Saturday, 28 November 2020
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday asked the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to launch an international campaign for outlawing willful provocation against Muslims and incitement to hate.
Speaking at the 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Niamey, Niger, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi proposed designating March 15 as ‘International Day to Combat Islamophobia’.
He appealed to the OIC countries to use their political influence and economic clout to prevent India from committing atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
He said Islamophobia and hatred towards Muslims was on steep rise in the West and elsewhere. “Recent despicable incidents like desecration of the Holy Quran and reprinting of caricatures of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) have seriously hurt the sentiments of over 1.8 billion Muslims around the world.”
Qureshi raises issue of Indian atrocities in held Kashmir
Mr Qureshi said these shameful acts could not and should not be justified in the name of freedom of expression.
He said the rise and political mainstreaming of far-right extremism in many countries were creating a hostile environment for Muslims and it was critical to raise awareness about this new scourge.
He said Pakistan had been able to contain the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite having the world’s fifth largest population. “We are humbled that our response is cited among global success stories. Yet no one is out of the woods and a second wave is hitting us all,” he said.
He said Pakistan was ready to share its experiences with Muslim countries. Pakistan was also at the forefront of highlighting and working on the challenges posed to the developing countries due to shrinking fiscal space because of the pandemic.
The foreign minister said the rising wave of Hindutva in India had emerged as a serious threat not only to Indian Muslims but also to regional security.
He said the Modi government was systematically attacking India’s over 180 million Muslims.
“We must take cognisance of these crimes lest we see another bloodbath of Indian Muslims,” the foreign minister said.
He said the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remained dire. Operating under draconian laws with impunity, Indian occupation forces were committing unspeakable atrocities to silence the voice of the Kashmiris and break their will.
Mr Qureshi said while Pakistan had been at the forefront of fighting terrorism, India had been weaving a web of terrorism in Pakistan.
“We have prepared a dossier on India’s state sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan and provided incontrovertible proof to the international community. We hope that the OIC collectively, and Muslim countries individually, will play a role in stopping India from following this dangerous course.”
He praised the OIC for being at the forefront of efforts to support the legitimate and just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination. “The beleaguered people of IIOJK, now more than ever, look towards the OIC and the Ummah to help alleviate their sufferings.”
“It is imperative for the CFM to demand that India rescind its illegal and unilateral actions...,” he said.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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One more member of the Pakistan cricket team has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, New Zealand's Ministry of Health said on Saturday, taking the tally of infections within the touring party to seven.
Six of the 53 members of the group had tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon their arrival in New Zealand, while there was also evidence there had been breaches of bio-security rules.
“One additional member of the Pakistan squad has today tested positive during routine testing. The remainder of the results from the squad's Day 3 swab testing — apart from the six who have already returned a positive result, are negative,” the ministry said.
The team had initially been given an exemption to train together in managed isolation but that had been temporarily revoked and will remain on hold pending consideration by health officials, which is expected to take until next week, the ministry added.
Pakistan are due to play three Twenty20 internationals and two tests from December 18, while a Pakistan 'A' tour will also be held concurrently.
PCB Chairman rules out danger to tour
A day earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said he respected the concerns raised by the New Zealand government, but hoped no major danger loomed over the tour.
Speaking to DawnNews on the programme "Replay", he said: "We respect NZC [New Zealand Cricket] and their government’s concern after six of our players tested positive.
"Separately, there were a few minor breaches immediately upon the side’s arrival in New Zealand, which have been made public without providing any context.
“Despite these, I don’t think there in any danger to the series as our players are strictly following the isolation facility's protocols," he said.
He added that the breaches mentioned by the New Zealand cricket board and health authorities happened when the players were checking in to the isolation facility.
During that period, they interacted with each other, he said. “It was a 22-hour journey and players deserved a bit of grace period. Nevertheless, breaches have taken place and there is no hiding behind any excuses."
He added that the PCB was in discussions with NZC about allowing the remaining cricketers to resume match preparation and get on the field.
“With regards to the positive test results of six players, the PCB had shared the outcomes of all the tests conducted by one of the most reputed and credible laboratories with the New Zealand government and they were satisfied.
