closeness as intended solely to isolate Pakistan, as New Delhi's interest in the relationship may well have little to do with its cool feelings toward Islamabad.
From an Indian perspective, there are obvious security and diplomatic motivations that could propel a strategic relationship with Afghanistan. But a more realistic motivation is India's growing desire to become competitive in the race to secure natural resources. Over the past few months, what was at first ad hoc interest from various Indian mining companies to work in Afghanistan has grown into a cohesive, concerted effort. With encouragement from New Delhi, an Indian consortium placed a bid last month for the massive Hajigak iron ore mine in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province. The Indian bid is considered to be a top contender to receive the license. It also represents one of the first real commitments of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Afghanistan's extractive industries from a country other than China.
India has also shown an interest in increasing local capacity in the extractive industries in Afghanistan, a sign that Indian policymakers are not expecting their engagement to end with this one iron ore project, but rather have a longer-term commitment in mind. Specifically, India's School of Mines is providing ongoing training in the areas of sustainable natural-resource management and highly specialized mining technology to Afghan engineers. There are plans to expand this project in collaboration with Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines to develop a comprehensive Afghan institute of mining.
The commitments of time, money and institutional resources are a clear indicator that India wants a foothold in Afghanistan. While much of this effort is driven by a desire to bolster India's natural-resource-exploitation profile abroad, there is also an element of geostrategy at play. India's "hot peace" with Pakistan certainly drives New Delhi's security calculations in Afghanistan, but it is not a good reason to invest hundreds of millions of dollars there. China's strong presence in Afghanistan, however, is.
China is currently the largest investor in Afghanistan's extractive industries sector, having just secured another contract to drill oil in the north. The success of the oil deal in the Amu Darya basin, an area which extends into neighboring Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, can be attributed to China's now-textbook bidding procedure: Flood the host country with cash. The drilling agreement between the Chinese state-owned oil company, CNPC, and the Afghan government will see the Chinese company pay out a massive 15 percent royalty fee on oil and a 30 percent corporate tax. China first turned its attention to Afghanistan in 2007 when China Metallurgical Group won the concession to exploit the Aynak copper mine with a bid of just less than $3 billion.
But what India cannot match in cash flow, it makes up for with its genuine interest in regional stability. China has avoided direct involvement in South Asia's regional politics and security environment, relying on international security forces to protect its investments. In an uncertain time for regional relations, Afghanistan will likely find it reassuring to enter into a partnership with a country such as India that has a vested interest in improving the regional security landscape.
China continues to demonstrate that it is less risk-averse than other investors, but its recent dealings with longtime ally Pakistan underscore the fact that Beijing has its limits -- as well as a strategic approach to its regional investment. Even as it signed on to invest further in Afghanistan, China simultaneously pulled out of a $19 billion coal mining deal in Pakistan, saying the conditions in the country were too unstable. What would have been Pakistan's largest tranche of FDI was canceled in favor of a more aggressive FDI agenda in Afghanistan. The move further validates India's decision to get closer to Afghanistan economically and highlights Pakistan's regional irrelevance in the race to secure natural resources.
From an economic perspective, India's move to develop the bilateral relationship with Afghanistan is smart business. From a geopolitical vantage point, it is also a wise play in its rivalry with China. But the crucial question is whether India can tolerate the considerable risk, financial and otherwise, involved in building a relationship with a politically uncertain Afghanistan. Ironically, the success of India's natural resource relationship with Afghanistan will ultimately come down to the stability of Pakistan, the crucial link between Afghanistan and India needed to transport raw materials efficiently from mine to refinery.
Kari Lipschutz is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Her research focuses on the correlation between natural resource management regimes and conflict. Her master's dissertation at SOAS explored Afghanistan's recent mineral law and policy reform process. She can be reached at Kari.Lipschutz AT gmail.com.
Photo: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Kabul, Afghanistan, May 12, 2011 (photo from the website of the prime minister of India).
World Politics Review
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)