“It now needs to be examined and investigated how they could have contracted the virus but it is anticipated and understood that this happened somewhere between Lahore and the isolation facility. We are also investigating which players were infected first and how it was transmitted to others," he said.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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Friday, 27 November 2020
RAWALPINDI, NOV 27 - General Nadeem Raza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, on official visit to Tajikistan, called on Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan.
Chairman CJCSC also had separate meetings with Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Defence Minister, Colonel General Rakhimozoda Ramazon Khamro, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Colonel General Yatimov Saymumin Sattorovich, Chairman State Committee of National Security.
During the meetings, both sides deliberated upon various areas of mutual interest & bilateral cooperation including security, counter-terrorism and prevailing regional environment particularly with reference to Afghanistan.
They also dilated upon measures to enhance the level and scope of military engagements between both countries and reaffirmed to continue to forge deeper ties.
Chairman CJCSC said that Pakistan is keen to expand its existing bilateral military to military cooperation with Tajikistan.
The dignitaries lauded professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in fight against terrorism.Earlier, upon arrival at Ministry of Defence, Chairman CJCSC was presented Guard of Honour by contingent of Tajikistan’s Armed Forces.
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 27 – Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Niamey.
During the meeting, views were exchanged on bilateral relations, regional issues, cooperation at multilateral fora, and the Covid-19 situation.
The Foreign Minister extended felicitations to the Saudi leadership on successful convening of the G-20 Summit.
The two sides agreed on further deepening bilateral trade and economic cooperation including in the field of energy.
The two Foreign Ministers discussed OIC’s importance as the vital platform for Muslim Ummah and its role in the advancement of the Kashmir cause.
Foreign Minister Qureshi apprised of the continuing grave situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
He thanked the Saudi Foreign Minister for the Kingdom’s principled and steadfast support for the just cause of Kashmir.
Prince Faisal underscored the importance that Saudi Arabia attaches to its fraternal and strategic relationship with Pakistan.
He conveyed Saudi Arabia’s appreciation for the role played by Pakistan in maintaining regional peace and stability.
The two sides agreed to have high-level exchanges to promote bilateral cooperation in relevant fields.
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Sajjad Shaukat
At this critical hour, Pakistan’s armed forces have been coping with internal and external challenges of grave nature in order to maintain the security of the country. While, Indian fanatic rulers are also escalating tensions with Pakistan and have continued shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir by violating the ceasefire agreement in relation to the Line of Control (LoC). Especially, Pak Army and Rangers have been boldly responding to India’s unprovoked firing at the LoC.
Undoubtedly, these forces have been fighting a different war, while enemy is also different, who employs subversive activities of various kinds. In this respect, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has repeatedly stated that Pakistan is facing the challenge of hybrid war.
But, it is our misfortune that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has launched a movement to topple the current elected regime.
In this regard, addressing a PDM rally in Gujranwala via a video link from London, ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accused army chief Bajwa and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed of rigging elections and toppling his government to install Imran Khan in his place. During the election-rally in Gilgit Baltistan, he, again, targeted them.
In one way of the other, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also criticized the army and country’s main intelligence agency ISI.
Earlier, PML-N leader and former speaker of the National assembly Ayas Sadiq allegedly said: “The government had pleaded to parliamentary leaders in a meeting to let Indian pilot Abhinandan be freed. The chief of army staff also attended the meeting”.
In response to Ayaz’s remarks, Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen. Babar Iftikhar stated that such comments were “disappointing” and “misleading…following the attack on Indian troops in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area, India showed aggression against Pakistan on February 26, 2019, in which not only did it face defeat but was humiliated around the world…we shot down two enemy war planes…Wing Commander Abhinandan was captured…country’s entire civil and military leadership was united in the decision”.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi dismissed PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq’s statement, saying that “the government had taken all parliamentary leaders into confidence…the captured Indian pilot was not mentioned in that meeting…Highly irresponsible statements are being issued for political gains.”
However, PTI government had also released the Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan as a gesture of peace.
Nevertheless, intense anger has been shown by the ruling party PTI, various political parties and the public, including many entities of the PML-N itself and those of the PDM in the aftermath of the remarks of Ayas Sadiq and online speeches of the former Prime Minister Sharif.
Besides top officials of the government, on various occasions, Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that “Nawaz Sharif is a jackal who ran away to London…Sharif, who has been handed a seven-year jail term on corruption charges…is trying to sow discord in the military, the judiciary and the government in an attempt to escape accountability…the jackal used inappropriate language against the incumbent army and ISI chiefs…is trying to stir up a rebellion in the Pakistan Army …Sharif as a protégé of army generals is now trying to re-establish himself as a champion of democracy…the opposition [PDM] is attempting to blackmail me so I can forgive them for their alleged corruption…Their interest is against Pakistan’s interest…These people are speaking the language of Narendra Modi…it was disappointing what Ayaz Sadiq was saying about Abhinandan.”
Debate which continued among the politicians regarding the key institutions of Pakistan intensified after the statement of the ISPR about the Karachi incident.
In this context, in a recent statement, ISPR said that officials of the ISI and Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, involved in the kidnapping of Sindh Inspector General Mushtaq Mahar have been removed pending further departmental proceedings for acting “overzealously…with the fall out of the desecration of Mazar-e-Quaid…on the orders of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa”.
Last month, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had called on Gen. Bajwa and ISI Director General Lt-Gen. Faiz Hameed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of PML-N leader Capt (R) Mohammad Safdar in Karachi on October 19.
Besides some MNAs and MPS of PML-N itself, including several ministers of the PTI appreciated the report.
Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejected the inquiry report, while Bilawal welcomed it saying: “This step will elevate the stature of the institutions.”
Maryam Nawaz and PML-N leader ex-President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi criticized the findings of the probe.
Regrettably, it seems that these hostile leaders have forgotten the sacrifices and services of the armed forces.
In this connection, Pakistan’s armed forces and ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, including other vulnerable regions.
And in the recent past, terrorist attacks particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is central point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) show that the CIA-led Indian RAW, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security and Israeli Mossad are destabilising Pakistan and want to damage the CPEC project which is part of China’s OBOR or BRI. Besides, Pakistan is the only nuclear country in the Islamic World. Therefore, it has become special target of some Western entities.
Anyhow, recall armed forces’ innumerable services and sacrifices especially army such as the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons during the Swat and Malakand military operations, counter-insurgency operations and restoration of law and order on many occasions—during catastrophic periods—floods, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic, locusts’ attacks etc.
Notably, Pak Army has not only been successful in uprooting the anti-state and separatist elements, but also contributed a lot in socio-economic development of Balochistan and has made strenuous efforts to develop the infrastructure in the province by providing the people employment opportunities to bring the Balochis in the mainstream of the country. For the purpose, Army has not only established schools and colleges in Balochistan, but also set up technical and industrial institutes in the province besides giving military training to the youth, while protecting mega-projects and the CPEC staff.
When more than 250 children died of malnutrition and diseases during four months of this year in Thar region of Sindh, Pakistan Army established a free medical camp in Tharparkar. Army doctors and paramedics provided essential medical treatment to over 1,800 patients.
Moreover, since 1984, Pakistan’s military is fighting intermittent battles against the Indian forces in the Siachen Glacier region despite the unfavorable weather conditions.
It is mentionable that during the previous regime of the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, WAPDA was going to be bankrupted and he had invited the Army to manage its affairs. By collecting the electricity bills, even from the influential persons, army’s personnel had saved WAPDA from bankruptcy.
Nonetheless, Pakistani armed forces have been the redeeming saviors of nation under all circumstances and always reached out to all citizens of Pakistan. But, at this crucial juncture, some leaders of the PDM, particularly those of the PML-N have ignored the sacrifices and services of the Pakistan’s armed forces and ISI for their political gains.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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Former fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar launched a tirade against New Zealand after the Pakistan cricket team were handed a warning of being sent back to the country if found violating coronavirus protocols for the second time.
New Zealand Government confirmed that six Pakistan players were tested positive for the coronavirus.
It also claimed that the players from the touring squad violated the safety protocols inside the bio-secure bubble.
The announcement did not sit well with the Rawalpindi Express who voiced his anger in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
“The remarks were below the belt,” the 45-year-old said. “I want to remind them that this is not some club team they are talking about. This is the Pakistan national side.”
He added that Pakistan cricket team does not need to tour Down Under in the first place. “It won’t be the end of the world if the tour gets cancelled nor our players are that inept.”
The former pacer went on to say that New Zealand should be indebted to the Green Caps as they will be earning the revenue generated from the broadcast rights of the five-match tour.
Akhtar said that he was angry over the fact that New Zealand had the nerve to hand a warning to Pakistan which is the greatest country on this planet. “So be careful in what you say next time.”
He advised Babar Azam’s side to give a befitting reply to the Black Caps by thrashing them in the three-match T20I series.
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 27 – A delegation of the Hashim Group of Turkey led by Emir Han Demir, Head of Operations visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry to hold a meeting with Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan President and showed keen interest to set up joint ventures in Pakistan.
Abdul Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Malik Jahangir Jan, Country Director Pakistan, Hashim Group, Tasleem Khan Legend Hotel Islamabad and M. Aslam Khokhar Executive Member ICCI were also present at the occasion.
Emir Han Demir said that Hashim Group has business interests in many fields including real estate, mining, tourism, car designing and education in Turkey and they were now exploring Pakistani market for JVs and investment. They said that Pakistan’s economy has great potential to grow and they wanted to bring construction technology and investment to Pakistan to capitalize on the potential business opportunities.
They said that the education sector was another area of interest for them and they were looking at the prospects of bringing partners to Pakistan to invest in education, mining and other sectors. They said that they were setting up an office in Pakistan so that they could take benefit of emerging business and investment opportunities here.
Speaking at the occasion, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed exemplary strong relations that should be transformed into thriving trade relations as the existing volume of bilateral trade between the two countries was not reflective of their actual potential.
He said that Pakistan and Turkey have shown interest to sign an agreement to provide dual nationality to their citizens and stressed that this process should be expedited that would help in increasing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. He said that Pakistan and Turkey should also finalize FTA that would give a significant boost to bilateral trade.
Briefing the Turkish delegation about the prospective areas of JVs and investment in Pakistan, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that Pakistan offered great investment opportunities in construction, mining, tourism, automobile, housing and other sectors and urged that Turkish investors should capitalize on these opportunities through JVs and investment. He said that Pakistan’s economy was now showing good prospects and time was ripe for Turkish investors to increase their presence in Pakistani market. He said that by investing in Pakistan, Turkish companies could get easy access to Central Asia and many other markets for exports.
He said that Turkish companies should transfer technology to Pakistan and help in accelerating the pace of industrialization in our country. He assured that ICCI would fully cooperate with Turkish investors in finding right partners in Pakistan. He said that ICCI was actively working to attract FDI towards Pakistan by encouraging the foreign investors to take benefit of the emerging opportunities for business and investment in Pakistan.
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PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz were released on Friday from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on five-day parole for the funeral of the former’s mother.
The funeral of Shehbaz and Nawaz Sharif’s mother, Begum Shamim Akhtar will be held at Sharif Medical City, Raiwind in Lahore tomorrow. Her body is being brought back from London to Lahore, where she will be buried next to the grave of her husband, Mian Sharif, at the family’s Jati Umra estate.
Earlier this week, the PML-N had requested at least a two-week parole for party president Shehbaz and his son Hamza to participate in the last rites of Begum Shamim. Hamza has been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau since June last year, while Shehbaz was arrested in September in a money laundering and assets beyond means case.
In an application to the Lahore deputy commissioner, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar said both Shehbaz and Hamza were leaders of the opposition in the National and Punjab assemblies, respectively.
He sought their release on parole for a period of at least two weeks to receive condolences and participate in Begum Shamim’s last rites at their Model Town and Jati Umra residences.
Begum Shamim passed away in London on November 22. She was in her 90s and had been unwell for a month or so, sources in the party had said, adding that she had also twice visited a hospital in London for a check-up.
She had travelled to the United Kingdom in February against the advice of her doctors to see her ailing son, Nawaz, who is being treated for heart and kidney ailments in London.
Both Nawaz and Shehbaz could not attend the last rites of their father back in October 2004 as they were in exile in Jeddah and had rejected a conditional offer by then military dictator Pervez Musharraf in this respect.
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OSLO, NOV 27 – Last week, for the first time since the first half of October, fewer new infections were reported than the week before. The infection reproduction number (R) has fallen to 1.0.
In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number (R) is the expected number of cases directly generated by one case.
The data was revealed in the National Institute of Public Health’s (FHI) latest weekly report.
A total of 3,621 infection cases were reported in week 47, a decrease from 4,080 in week 46.
“That is 11% less than the week before. That’s promising news,” FHi director Camilla Stoltenberg said when she presented the figures at the government’s coronavirus press conference on Wednesday.
Uncertainty about cause
Stoltenberg is still hesitant to make conclusions.
“The reduction in the number of infections may be due to the fact that we see results from the new measures.
“We hope and we believe that is the reason – at least the most important reason. But it could also be a result of fewer people testing themselves,” she said.
In its weekly report, the FHI points out that the number of tested subjects fell by 16% from week 46 to week 47.
At the same time, the proportion of positives increased from 2.77% in week 46 to 2.92% in week 47.
An R-number of 1.0
The FHI’s mathematical models also show that the increase in infection spread has stopped after November 5.
The infection rate R has fallen to 1.0 from a level of 1.4 in mid-October.
“In this context, a fall from 1.4 to 1.0 is significant,” Stoltenberg said.
“The goal is for the reproduction number to be below 1.0. Then fewer and fewer will be infected.
“But the situation is still unstable, and there is a danger that the infection may increase again… Work on stopping the spread must continue.”
Large variations
In the weekly report, the FHI writes that there are still large geographical variations in the spread of infection.
Oslo has the most infection, with 336 reported cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks in total. The number of infected people in Oslo has been stable during this period.
Trøndelag has the least infection, with 31 reported cases per 100,000 in the last two weeks.
Imported mutations
The FHI has also performed genetic analyzes of the viruses in Norway.
These analyzes indicate that several recent outbreaks up to early November, such as those in Hyllestad, Våler, and Tromsø, are due to newly imported virus strains.
At the same time, it turns out that a subgroup of the virus with a mutation called A626S in the characteristic “spike” protein has now spread to all parts of the country.
Similar mutations have been seen in different Eastern European countries, and the first case of this mutation in Norway appears to have been imported from Poland.
Poland is also the country from which most infected people come. But the vast majority of those who were reported infected during the last two weeks, 93%, were infected in Norway.
Only 1% came from Poland.
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COURTESY NORWAYTODAY
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 27 – On the day of Jinnah Institute’s Ideas Conclave 2020, sessions were held with leading international diplomats, journalists and economic experts discussing issues in both the South Asian region and beyond.
The third session of the Conclave titled, “Realigning the Region” brought together former ambassadors Maleeha Lodhi and Janan Mosazai of Afghanistan, Professor Marvin Weinbaum from the US, and Indian journalist Siddharth Varadarajan together to discuss challenges in Afghanistan’s peace process. Speakers saw that this is a question affecting those within the country as well as the entire region. “There are deep divisions that still exist in the region; any agreement made in Doha can be jeopardised by continued differences between countries in the region whose results will be disastrous for all countries beyond Afghanistan,” observed Ambassador Janan Mosazai.
Ambassador Lodhi explained that the changing face of geopolitics in the world was a significant factor beyond the Covid crisis, leading to greater uncertainty for the future of the Afghanistan. “The world is passing through an unsettled phase not just because of Covid but because of international power shifts in flux, a rules-based international order framed under the weight of so-called ‘strong men’ acting unilaterally, trying to re-write the rules of the game,” stated Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi.
Moderated by Ammara Durrani, Senior Fellow Jinnah Institute, the session saw all participants agree that international powers should not leave Afghanistan to its own means after a hasty pullout. “(The) US will not walk away from Afghanistan as it did in the 90s, which created a host of challenges for everyone. Back then, China and Iran were different entities to what they are now, and the US is attentive to this. But its commitment is certainly reduced, and the international community takes its lead from that stance. As for Indo-Pak relations, the BJP government led by Modi has made things more difficult for resolving the Kashmir issue,” said Professor Marvin Weinbaum.
The third and final day of ‘Jinnah Institute’s Ideas Conclave 2020’ commenced with a conversation on ‘Inequities in Wealth and Development’ where experts discussed the current state of the economy in Pakistan, the impact of Covid-19, and what path of recovery should be adopted considering the rising levels of inequality.
Speakers of the session included former Provincial Minister of Finance, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, General Secretary PMLN Sindh, Miftah Ismail, Executive Director IBA, S. Akbar Zaidi, and Associate Professor of Political Economy at QAU, Aasim Sajjad Akhtar. The session was moderated by Assistant Editor at Dawn Newspaper, Khurram Husain.
Akbar Zaidi explained that despite poverty levels going down in South Asia, inequality continues to be on the rise because it is far more difficult to remedy due to structural issues. “Poverty can be addressed with simple transfers of wealth. But inequality needs looking at ownership of assets and networks; the continued conflation of ‘poverty’ and ‘inequality’ as terms by official decision makers has prevented an examination of factors that cause inequality”, he added.
Commenting on the obsession with achieving growth, Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha said that growth needs to be pursued in an inclusive fashion which has been prevented thus far due to elite capture of the state. She said this was an unfortunate posture of all governments to patronize elite groups, who sustained inequality and rent seeking. She stressed on the need to “design a fiscal policy that helps create a new social contract that compels the elite to give up what they have, and to constrain the space for rent seekers.” Moreover, Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha pointed out that agriculture has not been prioritised as it should be, although Pakistan’s industrial production is agriculture-based. “Greater focus on labour-intensive areas, protection of social development expenditure and more direct taxes”, were some of the recommendations put forward by Dr. Pasha.
Dr. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar remarked that inequality has been growing across the globe, which is a “consequence of clear distinct political choices that have been influenced by big business interests.” He stressed that 23 million out of school children in Pakistan will grow up with structural disadvantages, including the lack of a political voice and negotiating power in this country. Inequalities like that will not be wished with cash transfers or social protection programs, therefore governments have to look beyond devising poverty reduction programs in the hope that its impacts deeply entrenched inequality.
The final session of the Conclave, “Fineprinting Security: Journalists Discuss Conflict Reportage” was moderated by journalist Raza Rumi and featured veteran mediapersons Kathy Gannon, Amber Shamsi and Asad Hashim. The panellists spoke about reporters operating in conflict zones where ‘truth’ was often contested and media persons’ own safety was at stake.
They established the need to try and tell all sides of the story instead of a biased perspective, although this was often challenging, with media houses and the state dictating terms, particularly in countries like Pakistan and India. The idea of a ‘peace journalist’ was also dismissed by the speakers, who agreed that journalists were responsible to try and depict the facts without bias. “Our job as journalists is really to speak to all sides, and deliver information. We can build bridges and share platforms, but not necessarily be interlocutors or peace activists,” stated Amber Rahim Shamsi.
Speakers also established the difference between ‘media’ and journalism; where the former includes marketing and content for mass consumption while journalism was strictly limited to providing facts with an attempt to give well-rounded information. “Television journalism needs an overhaul in how it’s conducted across the world, especially for its potential to create hysteria. We see how that happens across India and Pakistan, explained Kathy Gannon. She added that the recent spate of harassment against women journalists online was a global phenomenon that must not be ignored, as online threats against life and person may well turn into deathly attacks offline.
All the sessions from Ideas Conclave 2020 are available for viewing at Jinnah Institute’s official YouTube page.
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Mehr Ispahani
Historically, what we used to call the ‘Gilgit Agency’ was made up of the princely states of Hunza and Nagar, the smaller entities of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin and Punial, and the Gilgit Wazarat. Out of these territories, only the Gilgit Wazarat formed a part of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, while the other areas were under the paramountcy of the British government. The British had been instrumental in pacifying this area, and even helped the Kashmir darbar establish its writ in parts of its own territory. In order to consolidate its control in the area, especially as the Great Game was still on, the British Government of India established the Gilgit Agency in 1889. Since its inception, the Agency controlled the defence, foreign affairs and communications of the region, with the help of a political agent in the Gilgit city and an assistant political agent in Chilas.
The Maharaja of Kashmir claimed that the whole Gilgit Agency formed his state, but the Indian government was very clear that this was not the case. After the Kashmir darbar submitted a long note to the Indian government, New Delhi concisely and clearly put an end to the confusion. Colonel Fraser, a resident in Kashmir, wrote to Maharaja Sir Hari Singh on March 5, 1941, the final decision of the viceroy on the status of the constituent units of the Agency: “a) Hunza and Nagar: though these are under the suzerainty of the Kashmir State, they are not part of Kashmir but are separate states; b) Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, and Yasin: though these are under the suzerainty of Kashmir State they are not part of Kashmir but tribal areas. What happened even in Gilgit Wazarat in the aftermath of the transfer of power, it is clear that the entire population was pro-Pakistan.
Gilgit-Baltistan is six times the size of Azad Kashmir. The territory also borders the Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu & Kashmir which is separated by the Line of Control. The territory of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name “Northern Areas”. It was formed by the amalgamation of former Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan district and several small former princely states, the larger of which being Hunza and Nagar.
G-B covers mostly a highly mountainous area of over 72,971 sq km. It had an estimated population of 1.249 million in 2013 (1.8 million in 2015). Its capital city is Gilgit with 216,760 estimated population. It is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” and more than 50 peaks above 7,000 metres. The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir Mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.
Three of the world’s longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in G-B. The main tourism activities are trekking and mountaineering, and this industry is growing in importance. The present-day G-B territory became a separate unit in 1970 as Northern Areas. It was formed by the amalgamation of Gilgit Agency, Baltistan district of the Ladakh wazarat and the hill states of Hunza and Nagar. It now consists of 14 districts, has a population one million and an area of 73,000 sq km. It shares borders with Pakistan, China, India and Afghanistan: with Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, a small portion of Wakhan trip of Afghanistan to the north, the Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur region to the northeast, the Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir to the southeast, and the state of Azad Jammu & Kashmir to the south.
Three of the world’s longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in G-B: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier and the Batura Glacier. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in G-B: The economy of the region is primarily based on a traditional route of trade, the historic Silk Road. The China Trade Organization forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade knowhow from Xinjiang. Later, the establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sust dry port (in Gojal Hunza) became a milestone. In early September 2009, Pakistan signed an agreement with China for a major energy project in G-B which includes the construction of a 7,000-MW dam at Bunji in the Astore district. Pakistan gave G-B the status of its fifth legal provisional province. The region is not disputed as it is part of Pakistan.
Understanding G-B’s strategic position is important. We can do that by revisiting the centrality of G-B in the 19th century Great Game between Russia and British India, and then throw light on the contemporary strategic importance of the region for China and Pakistan on one hand, and the opponents of the BRI, including the US and India. This contest makes the region a critical strategic prize. Gilgit-Baltistan being a province will grow in strength and develop further with its huge potentials.
Recently an Indian plot came to limelight, including a plan that was aimed at poisoning the minds of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan through elements of hate. A dirty propaganda campaign has been launched to distort the history and prove that G-B was a disputed territory. But above mentioned facts reveal that G-B never was an integral part of Jammu & Kashmir. It is on record that in 1935, the British Raj leased the area from J&K state’s autocratic Maharaja for a period of 60 years. People of G-B acceded to Pakistan willingly after an arduous struggle. They acceded to Pakistan on November 1, 1947 after getting independence from the Dogra army. Similarly, the liberation forces emancipated Skardu after a year. The brave people of G-B defeated a well-equipped and trained army. They are not ready to accept anyone’s claim over the region.
(The writer is freelance columnist based in Peshawar)
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